2011 ERA Conference Breakout Seminars
Sessions are listed in alphabetical order by title. All sessions are on Wednesday, OCT. 5th.
Please note the intended audience for each seminar, and see the schedule for the time(s) each is offered.

Business Transitions and Second Half Success: What Every Owner Needs to Know
Presenter: Bruce Leech, Co-Founder, Evolve USA
Your business has been a big part of your success. At some point, everyone must face the question, "What's next?" It's not a question that can be answered in one mountain-top experience or flash of light. In fact, it's not even a question. It's a lot of questions. How do you create the freedom to do the things you love? How do you gain control over decisions that affect you and your business? How do you build wealth to live the life you want? This seminar provides the critical next steps to increase the value of your business while creating more time to enjoy success.

Cloud Computing for (Pardon the Expression) Dummies
Presenter: Kristi Smith, Kristi Smith Consulting
What IS cloud computing ... and why do YOU need to know about it? Regardless of the size of your company and whether it already is or is not yet using a cloud, everyone should be aware of the implications and impacts of this fast-rising new option in information technology. In this seminar, you will learn the basics of cloud computing and about the many choices you may want to explore ... and there will NOT be any sales pitch from one of the many major cloud providers! Bring your questions and ask an expert about the best solutions for YOUR firm.

Commission Recovery Under the Procuring Cause Doctrine
Presenter: Adam Glazer, Schoenberg, Finkel, Newman & Rosenberg, Ltd., ERA Legal Counsel
Often a rep who has generated business that continues to enrich the principal can be stymied in efforts to recover commissions because the contract does not specifically provide for such recovery. The Procuring Cause Doctrine can be applied to fill in the gaps to the benefit of reps who have developed an ongoing stream of business, including following the rep's termination. Learn all the details in this seminar, and take advantage of the opportunity to gain free legal advice from a rep-savvy attorney.

Creating a Tribal Sales Culture to Help Manage Change
Presenters: Nicki Weiss, Saleswise; JoAnne McLean, SoulzatWork; and Tom Busher, Digi-Key Corp.
Learn the secrets of navigating change and growth. Hear the Digi-Key story about how one leader invited his organization to evolve from "me" to "we" in order to address the increasing complexity his sales team was facing in a global market. Also learn the three most powerful drivers to establish a tribal sales culture that outperforms the competition and creates resiliency in order to steer your team effectively through all types of changes. These principles work for companies of ANY size.

Supply Chain Logistics: How Can Manufacturers Cut or Control Costs?
Moderator: Scott Lindberg, Microsemi
In this breakout, moderator and manufacturing executive Scott Lindberg leads attendees in a round table discussion format to share best ideas and develop new strategies to reduce supply chain expenses for shipping, warehousing, dealing with tariffs/duties and more. Could alliances or "pools" be formed to lower costs? Can ERA help? Be ready to swap best practices and gain logistics tips and tactics from your peers.

Using Social Media to Boost Your Business: Now That You Know the Basics, You Can Shift into High Gear
Presenter: Don Lafferty, Social Media Strategist
Your customers and competitors are using social media every day, and the numbers are growing at a staggering rate. Learn how to use free on-line tools to "listen" to the millions of conversations being had in the social web to identify your target connections, engage them appropriately, and drive their behavior to meet your business objectives. In this breakout you will: gain a firm understanding of the types of objectives you can set and achieve by integrating social media tools and tactics with your existing on-line presence and e-mail marketing strategy; learn how to build a Social Media Listening Post to identify your target connections among the hundreds of millions of people using social media; see examples of B2B industrial sales organizations executing appropriate engagement strategies and tactics in social media communities; and see illustrations of the appropriate, effective and affordable deployment of blogging, Twitter, Facebook and other on-line community engagement in the pursuit of your business objectives.

Using Social Media to Boost Your Business: Now That You Know the Basics, You Can Shift into High Gear
Presenter: Don Lafferty, Social Media Strategist
Your customers and principals, current and prospective, are using social media every day, and the numbers are growing at a staggering rate. Learn how to use free on-line tools to "listen" to the millions of conversations being had in the social web to identify your target connections, engage them appropriately, and drive their behavior to meet your business objectives. In this breakout you will: gain a firm understanding of the types of objectives you can set and achieve by integrating social media tools and tactics with your existing on-line presence and e-mail marketing strategy; learn how to build a Social Media Listening Post to identify your target connections among the hundreds of millions of people using social media; see examples of B2B industrial sales organizations executing appropriate engagement strategies and tactics in social media communities; and see illustrations of the appropriate, effective and affordable deployment of blogging, Twitter, Facebook and other on-line community engagement in the pursuit of your business objectives.

The View from the Other Side: How Today's and Next Gen Reps and Manufacturers See Each Other

Moderator: Gary Lee Smith, CPMR, G. L. Smith Associates, Inc.; Participants: Bob Evans, CPMR, EK Associates, Inc.; Tom Griffin, Catalyst Sales, Inc.; Dick Neumann, Grayhill, Inc.; and Marcia Weinstein, Arc-Tronics, Inc.
Are you curious about how your business and market partners "see" you? Then don't miss this high-energy discussion about reps' and manufacturers' perceptions and MISconceptions about each other. The panelists will share both their own diverse opinions and the views of the next generation personnel in their companies. Will they set each other straight? Be there to find out ... and be ready to dive into the discussion!

War Stories from the Rep (Legal) Front
Presenter: Gerald M. Newman, Schoenberg, Finkel, Newman & Rosenberg, Ltd., ERA Legal Counsel
This lively group discussion focuses on several key rep-related cases which Gerry Newman's firm has recently handled and the lessons to be learned from each. Gerry will share both the good and the bad in each case and explain what the rep did right and wrong. While this session is rep-oriented, manufacturers are also invited to attend.

Working with Distribution: Maximizing the Channel
Moderator: Carla Mahrt, JJM Search; Participants: David Anderson, CPMR, Sumer, Inc.; Chris Beeson, Digi-Key Corp.; Ken Bellero, Schaffner EMC; Cornelius Clark, Cooper Bussmann; Walter Tobin, Future Electronics
Join a panel of distributors, manufacturers and a rep to discuss their ideas on both how to WORK with distribution and also how to truly MAXIMIZE the distribution channel. Learn from and ask questions of your peers as they share best practices and biggest faux pas, each from their own perspective in the supply chain.