5 VEGA

mean that most people, most of the time, get it wrong! Most of us, myself included, have distorted views of how we appear to other people. We have distorted views of how our actions impact people, how the customers really felt, and why we didn't get the order. If we base our decisions about what's effective on the basis of our perceptions of what we did well and poorly, we will be wrong much of the time.

As evidence of this, I'll appeal to your own experience. Sales managers and sales trainers, how many times have you made a call with a salesperson, debriefed afterward, and discovered that the salesperson didn't have a clue as to what really happened in the sales call? In my experience, it is most of the time. I'm not picking on salespeople. It is human nature. We all see reality through our unique perspectives, we all put our personal spin on things.

A study was done a few years ago to see if salespeople could identify their most effective practices. Two hundred good salespeople were interviewed, and they indicated the practices they thought brought them the results. Guess what happened when the researchers accompanied them into the field to verify their ideas? There was "no relationship" between what they said they did and what they actually did!

Now, don't misinterpret what I am saying. We should all learn by trial and enor. Analyzing our failures and changing our behavior to avoid them in the future is a classic approach to personal growth, and a discipline to which we should all adhere. My problem is with those who promote it as the exclusive way to leam to sell well. It is neither efficient nor effective.

The advice to "be yourself' and "learn exclusively by trial and error" are two of the most pernicious ideas in the world of sales. Don't let them misguide you!

- Dave Kahle has tained tens of thousands of distributor and B-2-B salespeople and sales managers to be more effective in the 21st Century economy. He's authored nine books, including his latest, How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime. Reach him at ( 800) 33 1 .1 287 or via www.davekahle.com.

Oregon Legislators Want to Put Wood First

Oregon lawmakers are considering a "Wood First" bill that would require structures built with state funds to be constructed with wood-to the maximum extent possible and economically feasible.

Introduced by Rep. Mike Schaufler (D-Happy Valley) and Rep. Shenie Sprenger (R-Lebanon), the bill is modeled after British Columbia's Wood First Act and would be the first of its kind in the U.S.

On March 21, experts from Wood Works and the University of Washington spoke in favor of the bill, citing the structural and environmental advantages of using wood. Industry advocates include Allyn Ford, Roseburg Forest Products, Roseburg, and Andrew Miller, Stimson Lumber, Portland, who spoke on the employment benefits in rural communities.

Another participant was Pat Bell, minister of jobs, tourism, and innovation in British Columbia, who helped introduce the legislation there.

"Government on both sides of the border can lead by example by making wood the preferred choice for public buildings," he said. "With wood used in just l57o of commercial and institutional construction-where wood is allowed-we have a major opportunity to expand the market for wood products."

USDA Promotes Wood as Green Building Material

At a recent event to launch the International Year of the Forest, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a three-pronged strategy to promote the use of wood as a green building material.

"Wood has a vital role to play in meeting the growing demand for green building materials. Forest Service studies show that wood compares favorably to competing materials," Vilsack said.

The plan includes:

(l) The U.S. Forest Service will preferentially select wood in new building construction, while maintaining its commitment to certified green building standards.

(2) The Secretary asked the Forest Service to examine ways to increase its already strong commitment to green building by reporting to him on ways to enhance the research and development being done around green building materials.

(3) The Forest Service will actively look for opportunities to demonstrate the innovative use of wood as a green building material for all new structures of 10900 sq. ft. or more using recognized green building standards such as LEED. Green Globes. or the National Green Buildins Standard.

In carrying out this initiative, Forest Service chief Tom Tidwell issued a directive to all units calling for increased use of locally milled timber in all new agency buildings and facilities. Secretary Vilsack also directed the heads of all other USDA agencies to incorporate the Forest Service policy of using domestic sustainable wood products as the preferred green building material for all USDA facilities and buildings.

"Our country has the resources, the workforce, and the innovative spirit to reintroduce wood products into all aspects of the next generation of buildings," said Tidwell. "As we move forward with restoring America's forests, we are getting smarter and more efficient in how we use wood products as both an energy and green building source, which will help maintain rural jobs."

Wood products groups throughout North America applauded the announcement. Cees de Jager, executive director of the Binational Softwood Lumber Council, described the strategy as a "triple win. This will create new jobs in rural communities, reduce energy use in buildings, and lower overall construction costs in buildinss."

ProBuild Adopts FSC Certification

ProBuild Holdings, Denver, Co., has received Forest Stewardship Council chain-of-custody certification for 59 of its lumber facilities, including 20 in the West.

"We have made a commitment to become FSC certified in markets where customer demand dictates," said c.e.o. Bill Myrick. "We support all types of wood certification programs so that we approach sustainability in a measurable, accountable and responsible way. This is only one step in our much longer journey to green as a company."

Certified locations include a truss plant in Arlington, Wa.; distribution center in Butte, Mt., and yards in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Ak.; Sedona, Az.; San Diego and Soquel, Ca.; Meridian,Id.; Billings, Butte, Great Falls,

Helena and Kalispell, Mt.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Clackamas, Or.; Midvale, Ut., and Kennewick, Olympia, Spokane and Yakima, Wa.

In all, ProBuild operates more than 450 locations, making it the nation's largest lumberyard chain.

Ace Closinq Due to Safetv Concerns vvith Historic eLilaing

An Ace Hardware store located on the second floor of a historic building in downtown Edmonds, Wa., is holding a liquidation sale and will close June 15-just two years after opening in the renovated space.

In a letter to the community, Ace Hardware said that the building was not "designed or constructed to support the weight of a hardware store," and it "did not make economic sense to spend the time and resources to upgrade the building when it was already usable as retail and office space."

