Michael Ference Fluid Power Marketing

In our latest issue, the December 2015 edition of Fluid Power World , we have a feature article titled Food safety and compressed air.   In this cover feature, author Depak Vetal of Atlas Copco Compressors, explains many important considerations for the use of compressed air in food applications. He explains how the guidelines for compressed air quality even exceed the guidelines of the FDA, especially in the area of selecting oil or oil-free systems.  The article then covers some of the filtration  requirements for food applications. I won't go into much more detail here but recommend that you visit our website or click on the link above for the actual article.  If you would like to subscribe to our magazine, here is a link for subscribers SUBSCRIBE We then offer our pneumatic specialists lots of great information on our Pneumatic Tips website and Pneumatic Tips e-newsletters.  Here is link to the website and here is one for our E-NEWSLETTERS . ...

The December 2015 issue of Fluid Power World completes our schedule of print publications for this year.  Here it is: It is full of great fluid power articles with excellent graphics.  I am very proud to represent this very fine publication and thankful for the fantastic team that makes it happen.  Next year, 2016, we are adding two more print issues to our schedule. We kickoff the year with our combination issue with Design World   called our Leadership in Engineering issue.  Then our schedule of Fluid Power World starts with February and continues with March, April, May, June - our Fluid Power Handbook, August, September, and November. Throughout this schedule we will cover most aspects of fluid power technology.  Every issue is sent to a qualified circulation of engineering professionals with an interest in fluid power.  If you would like to know more, please contact me at mference@wtwhmedia.com

One of my favorite advisers is Schawna Shuh. She is a professional speaker and author who gives motivational advice. One of her segments is about dressing to make connections in business and she refers to it as the three C's. First is color and we should all use color in our wardrobes when we are tring to make a positive impression. After all, our outfit and our appearance is for the benefit of others who see us. Therefore, using cheerful colors is a positive for others. The second C is comfortable. Your clothing should be comfortable for the situation. Your selection of your outfit should be appropriate for your current engagement whatever that might be. Nobody should be made to feel uncomfortable because of what you are wearing. And the final C is for cover up. In a business or formal situation, it is always best to do so. This is fairly self explanatory. All of this advice is designed to help individuals to connect better with others in both business and professional situa...

We are at the week in between Christmas Day and New Year's Day.  I always thought it was very interesting how two major holidays are back to back like this.  It stretches the holiday season too. For business, this week offers a good time to reflect on the state of our business and the state of our individual careers.  As the business world slows down for the extended holiday, we have fewer daily details to attend to such as phones and e-mails.  We have a lesser degree of urgency about most everything involving our day to day business world. Looking back, what have we done right as an employee or employer this past year?  Where can we improve for the coming year?  We have a chance to review the areas of our personal efforts in the past year and discover ways to do things better in the new year. For many, this is a time to get caught up on reading they may have put off in the busy fall season.  It is also a time for resolutions that can improve our...

... and one of the best ways to do that is to be positive yourself.  Positivity and good attitudes have a way of attracting more of the same.  On the other hand, negativity by others drags you down as your negativity drags others down. If there is someone who drains you because of their constant negativity, I suggest that you find ways to spend less direct time with that person.  On the other hand, if you find that some people really lift you up, spend more time with them.  In fact, find out what it is about them you like and copy that. I think that we have a bigger influence on each other than we realize.  I am so very fortunate and blessed to have a boss here at WTWH Media who reminds me to stay positive.  Scott has greatly revived my career by not only being a positive influence but by giving me reasons to stay positive. In January, I will be wrapping up two years at WTWH Media and it has been a very wonderful experience.  A big reason for tha...

We have had a fantastic year @FluidPowerWorld with our e-newsletter program.  We have produced Pneumatic Tips, Hose Assembly Tips, Mobile Hydraulic Tips, and Fluid Power World every month this year with lots of success. Here is our final e-newsletter of the year It is great to finish the year strong.  Take a look at this e-newsletter when you get a chance and decide for yourself if you would like to receive this kind of fluid power content to your inbox every month.  In fact, 2016 is off to a great start with reservations so Fluid Power World will actually be published at least twice per month. If you would like to register for our e-newsletters for 2016, please click here  where you will be able to sign up for all of our e-newsletters. If your company sells fluid power components, we would love to publish your success stories in our e-newsletters.  Please refer to the article in the upper right-hand portion of this edition titled Fluid pow...

