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> STEP 2023 Sales Training Series Now Available

If you did not have the chance to attend the live STEP 2023 event, but still want to access the event’s valuable educational content, the STEP 2023 sales training video recordings are now bundled and available for purchase at ERA.org/step. (ERA member companies receive a discount, of course!)

2023’s training modules feature tips on time management, email writing, active listening, building resilience, using ChatGPT and AI in sales, maximizing quotes to orders booked, 21st century prospecting, and more!

Step up your sales and professional skills, and come away with useful takeaways, best practices and key tools to succeed in today’s ever-changing market.

Happy learning!

Browse the 2023 STEP library (and 2022 and 2021 as well!)

Purchase the STEP 2023 modules

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> ERA Quick Connections — December 2023, Vol. 1

December 2023, Volume 1

MANUFACTURING DATA REPORTS

Manufacturing data reports from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) are released at the beginning of every month and can be accessed at ISM. The latest report says economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in November for the 13th consecutive month after a 28-month period of growth.

The electrical equipment, appliances and components sector, as well as the computer and electronic products sector, reported contraction in November. Read the full report.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> Creating an image with generative AI uses as much energy as fully charging a smart phone, according to a new research study. Read more.

> The global semiconductor market is expected to reach $520 billion in 2023, reports ESIA, and is expected to rebound in 2024 to reach $588 billion. Read more.

> The White House announced 30 actions to bolster supply chains at the first meeting of President Biden’s supply chain resilience council last week. Read more.


INDUSTRY TRENDS SURVEY

The December ERA Electronics Components Industry Trends survey is now open and accepting responses from ERA member firms!

Please note: ERA sends this survey monthly to one contact from each ERA member firm via email. Please be on the lookout for this survey in your email inbox. If you don’t see it, check all email folders, including spam. The email will come from no-reply@mail.client.edgewaterresearch.com. If you have questions about who the survey contact is for your organization, or would like to change this contact, please email this request to Edgewater Research.

Help us make this survey a valuable resource for you and the rest of our members by taking 5 minutes to complete this each month. The results are visible only to ERA members and gives us a great cross-section of what our members see on the horizon for the near and long term.

VIEW 2023 SURVEY RESULTS

ERA NEWS

The ERA White Pin Internship program is now accepting applications for 2024! This internship program offers a manufacturers’ rep (who is an ERA member) a chance to hire a college student as a summer intern, with ERA and the White Pin group subsidizing a substantial portion of the anticipated internship cost. Read more information about the program! Apply as rep, or apply as an intern.


> If you did not have the chance to attend the live STEP 2023 event, but still want to access the event’s valuable educational content, the STEP 2023 recordings are now bundled and available for purchase. The STEP 2023 archive is available to ERA member individuals for $295 and to non-member individuals for $395. Happy learning!


IMPORTANT EDS SUMMIT 2024 INFORMATION:

  • Only Early Space Reservation for Exhibitors is currently open. If your company has had space at EDS in previous years, you should have received an invitation email from EDS Management inviting you to begin the registration process. Please contact info@edssummit.com if you have not received that email. Note: all invoices must be paid by Dec. 31 in order to receive the Early Bird pricing.
  • Attendee Registration will open in mid-January. If you have registered to attend EDS in prior years, you will receive an invitation email from EDS Management with the passcode that you need to access the online registration system.
  • Mirage Hotel Reservations – The booking link to reserve sleeping rooms at the Mirage will be emailed to you by EDS Management when your registration is confirmed. ONLY BOOK SLEEPING ROOMS AT THE MIRAGE VIA THE LINK PROVIDED IN A COMMUNICATION FROM EDS MANAGEMENT. There are many rooming scams circulating via email, particularly ones that say that Mirage is sold out or close to selling out. EDS Management has sufficient rooms for EDS 2024 and if rooms are not booked through the official EDS Management link, EDS Management will be unable to help you if a problem arises. Please exercise caution when viewing any email referring to EDS that does not actually come from EDS Management.


FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar for upcoming national and local chapter events!


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> Important EDS 2024 Information

It is time to start planning for EDS 2024! We are looking forward to seeing everyone in Las Vegas May 13-17, 2024 at the Mirage.

  1. Only Early Space Reservation for Exhibitors is currently open. If your company has had space at EDS in previous years, you should have received an invitation email from EDS Management inviting you to begin the registration process. Please contact info@edssummit.com if you have not received that email. Note: all invoices must be paid by DECEMBER 31, 2023 in order to receive the Early Bird pricing.
  2. Attendee Registration will open in mid-January. If you have registered to attend EDS in prior years, you will receive an invitation email from EDS Management with the passcode that you need to access the online registration system.
  3. Mirage Hotel Reservations – the booking link to reserve sleeping rooms at the Mirage will be emailed to you by EDS Management when your registration is confirmed. For companies renting space at EDS, this is when your payment is processed. For attendees, you will receive the link when you register in January. ONLY BOOK SLEEPING ROOMS AT THE MIRAGE VIA THE LINK PROVIDED IN A COMMUNICATION FROM EDS MANAGEMENT. There are many rooming scams circulating via email, particularly ones that say that Mirage is sold out or close to selling out. EDS Management has sufficient rooms for EDS 2024 and if rooms are not booked through the official EDS Management link, EDS Management will be unable to help you if a problem arises. Please exercise caution when viewing any email referring to EDS that does not actually come from EDS Management.

