the installer march-april 2015

My fellow members,

We are now celebrating one of the most exciting changes in the history of our organization. We have a new name that reflects our entrepreneurial spirit which fuels everything we do. It simply describes who and what we are and makes us easy to recognize. It also reflects how global our organization has become. Our organization was created 40 years ago – long before concepts like social media even existed. But we will embrace the changes necessary to continue to grow. Our organization was built around a core set of principles; and that will never change. Our changes simply welcome new ways to be productive and representative of the professionals we are. As we celebrate this change, I’d like to highlight some other significant growths we are working on.

Our professional website is now up and running (www.wallcoveringinstallers.org). As our other programs are developed, they will be added to the website. Our accredited installer designations will bring that opportunity for you to show off your specialties and pull in the work you wish to specialize in.

The Wallcovering University educational programs, webinars and workshops will offer you even more chances to earn those accreditations.

We are working on a knockout Convention and Vendor Showcase in the city of New Orleans.

We continue to network with other organizations to see how we can all increase the interest in wallcovering with professional installations.

We are revamping the WWWW contest to allow for easier entries to showcase a wider range of our members’ talents. You will be judged by the hardest critics you know: your peers! You will read about that in another article in this issue.

This is a time for leaders who can see opportunity and turn that opportunity into value, leaders who can look beyond the status quo and bring imagination and ingenuity and a sense of possibility to the challenges of our industry. This is where I remind you that it has never been more important for you to take an active role to get involved. You are the future, as well. We hope our outreach to you in getting you more involved in our changes will encourage you to take it a step further and let us know where you would like to work in our growth efforts.

Recently, Elsie Kapteina and I attended the Wallcoverings Association Annual Meeting in Clearwater Beach, Florida. We heard positive statements about the changes they see in our organization and an interest in keeping our (Continued on page 6)

And the Survey Says .............................................................2 Save the Date ........................................................................3Winning Walls Evolves ..........................................................4LOL…Louis On Line .............................................................5Call for Nominations .............................................................6Ways to Generate Leads........................................................7The Truth of Time ..................................................................8Welcome New Members .......................................................9National Awards Recognition ..............................................10A Gudie to Social Media ......................................................12

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

March/April 2015 -

Volume 40, Issue 6 March/April 2015

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE . . .

Education is Key!By President Cyndi Green, C.P., Cyndi Green Wallcovering, LLC, Monroe, Louisiana

March/April 2015 -

In January we sent out a brief survey asking members about which education classes they might be interested in seeing this year. I want to share the analyzed results of that survey.

First, let me explain why we chose to run this particular survey. We felt it was important for our members to have some input and some say about which education classes they might find most interesting. The results, when analyzed, will help with choosing priority classes for this coming year and also for the near future.

Secondly, this “sample” survey would give us a chance to work with Survey Monkey, a web-based software, to see if it would serve as an important tool, not just for education, but for other committees as well. The sample survey had some restrictions attached. We could ask a limited number of questions and the service would only analyze the first 100 responses. If we were to subscribe to the service in the future, then it could consider and analyze all responses and our surveys could present more questions. I believe brevity is the better choice in these surveys and hope to get more members to respond.

Our sample survey had 110 responses and the results are as follows:

1. Textiles and Metallic materials seemed to be tied. Each scored 77/78 out of the votes cast.

2. This question was specifically looking to see what non-accredited courses interested our membership. Marketing Your Business led this category with 77 of the respondents saying they would look forward to this class.

3. Designer/hand-made installations led with 78 votes. Wood veneer installations came in a close second with 69 votes. Grass cloth and natural textiles finished third.

4. Glass bead installations led this question with 71 votes.

5. Leather product installations scored 71 votes with English and pulp product installations coming in second.

6. This was an open-ended question. Respondents offered suggestions as to what they might like to see. Suggestions by responding members will be reviewed and taken into consideration by the education committee.

7. This question asked how many conventions the responding members had attended in the past five years. The analyzed results showed most had attended only one or two conventions; however it is important to note, 33 percent of the respondents chose not to answer this question.

These survey results and analyzed percentages will serve the education committee as a guide. The committee will consider the survey as they look to develop educational programs for the 2015 convention and beyond.