Most people know the Golden Rule.  It is a great guideline in doing the right thing.  Treat others as you would have others treat you.  This is a rule that implies respect, patience, kindness, consideration, and more.  I am all for it. As I have stated many times before, listening to helpful information while driving is a very educational process.  You can get CDs from the library or bookstore.  Now, I figured out how to load books onto my iPhone for listening in the car.  I try to do it often to improve my career. In my listening-in-the-car education, I picked up a CD by Dr. Tony Allesandro, who gave a presentation in my very own Cleveland a few years back at a self-improvement series titled Peak Performers.  The title of his presentation is The Platinum Rule and I invite you to access Dr. Tony Allesandro's  website  for more information.  The basis of the Platinum Rule is to Treat others as they want to be treated. The advic...

In 2016, Fluid Power World magazine and digital network would like to put your fluid power company in the movies.  That is another way of saying, let us use video to tell your company's product story.  We have a fantastic start to our video library and in invite you to check it out for yourself. This year, our video and editorial team has captured content from fluid power component manufacturers in-studio, on-location, and at industry events.  2016 should be an even bigger year.  Let me know if we can get your company scheduled to be in the movies in 2016.

One of the many content tools that we offer to our audience at Fluid Power World is our Tech Tip e-book .  This is a compilation of very useful information on a given subject.  Here is an example from Clippard Instrument Laboratory If you click on the link  to this e-book, you will see what I mean.  Watch our Fluid Power World website for more Tech Tip e-books in 2016.  If your company is a manufacturer of fluid power components, consider using a Tech Tip e-book to reach prospective new customers in 2016.

We use the term passion quite a bit to describe an attitude or approach to your respnsibility. Passion can be defined as an intense, compelling feeling or enthusiasm or desire.  This characteristic in a person is one of the most important for success.  I passionate person has an advantage. We all have talents at something and when we try to accomplish something either professionally or personally, we use our talents to help us to get there.  Everyone has some talents and many use them wisely while others waste them. Where talent leaves off, passion should take over. Where passion is limited, commitment kicks in. I believe that it takes all three to have sustained success at anything. Use your talents wisely to attain your goal. Be both passionate and comitted and success should come your way.

Some of the best tips on pneumatic system design and component selection can be found at PneumaticTips  where you will find a wealth of information that is updated on a regular basis. I invite you to visit this website often and if your company sells pneumatic components, please send us product reviews and case studies for posting on this website.  If you would like to have quality pneumatic content delivered to your inbox, then subscribe to our Pneumatic Tips e-newsletter by clicking here . Our intention is to deliver the very best pneumatic system and component possible.  Give us a try.

Here is an example of the kind of content  you will find on HoseAssemblyTips.com If your company sells any fluid power connector of any kind, send us your information for post in on our website.  If you use hose assemblies in your designs or in the machinery you maintain, visit us often for great content.

In business or even in your private life, communication is, of course, essential.  In her recent book,  Relevant Selling , author  Jaynie L. Smith  makes this point again and again.  She is mostly referring to business and sales but here theory works in everyday life too. Her point, as I understand it, is that you must know what your customers value about your company and products or services before you can promote those values.  In other words, a business owner or manager must understand what attributes or advantages or unique skills about your company attracts customers and keeps them.  The only way to find out is to ask. We in business can go on and on day after day telling our customers that we have the highest quality products or the fastest delivery when what they really value the most is friendly service.  We must ask by doing reserarch and by asking our customers what it is that they like. In everyday life, the same holds true. ...

Here is a link to our latest Hose Assembly Tips e-newsletter.  For the past two years, we have published this e-newsletter that is dedicated to fluid power hose, fittings, connectors, hose assemblies, crimpers, quick disconnects, and more. If your company uses any of the above components, then I invite you to subscribe to our Hose Assembly Tips e-newsletter.   Here is a link to our subscriber page.   Every issue contains both editorial and advertising about all of these products. We also offer a website dedicated to the same topic with the same name and here is a link    I hope that you will visit often.  If your company makes and sells hose assemblies and related products, please send us your press releases for posting in both places.