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> ERA Quick Connections — Nov. 2023, Vol. 2

November 2023, Volume 2

MONTHLY POS REPORTS

Our base point of January 2021 saw the COVID-19 pandemic beginning to lose steam, resulting in a significant rebound in POS activity. Due to strong growth in 2022, there is the good probability that we will see a slowdown of POS activity in 2023. Outside influences will also affect 2023, including supply chain issues and inflation.

September 2023 was up 3.5 percent from August, making it the second largest POS month for the year. This year is running 3.5 percent behind last year’s record year, but POS activity for 2023 is still holding its own on an overall basis. September is typically a strong month and this September did not disappoint. In general, 2023 POS is continuing to exhibit above average activity.

DTAM information is available for anyone wishing to look at larger trends in the industry. For details on Budde Marketing’s services, visit BuddeMarketing.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> The U.S.-China chip war and what it means for you, from EPS NewsRead more.

> Amazon cuts Alexa jobs in order to focus more on generative AI. Read more.

> The semiconductor market’s outlook is brightening, reports Supply Chain ConnectRead more.


INDUSTRY TRENDS SURVEY

The November ERA Industry Trends survey is now closed.

Be on the lookout for the December survey in your inbox on Dec. 1!

View results for October!

Please note: ERA sends this survey monthly to one contact from each ERA member firm via email. Please be on the lookout for this survey in your email inbox. If you don’t see it, check all email folders, including spam. The email will come from no-reply@mail.client.edgewaterresearch.com. If you have questions about who the survey contact is for your organization, or would like to change this contact, please email this request to info@era.org.

If you have been completing the survey monthly, many thanks! Our survey is only made better by a robust and diverse universe of responding companies. Help us make this survey a valuable resource for you and the rest of our members by taking 5 minutes to complete this each month. The results are visible only to ERA members and gives us a great cross-section of what our members see on the horizon for the near and long term.

VIEW 2023 SURVEY RESULTS

ERA NEWS

> The next ERA LIVE on Nov. 28 will feature Alex Gabbi who will present the topic, “A Look at Our Industry Through the Eyes of Academia: What are University Students Being Taught?” Topics will include the challenges of finding, recruiting, onboarding and retaining young college graduates, and what current students are being taught as it relates to core technologies (AI). No registration needed — view more details and log-in information.

> If you did not have the chance to attend the live STEP 2023 event, but still want to access the event’s valuable educational content, the STEP 2023 recordings are now bundled and available for purchase. The STEP 2023 archive is available to ERA member individuals for $295 and to non-member individuals for $395. Happy learning!

> 2024 ERA Conference registration is nearly sold out! Want to secure your seat at the most popular industry event, and have the opportunity to network with more than 600 rep, manufacturer and distributor leaders? Do not wait. Register now! Show your support for this great event by becoming a sponsor.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar for upcoming national and local chapter events!


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> Stacey Hanke Selected as Keynote Speaker at 2024 ERA Conference

Stacey Hanke

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is pleased to announce that Stacey Hanke, best-selling author, communications and influence strategist, will be the keynote speaker at the 2024 ERA Conference, taking place Feb. 25-27 at the AT&T Conference Center in Austin, Texas.

Hanke will open the 2024 Conference program on Monday morning, Feb. 26, with her presentation, “Build Trust and Connection to Create Influence Monday To Monday®.”

Hanke is the CEO of a consulting and training company where she mentors leaders who are looking to wield influence and excel in their career, as well as sales professionals who want their message to better resonate with clients.

Hanke has acted as a corporate trainer to several Fortune 500 companies, training on every possible topic from motivation to customer service to leadership. She has traveled internationally, researching the difference between a leader who is influential versus a leader who’s simply a good communicator.

An inductee into the Speaker Hall of Fame, she has been a featured guest in The New York TimesForbesEntrepreneurThriveSmartMoney MagazineThe Economist and Business Week. Her client list includes FedEx, McDonalds, Google, Kraft Heinz, Nationwide, American Express, Discover and Oracle.

In Hanke’s engaging and fun keynote Conference session, she will share how connection and consistency are critical to communicating with influence and impact. Connection is about creating a meaningful experience for your listener to influence them to take action. Consistency creates a reliable personal brand, allowing customers to trust that you will show up for them the same way, “Monday to Monday.”

Conference chair Adam Anderson, CPMR, vice president of Norris & Associates, Inc., and Conference co-chair Jeff May, president of Logix Sales & Marketing, commented on the keynote speaker selection.

“In step with this year’s Conference theme of energizing the customer experience, Hanke’s session will inspire attendees to focus on connection and consistency, which will build authenticity and trust with our customers,” said May.

“We feel this actionable keynote session will give Conference attendees immediate structure to put a plan into place to better communicate with, connect with and influence customers,” said Anderson. “As a CEO, best-selling author, corporate trainer and Hall of Fame speaker, we are thrilled to have Hanke share her inspiration with attendees.”

“I am very excited for keynote speaker this year, Stacey Hanke,” said Julie Carr, MacInnis Group, co-chair of the Conference Keynote and General Sessions committee. “Her infectious energy and tangible takeaways on enhancing our customer experiences should equip our audience with valuable insight and needed skills to elevate communication and leave a lasting impact on our customers.”

