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We've all heard the phrase "A need-to-know basis," right? Well, I would like to suggest that when it comes to staying abreast of the latest products available in the electrical contracting industry, every industry professional—be it a manufacturer, contractor or distributor—needs to know as much as they can in order to stay competitive.
In fact, I would go as far as even saying that staying informed is the best thing you can do for yourself. But you not only owe it to yourself and your business to learn as much a possible, but more importantly, you owe it to your customers.
After all, as customers become more Internet savvy about product offerings, they continually test our industry expertise on products coming down the pike. And we need to be prepared!
But, what about the customer that knows very little about what certain energy transformers do, or why thermal inspections can be of great benefit on the jobsite (see related story on page 22)? They rely on us to educate them, and it is our duty to stay informed.
And just as the Internet helps bridge the gap as the "information superhighway," we must also help customers become as well-informed as we are about product availability, capability and viability — while also saving them time.
It is in this spirit that ECP now offers manufacturers the opportunity to showcase their wares through live video streaming on www.ecpzone.com, a service that will provide hands-on product training with the click of a mouse. Most importantly, the video network will help make product information — indeed the right product information — more available than ever.
Likewise, keep an eye out in the near future for the launch of ECP's product-based buyer's guide — a comprehensive, year-round reference that will aid in the search for industry manufacturers, while also categorizing up-and-coming electrical products.
Electrical Contracting Products' buyer's guide will not only be easy to find (it too will be part of www.ecpzone.com), but also easy to navigate. Primarily, the guide offers product-specific search modes, so that you (or your customers) are not left to wade through scores of nice, but ultimately unsatisfying product searches that don't fit your needs. In fact, the ECP buyer's guide will generate the most relevant search results based on your needs, a feature that will save you time while also giving a boost to your project.
To that end, I highly recommend that industry professionals take the time to review the buyer's guide, and join, so that other industry professionals from across the country have a clear destination to find the services and products your firm provides.
Please take a moment and become part of our growing database of industry movers and shakers. It may very well be the smartest, most well-informed business decision you ever make.
See you next month.
author: John Filippelli