You may have seen a post from me about The Magic Story .  It is a fairly old but very helpful self- improvement story. If you have not had a chance to read it, I strongly recommend it to everyone.  Essentially it is about being positive all the time.   For me personally, the fourth quarter of every year is the time to renew ad programs for the coming year.  It is easy to get disappointed every time I get a rejection.  However, that is a part of the sales process.  By staying positive, I can overcome any tendency to get down emotionally.  Getting down can be contagious to both my customers and co-workers and I certainly don't need that.  So, a health dose of The Magic Story really works wonders for me at this time of year.

Ok, so I have mostly stopped wearing ties.  Phew, I am one of the last media professionals to still be wearing one earlier this year.  One day, while waiting for a plane at O'Hare, I looked around to discover that I was one out of about three people in five thousand still wearing a tie.  The next day I stopped and it is much more comfortable. With that said, there are still some very appropriate guidelines that I would like to share for dress codes.  I think that two important key phrases are common sense and best expression of yourself. One of my favorite advisers is Schawna Shuh. She is a professional speaker and author who gives motivational advice. One of her segments is about dressing to make connections in business and she refers to it as the three C's. First is color and we should all use color in our wardrobes when we are tring to make a positive impression. After all, our outfit and our appearance is for the benefit of others who see us. Therefore, usi...

The market for fluid power components and related products should rebound in 2016.  At least that is what I took away from a recent NFPA market update webinar NFPA .  If that is the case, and I believe it to be, then marketers should consider using ever means available to get the word out about their products. As I have stated frequently from this blog, print advertising and website advertiser are still great ways to increase the awareness of your company and products.  At Fluid Power World , we have eight great issues planned for next year.  Our digital network includes five websites and e-newsletters that reach fluid power buyers and specifiers. Our custom content opportunities offer our advertisers a great means for sending their story to interested prospective buyers.  I would like to work with you to develop such content in 2016. I recommend using as many of the options above as possible to grow your business in 2016.  Please contact me for assi...

With regard to the marketing of fluid power components and related products, there is never a bad time to build brand awareness.  When the market is up, take advantage of the opportunity to get more sales by increasing brand awareness. When the market is down, this is an opportunity to increase market share when things turn upward.  Advertising and marketing are very important in this market at all phases of the fluid power economy.  It is similar to dollar cost averaging. At Fluid Power World network of print and digital media, we can help fluid power companies now and in the future with our magazine, websites, e-newsletters, and custom media opportunities.  Now is a great time to build brand awareness.  If you would like my help, please contact me.

I have been in the business-to-business media field for a long time.  Early on, print advertising was the accepted way that manufacturers and sellers of fluid power components made customers and prospects aware of their products. Well, print media is still a great way to establish and build brand awareness.  Consider a start-up company.  Perhaps they have a good product.  Hardly anyone knows about it because it is brand new. You might make the case that sales people can get the word out by traveling around the country and selling the product. However, there is no better way to get information out to a large number of customers and prospects than mass media.  Print ads and banner ads on websites are a very efficient way to do that.  For pennies per impression, a company's new products are displayed to a qualified audience.  The start-up company now has the credibility of being seen in nation in national media. Now we have So...

Many people make very good use of Facebook and other social media outlets. Everyone has ideas and everyone has good ideas. Social media provides and excellent opportunity to share. I am a regular user of FB, Twitter, and LinkedIn It should not and will not take the place of interpersonal interaction. Instead, it is a part of it and supplemental to it. It is cool that people share photos and successes and milestones on FB. It think that it is great that ideas and news stories are shared on Twitter. Of course, there are many negatives too and you know what those are if you are a regular social media user. I really hope that we can use this new technology to share good and useful ideas! On a professional level, Fluid Power World and WTWH Media can help your company to share your ideas and your company story on Social Media.  Just contact me at mference@wtwhmedia.com  to learn more.

In my continuing review of the 2015 ICUEE Show held earlier this year in Louisville, here is a video with our Associate Editor, Mike Santora interviewing Mat Alagna of Thomas-Magnete. In this series of videos from ICUEE, we review some of the fluid power products on display at the show.  These quick reviews offers our audience an opportunity to see and get an explanation of various components while directing them to more information. If your company would like to be included in future trade show videos, we can discuss that.

