Today’s post is written by Heather Powell, Director of Customer Services & Project Manager at SafeSourcing, Inc.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions and to recognize, understand, and influence the emotions of others. This means being aware that emotions drive behavior and impact people- positively and negatively, and learning how to manage those emotions- in ourselves and others- especially under pressure_1.

Why should emotional intelligence matter in any business?

Recognizing Emotions: Good managers are able to recognize emotions in themselves and others. This requires an openness to emotion to be able to answer the question, “how am I feeling today” with a one word answer. Recognizing emotion also involves the ability to recognize emotion in others through their facial expressions_2.

Using Emotions: Is about the link between emotions and cognitive thinking. Successful managers know it is not possible to make a decision “with our heads or our hearts.”  Emotions are involved in every decision that we make and we need to pay attention to them. If you know which emotions are useful for which tasks and can switch moods, create a mood task match.  Then you will be more effective and efficient in your day to day jobs₂.

Understanding Emotions: Understanding the combination of emotions we feel at a deeper level is a vital element of EQ. Understanding also involves identifying the causes of emotion as well as tracking how our emotions change over time. Emotions follow logical patterns.  Knowing these patterns will greatly enhance your emotional “what if” planning₂.

Managing Emotions: Our skills at managing our own and others’ moods will determine how well we deal with difficult situations. Rather than ruminating or suppressing emotion, to be effective we need to go to the emotion (recognize it), get insight (through using and understanding) and then go through the emotion. We can do this by implementing short or long term strategies to achieve the optimal emotional outcome for ourselves and others₂.

We enjoy bringing this blog to you every week and hope you find value in it. For more information on how we can help you with your procurement needs or on our “Risk Free” trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative. We have an entire customer services team waiting to assist you today.

We look forward to your comments.

_Reference:

1. _{http://www.ihhp.com/meaning-of-emotional-intelligence}
2. _{http://smallbiztrends.com/2012/09/management-develop-emotional-quotient.html}

Today’s post is by Tyler Walther; Account Manager at SafeSourcing

If you have made attempts for sales calls with any large corporation, you know how frustrating it can be. If the company you are trying to work with likes your product or service, they will want to do business with you. Admittedly that is difficult to see when you are trying to get your foot in the door.

Break down the large company into specific divisions. You will find it easier to get your contact if you pursue opportunities in divisions of an organization. For example, rather than being intimidated by trying to sell to Lockheed Martin, single out the specific department, applicable to your business and obtain the contact through that means. This will allow you to get the names of potential decision makers and conduct the due diligence without being overwhelmed.

Do your homework. You must research the company, their industry and their market. Sharpen your knowledge on their business issues, challenges, goals and objectives. Corporate decision makers don’t have time to update you about their business. They also do not want to learn about your offering unless they know that you bring value.

Establish a connection with multiple people simultaneously. Bring to their attention that you are speaking to others within their company. Ask your contacts to help you identify everyone you should know in the account. Most corporate decisions involve multiple people so it only makes sense that you would have relationships with many contacts within a large organization.

For qualified sales professionals, please contact SafeSourcing. We enjoy bringing this blog to you every week and hope you find value in it. For more information on how we can help you with your procurement needs or on our “Risk Free” trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative. We have an entire customer services team waiting to assist you today.

We look forward to your comments.

Today’s post is by Troy Lowe; Vice President of Development at SafeSourcing.

Home security options have come a long way over the past few years. It used to be that your security system would be setup with sensors located on doors and windows and would alert you of a possible intruder.  They would be connected to a land line that would notify your provider and they would notify the police.  One problem with this scenario is that the land lines can be disconnected or cut from outside the home and the notification would not be sent.  Newer systems now come with cellular connections so this is no longer an issue.  Houses no longer have to be pre wired because of the cost effective wireless options that are now available.  With some of the providers today you can not only be protected from intruders, but also from fire and carbon monoxide.  The systems also come with cameras so that you can monitor your home remotely, giving you peace of mind when you are not home.  Below are some other benefits of owning a home security system.

• Deters Crime
• Access and Control lighting and Thermostats
• Monitor Kids Activities
• Instills Peace of Mind
• Increases the Value of Your Home
• Discounts on Home Owners Insurance

If you would like some help finding the right solutions, we can gather all the necessary information for you and help you decide which system meets your needs. If you would like more information on how SafeSourcing can help you, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative.  We have an entire team ready to assist you today.

We look forward to your comments.

Today’s post is by Alyson Usserman, Project Manager at SafeSourcing.

Within the Stretch Wrap industry, there are hundreds of thousands of SKUs of stretch wrap. Most of the stretch wrap that SafeSourcing sources are for warehousing purposes and shipping freight.   When reviewing the specifications there are some things to note.

The second type of film that I will be focusing on is the Cast Film. The “Cast” indicator on the stretch wrap refers to the manufacturing process that the film undergoes. There are advantages and disadvantages using cast film versus blown film outlined below:

Advantages:

1. Cast film is much stronger than blown film.
2. Cast film is more durable in warehousing situations.

Disadvantages:

1. Depending on the manufacturer, cast film can be more expensive.
2. Cast film can be difficult to read through after layering it.
3. Stretch Wrap Machines may have difficulty stretching the cast film properly.
4. Cast film is considered the old technology.

In order to achieve the best specification, call SafeSourcing today.For more information on how we can help you with your procurement needs or on our “Risk Free” trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative.  We have an entire customer services team waiting to assist you today.

We look forward to your comments.

Today’s post is by Troy Lowe; Vice President of Development at SafeSourcing.

