Distributors Corner November/December 2008: We are all in this together

I for one am glad to see the election season over. This past month I again had the pleasure of watching regular advertising on television and will grow to miss those political commercials. Both men that ran for president promised us change. Except for the sudden loss of those ads, nothing has changed yet. Change is coming in some form or another though. There have been lots of promises out of Washington, so we all must brace ourselves for what is to come. We are all in this together and not one of us should attempt to go it alone!

When I was in distribution, we used to have about a half dozen luncheons a year for our customers. Others too have these on occasion and most of you have been to a few of these freebees. As time went on, these became very well attended, to the point where we would hire traffic cops to get all the roofing trucks in and out of our lot! Impressive showings, but what impressed me more was the opportunity our customers took to interact with each other. Yes, free food got them in the door, but their ability to sit down with guys (and gals) that were in the same business and share thoughts and ideas was a great benefit. I came to find out that many close bonds and friendships, even among competitors, were formed out of these gatherings. It was evident my customers craved the chance to interact with their peers. I believe this to be one of the most important aspects of success of any business; the ability to gather with your peers to interact, share ideas, best practices, educational aspects and experiences.

I find networking to be of great personal benefit. About ten years back, I joined a new cooperative made up independent distribution companies throughout the United States. We meet twice a year and as our relationships grew, we started to interact via e-mail and phone whenever possible. This network of contacts, and the information we shared, made us as stronger businesspeople and gave us the ability to better compete and offer better services to our customers. I developed a mentor group that was there for me if I needed help. No one thing has more value to me than my group of industry friends and the ability to tap into their collective wisdom.

Roofing contractors also have many opportunities to get together. As I mentioned, attending your local distributor's functions can be an important way of making contacts. Joining a national organization such as the NRCA or your local chapter is important too. Attending their meetings and conventions will not only bring new peer connections, but also offers educational opportunities, the ability to meet suppliers, see what new and keep on the cutting edge of what is going on in our industry. They also will inform you on what effects any new government actions will have on our ability to manage our businesses. If you don't know where to join or who to contact, the RoofersCoffeeShop.com is a great resource.

So, make it a point to get involved, grow your network of contacts inside of thebusiness, develop a mentor group, share best practices and join an association. And remember, distributor gatherings offer much more than a free lunch. Navigating through these changing times makes it imperative that none of us go it alone.

Earl Ward is a 28 year veteran of the roofing industry primarily, in distribution and most recently as owner/managing partner of a roofing and siding distribution company in Minneapolis, MN.  Mr. Ward is President of NEMEON, Inc.