EDUCATION

From tile education to personal motivation, these seminars will give you an added boost to your business!

• Game Plan For Success - Joe Theismann
• The Future of Ceramic Tile Manufacturing - Bob Daniels, Luciano Galassini, Javier Soriano
• Positively Outrageous Service - T. Scott Gross
• Distributor Forum: Best Practices Shared
• New Rules of Selling: Are You Good Enough to Get Better? - Jim Pancero
• Retaining Talent: Coaching & Evaluating Performance in the New Economy - Sandy Smith
• Company Performance Report x 2! - Al Bates
• Crack Suppression, Crack Isolation Tenting - Justin Woelfel Jr.
• Tile and Stone Care & Maintenance...Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - Manuel Magallanes
• Expansion Joints: Fact or Fiction? - Scott Broney
• NTCA Tile Person of the Year
• Deflection - Dan Louis
• Tile Floor Profiling: Can We Level the Playing Field? - Rich Goldberg
• Self Leveling and Floor Warming - Tom Vaughn
• Innovation in Premium Grout - Greg Schad
• CTDA Hall of Fame Ceremony

Game Plan For Success - Joe Theismann (keynote speaker)

Voted the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, the Pro Bowl’s Most Valuable Player, and NFL’s Man of the Year award for his work in community service, we all know his stats. Joe Theisman’s career highlights include a 27-17 Redskins victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVIII. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he was an All-American athlete and scholar who led the Fighting Irish in back-to-back Cotton Bowls. He is the author of The Idiot’s Guide to Professional Football.

Joe’s keynote address “Game Plan for Success” outlines the game plan that brought Joe Theismann success both on and off the football field. From NFL’s MVP quarterback and Super Bowl champion to successful owner and operator of a restaurant chain in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area, he reveals his Game Plan for Success by drawing parallels between winning in football and in business.

Joe Theismann focuses on how to succeed under pressure — when it’s “4th and 1” — and how to adapt quickly to unexpected situations — when you’re faced with a “blitz” instead of a “zone.” He urges individuals and organizations to set goals and correct errors each step of the way, an approach that builds momentum, which, once on your side, would be hard for even the best “defense” to stop!

The Future of Ceramic Tile Manufacturing - Bob Daniels, Luciano Galassini, and Javier Soriano

Where is the manufacturing of ceramic tile heading? What are the problems it faces? Despite the recent economic downturn, the persistent skills shortages confronting manufacturers and other employers derive from powerful long-term forces in the economy. New technologies — in computers, materials and processes — continue to infuse all sectors of the economy, raising skill requirements. The Baby Boom workers are beginning to retire, taking their skills with them. High-wage manufacturers compete in an increasingly global economy where their success is defined by quality and productivity, which are dependent on the skills of the workforce.

These and many other topics will be discussed by three leaders from the industry: TCA Executive Director Bob Daniels, Assopiastrelle Director of Economic Trade Relations Luciano Galassini, and Javier Soriano from ASCER will offer a brief overview of ceramic tile manufacturing and it’s future.

Positively Outrageous Service - T. Scott Gross

The world is changing and the customer is changing. We are not about to begin a new era where service is the competitive difference--we’re in the middle of it! Those who intend to propser in the Age of Service must discover what the customer wants and then set out to provide it in a way that is so memorable that customers for life are created.

“Positively Outrageous Service” is not about bells and whistles. Instead it’s a service technique that is sometimes subtle, sometimes fun but always memorable.

• Identify what your customers really want
• Capitalize on trends new and developing
• Identify opportunities to serve outrageously

Scott is a master at removing mystery, a performance strategist who helps leaders and individuals get the most out of themselves and others. He has the uncanny ability to make complex ideas simple and easy to apply. His stories keep audiences laughing and involved as he delivers real-world ideas in rapid succession. It’s like drinking from a fire hose!

Author of eight fun-to-read books including the management classic, Positively Outrageous Service, a change of pace business novel titled, Borrowed Dreams, and now, his latest, MicroBranding, it is a rare moment when Scott doesn’t have a new project idea hidden on his desk.

And for fun…Scott flies AngelFlight missions to assist cancer and transplant patients in need of emergency air transportation. He is a volunteer street medic covering nearly 400 square miles of rural Texas. And, given a few days of dry southerly wind, you might find Scott working as a wildland firefighter.

For more information about T. Scott Gross, visit his website at http://www.tscottgross.com.

Distributor Forum: Best Practices Shared

Each year, distributors gather to discuss subjects primarily of exclusive nature to distributors. It is a time to share your successes and your failures and take home a few new ideas to implement. And best of all, the forum is scheduled so you won’t miss out on a single afternoon leisure activity!
This year's session will take place immediately following the Friday morning business session with two topics selected for discussion in roundtable groups with results presented to the whole. Topics will be chosen by participants prior to the conference.

New Rules of Selling: Are You Good Enough to Get Better? -
Jim Pancero

How have you, as an experienced salesperson, enhanced your selling skills over the last few years? Most salespeople have changed little and are still utilizing a 1980’s style of selling. Just being good as a salesperson is no longer enough. The most critical issue today is “Are You Good Enough to Get Better?”

This advanced sales program was developed for the experienced selling professional and will discuss how the selling process continues to change. You will learn how you can implement a more competitive style and approach to successfully sell your customers. This program will also show you how to communicate a stronger message of competitive uniqueness based on the most critical “core values” that most influence your customer’s buying behaviors. Ideas to be covered include:

• The reality of buyers today
• The evolution of the selling profession
• How to increase your competitive awareness
• The importance of strategic positioning
• How to communicate a stronger message of strategic competitive uniqueness
• How to implement a competitive selling message based on the four most critical “core values” that influence your customers’ buying behaviors

For more information about Jim Pancero, visit his website at http://www.pancero.com.