There are many brands and options available and researching can take a lot of time.  Knowing what type of application you will be using can help narrow the search criteria.  Do you need a projector for presentations while traveling, for an office conference room or for a home theater?  In each of these cases, the size and features may be different.  If you are going to be traveling, you may want a smaller lighter weight model.  For the projector in the conference room, you may want to have a larger model that has a brighter display.  For the home theater you may want a model that supports a widescreen display and higher definitions.  There are several different types of technologies available including DLP, LCD and LED.  Each one of the technologies offers different advantages and disadvantages so it important to research which will work best for you.  Below are some other things to consider when doing your research.

• Display Resolutions
• Lamp Life
• Type of Inputs
• Brightness
• Size
• Weight

If you would like some help finding a projector, we can gather all the necessary information for you and help you decide which one meets your needs. If you would like more information on how SafeSourcing can help you, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you today.

We look forward to your comments.

 Today’s post is by Tyler Walther; Account Manager at SafeSourcing. 

Have you heard the term GPO, group purchasing organization, or purchasing consortium? What is that? A group purchasing organization is a partnership that is created to improve the purchasing power of a group of businesses allowing them to attain greater discounts from vendors based on the collective buying power of the GPO members.

Of course a GPO’s primary goal is to get members the best price for their products being fulfilled; quality must be equally as important. GPO’s supplier bases traditionally incur a more rigorous vetting process helping to ensure the credibility and value of the supplier, as well as required product quality. A GPO goes beyond item price alone and considers overall value, which reflects a greater savings in the long term.

You can still keep that direct relationship with your vendors. Becoming a member of a GPO does not mean you eliminate your direct connection with your suppliers. GPO members can still receive drop shipments from their supplier. The GPO partner will still be able to contact the supplier when issues arise and still have the opportunity for personal meetings when required.

Not only do GPOs leverage the purchasing power of multiple entities, they also bring balance to the purchasing model because they already have relationships with vendors and suppliers.

We enjoy bringing this blog to you every week and hope you find value in it. Look to SafeSourcing for assistance with your GPO. For more information on how we can help you with your procurement needs or on our “Risk Free” trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative. We have an entire customer services team waiting to assist you today.

We look forward to your comments. 

Today’s post is by Alyson Usserman, Project Manager at SafeSourcing

After an RFP or RFQ,  we are sometimes asked to communicate with vendors to schedule face-to- face meetings in relation to their quote and future business opportunities.   The following is a list of what you can typically expect as a supplier:

1.  An agenda:   This will be a list of everything the client will want to discuss with you during the meeting.
2. Meeting time, place, and contact: The client will typically decide on a location at their convenience, be prepared to travel. The client will then provide a contact who will also be in the meeting as well.
3. Additional documents: On occasion a client will request additional documentation on the business opportunity to discuss.
4. Questions: Prepare your questions ahead of the meeting in list format. This will help the client and the supplier think through any concerns.In person client meetings are the way onto the final negotiation process and contract signing, typically.

For more information on how we can help you with your procurement needs or on our “Risk Free” trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative.  We have an entire customer services team waiting to assist you today.

We look forward to your comments.

Today’s post is by Troy Lowe; Vice President of Development at SafeSourcing.

With everyone carrying a cell phone, a lot of households have moved away from land lines.  In doing so it is sometimes hard to get ahold of someone when they are actually at home.  A lot of people like to keep their phones on vibrate as not to disturb others while in public and when returning home they place the phone down and do not hear the phone when doing things around the house.  This has happened to me several times.  I needed some important personal information for work and needed to get ahold of someone at home.  There were three people in the house all with cell phones and I could not reach any of them.  Turns out two of the phones were on vibrate and the other one was dead and charging.  I started some research and found that there are several different devices that can solve this issue.  Some of the devices are Bluetooth enabled and will connect to your phone when you are within range.  There are other devices containing docking stations so that your phone will charge as well.  With some of these devices you can connect to several phones at the same time.  One such system is the VTech Connect to Cell Cordless Phone.  It comes with a base station and 3 cordless phones that will connect up to 4 cellular phones at one time.  Below is a list of some manufacturers that carry devices that can connect to cellular phones.

• AT&T
• Panasonic
• VTech
• Cobra
• Altigen

If you would like some help researching a solution, we can gather all the necessary information for you and help you decide which device meets your needs.  If you would like more information on how SafeSourcing can help you, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you today.

We look forward to your comments.

Today’s blog has been written by Ryan Melowic Vice President of Customer Services at SafeSourcing.

Composting technologies have come a long way for the commercial kitchen, supermarket, hotel, resort, and commercial food distribution companies.  Currently there are several companies manufacturing equipment that rapidly decompose all food waste into a nutrient-rich liquid suitable for discharge into public waste water disposal systems Initial studies demonstrate that the water discharged may have a positive application for use as a fertilizing agent.  The rising costs of waste collection and disposal make the use of the equipment a sound financial investment.

There are several companies with options for composting equipment thus making it a good candidate for a formal RFP.  SafeSourcing will work with your company to identify the specifications and requirements you have in this category. We will then provide the vendors who can support your company’s footprint. We will then facilitate an RFP to insure that your company receives the best overall value for this equipment and services.

When companies choose to compost food waste there are economic, environmental, community and health and sanitation benefits. It only makes sense for companies to compost food waste.

SafeSourcing does the due diligence to ensure we are familiar with new technologies that can reduce waste costs. Composting is an example of one of the many solutions retailers can implement to reduce costs.  For more information on how SafeSourcing can help you with insuring certified suppliers, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.