Dakota Supply Group - April 2012 Spotlight

April 2012

www.dakotasupplygroup.com

SPOTLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS When It Comes To Poles, Less Is So Much More!

Modular RStandard poles offer many advantages over wood, concrete and steel utility poles for communications applications:

• Less maintenance In addition to an 80-year service life, these poles have integrated UV protection and an immunity to corrosion and pests.

• Lower logistics cost These poles have the highest strength-to-weight ratio, making them easier (and faster) to transport and install.

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Fewer safety concerns With their high dielectric strength, these poles provide improved safety for workers and the public, as well as better resilience to storms and high loads.

AUTOMATION The Right Sensor Can Make A Big Difference!

OsiSense XMLK pressure sensors provide the highest degree of accuracy for controlling water pressure in simple pumping applications.

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Provides better control When used in conjunction with Schneider Electric Altivar variable speed drives, OsiSense XMLK pressure sensors enable constant regulation of pressure in a network, regardless of flow rate.

• Minimizes energy consumption These sensors help ensure optimal motor efficiency so less energy is wasted.

• Installs quickly and easily OsiSense XMLK boasts a compact design and doesn’t require recalculation of equivalent psi values during installation.

Part numbers: XMLK100P2D23 0-100 PSI XMLK150P2D23 0-150 PSI XMLK200P2D23 0-200 PSI XMLK300P2D23 0-300 PSI

Tom's

Current

A Few Notes About Notes How do you make your customers feel important?

Many will answer that they “do a good job” or “give them more than they pay for” or “keep their promises.”

Those are all good ideas, of course. But the truth is that everybody should be doing at least those things. Why should any customer come back to you if you don’t?

These are table stakes, and most of your competition is doing the same (to varying degrees). This column has dealt with differentiation a lot over the past couple of years, and rather than repeat myself, I thought I would simply illustrate an easy way to set yourself apart: write a few thank you notes.

Thank you notes make customers feel important. They reassure customers that you take a personal interest in their satisfaction. When written with genuine gratefulness, a thank you note creates a powerful bond that outlasts the faster-is-better communication of modern times.

Start by sending a quick note to your best customers.

Don’t make the job any harder than it needs to be.

Hand-written notes are fine (in fact, I prefer them when they are practical – try to avoid email if you can). Don’t write War and Peace. Just put a few simple thoughts down on a simple card (which you can buy in bulk). You don’t need to get all mushy – just tell your customers that you appreciate their business and you look forward to helping them succeed.

Set aside a certain time on a certain day of the week (Friday afternoons are good) to write these notes. Just write a couple at a time. Don’t send a customer too many (two or three times a year is plenty) and don’t wait to mail them (or you may lose track of them).

To make things easy, start with business-related notes (“The new Maxwell building came out fantastic – nice job!”) and soon you’ll be able to expand your note topics. Keep track of birthdays. Watch out for customers who have had something interesting happen in their lives – they ran a marathon, their kid got his first deer – it means a lot that you are thinking of them, and I guarantee that a note will make a huge, positive impression.

I’ve done this myself for years and I like to think that it has helped to reinforce some of my best relationships – both in business and otherwise.

Notes make your customers feel important, and they’re easier to write than you might think.

Give it a try, and let me know how it goes.

Printed On 100% Recycled Paper!

WATERWORKS Mark It Right With Aervoe Paint! ®

Aervoe All Purpose Marking Paint is great for excavation, construction, landscape, utility and survey marking.

• Keeps work sites safer – better visibility helps your marks stand out.

• Longer lasting – marks are visible for up to two months, depending on traffic and exposure.

• Easy and efficient to use – non-clogging can empties contents completely.

Part numbers: A-256 – Paint Marking Safety Red Aervoe A-258 – Paint Marking Yellow Aervoe A-249 – Paint Marking Fluor Pink Aervoe A-254 – Paint Marking Blue Aervoe A-1427 – Paint Marking Fugitive Blue A-1424 – Paint Marking Fugitive Green A-1429 – Paint Marking Fugitive Pink

METERING TECHNOLOGY Badger Galaxy: Bringing The Improved Efficiency Of AMR To Your Desktop.