ERA thanks the entire 2024 ERA Conference Keynote/General Sessions subcommittee for their time and dedication in reviewing keynote candidates and making a selection.

For more information about the Conference, visit: https://era.org/era-events/era-conference/.

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> ERA Quick Connections — November 2023, Vol. 1

November 2023, Volume 1

MANUFACTURING DATA REPORTS

Manufacturing data reports from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) are released at the beginning of every month and can be accessed at ISM. The latest report says economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in October for the 12th consecutive month after a 28-month period of growth.

The electrical equipment, appliances and components sector, as well as the computer and electronic products sector, reported contraction in October. Read the full report.

INDUSTRY NEWS

What’s ahead for the electronics industry in 2024, writes Bill Bradford, president, Flip Electronics, in EPS News.

Digitally navigating complex supply chains, from Electronics Sourcing magazine.

> The benefits, challenges and future of IoT (Internet of Things) in wearables, in IOT Business. Read more.


INDUSTRY TRENDS SURVEY

The November ERA Electronics Components Industry Trends survey is now open and accepting responses from ERA member firms!

Please note: ERA sends this survey monthly to one contact from each ERA member firm via email. Please be on the lookout for this survey in your email inbox. If you don’t see it, check all email folders, including spam. The email will come from no-reply@mail.client.edgewaterresearch.com. If you have questions about who the survey contact is for your organization, or would like to change this contact, please email this request to info@era.org.

If you have been completing the survey monthly, many thanks! Our survey is only made better by a robust and diverse universe of responding companies. Help us make this survey a valuable resource for you and the rest of our members by taking 5 minutes to complete this each month. The results are visible only to ERA members and gives us a great cross-section of what our members see on the horizon for the near and long term.

VIEW 2023 SURVEY RESULTS

ERA NEWS

> The ERA White Pin Internship program is now accepting applications for 2024! This internship program offers a manufacturers’ rep (who is an ERA member) a chance to hire a college student as a summer intern, with ERA and the White Pin group subsidizing a substantial portion of the anticipated internship cost. Read more information about the program! Apply as rep, or apply as an intern.

(Mark your calendar for an informative Q&A ERA LIVE session on the 2024 White Pin internship program on Tues., Dec. 5!)

The Fall Representor is now in your email inboxes and mailboxes! Don’t miss the cover story on creating a content marketing plan that targets engineers, the Someone You Should Know Q&A, Rising Stars Q&A, executive commentarylegal and tax columns, XCOM Digest and more! View the digital flipbook or interactive PDF.

 

Mark your calendars: Three ERA LIVE sessions are approaching! On Tues., Nov. 28, Alex Gabbi, assistant professor of business at University of Texas at Austin, will present, “A Look at Our Industry Through the Eyes of Academia: What are University Students Being Taught?” On Tues., Dec. 5, ERA SVP of Education Ellen Coan, CPMR, and ERA SVP of Industry Kingsland Coombs, CPMR, CSP, will present an informative Q&A session on the 2024 ERA White Pin internship program. On Tues., Dec 12, Dennis Reed, senior analyst at Edgewater Research, will present an update on the ERA Electronics Components Industry Trends survey. Don’t miss them — we’ll see you there!

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar for upcoming national and local chapter events!


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> Read the Fall 2023 edition of The Representor!

The Fall 2023 issue of The Representor is now available!

In this issue, don’t miss:


View the digital flipbook.

View the interactive PDF.

Subscribe and get the print version.

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> 2024 ERA White Pin Internship: Now Accepting Applications!


The ERA White Pin Internship Program is now accepting applications for Summer 2024!

This internship program offers a manufacturers’ rep (who is an ERA member) a chance to hire a college student as a summer intern, with ERA and the White Pin group subsidizing a substantial portion of the anticipated internship cost.

This is a fantastic opportunity for the intern to gain hands-on experience in the electronic component sales industry AND a great chance for rep companies to train and teach a potential hire, with ERA’s help and support.

ERA member rep firms who are interested in the program are encouraged to contact local college and university placement offices, and work with ERA to create and promote an intern job posting. Both rep companies and potential interns need to submit an application for review.

A total of three internship monetary awards will be given out in 2024 — one from the Central, East and West regions of North America. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2024.

The winning firms and interns will be announced in mid-February!

Resources:

Program Overview

10-Week Training Guidelines

APPLY AS A REP FIRM

APPLY AS AN INTERN

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> ERA Announces 2023 COLT Graduates

The Electronics Representatives Association announces the latest graduates of its 2023 Chapter Officer Leadership Training (COLT) program, held virtually from Nov. 1-3, 2023.

COLT is an annual instruction program designed to offer practical knowledge, tips and ERA insider information on chapter management and planning tactics to help chapter leaders meet the challenges of serving as volunteer leaders.

The program is coordinated by Cameron English, CPMR, of English Technical Sales; Walter Tobin, CEO of ERA; and Erin Collins, ERA Director of Events.

COLT was held virtually for the third time and featured three days of interactive training. Eleven chapter leaders attended the event, which included opening remarks by Phil Gallagher, CEO of Avnet; a COLT online manual review; a walk-through of the ERA website; mock chapter event planning workshops; a Q&A with a current chapter leader; and a presentation by ERA’s legal counsel Adam Glazer of SFBBG, LLC.

