Author: GAWDA MEDIA

How a Biden administration will change the regulatory landscape for GAWDA members and how they might handle a COVID vaccine By Tom Badstubner, Marilyn Dempsey, Michael Dodd, Rick Schweitzer, and Steve Guglielmo The First Quarter of 2021 will be marked by two milestone events. The first is a transition of powers within the federal government. And the second is the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine. GAWDA’s Consultants spoke with Welding & Gases Today about how these two events might impact our industry and the changes that they expect to see as a result of them. Thank you to Tom Bastubner,…

GAWDA held its first ever virtual Annual Convention on Friday, September 25, 2020. The hour-long virtual event was the “Business Session” of the Convention, which was supposed to have been held in Phoenix, Arizona. Members of GAWDA’s Executive Committee, including Abydee Butler Moore, Bob Ewing, Gary Halter, Robert Anders, Brad Peterson, and Ned Lane, as well as GAWDA Executive Director John Ospina were on camera and spoke during the event. Abydee welcomed members to the event, saying, “When I stood before you in fall 2019 in Washington DC, I laid out our 2020 VISION for this year.  That vision included…

by Sean Coyle, CEO of Sandler Training Our businesses, people, families and lives have experienced unprecedented difficulties in 2020. That is not under debate. How leaders address these difficulties now, and in the future, will forever measure their lasting impact on their organizations. Twenty percent of leaders have tackled their situation head on, attacking the market, focused solely on getting better than they were in March. Twenty percent of leaders have buried their heads in the sand, waiting for things to get back to normal, waiting out the storm. Sixty percent of leaders want to attack, but haven’t yet figured…

By Jay Spielvogel, Venator Sales Group, LLC “I am a face-to-face type of salesperson” “I don’t do well on the phone vs. physically meeting with people” “I like to press the flesh and sell in-person” Sound familiar? These are common responses to management when salespeople are asked why they fail to leverage the phone for selling. As a response to virtual selling during the pandemic, webinars and articles abound, presenting tips and tricks for even the most seasoned salespeople on how to sell in the virtual world. “Be energetic; ask how they are impacted by COVID; use video when engaging…

by Mike Marks and Dan Horan,  Indian River Consulting Group As practices continue to shift, there are two trends distributors should be paying close attention to in today’s market. One is understanding the role of technology, and the other is attracting and retaining talent. Attracting and Keeping Talent Recruiting qualified talent is no easy task. There is always a generational tension between the way “things used to be” and “how it is today.” The tensions between mature leaders and young professionals remain the same. Distributors must revisit their recruitment strategies to reflect these different perspectives. Training and education opportunities must…

COVID-19 has impacted all of our businesses in some way, shape or form. What lasting impacts will this experience have on our industry and the regulatory agencies that oversee it? By Steve Guglielmo, Tom Badstubner, Marilyn Dempsey, Michael Dodd and Rick Schweitzer As we enter the Fall, it seems like we have lived with COVID-19 for several decades, not six months. We have moved on from this being a novel threat to dealing with the reality of this being a part of our day-to-day lives. As we experience this “New Normal” and continue to work toward getting back to where…

Improvements Are Required inCommunications Between Manufacturer, Distributor and the Customer by J. R. (Buzz) Campbell & Ken Thompson In this article, we’ll look at what’s happened in the U.S. economy relative to our Gases and Hardgoods (HG) business, make a quick review of three of the biggest Gas Majors’ first calendar half for 2020 (H1/20) financial reports, review some key products and markets affected by the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID), and discuss new challenges in selling and the need for further integration of communications between the manufacturer, distributor and customer in Hardgoods. According to the July 30, 2020, U.S. Bureau of…

GAWDA Members Commemorate Milestone Anniversaries By Steve GuglielmoIt doesn’t seem like there has been much to celebrate in 2020. The year will forever be remembered in history as the year that COVID-19 swept through the world and ground the global economy to a halt. Though most in-person celebrations have been put on hold until it is safe to gather in large numbers, many GAWDA members are celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2020. Though the celebrations may be more muted than previous years, we would still like to recognize our members for reaching such important milestones in their history. Though times are…

By Dan Horan, Senior Associate Consultant at Indian River Consulting Group The need for a strong strategy does not stop because of unprecedented times. If anything, troubling times should highlight the importance of a sound strategy based on customer needs and market realities. Strategy starts from the outside in. That is, strategy starts with your customers, both what they need and what they could do without. It’s not enough to just ask your sales team what they think because they won’t think objectively. They’re focused on selling (which is what you want them to do). Their every interaction with a…

By Paul Banuski As we all find ourselves in an unprecedented and rapidly evolving situation regarding COVID-19, we know many employers are asking their employees to work remotely whenever possible, whether as a best practice to maintain social distancing or to comply with a state order regarding essential businesses. Working from home was already a growing trend prior to the pandemic, and many organizations are finding that there are some roles that may not require a physical presence at an office or jobsite at all. So, whether it’s a short term accommodation due to circumstances or part of a broader…