I still have a lot to share from the 2015 ICUEE Show held in Louisville in September.  Here is a video that takes our work to new heights, Our brave Associate Editor, Mike Santora, takes a 105-ft. trip on a Terex lift vehicle used in utility applications to show the strength and safety delivered by hydraulic systems. Check it out!

In their excellent business book,  Great By Choice,  authors Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen make some very interesting points about luck in business.  They summarize it by suggesting four possible outcomes from luck and they are: Great return on good luck Poor return on good luck Great return on bad luck Poor return on bad luck In business, we are going to have some timely breaks and some untimely bad twists in fate.  This is a given but what we make of these can to some degree be controlled.  In the book, they give several examples of businesses that have capitalized on both good and bad luck.  They also outline some missed opportunities. The same carries over to all aspects of life.  It would be great if we could figure out ways to make the best of whatever comes our way. At Fluid Power World , we don't rely on luck for the success of your ad program.  In fact, we guarantee results from our digital network.  If you would l...

We still have one more issue of Fluid Power World for our readers this year and that is our December issue.  The last month of the year is as good as any for reading and learning about fluid power components and systems and how they work. As we close out our first full year of service to our audience and advertisers, our December issue will feature reports on industrial hydraulics, pneumatics, mobile hydraulics, and more.  We cover the supply chain with our distributor section as well as research and development.  Our editorial includes both tutorials about specific products as well as application stories on how components are best applied. If you would like to subscribe to Fluid Power World, please visit our online subscription page .  I also invite you to visit our four fluid power websites including Fluid Power World , Pneumatic Tips , Mobile Hydraulic Tips , and Hose Assembly Tips . Each on of these titles also delivers information to our online a...

This is what Fluid Power World magazine and digital network  will do for your company in 2016.  We have the means to accomplish both goals and I would like to consult with any fluid power company interesting in having my assistance. As Publisher of Fluid Power World, I am in a unique position to work with your company to raise the awareness of your company and products while finding new customers and prospects.  In addition to our magazine which will be published 8 times in 2016, our network of websites and e-newsletters has an excellent reach into the buying audience. We still have time to set up a program for success.  Just contact me at mrference@wtwhmedia.com.

This is not about greed, it is not even about wealth necessarily.  It is about return on investment, that is the investment of  your time.  I suggest that everyone visit the library or Amazon.com and look into getting a copy of this book.  The book was written by George S. Clason in the 1920's but it is still relevant today. The basic principles as I understand them are that "A part of all you earn is yours to keep," and trust your investments to experts.  The concept is that you keep at least ten percent of all of your earnings for your entire working life.  So for example, if you earn $30,000 at your job, live as if you earn $27,000 and bank the $3,000 every year.  If you earn $50,000, live as if you earn $45,000 and bank the $5,000. It is not enough to just bank the money though, you need to make it work for  you.  That is very difficult in today's economy because of the very low interest rates payed by banks.  This is where the a...

Last week, I finally got a chance to listen and watch the archived version of the NFPA economic update webinar, done by ITR, Institute for Trends Research.  I came into it expecting more worries but came away encouraged that 2016 will actually be a reasonably good year for our fluid power industry. You can take in the webinar for yourself if your company is a member of the NFPA.   Just visit their website.   Just register and get the webinar for free.  You too will enjoy Eric Armstrong's energetic introduction .... Goooood morning everyone!!! The theme for this program was Cautious Optimism, which sounds good to me since we have had a bit of a rough go in 2015.  It looks like increased existing home sales, housing starts, and retail sales have helped the economy of late and gives cause for optimism for 2016.  We are still cautious of the energy sector and the strong dollar for exports. Overall, there is a nearly 4% growth in fluid power proj...

When it comes to a job, your job perhaps, there is no absolute security really. Things could change at any company or organization that require a change in the job landscape. In such cases where change happens, there is not much an individual could do about that. Having said that, there are things that you could do to sustain your job or career and they are rather simple policies that you could follow. They all center around respecting your job. If your job is what is funding your very living and lifestyle, then I would think that showing the greatest respect for your job should come naturally. But what does that mean? Well, being very respectful of the requirements of the job is a starting point. Show up on time and stay until you are supposed to stay and do what you are required to do in between is a minimum. There is a lot more to it. Here is a perspective that works. Think of how you would approach your job if you were a major stakeholder in the business and your very perform...