Over a three-day period, COLT attendees learned best practices for planning programming for their local chapters, and exchanged ideas and connected with other chapter leaders.

ERA congratulates the following ERA Chapter Leaders for completing the 2023 COLT program:

  • Alicia Doten, Techni-Source, Arizona Chapter
  • Rob De Rose, CST-Arwin, Canada Chapter
  • Gerry Iuliano, CSC Sygnum, Canada Chapter
  • Rob Brunson, Wallace Electronic Sales, Carolinas Chapter
  • Heather D’Amico, Brainard-Nielson Marketing, Chicagoland-Wisconsin Chapter
  • Erin Fox, TAARCOM, Northern California Chapter
  • Alex Lambrinides, Allied Enterprises Inc., Ohio Chapter
  • Magi Baker, Catalyst Unity Solutions, Ohio Chapter
  • Collin Lambert, Taylor Marketing, Inc., Rocky Mountain Chapter
  • Ryan Steck, English Technical Sales, Southern California Chapter
  • Tom Walker, Spectron Components, Southern California Chapter

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> ERA Quick Connections – October 2023, Vol. 2

October 2023, Volume 2

MONTHLY POS REPORTS

Our base point of January 2021 saw the COVID-19 pandemic beginning to lose steam, resulting in a significant rebound in POS activity. Due to strong growth in 2022, there is the good probability that we will see a slowdown of POS activity in 2023. Outside influences will also affect 2023, including supply chain issues and inflation.

August 2023 bounced back nicely from low July POS activity. March and June are the only months with higher POS than August. However, when comparing this month with August 2022, this year is about 9 percent down from last year. Year-over-year POS indicates a 2.5 percent decrease this year versus last year. In general, POS is generally showing decent activity because 2022 was such a record year. Based on historical data, September should be a good month also.

DTAM information is available for anyone wishing to look at larger trends in the industry. For details on Budde Marketing’s services, visit BuddeMarketing.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> The U.S. Department of Commerce announced last week that the U.S. will ban exports of more advanced AI chips to China. Read more.

> Time reports on how the AI landscape has shifted in the past year, and where the industry could go next. Read more.

> Apple, caught off guard by the generative AI boom, will spend $1 billion to catch up to the other major industry players. Read more.


INDUSTRY TRENDS SURVEY

The October ERA Industry Trends survey is now closed and results are in!

Please note: ERA sends this survey monthly to one contact from each ERA member firm via email. Please be on the lookout for this survey in your email inbox. If you don’t see it, check all email folders, including spam. The email will come from no-reply@mail.client.edgewaterresearch.com. If you have questions about who the survey contact is for your organization, or would like to change this contact, please email this request to info@era.org.

If you have been completing the survey monthly, many thanks! Our survey is only made better by a robust and diverse universe of responding companies. Help us make this survey a valuable resource for you and the rest of our members by taking 5 minutes to complete this each month. The results are visible only to ERA members and gives us a great cross-section of what our members see on the horizon for the near and long term.

VIEW 2023 SURVEY RESULTS

ERA NEWS

> COLT — ERA’s live, virtual chapter officer leadership training program — will take place Nov. 1-3, and registration will end tomorrow, October 25! Chapter officers, or those interested in pursuing a chapter leader role, are encouraged to attend and gain creative ideas and practical knowledge about increasing member engagement and excitement in their local ERA chapter. View more information.

 

> 2024 ERA Conference registration is at 85 percent capacity for attendees! Want to secure your seat at the most popular industry event, and have the opportunity to network with more than 600 rep, manufacturer and distributor leaders? Do not wait. Register now! Show your support for this great event by becoming a sponsor.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar for upcoming national and local chapter events!


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> The hurrier I go – the behinder I get!


EXECUTIVE COMMENTARY

Walter Tobin, ERA CEO

by Walter E. Tobin, ERA CEO

This time a year ago, many of us were asking our partners (and were also asked by them), “How’s business?”

We then may have listed a litany of challenges that we were dealing with: long and uncertain lead times, unclear/inaccurate forecasts from our customers and being asked to adhere to and/or pass along NCNR clauses that had never seen before. There were shipping issues, port backups, the Great Resignation phenomenon, work-from-home issues, the search for the “golden screw”— so many things for us to consider and manage every day.

Yet, when a follow-up question was asked or we asked, “How’s your revenue this year?” we often said or heard, “We are having a record year!”

How was that even possible? I guess there must have been some product somewhere that was able to be shipped and billed to someone.

Was all of this product really needed? We have now become aware that there was a lot of double/triple ordering done to hedge our bets on averting product shortages. We may have agreed to NCNR clauses that we would have never even considered to agree to in the past, all while hoping that our own “golden screws” arrived on our docks.

So here we are a year later. Lead times have returned to a more normal cadence and many golden screws have been received. The NCNR clauses that we agreed to are now being enforced, all leading to a period of declining bookings with book-to-bill ratios falling below 1:1. We are now relying on our past order backlog to sustain us.

Bookings down, billings falling, inventory rising…yikes! What are we do to now? Some companies have adopted a “damn the torpedoes: full speed ahead” policy: cancel open orders, refuse shipments on past orders placed and accepted in good faith, renege on NCNR orders and begin to sell excess inventory on the open/gray market. This is all to achieve some short-term relief and to try to maximize their own quarterly/annual financials. Some of these tactics are working!