Retaining Talent: Coaching & Evaluating Performance in the New Economy - Sandy Smith

A recent Gallup Poll on motivation in the modern workplace concluded the following:

• 55% of employees had no passion for their jobs.
• 19% were so negative about their jobs that they poison the workplace.
• 26% were highly engaged and passionate about their work and their organization.

It is estimated that high performers generate 40-67% more productivity, profit and revenue than those who are disengaged or negative. Therefore, the cost of replacing such talent costs in excess of 150% in time, resources and lost productivity.

The Retaining Talent Seminar is focused on assisting managers in developing more effective methods of giving and receiving feedback and becoming skilled in conducting performance evaluations. Participants will:

• Gain insights as to the reasons “high performers” leave organizations
• Recognize the early warning signs of employee dissatisfaction
• Understand the primary reasons many managers avoid or delay-conducting performance reviews
• Develop the mind-set and skills to address performance issues
• Develop skills in managing employees who are not living up to their potential

For more information about Sandy Smith, visit his website at http://www.sandysmithseminars.com.

Company Performance Report x 2! - Al Bates

One of CTDA's most popular speakers, Al Bates from the Profit Planning Group has proven expertise in a number of financial and management fields and he will once again present the annual CTDA Company Performance Report.

The report, compiled confidentially from responses of ceramic tile distributors across the country, gives you a clear and concise view of the financial strengths and weaknesses of the ceramic tile distribution industry.

But that’s not all! Financial challenges that arise in a downturn economy are challenging. This session will distinguish between actions that really help and those that only make a difficult situation worse. Identify draining cash traps - inventory and accounts receivable, and slam the door on expenses - focusing on areas where reductions are possible without sacrificing customer service.

For the first time, Al will present an introduction to the company performance report for the members of NTCA. By calculating the cost to hire a consultant to analyze the industry, compare your financial statements with the typical ceramic tile contractor and then recommend specific changes that show you how to improve your profits next year, you will see the real affordability of this program.

By participating in the PROFIT survey, you will receive two very useful management tools that compare your results with your peers:

PROFIT IMPROVEMENT PROFILE analyzes and compares your company's profitability and financial ratios to your peers and focuses on your company's three weakest areas, tells you how to improve those areas and shows results that could be achieved if the plan is implemented.

The PROFIT TOOLKIT is a diskette sent with your data and the industry data already included. The program lets you test some "what-if" changes in your business and immediately see the results.

Participant data will be held strictly confidential by Profit Planning Group. Profit Planning Group has conducted similar surveys for more than twenty organizations and have an unblemished record of confidentiality.

For more information about the Profit Planning Group, go to www.profitplanninggroup.com.

Crack Suppression, Crack Isolation Tenting - Justin Woelfel, Jr.

Join Justin Justin Woelfel, Jr., NTCA Director of Training and Education as he tells you how to properly install crack suppression material over substrates, including when and where crack suppression material will work. He also discuss how and when to install control joints in an effort to keep tile from tenting.

Tile and Stone Care & Maintenance...Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - Manuel Magallenes

Proper care and maintenance of tile and stone is one of the easiest things to master, and who better to provide an informative and colorful perspective on the industry than a master himself. As one of the pioneers of water-based sealing technology, founder or Aqua Mix, Inc., and CTDA Hall of Famer, Manuel Magallanes is uniquely suited to share his vision of what the future holds for tile and stone care & maintenance.

Expansion Joints: Fact or Fiction? - Scott Broney

The combination of the highest quality craftsmanship and the proper setting materials cannot always ensure a successful ceramic tile installation. Over the years expansion joints have probably been referenced during more job site discussions than any other single topic. These "movement joints" are frequently overlooked, but their overall impact cannot be under estimated. This brief, comprehensive overview addresses the role of expansion joints from the planning stage all the way to the final installation

NTCA Tile Person of the Year

The 44th annual NTCA Tile Person of the Year award will take place on Thursday evening. This year’s recipient is:

• Harold Turk, Dal-Tile

Make sure your conference plans include the NTCA Banquet on Thursday evening, November 7th!

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Deflection - Dan Louis

Did you know that 70% of new construction floors fail the minimum deflection for ceramic tile installation? Dan Louis will give you a real-world solution to testing for “as-built” deflection. You don’t have to be a weatherman, an architect, or a mathmatician to have the skills to solve this widespread problem.

Tile Floor Profiling: Can We Level the Playing Field? - Rich Goldberg

Measurement and assessment of the profile of a tile floor assembly is a controversial topic. Current methods used by the tile industry to judge the levelness and flatness of a concrete substrate or the finished tile surface are subjective at best, and open to wide variations in interpretation, often leading to disputes. Compounding the problem are concrete and masonry industry floor profiling standards, which often confuse and conflict with those standards recommended by the tile industry, resulting in unanticipated and costly remedial repairs that often become the burden of the tile contractor.

Richard P. Goldberg AIA, CSI, Architect, will help you “level the playing field” and develop proactive bidding / execution strategies.

Innovation in Premium Grout - Greg Schad

In the rapidly changing world of today, many of our standard products are changing. Join Greg Schad, Technical Director of TEC Incorporated for an update on advancements in grout technology and quality.

CTDA Hall of Fame Ceremony

The 4th annual CTDA Hall of Fame inductions will take place on Thursday evening. The Class of 2002 will include:

• Jack Knies, TileAmerica!
• Ted Clear, Fin Pan

Make sure your conference plans include the CTDA Banquet on Thursday evening, November 7th!