As for the Survey Monkey, it can be a valuable tool. I can see that it would also serve other committees within the WIA as an important way to stay connected to the pulse of the membership. n

And the Survey SaysBy Jack Egan, Egan Painting Company, Cheshire, Connecticut

TheINSTALLERVolume 40, Issue 6 • March/April 2015

The Installer is published bi-monthly by the Wallcovering Installers Association.

Contact the WIA:136 South Keowee StreetDayton, Ohio 45402(800) 254-6477Fax (937) [email protected] www.wallcoveringinstallers.org

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTKimberly A. Fantaci

THE INSTALLER EDITORLarry Cohen

OFFICERSPresident - Cyndi Green, C.P.Vice President - Vincent LaRusso, C.P.Treasurer - Carl Bergman, C.P.Secretary - Bob BankerPast President - Elsie Kapteina, C.P.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATE CO-CHAIRJerry Russo, da Vinci, LLCGreg Laux, MDC Wallcoverings

REGION DIRECTORSCentral - Lynnie Winter, C.P.West - Donald ForemanNortheast- Jack EganMid-Atlantic - Michelle CorlSouth - Pam McCartney

Save The Date – National Convention 2015

March/April 2015 -

Mark your calendars for the National Convention & Tradeshow being held in New Orleans, Louisiana on September 11 & 12, 2015, with pre-convention classes being held on Thursday, September 10th. The historic Astor Crowne Plaza – French Quarter is the place to be in September! Located on the infamous Bourbon Street, come and experience the ragin’ Cajun flair of the Big Easy!

This year’s convention packs all of the education and excitement into two FULL days of learning and camaraderie with a day of pre-convention training as an option.

There will be plenty of time at the wall for hands-on training as well as the fabulous demonstrations! In addition to the education, amazing creations will be shared at the newly Watch for more information online at www.wallcoveringinstallers.org.

Winning Walls Evolves! By Eunice Bokstrom, Design Wallcovering Professional Installation, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

March/April 2015 -

The WIA is excited to announce a redesign of the Winning Walls With Wallcovering competition! Our goal is to make this contest more exciting, generate more entries, and have this award be a real testament to the skill and expertise of the winning installers. How will we achieve these goals? Read on to see the highlights.

As most of you know, the WIA membership is divided into five regions covering the United States. All international members also belong to a region, as shown in the accompanying illustration. What does this mean for the contest? Well, we're modeling it after college basketball’s March Madness tournament, so there will be a regional phase and a national phase to this competition.

Entries will begin at a regional level where they will be submitted online and voted on by members from that particular region. Projects receiving the most votes in each category will move on to the national competition to be voted on by the entire membership.

As before, there are four categories to the competition: residential, commercial, specialty, and small spaces - which is defined as a project under 300 square feet. A detailed explanation

of which wallcovering products belong in each category will be posted on the website and noted in a future Installer article. The intention of categorizing projects in this way is because we want to ”compare apples with apples” as much as we can when it comes to evaluating projects against each other. Certain types of material require a common skill set, so it's not the location of the installation that determines which category a project falls into, but the particular wallcovering that was installed. The obvious exception is small spaces, which can be any material. Because cramped areas pose their own particular challenges and small jobs risk being completely overshadowed by a very large project that might be entered, it was felt fair to maintain this as a separate category.

In years past, some members perhaps hesitated to enter the competition because of the work involved. We would like to emphasize that this is not a creative writing competition and you will not have to write a long essay to submit an entry. Photographs of your project and a short caption to describe the technique or skill that went into the job are what we're looking for. It's not about the pretty “finish” shots, but about how you got to that point.

A significant change is in how the entries will be judged. Rather than a panel composed primarily of designers and industry reps who may have been swayed by the overall visual impact of a project, it will now be judged by your peers – other WIA installer members who are in the best position to appreciate the skill and craftsmanship that go into achieving the end result. This is reflected in the new name for this competition, the WIA Craftsmanship Awards, because that's what the focus (Continued on page 12)

REGIONAL ALIGNMENT

South RegionAlso: South Americaand Mexico

West RegionAlso: Western Canada and Asia

Mid-AtlanticRegionAlso: Middle East

Northeast RegionAlso: Eastern Canadaand Africa

Central RegionAlso: Australia andEurope

March/April 2015 -

LOL…Louis On LineBy NGPP Member Louis Katz, LJK Wallcoverings, Inc., Hartsdale, New York

This month let’s talk fractions!