In 2016, Fluid Power World  is expanding to eight issues including February, March, April, May, June, August, September, and November.  We will join forces with Design World for our annual Leadership in Engineering issue in January. This gives our fluid power advertisers nine print issues for the year to go with our five websites and e-newsletters.  Combine that with our content marketing opportunities and our advertisers have a great resource in Fluid Power World. Every issue will include mobile and industrial hydraulics, pneumatics and a product focus.  Our regular features will continue to include Research & Development, Association Watch, Distributor Update, Energy Efficiency. Design Notes, Training, Fundamentals, Maintenance and Safety.  Now that we have added fluid power expert, Ken Korane, to our staff, we will feature Korane's Outlook in every issue also. We are looking forward to a great year of serving our readers and our advertisers in 2016...

I love analogies. They help to make your point and they are fun to figure out. Writing on a blog IS LIKE having a diary that you WANT people to read. You are sharing thought with others and not just your future viewing. Thank you so much for reading by the way. Having professional sports teams compete with widely varying pay structures and vastly uneven overall payrolls is not fair to the fans or the teams. It IS LIKE having a 100-yard dash with a field of 8 sprinters. Numbers one and two, you guys are good to go; numbers three and four, put on these winter coats, numbers five and six you run with these work boots; numbers seven and eight, you carry these barbells. Ready, set, go... not fair:( Here is another. Doing good works for others IS LIKE mining gold. Some words are large and produce quick results on a large scale, while others are nuggets. Many nuggets add up over time and the results are still large. What analogy can you share? Having a great product or service and NOT...

Everyone is going to have people in their lives who are difficult to deal with, difficult to get along with. This is true for your professional life as well as your personal life. That is a given and what you do about it is the variable. At a recent conference that I attended, one of the presentations was about this very subject. The speaker was Steve McClatcly of Alleer, a training and consulting company. What Steve advised in dealing with such situations was to focs on people's strengths and manage their weaknesses. We all have both and if you want to increase the number and percentage of people you call friends, this method works. In a relationship, you focus on the strengths and manage the weaknesses. Then you build a like and an interest in the other person. Its not that your friends are perfect, you look for the things that you like and focus on those. Discover the things that you love about that person and make those the center of your attention. For the things that you ...

For professionals in the markets served by fluid power technology, their attention is attracted to good content.  That could be in the form of editorial content found in Fluid Power World , including our print issue, digital edition, website, or e-newsletters.  It also includes the content provided by our advertisers. Our digital edition is now distributed to 100,000 readers so, if you are not receiving an issue, please sign up today.  You will find a registration page on our website. Also, by content I am referring to the growing list of technical white papers and videos that we now offer to our audience.   Click here for our Engineering White Papers website.   There you will find several very good white papers on a variety of fluid power topics.   Finally, our great content can be found in the form of video in our video library. For 2016, we plan to surround our engineering audience with content in several forms and let them con...

A few years ago, I attended a really excellent presentation by a speaker named Steve McClatchy about relationships in business and how good relationships are critical to success in many ways. I quickly realized that all of what Steve was presenting is also very applicable to relationships in every aspects of our lives. Of course one of the key aspects of a good relationship is trust that is a two-way situation. This trust has to start somewhere in a relationship. Starting first in this trust is similar to "I'll like you if you'll like me. But someone has to go first. The same is true in a trusting relationship. We may very well have a natural mechanism that prevents us from going first but it makes sense to start a trusting relationship by going first. Starting first and building trusting relationships can be a very life enriching practice. We are faced with many situtaions in life where having trusting relationships built up over years are extremely helpful. For mor...

One of our customers, CEJN Industrial Corp. exhibited at the 2015 ICUEE Show to make connections with new customers and prospects.  CEJN is a provider of quick connect couplings.  The Fluid Power world staff was able to spend a few minutes with Ryan Kay of CEJN so that we can share this video with you Video is a great way to tell your story.

Fluid Power World and WTWH Media were there to capture the fluid power exhibits at the 2015 ICUEE Show in Louisville.  I will be sharing some coverage here on my blog starting with this one from DEL Hydraulics. Video is a great way for fluid power component companies to tell their story.  Our short video sessions explain something about the products as well as how they are applied on machinery. Please take a look and go to the DEL website for more information.  For more videos, visit Fluid Power World.