Some companies are demanding lower prices due to the return of a “buyer’s market” and to take advantage of companies who are now swimming (drowning?) in inventory. These companies are under pressure to reduce their own inventories and sell at reduced prices that will then lead to their own lower margins, which will then wreak havoc on their own financials.

In addition when companies sell their excess inventory to the gray market, it sits out there only to be sold down the road to customers who may take advantage of lower prices who may have bought this product from the authorized manufacturer/distributor channel who were relying on new orders down the road to help them sell their inventory. This excess inventory sits out there and then is sold down the road at lower prices —another short-term action that has longer-term ramifications on our supply chain.

When COVID-19 hit and the supply chain “broke,” why did it break? Because no one had any “upside” inventory to support the need for unforecasted demand inside of lead time. Customers were clamoring for manufacturers to simply “turn on” or build factories to support this unforecasted demand and many were asking as to why the distributors did not have more product on their shelves.

We will never learn, will we? But here we are again, looking to take margin away from the company to our left and right in the supply chain and to demand lower prices which then limits their ability to fund unforecasted inventory in the supply chain.

We need to try to take the long-term approach. It doesn’t help that Wall Street forces public companies to look at business on a 90-day horizon which forces public companies to do the yin and yang every 90 days. Wall Street also forces our publicly traded suppliers and channel partners to fight each other while customers are looking to us to right the ship, all while demanding lower prices.

A new and perhaps naive approach is for each one of us to ask the company above and below us in the supply chain for their help and guidance on preventing the supply chain disaster of the COVID-19 period from happening again. Ask, “What do you need from us?” Perhaps allow them to make a bit more margin on our business to then help fund new factories, unforecasted demand and shorter lead times. Build a true partnership based on mutual respect and trust, and not just on price alone.

Try it on one of your supply chain partnerships and see what they say. What harm can it do? You may end up positioning your company ahead of the rest of your competitors when times get tough again. It’s worth a try!

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> The false narrative of mutual exclusivity


FROM THE TOP

by Chuck Tanzola, CPMR

Every day we are presented with choices of how we spend our time: Coke or Pepsi, Democrat or Republican, Giants or Jets, Yankees or Mets, (oh, okay Cubs or White Sox), etc. However, sometimes we make these choices “either/or” decisions when in fact, the options are not mutually exclusive.

For example, “Work smarter, not harder” — No doubt you’ve heard this repeated many times. What you may not know is the origin of the phrase. I used Google to find out that it was coined by industrial engineer Allen F. Morgenstern in the 1930s during his development of the work simplification program. The program’s intent was to increase the ability of people to produce more with less effort – ostensibly through the use of efficient processes and effort multiplying tools. Makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?

Yet, while I readily understand the concept and agree with the efficient process premise, I would also offer the observation that working smarter and working harder are NOT mutually exclusive! Is this an “either/or” statement? Why not “both/and” instead? Was the original concept designed to relieve one of the responsibilities of hard work? I don’t think so, but in many instances today, I believe that we have made this statement a justification for less effort.

There are, of course, many notable exceptions. I am proud to pay tribute to the smart and hard work of the outstanding ERA staff. In 2017, the ERA staff undertook the task of migrating the national ERA Conference from a biannual event to an annual event, without a proportional increase in staffing resources to undertake the effort. Coupling hard work with an enviably smart volunteer committee structure, they raised the bar and our expectations. They could have stopped there and would have been judged as very successful. However, consider the (incomplete) list below of new initiatives supported by the ERA staff over the last few years: the ERA/Edgewater Business Environment Survey (2023); ERA SearchLink. ai (2023); ERA HoverMap (2022); ERA Mark Motsinger White Pin Internship (2022); ERA Water Cooler (2020)/ERA LIVE (2022); the updated Manufacturers’ Representatives Toolkit (2022); ERA STEP (Sales Training for Electronics Professionals) (2021); ERA new membership support (2021); and the ERA Talks podcast (2020).

Their repeated commitment to smart and hard work has not only delivered value to the members of ERA, but has also placed the Association in the strongest position ever. Well done, team!

Returning to the initial theme of this article, let me also give another example of a potential false choice that I believe is prevalent today.

One of the challenges facing every organization in our industry is finding and introducing new, younger people into the business. ERA has addressed this challenge head-on with the creation of ERA White Pin Internships and the formation of the ERA NEXGEN Special Interest Group. While both efforts are in their nascent stages, they are beginning to show dividends for those involved and our industry. Yet, while these are good initial steps, at a recent local ERA chapter online panel discussion I attended, I was not surprised to hear members of the NEXGEN group readily agree that it was advantageous to their careers to change jobs/companies frequently in order to achieve personal development and career goals.

They cited the ability to accelerate personal development, find greater skills and learning opportunities, achieve a greater salary/on-target earnings (OTE) growth, climb the corporate ladder faster, improve work/life balance and avoid stagnation as the primary benefits of such action. I am confident that this thinking is not unique to our industry, and concede it may even be accurate in the majority of situations.

However, I am equally convinced that personal/professional development and staying with one company are not mutually exclusive. One of the many benefits I’ve enjoyed by being a manufacturers’ representative is the variety of experiences and responsibilities I’ve had—each of which has provided me an opportunity to develop new skills encompassing a variety of disciplines, including sales, sales management, business development, human resources, IT support, marketing, legal and financial (all within 40+ years with a single company).