You know them, those pesky little numbers

between inches. No matter how good in math you are, having a string of fractions can be time consuming, with finding common denominators then adding them up to get new fractions can take time away from our coffee break.

So this month I would like to introduce you to “Fraction Plus,” an app for your phone. “Fraction Plus” is free or, if you don’t love all those adds, you can buy this for the grand total of 99 cents. “Fraction plus” adds, subtract, multiples and divides strings of fractions: just enter your number and, voila, your answer is at your finger tips.

So let us take a look at our screen shot:

You can see a pretty simple interface. Here is how it works.

The next time you need to add 27-3/16 and 21-½, you will know instantly that the answer is 48-11/16. It is that simple. I hope you will find this advantageous on your next job.

If you have questions, send your emails and I will try to respond to anyone and everyone. I hope this helps and remember to LOL. n

Louis Katz is a 32 year professional hanger and a third generation contractor and a graduate of The U.S. School of Professional Paperhanging. He is based in NY’s Westchester County.

March/April 2015 -

Call for Nominations for National Offices has April 27 DeadlineThe Wallcovering Installers Association is seeking nominations for positions on the national board of directors. If you are interested in one of the positions and meet the open qualifications for that position, please submit your request in writing by mail, email or fax and have it into the WIA headquarters no later than Tuesday, April 27, 2015. Your written request should include a short (150 words or less) biography detailing your accomplishments, experience and years of service to the WIA as well as the position you are seeking and a color photo showing your head and face clearly.

Any member seeking a national officer position must be a current member in good standing and have been a member for a minimum of two (2) years.

Any member seeking election to the positions of president or vice-president must meet the above requirements and must also have served on the national board as an officer or elected regional director for a minimum of three (3) years.

Any member seeking election to the position of treasurer or secretary shall meet the above membership requirements and must have actively served on the national board for a minimum of one (1) year from the date of election.

Please submit your nomination to 136 South Keowee Street, Dayton, OH 45402; fax to (937) 222-5794; or email to [email protected].

This is an official call for nominations for president, vice-president, recording secretary and treasurer. We look forward to a great race and encourage every eligible candidate to run. n

NATIONAL ASSOCIATE MEMBERSAdvance Equipment Manufacturing CompanyBradbury & Bradbury Art Wallpapers, Inc.Brewster Home FashionsCavalier Wall LinerConcertexCustom Laminations, Inc./The CLI GroupDesigntex Group (The)Eykon Design ResourcesFabricmate SystemsFidelity Wallcovering, Inc.Gardner-Gibson, Inc.Hewlett-Packard (HP Wall Art)Jacaranda, Inc.Jack Loconsolo & Company, Inc.Jacobsen & BallaKC Sales GroupKoessel StudiosLen-Tex WallcoveringsLincrusta Heritage Wallcoverings LtdLSI WallcoveringMaya Romanoff CorporationMDC WallcoveringsMetro WallcoveringsNaturetexOmni WallcoveringPacific Laser Systems (PLS)

Phillip Jeffries Ltd.Photo Tex Group, Inc.Presto TapePurdy CorporationRoman Decorating ProductsRoos International, Ltd. WallcoveringRoysonsRust-Oleum Corporation, Zinsser BrandsSchooner PrintsSean O’Connell Painting Corp.Sherwin-Williams CompanySteve’s Blinds & Wallpaper, LLC.Tajima Tool CorporationTextile Wallcoverings International, LTD (TWIL)The Paint Store OnlineThe Williamson Free School of Mechanical TradesThibaut WallcoveringVahallan PapersVisual AppWall MonkeysWallauer’sWallpaper DirectWeitznerWolf-Gordon, Inc.York Wallcoverings, Inc.

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE (From page 1) relationships positive and helpful in networking to work toward the growth of a bigger industry where we have professional installations and better products. This networking together will help us recognize areas of the industry that need attention and come up with solutions. Education is a key in this relationship. As each area of our industry educates the other, we will all come to a better understanding of how to make our industry more successful than ever.