As we approach 2016, many fluid power companies are putting together their marketing plans for success in the new year.  One of the key factors in any plan is communicating your company's competitive advantages. A few years ago, I attended a seminar given by author and sales expert Jaynie Smith who made it very clear that an advantage must be relevant in order for it to truly be a competitive advantage in any market.   So as fluid power companies communicate those advantages, it is necessary that a clear understating exists regarding the perceived needed of your customers. When asked what their advantages are, most companies will give answers that are common to a list of about 10 characteristics that include things like price and service. However, as Smith points out, if these advantages are not relevant to the customers, then they really are not differentiators. Then pricing becomes the main characteristic. I recommend that you take a look at both of Jaynie Smiths two b...

That is what we do @FluidPowerWorld http://www.fluidpowerworld.com.  Join us as an advertiser, join us as a reader, sign up for our e-newsletters, and visit our websites. If your company would like to promote your new products, sent them to me at  mference@wtwhmedia.com  and we will help your marketing efforts right away!

It is one thing to have success at something once, twice, or even over a short period of time. It is all together something else to experience success at something over a long period of time. It takes repeated work and constant determination, patience, and persistency. It is also important to know what and when to change your process or product to succeed. These are generalities but I am also speaking of specifics for being able to repeat a successful process. Specifically, if you are selling shoes, for example. Perhaps your store asks you to be polite, helpful, and follow a specific process for EVERY customer. So, day after day, night after night, you as the salesperson must follow all of the steps. Further, for your store to be successful, every salesperson must follow every step. Every manager must enforce every step every day. This takes a lot of effort. But, if your process is successful, not only do you need to repeat it, you need to monitor the process and know when and what...

Fluid Power World has gained a lot of traction in the fluid power industry in 2015.  Our unique package of media options offers all fluid power component manufacturers and distributors an opportunity to gain a sales advantage in the upcoming year. If you would like to learn more about how we can help your company to increase brand awareness and generate sales leads in 2016, please contact me at mference@wtwhmedia.com .  I will work with you to put together a program that will give your company a unique advantage in the marketplace.

Think of all the people that you come into contact with every day. Do they greet you with enthusiasm? Are they interested in what you have to say to them? How many people do the things they do every day with enthusiasm? I don't necessarily mean outward obvious signs of enthusiasm but sincere eagerness to be open and sharing with others. It is so gratifying when you know that a person you speak with is really interested in you and what you have to say. As we go through our day, whether it be at work, at play or at home, things would go so much better if we were enthusiastic about what we are doing. The golden rule does apply here, show the kind of enthusiasm that you would like to receive. Give it some consideration. On the business side, enthusiasm goes a long way toward helping individuals and companies with success.  As I attend trade shows, I can see the difference that genuine enthusiasm makes in connecting with prospective new customers at the show.  The same is tru...

There could be some negative connotation associated with the term e-blast.  It sounds like telemarketing of information that is pushed or blasted out to a large audience whether they want it or not.  But that is not true.   The word blast just means that an important marketing message is deployed to many opt-in recipients who could benefit from the information. Our e-blasts done by Fluid Power World   and WTWH Media LLC are serving many of our advertising customers like the one above.  In fact, if you click on the above photo of an e-blast sample, you will be taken to some very useful information about pressure gauges. 2015 has been a great year for e-blasts for our customers.  Let us put together an e-blast for your company.  Contact me at mference@wtwhmedia.com

While many companies are currently planning their 2016 marketing programs now, keep in mind that we still have most of the fourth quarter of 2015 left yet.  With that being said, I invite all advertisers to consider joining us in our December issue of Fluid Power World .  We will cover several important fluid power topics. As we move into 2016, it is important for companies to maintain their progress this year.  While it has been a disappointing year, the downturn is only temporary.  2016 and 2017 should be better. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves, we still have a 2015 to work on and and our December issue will help with that.  We also offer many digital opportunities to reach your prospective customers with your sales message. Content marketing works all year long and Q4 would be a good opportunity to give it a try.  Do you have a white paper that we can promote?  How about a lengthy tutorial on your area of expertise that we can turn into ...