While this is my personal story, I know that I am not unique in this. Take a look around at the longevity evidence in the industry. (As an aside, the thoughts presented by the NEXGEN members do present both a warning and an opportunity for those looking to develop new employees. I encourage us to collectively be smart and work hard to rise to the challenges!)

As I conclude, I hope that my observations serve as food for thought. Yes, there are many times when choices are either/or – but not always. Avoid the false narrative of mutual exclusivity!

I appreciate and welcome the feedback and comments I get from each of you. As always, I can be reached at ctanzola@fusionsourcing.com. And I look forward to seeing you in person at the annual ERA Conference in Austin in February 2024— all systems go!

 

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> Best practices for travel season


VIEWPOINTS

by John O’Brien, CPMR

As the days shorten, the nights start to get cooler and leaves begin to change colors, it can only mean one thing — fall is right around the corner. In our industry though, fall is usually that time of resurgence. Everyone has worked through their summer vacations and with winter looming, it’s time to get as much done as we can.

For most of us, this signals the beginning of the travel season. Traditionally, our customers come out of the summer diligently working on new design starts or finalizing new designs that were begun earlier in the year. During the onset of COVID-19, due to supply chain issues, our customers’ focus was on getting parts, building product and driving revenues. Engineering efforts switched from design to sustainability as they needed to add sources to BOMs to try to get parts in to make revenue numbers. In many cases, designing a nextgeneration product fell to the back burner in support of these efforts.

Indications are that new design starts are now heading in an upward direction. We’re seeing more engineering requests, sample requests, RFQs and general inquiries which are usually pretty good drivers towards new designs. I have heard that many OEMs are not taking on as many new designs as they would previously, opting for one or two next-generation designs rather than trying to undertake too much too quickly.

So as this travel season is now upon us, let’s take a look at some best practices:

• Be considerate of people’s time. Manufacturers are taking time from their offices and homes to be out helping us drive new opportunities. Make sure you’re scheduling meals and windshield time appropriately.

• Be conscientious of the current market conditions. Many companies have or are limiting travel and entertainment budgets, so be fair with the hotels and restaurants you choose.

• Be flexible. Not all companies and employees are back to the office. Flex time within our customers is still a real thing. You may need to substitute or supplement in-person visits with virtual visits.

• Keep everyone involved. It’s important that the reps, manufacturers and distributors are all aligned during these design times. When appropriate, involve all parties in your visits.

• Be diligent. I’ve always felt it is very important for us reps to take copious notes when traveling with our principals. There will be action items from every visit. I firmly believe that it is our responsibility as the rep to follow these to completion.

• Learn, learn, learn. I’ve learned more in a couple customer visits with a principal than I ever did watching PowerPoint trainings. The experience is invaluable.

To all my friends out there: happy hunting this season. I hope you land “the big one.”

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> ERA Quick Connections: Oct. 2023, Vol. 1

October 2023, Volume 1

MANUFACTURING DATA REPORTS

Manufacturing data reports from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) are released at the beginning of every month and can be accessed at ISM. The latest report says economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in September for the 11th consecutive month after a 28-month period of growth.

The electrical equipment, appliances and components sector, as well as the computer and electronic products sector, reported contraction in September. Read the full report.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> The next supply chain crisis isn’t a shortage — it’s an “inventory glut,” reports the Harvard Business ReviewRead more.

> At one community college in Ohio, students in its semiconductor training program are receiving tuition grants and immediate job offers after graduation, thanks to funding boosts from Intel. Read more.

> Samtec, a designer and manufacturer of electronic interconnect solutions, has opened a new 24,000-sq-ft manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania. Read more.


INDUSTRY TRENDS SURVEY

The October ERA Industry Trends survey is now open and accepting responses from ERA member firms!

Please note: ERA sends this survey monthly to one contact from each ERA member firm via email. Please be on the lookout for this survey in your email inbox. If you don’t see it, check all email folders, including spam. The email will come from no-reply@mail.client.edgewaterresearch.com. If you have questions about who the survey contact is for your organization, or would like to change this contact, please email this request to info@era.org.

If you have been completing the survey monthly, many thanks! Our survey is only made better by a robust and diverse universe of responding companies. Help us make this survey a valuable resource for you and the rest of our members by taking 5 minutes to complete this each month. The results are visible only to ERA members and gives us a great cross-section of what our members see on the horizon for the near and long term.

VIEW 2023 SURVEY RESULTS

ERA NEWS

The registration deadline for this year’s live STEP program is tomorrow, Oct 11. STEP begins next Tuesday, Oct. 17. Register HERE. Sharpen your sales skills at this virtual sales training program from the comfort of your workspace. View the digital brochurespeaker listattendee list and agenda. We hope to see you next Tuesday!

COLT — ERA’s live, virtual chapter officer leadership training program — will take place Nov. 1-3, and registrations are still begin accepted! Chapter officers, or those interested in pursuing a chapter leader role, are encouraged to attend and gain creative ideas and practical knowledge about increasing member engagement and excitement in their local ERA chapter. View more information and register.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar for upcoming national and local chapter events!


