Northwestern Lumber Association and Mid-America Lumbermens Association are now BLD Connection. Material Matters is our monthly newsletter. Its focus is on valuable industry news and important member updates. Watch for Material Matters in your inbox the first Monday of each month. |
Wisconsin Connection Conference Registration
Is Now Open! |
Join your colleagues for Wisconsin & Upper Michigan’s BLD Connection Conference on March 21 at the Ho Chunk Casino in Baraboo, Wisconsin. This all-inclusive conference offers the opportunity to connect with others from the industry to network and learn from each other along with professional instructors who delve into the “must haves” for our evolving industry and workplaces. This year’s programs include: - Next Gen Roundtable
- Risk Management Seminar – Protect Your Business Before It’s Too Late
- Membership Lunch & Meeting, Awards and Keynote
- Afternoon seminars on Sales, Leadership and Communication.
- Customer Panel Discussion with WBA Members – What Customers are Looking for in a Building Material Supplier
The day will wrap up with the fun networking reception including hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and a fun game of cornhole with prizes!
A discount hotel room block is available at Ho Chunk Casino Hotel. The block expires February 19.
Click HERE to view all the details and to register for the conference. |
BLD Connection BankCard Specialist Announces Retirement |
BLD Connection BankCard Specialist Mac Hardin has announced his retirement effective December 31, 2023. Mac has been BLD Connection’s BankCard specialist for over 40 years and has come to know and appreciate his work and relationships with our members.
BLD Connection would like to take this opportunity to thank Mac for his steadfast support and partnership and we wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement!
With Hardin’s retirement, Carley Chivers will assume the role of Administrative & Bankcard Specialist. Carley looks forward to working with the Association’s BankCard program and all its current participants. Carley can be reached at carleyc@midwesthardware.com or via phone at (715) 341-7100 x301. |
Mortgage Rates Drop Below 7% |
On December 14, 2023, Freddie Mac released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS), showing the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.95%, down from 7.03% the previous week but still higher than this time last year when rates averaged 6.31%
“Potential homebuyers received welcome news this week as mortgage rates dropped below seven percent for the first time since August,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “Given inflation continues to decelerate and the Federal Reserve Board’s current expectations that they will lower the federal funds target rate next year, we likely will see a gradual thawing of the housing market in the new year.”
Meanwhile, the 15-year FRM averaged 6.38%, up from last week when it averaged 6.29%. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.54%. |
Your Job Ad is the Key to Attracting Top Talent - Here's How to Do it Right Rikka Brandon, Building Gurus |
You can’t hire a great new employee if you can’t get them in the door for an interview. And getting them in the door means writing a job ad that stands out and makes people want to work for your company.
In other words: job postings can be a powerful tool in your hiring arsenal, but only if they are done right.
As mentioned in the last article, a job description is not the same as a job ad, and vice versa. In fact, the biggest mistake people make is using a job description as their job ad.This is a new Text block. Change the text. |
Note - this is the third article in a series of 12 from Rikka Brandon. Read the next article in the Feb/March 24 issue of BLD Connection Magazine. |
Few topics in the sales world generate more opinions than telephone prospecting in general and voicemails in particular. Sales reps typically don’t enjoy telephone prospecting, and many get tired of seldom reaching a real, living decision maker.
Make no mistake; those of us who sell for a living spend a lot of time leaving voicemails. |
According to Ringlead.com, the typical sales rep leaves an average of 70 voicemails per day. If you assume 60 seconds per voicemail (30 seconds to listen to the recipient’s greeting and 30 seconds for the caller to speak), that means sales reps spend 25 hours per month just leaving voicemails. That’s 300 hours per year, and it equates to about 15 percent of their total work time.
So, sales professionals leave a lot of voicemails. Is it a good use of their time? |
What is Your Playbook for 2024? Ken Wilbanks, Professional Business Consultant
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This is a season of reflection, appreciation, and looking ahead to how the new year can be better than ever. As the business pulse naturally slows a bit, this is the perfect time to begin Visioning and Tactical Action Planning to start 2024 with a Keen Edged Focus to advance your profitability. On Purpose. Sharpened Leadership. Courage to move past old Habits for the sake of new and better methods that yield results from the start and into the years ahead. |
Holiday Decorations From Federated Insurance Question We would like to put up some Christmas decorations (e.g., a tree, wreaths, lights) in our office for the holiday season. Are we allowed to put up only Christmas decorations, or is it considered discriminatory if we don’t put up decorations associated with other religions? |
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