Here is the latest issue of Fluid Power World, our October 2015 issue.  It looks great, is full of useful and current fluid power information, and is circulated to qualified audience of readers.  This is all true because of the staff at WTWH Media LLC and I am very proud to be associated with them and proud of the work they have done with this issue. Click on the above photo  and you will be taken to the digital edition.  I invite you to subscribe if you like what you see.  If you buy and specify fluid power components or are a supply chain professional, you will like it. The great work by the WTWH staff as witnessed in this issue, carries over to our digital network of websites and e-newsletters.  We take great care to produce excellent results for our customers.  Join us in December and in 2016 mference@wtwhmedia.com

The next issue of Fluid Power World will be published in December with an advertising closing date of November 16th.  Here is the editorial lineup of feature articles: Mobile Hydraulics in Agricultural Applications Farmers are tasked with feeding the world basically. Agricultural machinery manufacturers are tasked with giving farmers the very best technology available to produce a maximum yield in terms of acreage, time, and overall investment. That is where fluid power enters the picture and we will continue the conversation on how. Pneumatics in Packaging Applications Sometimes the packaging can be as important as the product to consumers and marketers. Pneumatic components and systems are very important contributors to making the most productive packaging machinery possible. This feature will review some examples of pneumatics in packaging. E ffi ciency in Industrial Hydraulics One of the key objectives o...

Productive paranoia is what Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen refer to in their book Great By Choice referring to being very vigilant in taking care of all the details in business. Making all the preparations and having redundant plans for success make sense when managaing your business. Maintaining your process with careful attention and being prepaed for any and all problems allow a business to survive and perhaps thrive in difficult times. It is safe to say that all businesses can expect difficult times to come their way. Being "extra" prepared allows them to manage these challenges. As for repetition, it also makes sense for a business to figure out what works and being able to replicate it again and again over a long period of time. When a process works, there is less need for change. This is also very true in the field of sales. Repeated service, needs analysis, gathering and using important intelligence all help a sales rep to serve customers. This principle holds...

I have been involved with business for over three decades and directly in sales for most of the time. I have visited many companies and have reviewed their businesses and have studied books on selling. One observation that I can easily make is in line with the old saying that "nothing happens until somebody sells something." For fluid power manufacturers, this is true whether it is direct to OEM sales of distribution.  New machinery and aftermarket are all important sales channels. There are many essential parts to a business. Accounting and Finance are necessary for the function of a business. But, without sales, there will be nothing to account for. Designing and producing products that are innovative, useful, and available is what makes a business what it is. However, no matter how good your product is or how fast it is made, without sales they are useless. Human Resources, Payroll, Maintenance, and Management are all important. Without sales, there will ...

The 2015 ICUEE show in Louisville is now over, but the images of the event will live on at Fluid Power World .  We had our really excellent team of John Hansel, videographer and editor Mike Santora, interviewer on site to capture the action at the show. We will be sharing the videos taken at this year's ICUEE on our Fluid Power World website  in the coming weeks.  For any of our audience members who were unable to attend the show but would like to know more about the fluid power products on display, please cheek out or website in the coming weeks.

In business and in your personal life, you gain specific wisdom. In business, after applying certain principles and strategies to your business, you learn what works and what doesn't. It is similar to the bullets then cannonballs theory explained in Great By Choice by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen. You use intelligence from experience to apply best practices to your business. That is using specific wisdom in business. In your personal life, of course, you gain some wisdom and intel every single day. Again, applying what works to make your life more successful is an application of specific wisdom. It makes sense to keep and use knowledge to make all future decisions rather than guessing all of the time on the right decision. The many media opportunities offered to companies today provide bullet moments.  An e-newsletter ad or an e-blast to test the market for interest in a specific product is a bullet.  At Fluid Power World   we offer such opportunities ...

Would you like to try operating a backhoe or riding on an arial lift high into the sunny Kentucky air?  Does your company sell to the utility equipment market?  If the answer to either or both questions is yes, then consider attending the ICUEE Show in Louisville, KY this week.  This is one of the largest fluid power shows of the year. Only hydraulics can provide the power and accuracy demanded by many of the vehicles serving the utilities industry.  Both the machinery and the components will be on display at ICUEE 2015 .  The Demo Expo.