According to the chain, necessary repairs would take months and disrupt business for the store and other tenants of the building.

Due to safety concerns, paint and other heavy items were moved before the sale. At this time. a suitable downtown location for the store has not been found.

LCA Gives Thumbs Up to CA

A new cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment shows Wolmanized Outdoor wood treated with copper azole offers substantial environmental benefits over composite decking.

Conducted for Arch Treatment Technologies, Atlanta, Ga., by AquAeTer, Nashville, Tn., the LCA indicates that composites requires 15 to 17 times (depending on preservative formulation) more fossil fuel and 2.4 times more water than Wolmanized Outdoor wood, while resulting in emissions with potential to cause 2.9 to 3.0 times more greenhouse gas and 5.0 to 6.5 times more acid rain.

LCAs have been done on wood, treated wood, and micronized copper processes, but this is the first cradle-tograve LCA on wood protected by micronized copper azole.

"Because our base product is wood," said Kirk Hammond, sales manager of Arch Wood Protection, "we have long believed that preserved lumber offered environmental benefits. This study proves that our beliefs were well-founded."

Thicker Trim Profiles

A thicker 1"x6" profile from Versatex Trimboards is ideal for a variety of traditional architectural styles.

The new profile is designed for 16" on center fastening. in standard l8' lengths in either edge and center bead or edge bead only.

I VERSATEX.COM

(724) 857-tltl

Tougher Trimboards

Auralast wood exterior trimboards are new from Jeld-Wen.

The solid-pine boards are protected by a non-toxic, vacuumpressure treatment offering surface-to-core protection from rot, termites, and water saturation.

Three different thicknesses and two profile styles (smooth and rough sawn) are offered preprimed and ready for painting.

T JELD-WEN.COM

(800) 877-9482

Tough as Nails

TUFO Ballistic NailScrews have been developed in 305 stainless steel for coastal areas. Both the 2-112" and 3" flathead screws include #2 square drive inserts for easy installation. The fasteners reportedly can be used with all kinds of decking and fencing, plus subfloors, and shear walls.

I911-NAILS.CoM

(800) 3s2-0028

SUREDRIVE.COM

(80u 95r-2222

Beauty of a Deck

Fiberon's Pro-Tect Decking combines the look of natural wood with a non-organic surface material that resists stain. fade.

scratching and mold.

The new decking comes in 12', 16', and 20' grooved boards and 20' square-edge boards.

Colors include Canyon Brown and Harbor Gray.

I FIBERONDECKING.COM

(800) 573-8841

Heat-Hardened Deek

Thermally modified southern yellow pine decking and railing from EcoAdvantage promises lower maintenance and increased durability.

Profiles include standard decking in 5",6-314", and 8-112" wide boards and crown decking 5" wide.

Both profiles are available in a grooved style that works with the EcoDeck Clip system.

T ECOADVANTAGE.COM

(260) 337-0338

Siberian Decking

SiberWood is all-natural, with no added chemicals or treatments, yet is resistant to decay.

Manufactured from Siberian larch, the product can be stained or left to weather naturally to a silvery gray.

Deck boards are 5/4x6 with smooth or grooved face, while porch flooring is 514x4 and 1x4 tongue-and-groove.

I SIBERwooD.CoM

(17C) 63t-8613

Resurrected lYood

Montana Ghostwood from Bitterroot Valley Forest Products reportedly has the natural appeal and appearance of reclaimed wood, at a fraction of the cost.

A majority of the timber is salvaged from standing beetle- or fire-killed stands. Available sizes are 7"x4" through 2"x12" in any profile, in timbers up to 20"x20" and32' in length.

Two textures-weathered and circle-sawn weathered-come in four rustic colors.

I MTGHoSTwooD,CoM

(817) 626-1505

Two Coat Exterior Prime

0ur two-coat process starts with an atkyd seater to block tannin migration, followed by a high-performance acrytic primer. The resutt: RESERVE quatity, inside and out.

5uperior Wood

Made of quatity, clear, finger-jointed Western Red Cedar or Redwood, these products are naturatty designed for exterior use-both species are ideat for enduring extreme weather.

Surfacing + Sizes + Lengths

RESERVE products come in a wide range of sizes, lengths and finishes. Whether the project catls for SIS2E or S4S, we offer lengths ranging from 16' to 20'. Pattern stock is also avaitabte.

Lx4 - 1xI2 s/ax4 - s/axf,2

2x4 - 2xI2

Gapstock PVG Decking

Kleer Lumber's new cellular PVC decking is protected by capstock technology.

The Coastal collections features a woodgrain texture in two lighter colors, while the Sierra collection includes five earth and tropical colors.

Lengths of 12', 16', and 2O' are packaged in 4S-piece units. Matching fascia boards are 12' long, packaged in 24-piece bundles.

T KLEERLUMBER.COM

(866\ 553-31',70

The Finest Stock, The Best Coating

Our Siskiyou Forest Products RESERVE line is specially manufactured and treated to create the highest quality product available. Using state-of-the-art application and curing equipment, our premium Western Red Cedar and Redwood stock is made to last for many generations. We are proud to offer a beautiful, durable product that is ready for installation and final painting the moment it reaches the craftsmen.

All-American Aluminum Fencing

Delgard's American Series f'encing is made in the U.S. of 507o recycled aluminum. Each l"x5/8" picket comes in 6' sections.

They are available in five styles, with three styles of matching gates.

T DELGARD.COM

(800) 235-0r 85