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> ERA Quick Connections – Sept. 2023, Vol. 2

September 2023, Volume 2

MONTHLY POS REPORTS

Our base point of January 2021 saw the COVID-19 pandemic beginning to lose steam, resulting in a significant rebound in POS activity. Due to strong growth in 2022, there is the good probability that we will see a slowdown of POS activity in 2023. Outside influences will also affect 2023, including supply chain issues and inflation.

July 2023 was significantly down, it being the lowest month of the year. The last three months aggregated were down about 8 percent when compared to the three previous months. However, that was due in part to extremely low July numbers. The first seven months of 2023 are down about 2.5 percent when compared to the same time last year. It’s too soon to draw any kind of conclusions relative to an overall slowdown for the balance of the year due to July’s low numbers. August will give us a better idea of what to expect for the balance of the year.

Please note that DTAM information is available for anyone wishing to look at larger trends in the industry. For details on Budde Marketing’s services, visit BuddeMarketing.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Amazon announced the launch of Supply Chain by Amazon, an end-to-end, fully automated set of supply chain services. Read more.

WT Microelectronics, Ltd., announces the acquisition of Future ElectronicsRead more.

> The U.S. Senate continues to hold private “insight forums” with various tech leaders to address potentially implementing rules and safeguards around AIRead more.


ERA NEWS

ERA members: The results of August’s Electronic Components Industry Trends survey are now available! This survey covers YOUR outlook on key sales trend areas, such as bookings and backlog, end markets, inventory, lead times, pricing and overall outlook for 2023. View August 2023 results. This monthly survey is a benefit to our members to help plan for a strong year end and to give guidance for 2024. Please keep an eye out in your email inbox for the September survey. Fill it out and help ERA make this survey even better with your own company’s input!

This year’s live STEP program will take place in three short weeks, from Oct. 17-19! Are you registered yet? Sharpen your sales skills with this virtual sales training program from the comfort of your workspace. View the digital brochure, speaker listattendee list and agenda! Spread the word to your colleagues if they’d like to join us! We hope to see you there.

> 2024 ERA Conference registration has only been open for three weeks, and we are already at 50 percent capacity for attendees! Want to secure your seat at the most popular industry event, and have the opportunity to network with more than 600 rep, manufacturer and distributor leaders? Do not wait. Register now! Show your support for this great event by becoming a sponsor.

> ERA’s official hotel room block at the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center for the 2024 ERA Conference is already sold out. ERA has secured overflow room blocks at discounted rates at two nearby hotels. Find out more information & make reservations.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar for upcoming national and local chapter events!


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> ERA STEP 2023: Announcing Sessions, Speakers & Agenda

ERA is excited to issue the STEP 2023 Digital Brochure, which contains detailed information — including session descriptions, speakers, agenda and more — for ERA STEP 2023, taking place Oct. 17-19.

With sessions covering pertinent topics like 21st century sales prospecting, 13 golden rules of writing attention-grabbing emails, using ChatGPT to improve your sales game, building resilience at work, time management tips and tricks and more — you won’t want to miss it!

What is STEP? ERA’s Sales Training for Electronics Professionals program is a training event where sales reps, manufacturers and distributors can sharpen their sales skills virtually, from the comfort of their own workspace. The program offers frontline sales professionals nine robust 75-minute educational sales training sessions that cover an array of topics. The interactive training sessions will be conducted live by a mix of professional sales trainers and by industry sales executives.

All sessions are recorded and available for anytime on-demand viewing after the event via the STEP library archive

Be sure to share with colleagues! We hope to see you there!

Register for STEP 2023.

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> ERA Quick Connections – Sept. 2023, Vol. 1

September 2023, Volume 1

MANUFACTURING DATA REPORTS 

Manufacturing data reports from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) are released at the beginning of every month and can be accessed at ISM. The latest report says economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in August for the tenth consecutive month after a 28-month period of growth — although a month-over-month increase was a small sign of improvement.

The electrical equipment, appliances and components sector, as well as the computer and electronic products sector, reported contraction in August. Read the full report.

For details on Budde Marketing’s services, visit BuddeMarketing.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> Though cost pressures continue to impact the electronics industry, product demand and inventories remain positive, according to IPC’s August 2023 Global Sentiment of the Electronics Supply Chain Report. Read more.

> The U.S. and Vietnam have agreed on billions of dollars in business deals and partnerships led by companies including Boeing, Microsoft and Nvidia, after the two countries have seemingly united in response to China’s growing influence, reports the Financial Times. Read more.

> A new SupplyChainBrain podcast discusses how sanctions and the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China are affecting the electronics components supply chain. Listen here.


ERA NEWS

ERA is pleased to announce that TTI Family of Specialists (TTI FOS) is the new exclusive sponsor of ERA’s STEP training for the next four years, beginning with the 2023 STEP event in October. STEP (Sales Training for Electronics Professionals) will be conducted for the third consecutive year on October 17-19 in a live, virtual format. The program aims to provide frontline sales and marketing experts an opportunity to receive updated selling tips to help them navigate these ever-changing times. Read the full press release.

> Join us for TODAY’S ERA LIVE at 4 PM ET, where ERA staff will guide attendees through what’s new at ERA! Hear from us first-hand all the exciting new member services and improvements made at ERA in the past year. No registration required. Read more information and access log-in details.