Working as a team is the best way to achieve success in business, sports, in community events and efforts, and all areas of activity. A team is a group of individual who bring their individual talents together for a cause. I have heard it said that ordinary people working together for a common cause can achieve extraordinary things and I believe this to be true.  There is a synergy that is naturally created when people work together.  Not only do team members work together for the common goal, they constantly have each others' backs. Working on a great team might even be much more rewarding than being a superstar individual.  I have worked on great teams but have not experienced superstar status at anything, so I can't speak from experience.  I do know that real teamwork does work! I am a member of a great team now and it is called WTWH Media and Fluid Power World.  We have excellent management, experienced and insightful editors, a solid sales team, a...

I think that it is reasonable to say that younger people (generally 35 and under) grasp things more quickly than older people (your guess). While that may be true, it is also true that there is no substitute for wisdom. While younger people are quick to grasp technology i.e. cell phones, computer technology, fashion, and even lingo; this does not equal wisdom. Likewise, just because a person (over let's say 50) does not easily adapt to technology like video games, computer technology, and lingo; that does not mean thay they are irrelevant. We cannot and should not establish relevance of a person by their modernization. For example, if a person does not adapt to Social Media or current entertainment, it does not mean that they are "out of it." Rather, we should look at their level of wisdom. How have they taken what thy have lived and learned and applied it to their daily lives and shared it with others. I think that history shows that over time, most people adapt to...

No matter what business you are in, it is essential that you know your market.  If you are in sales, you need to know what your customers are interested in and capable of buying.  If service is your business, it is necessary to know what services your customers want and can afford. It is not enough to simply state your goals at the beginning of the year claiming that you will increase sales by 10% or 20% without a roadmap of where the sales will be because of the needs of your customers.  Don't plan to sell a $20,000 product or service to customers that are only capable of buying $5,000 things. If you are a manager of an organization or a teacher, the same rules apply.  You must know your market and know what they want, need, and are capable of acquiring.  Then and only then can you set about achieving your goals. I would call this market intelligence and this kind of information needs to be observed, recorded, and passed on to other members of your organi...

There are many ways for sellers to stay in touch with buyers in our current business-to-business environment.  The use of social media continues to grow and most fluid power companies are now taking advantage of it in some way.  Of course, we have grown dependent on e-mail and voice mail to communicate. However, it is still important to be able to meet and shake hands with one another and share our product story and successful applications.  For that very reason, Fluid Power World  along with parent company, WTWH Media LLC, will host the inaugural 2016 Fluid Power Technology Conference (FPTC) at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, on June 21 and 22, 2016 This event will be different from your usual trade show in that it will be held in a much smaller setting with only 30 exhibits surrounding a conference hall where two days worth of fluid power seminar sessions will be presented.  Our exhibitors will have a chance to share their success stories with en...

Fanatic discipline sounds kind of bad. In the book Great By Choice by Jim Collins, co-author of Good to Great, fanatic discipline is one of the foundations of a sustainable great companies. But, it is good in the context of a 20 Mile March. This is an anaolgy of a walking trip from San Diego to Maine by taking 20 miles per day and toleratiing no less but venturing no more each day. If a company sets a 20 Mile March goal for the performance of their company and tolerate no less even in difficult economic times, then they have an excellent opportunity to become a 10Xer, a high performer in this book's description. If a company or organization can set an attainable goal for every year, do everything in their power to reach it and never rest until they get there, this is a fanatic discipline, one that leads to financial success. So, regardless of our current economic climate, companies need to move forward to achieve their financial goals.  Marketing and advertising will continue...

As a career publishing person, I also love to read.  My reading list has been slanted toward business books for many years and I just finished two books on content and blogging.  However, I still have a favorite business book from the recent past. Ever since I read Good to Great by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras several years ago, I have commented that it is the best business book that I have every read, and I mean it. In this book, there are many key strategic business concepts explained. I specifically remember Getting the Right People on the Bus, The Stockdale Paradox, Level 5 Leadership, and The Hedgehog Theory. I have thought about and tried to apply these concepts ever since reading (and listening to) the book.  I also read Great by Choice which continued the story about what makes companies great. Early in the book, three new concepts (new to me at least) are introduced and they are Productive Paranoia, Empirical Creativity, and Fanatic Discipline. In thi...