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Break Away From the Pack

Categories: Business Management, Distribution & Supply Chain, Innovations, Trends & Technology

Are you prepared to unleash your potential? Then get ready for ISSA/INTERCLEAN® North America 2016, October 25–28, 2016, in Chicago, IL.

Over the course of four days you will broaden your knowledge in countless ways. Learn new methods for saving money and increasing profits. Find out how to reach Millennials and other audiences. Understand new industry innovations and technologies. Increase your sales of green/sustainable products. And expand your horizons with an education lineup that’s bigger and better than ever before.

Four Days of Education Await
ISSA/INTERCLEAN and the ISSA Convention will offer distributors an entirely revamped and even more engaging educational program. This year’s lineup will help you stay on the cutting edge of the marketplace with more than 60 sessions. You’ll have more content and format options, including:

• Deeper dives (in-depth seminars on hot topics)
• Flash sessions (two 15-minute sessions in a 30-minute block of concentrated information)
• Ask the experts (panel discussions driven by attendees’ questions)
• Workshops (half- and full-day hands-on opportunities).

Does the idea of networking make you cringe, or can you work the room like a pro? Either way, “Networking Secrets of Successful Women” will offer sure-fire tips and methods to polish your skills and increase your confidence. This lively session includes built-in networking time to practice your newfound techniques. You’ll even discover the secret to juggling a plate of appetizers and a drink without embarrassing spills.

Make sure decision-makers, colleagues, and co-workers see you as the capable leader you are. Attending “Leadership: They Know It When They See It” will help you cultivate the characteristics, skills, and vision you need to take the lead. No matter where you are on the leadership ladder, you will leave with new and refreshing ideas.

How does your sales force stack up? Does your team have the skills to prospect, qualify, and close more clients at better margins? Discover the science behind building a high-performing sales team in “Crush the Competition With Sales Force Effectiveness.” You will also uncover the secrets of best-in-class companies that make their numbers every year. Walk away with proven strategies to hire better, coach more effectively, and most importantly—sell more. As an added bonus, this session includes free access to sales force effectiveness tools.

Millennials (people under 40) are moving into major buying and decision-making positions. To sell to this group, you need to know how to speak their language. In “OMG: Selling to Millennials,” you will hear how to blend the best of the “old school” relationship style of selling, which works with your Baby Boomer buyers, with the Millennials’ more electronic-driven buying model. This management-level session will include a detailed workbook and action guide.

Emotional intelligence (or EQ), the ability to understand yourself and others, is a strong indicator for success—far more so than IQ. In “Boost Your Sales With Emotional Intelligence,” you’ll master the basics of EQ and how to use what you learn to gain new insights into yourself and—more importantly—better understand and approach your customers.

Sustainability is far more than just a buzzword; the right program can save you money by reducing costs, from warehouses operations to delivery-vehicle expenses. In “Sustainability: The (Surprising) Way to Make and Save Money,” you’ll learn how a sound program can also drive sales and differentiate you from the competition.

Get Inspired
Inventor Thomas Edison famously said “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” So in addition to seminars, workshops, sessions, and panels, allow the show’s keynote speakers to inspire you.

Keynote speaker Rob O’Neill will open the show on Wednesday, October 26, with his address, “Never Quit.” Join O’Neill, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, as he translates his elite team training into high-impact, actionable insights on leadership, decision-making, and operating in uncertain environments. Learn the ingredients for a successful mission: the right people, preparedness, decision-making under pressure, and—above all—a commitment to never quit.

Comedian and political commentator Dennis Miller takes the stage on Thursday, October 27. Maybe you’ve seen him on “The O’Reilly Factor” or listened to his syndicated radio show. Perhaps you remember him from his days as anchor of the “Weekend Update” segment on “Saturday Night Live.” Now, you have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the idiosyncratic, award-winning Miller and experience for yourself what critics call “topical, scathing brilliance.”

Silicon Valley icon Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, will close out the show on Friday, October 28. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear Wozniak’s inspiring stories of entrepreneurship, innovation, and creativity. Learn about his personal vision for the future of technology and how it applies to the facility solutions industry. Discover his secrets to taking the initiative to ensure that you are always going for great. The talk will include a moderated question-and-answer session.

How to Unleash Your Potential
If the highlighted sessions pique your interest, check out the full education schedule at www.issa.com/seminars and register at www.issa.com/show. The possibilities, as they say, are endless. 

About the Author.

Kirsten Lambert works in the Marketing Department at ISSA. She can be reached at [email protected].