COLT — ERA’s live, virtual chapter officer leadership training program — will take place Nov. 1-3, and registration is now open! Chapter officers, or those interested in pursuing a chapter leader role, are encouraged to attend and gain creative ideas and practical knowledge about increasing member engagement and excitement in their local ERA chapter. View more information and register.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Click here to browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar and ERA Chapter Events listings!

 

 

 

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> ERA and TTI Family of Specialists Announce STEP Sponsorship


 

 

 

 

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is pleased to announce that TTI Family of Specialists (TTI FOS) has agreed to be the exclusive sponsor for ERA’s STEP sales training program for electronics professionals for the next four years, starting with the 2023 STEP program.

STEP (Sales Training for Electronics Professionals) will be conducted for the third consecutive year on October 17-19, 2023 in a live, virtual format. The program aims to provide frontline sales and marketing experts from manufacturers’ representative firms, distributors and manufacturers an opportunity to receive updated selling tips to help them navigate these ever-changing times.

“TTI FOS is proud to exclusively sponsor ERA’s STEP training series for the next four years,” said Mike Morton, TTI CEO. “By entering into this partnership, TTI aims to show its continued support for ERA and the rep model. This robust, interactive training program will surely strengthen our entire industry by providing electronics sales professionals an opportunity to sharpen their skillset and learn best practices.”

“I want to thank Mike Morton for his continued support and friendship to ERA,” said Walter Tobin, CEO of ERA. “ERA is most excited and thankful for this commitment from the TTI FOS. This sponsorship will enable ERA to continue to supply best-in-class training for our industry colleagues who deal directly with customers and deliver strong results on a daily basis.”

“ERA is thrilled and humbled to have TTI FOS as our STEP sponsor,” said Ellen Coan, CPMR, ERA senior vice president of education. “This sponsorship will allow ERA to forge ahead with a live, dynamic program with the highest-caliber speakers and sales trainers. We remain steadfast in our goal of providing a valuable, tactically-focused training series for industry professionals.”

STEP is presented live online over a span of three days (three 75-minute sessions per day), allowing attendees to learn from professional sales trainers and industry sales executives from the convenience of their home or workspace. Attendees can expect a unique blend of sessions that will provide useful tactical takeaways, best practices and key tools to succeed in today’s ever-changing market.

Training topics in 2023 will include: elements of making a killer presentation; effective questioning to get more information from the customer; time management tips and tricks; the art of following-up: how to turn a quote into an order; how to use ChatGPT like a pro; and more.

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> ERA Quick Connections — August 2023, Vol. 2

August 2023, Volume 2

MONTHLY POS REPORTS

Our base point of January 2021 saw the COVID-19 pandemic beginning to lose steam, resulting in a significant rebound in POS activity. Due to strong growth in 2022, there is the good probability that we will see a slowdown of POS activity in 2023. Outside influences will also affect 2023, including supply chain issues and inflation.

June 2023 was up significantly and helped to make the quarter and first half of the year bounce back somewhat. June was the second best month of the year, with only March being ahead of June. However, when comparing POS sales against the last quarter, Q2 was down slightly versus Q1 of this year. Semiannual sales versus last year’s first half of the year are also flat.

Please note that Budde Marketing’s DTAM is available for anyone wishing to look at larger trends in the industry. Read the report.

For details on Budde Marketing’s services, visit BuddeMarketing.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> The Harvard Business Review reports on how companies should strategize “re-skilling” in the age of AIRead more.

Electronics Sourcing reports how independent distributors are managing surplus inventory, offering financial solutions and helping reduce costs post-pandemic. Read more.

> Semiconductors intended for running artificial intelligence (AI) workloads will generate a $53.4 billion revenue opportunity for the semiconductor industry in 2023, a 20.9 percent increase from 2022, reported a Gartner, Inc. study. Read more.


ERA NEWS

> Join us for the next ERA LIVE on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 4 PM ET, where ERA staff will guide attendees through what’s new at ERA! Hear from us first-hand all the exciting new member services and improvements made at ERA in the past year. No registration required. Read more information and access log-in details.

Attendee and sponsorship registration are now open for the 2024 ERA Conference! We hope to see you all back in Austin, Texas next February. The 2023 Conference was a sell-out event, and we are expecting another sell-out event this year. If you want to secure your seat, do not hesitate to register! View a preliminary schedule or hotel information.

> ERA announces long-time industry veteran Michael Calabria will join ERA as an Expert Access Consultant and will be involved in STEP and ERA Conference initiatives, as well as be available to ERA members for consulting services. Read more.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Click here to browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar and ERA Chapter Events listings!

 

 

 

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> 2024 ERA Conference: Attendee & Sponsorship Registrations Now Open

The 2024 ERA Conference is now open for registration!

We hope to see you all back at the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center in Austin, Texas, on February 25-27.

The 2023 Conference was a sell-out event, and we are expecting another sell-out event this year…so if you want to secure your seat, do not hesitate to register!

Conference sponsorship registration is now open as well. Don’t miss the chance to have your company support the Conference’s robust educational and networking opportunities.

Quick links to get started:

Questions about Conference payment? Contact Karin Derkacz, ERA Operations Director.

Questions about the event or sponsorships? Contact Erin Collins, ERA Events Director.

Questions about ERA membership? Contact Ama Derringer, ERA Membership Coordinator.

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