Badger Galaxy is an AMI fixed network radio frequency (RF) system that allows utilities to improve operations – without ever having to leave the office.

• Timelier and more accurate billing information • Unique leak detection and anti-tampering capabilities • Easily accessible real-time and historical data The switch to a fixed network is a lot easier than you think.

The Badger Galaxy system: • Integrates into a wide variety of existing metering systems.

• Works great for all utilities – regardless of size, technological expertise or AMI experience.

• Simplifies and speeds up installation – receiver mounts in minutes and transmitters come ready to install.

ELECTRICAL GFCI Protection You Can See And Hear!

Audible alarm GFCI receptacles from P&S provide an audible warning of a tripped condition and are ideal for basement pump systems, commercial freezers, refrigerated display cases and other areas where a GFCI indicator light might not be readily apparent. Plus, they’re quick to install with features like:

• Side or internal screw-pressure plate back-wire termination • Two back-wire holes per termination • Ground terminal back-wire clamp

Part numbers: Series LE1595 Series LE2095

Join DSG At:

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Craig (and friend) from CDJ Electric in Britton, SD, show off their 60-inch, 37-pound mahi mahi caught in Hawaii.

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2012 Upper Midwest Electrical EXPO April 18-19, 2012 Minneapolis Convention Center & Hilton Hotel Minneapolis, MN

• Earn professional certifications at a bargain price • Receive private product demonstrations on new products • Listen to exciting keynote speaker and sports author Ross Bernstein at the NCEL Breakfast • Check out more than 400 exhibitors Register on-site at the door.

Fast FACTS 1.

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3.

4.

Months that start on a Sunday always have a Friday the 13th.

Baseball player Pete Rose played more than 500 games each at five different positions.

Men who kiss their wives in the morning live five years longer than those who don’t.

Dachshunds were bred to fight badgers in their dens.

UTILITY Siemens Arresters Are The Smart Choice For Protecting Valuable Equipment!

Siemens silicon surge arresters offer safe and stable long-term, over-voltage protection for power system voltages up to 72.4 kV.

• Prevent moisture ingress and partial discharges A silicone rubber housing provides an excellent sealing system.

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Unbeatable protection The cage design ensures incredible mechanical performance. These surge arresters offer a failure rate of nearly 0%.

Part numbers: 3EK70303AB4ZP12 3EK70304AB4ZP12 3EK70903AB4ZP12 3EK70904AB4ZP12 3EK71003AB4ZP12 3EK71004AC4ZP12

HVAC Less Burr, More Cuts With Tight Spaces Tubing Cutters From Lenox •

Work easier in small spaces These cutters have a compact design that’s ideal for tight spots. Its non-slip grooved cast body only needs 1/2" clearance to cut.

• Invest in a cutter that lasts These tubing cutters feature stainless steel rollers that protect it from corrosion and rust.

®

All three sizes ( 1/2", 3/4" and 1" ) come in a sturdy plastic case with six replacement blades.

DSG #115384 LENOX #14833TSK

$36.75

DidYou Know?

You can offer DSG your feedback by taking our customer satisfaction survey at http://www.dakotasupplygroup.com/feedback.

The

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PAID Box 13573 Grand Forks, ND 58208-3573

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Check the code on the printed version of your March issue of Spotlight to see if you are a winner!

If your code matches one of the codes above, bring in your March Spotlight to your local DSG to claim your prize!

Plus, don’t forget to hang on to the printed version of this issue of Spotlight to see if you’re a winner in May!

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April Featured Products Tom’s Current DSG Outdoors Fast Facts Did You Know?

Thanks to our new partnership with W.A. Roosevelt, we’re proud to bring new resources to everyone in the DSG family. Here’s to The Power Of We and helping our customers become more successful.

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