Industry View
11 CVSN INSIDER August 2009 Total Truck Parts Marc Karon President INDUSTrY VIEW Recently, Some Northwood University stu-dents came to my West Palm Beach location for a tour. After the tour, we sat down and talked about this industry. One student asked me what it takes to be a successful independent distributor. My answer was simple and direct: commitment and vision. In reality, any successful venture requires com-mitment and vision. As a former pilot, I soon learned that if I was not committed to practice flying regularly, I was going to eventually have a very bad day. Everyone understands the need for commitment, whether it is in sports, dieting, or marriage. What is less recognized is the need for vision. To me, vision is being able to see the opportu-nity, set the goal for which you are committed and to identify the pitfalls that can stand in the way of achieving the goal. The difference between a winning and losing football coach is not necessarily their commitment (they both want to win badly) but their ability to see a path to victory. In these troubled times we are all facing dif-ficult decisions. You might even say that the business is not as much fun as it was a few years ago, but you are still committed to the success of your company. Just trying hard works in elementary school where you get a ribbon for just participating. However, in busi-ness, there is no reward for trying hard and failing to win. It may seem harsh, but the in-tensity and risk is what makes the reward so much more delightful. When I go to industry events, the same people are always there. Is it a coincidence that these are also the most successful people in our industry? I don't think so. Nobody has the capacity to see all the potential opportunities and assimilate all of the available knowledge. It is only at these industry get-togethers that winning distributors can share ideas and learn new tools to grow their business. And yet so many do not come to the meetings. They have their reasons, like it's too much expense and I am too busy. However, the reality is that that to not come to an industry event is a waste of an opportunity and a good indicator of a weak vision or commitment. Business today is tougher and more demanding than ever be-fore and missing industry events is exactly the wrong decision. The same is true for suppli-ers. Missing industry events is truly a wasted opportunity. Industry events give suppliers a unique opportunity to meet with customers and formulate a comprehensive vision of where they need to take their companies to meet the needs of their customers The upcoming CVSN Summit is a meeting that should be attended by anyone who is genuine-ly interested in advancing their business and winning in the market. In this one meeting, there will be discussions of the key issues that challenge us today and in the future. There is a specific technology component which will discuss the technology of today and tomorrow and you will have a chance to explore how to bring this to your business. I can tell you from experience that the use of technology in our business has saved many more dollars than its cost and it improves our ability to serve our customers. There will also be several oppor-tunities to meet with suppliers and other dis-tributors to discuss ideas for improving your business. Who out there is not looking for a better idea on margin improvement or cost reduction? [ CONTINUE ARTICLE ON PAGE 19]