Pandemic Flu– It’s not about the Sky Falling
NRA Speakers Urge Foodservice Industry to Prepare for Worst-Case Scenario

CHICAGO – While experts aren’t sure exactly when the United States will be embroiled in the next lethal pandemic, they are confident in warning Americans that it will happen sooner rather than later simply because we’re due.

Diversity: Distributors Still Don’t Get It
WFF Panelists at NRA Show Claim Gender Diversification Impacts Bottom Line

CHICAGO – The bottom line of gender diversification – as with multicultural diversification – is that if companies are sincerely involved in vertically and horizontally diversifying their employees, managers and executives, their bottom lines would benefit.

Why Some Systems Decrease Customer Service, Margins, Inventory Profitablity
By Dick Friedman

Some distributors have spent a fortune on new systems, only to discover months later that the business performance got worse, not better – or at best, didn’t increase. Other distributors have been using the same systems for many years, but still aren’t getting “the numbers” they want, and wonder why. This article looks at a few functional areas where mistakes and omissions are depressing customer service and profits.

Is Your Company’s Plan for Product Recall Up to Par?
Experts Offer Questions that Each Distributorship Should Take Time to Answer

By Karen J. Ribler

This last fall E-coli was found in pre-packaged spinach. Late November E-coli was disseminated through lettuce served at Taco Bell. About the same time similar outbreaks of E-coli induced illness were traced to lettuce served in Taco John restaurants in Iowa and Minnesota. Most recently there have been recalls of ground beef (E-coli), chicken breast strips (Listeria monocytogenes), olives (botulism) and peanut butter (Salmonella).

Distributors Can Help Operators Control Costs
Lowest Price Is Not Best Solution; Product Education Reaps Better Results

Restaurants continually struggle to offset operating expenses. Negotiating lower prices from distributors is often the first method of attack, but not always the best solution, nor the only option.

The Best Is Better
By Dean W. Morley

Service drives sales in every type of sales career. There are many stories about salespeople losing credibility after a sale, or request for information, due to lack of follow-up. Foodservice selling is unique because your account relies on your service as well as honesty.

Overcoming Four Reasons Customers Don’t Buy From You
What should a DSR do when the prospect or existing customer doesn’t want to buy from him? Consultant Bob Leduc presented four scenarios over overcoming recalcitrant buyers on the website www.soho.org/Marketing Articles.

Hope without Expectations
By Bob Oros

Researchers found out in a recent test that if they put a blindfold over someone while they are eating, they’ll eat less. Let’s take this another step and ask ourselves this: What if all of a sudden you or I lost our memory and our sight at the same time? What if no one could tell us how old we were and we would have to guess? What would you say?

Adding More Value to Your Food Show
By Michael Attias

Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed that 80% of income in Italy went to 20% of the population, is the father of the 80/20 rule. If you were to examine your customer base, you’d find 80% of your profits are coming from 20% of your customers as well.

Turn the Menu into a Goldmine
By Dean W. Morley

If you have a computer, you have a menu. What would you do without the menu? Just as a builder works from a blueprint or a cook prepares pickles from scratch, they have something to guide them through the task. The restaurant menu is a guide for the patron to view.