Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/42495
C O V ER S TO R Y September/October 2011 F E A T U R E S 18 A Culture of Profitability It's time to start thinking about the 2012 FEDA Convention. 10 It's Complicated Say MAP or MRP and three words immediately come to mind—contro- versial, complicated and confusing. Still fairly new in the E&S industry, many of the 60 or so manufacturers that have a pricing policy are still working out the kinks,when it comes to enforcement; and quite a few of their distributor partners still question their effectiveness—largely because of issues with enforcement.That said, there are a few success stories. The three manufacturers featured in our cover story explain why they have a pricing policy, how they're making it work and why their channel partners say it's good for the industry. When Hiring, Throw Curveballs When you interview a salesperson, you're giving them a chance to show you how they sell a product: in this case, themselves. Don't hesi- tate to make them work for it a little. One VP of Sales from a Fortune 500 company likes to test appli- cants he's interviewing by suddenly standing up and saying, "I'm sorry but I don't think this is going to work out. Good luck to you." This is when the real interview begins, as he can now assess how the candi- date responds to a significant objec- tion. Source: About.com Sales www.feda.com 20 Sorting Through the Code Nightmare Why columnist Foster Frable says industry leaders should work together to fight confusing regulatory practices. 24 Choosing the Right Shopping Cart TechTalk columnist David Limon of Mission Restaurant Supply provides food for thought on building "the right" ecommerce platform. 26 Channel Mapping for Profit According to MIT professor Jonathan Byrnes, channel maps are one of the most important, but least used, tools of an effective profit improvement program. Learn how to use it to coordinate with your channel partners to lower your input costs. 32 Thinking About Switching E-Commerce Platforms? Here are "12"questions the seasoned pro may forget to ask before making a move. D E P A R T M E N T S 4 President's Message "What do MAP,Deli Meat and Rebates Have in Common?" Lots of controversy, according to FEDA President Jim Hanson. 6 Industry Insights "MRP, Already Part of Our Lives" By Kimberley Gill Rimsza, President TriMark Gill Marketing 8 Association Highlights "NewThink-Tank Session at 2012 Convention" September/October 201 1 3