Look for the convention information coming out shortly. I look forward to personally speaking and visiting with each one of you in New Orleans! n

Imagine your company as a wheel that continues to go around and then around again. At each milestone the different responsibilities need to be able to support the workload of that department; otherwise, just like the wheel analogy, the organization gets a flat! A very important spoke of that wheel is sales and marketing.

Investing in future sales and marketing may be the best investment that you can make. Don’t believe me? Stop for a moment and ask yourself these questions:

• How am I obtaining our customers now?

• What are my lead sources?

• What happens if my current lead sources were to disappear?

The right mix of media and leads will be important as none of us wants to have all of our “eggs in one basket” as the saying goes. So we all have heard that the best form of advertising is word of mouth … but the fatal flaw is how do you get more mouths? The correct answer is marketing! The reality is that what we DO has little impact on our customers. Our value-added benefits are much more important and, therefore, more profitable to our business!

Let’s take a look at an example. If we make the marketing claim that “we install using the best products and training,” we will most likely hear a resounding “good for you.” On the other hand, if you communicate that “my job is to protect your image and ensure your job looks perfect,” now you are appealing to their needs or, as some say, you are “singing their song!” You are marketing a value-added benefit to the client.

So, what are some ways

to market your organization? The marketing pros say that you need at least nine ways to drive sales to your company. Marketing is an investment of time and money; however, the return is push, so you need to make your organizational wheel continue to turn. Some of these ways utilize the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) method. Some suggestions are:

1. Trucks lettered (branding)

2. Website with SEO! (pay per click advertisement like Google AdWords)

3. Uniforms with company name

4. Direct mail

5. Referrals

6. Networking meetings (chamber, Rotary Club, etc.)

7. Yard signs

8. Affiliations with other organizations such as WIA and their contractor locator

9. Pressing the flesh, good old fashioned meet-and-greets

Even though these are all ways of bringing prospects to your door, they may not all make your phone ring. So where is the time spent? Well that is the discipline portion. The

marketing and sales team inside you must capture where you are receiving your leads every time the phone rings. Simply ask, “Whom may I thank for this call today”?

In the end, word of mouth marketing is the best form of advertising. Just make sure you get more mouths to sing your praises! n

March/April 2015 -

Ways to Generate Leads

March/April 2015 -

It has been taught that happiness comes from spending one dollar less than what you have, and misery comes from spending one dollar more than what you have. When you overspend with money, you go into debt and must pay interest.

It is the same with time: happiness also comes from spending one minute less than what you have and misery comes from attempting to spend one minute more than what you have. When you overspend your time, you go into debt, borrowing from one activity to pay something else. You end up having to pay interest. People who habitually overspend their time add mounds of stress into their life. Sooner or later, they will end up going bankrupt.

Want to learn the secret my clients pay me the big bucks to put into practice? Here it is:

There are only sixty minutes in an hour. There are only twenty-four hours in a day.

This simplistic statement is something we know academically, yet fight against in practice. Most try to fight the truth of time every day. Some fight it every hour. These rebellious people become time bankrupt, because they are constantly overspending time and playing a catch-up game.

Yet other individuals have learned to be at peace with the truth of time. They have come to accept it as the immutable truth that it is. In making this peace, they in turn realize that they are actually time wealthy.

Time wealthy people put practices in place that allow them to smoothly manage unexpected emergencies. Time poor people seem to be perpetually out of balance and cannot handle the most trivial of interruptions.

What makes a difference? What allows some people freedom of time and energy to seize opportunities for small acts of service around them? How can you make peace with the truth of time, and discover the time to both find financial success and build relationships with those around you?

Allow me to share a few tips to help you make peace with the truth of time:

1. Use a calendar. This may seem a ridiculously obvious suggestion. The truth is that I have coached far too many executives who had no

useful calendar prior to working with me. These people attempt to schedule tasks and appointments in their minds. Not using a calendar is a bit like trying to use a credit card for your time. This debt-spending results in missed appointments, stress,

confusion, and over-scheduling.

2. Use only one calendar. While many people use no calendar, many other people also use multiple calendars to try to schedule their days. Examples of multiple calendars include a work calendar, a personal calendar, a family calendar, a digital planner, a paper planner, and so on. Those who use multiple calendars spread themselves in many directions. By sticking to just one calendar, you will be able to accurately assess how much time you truly have in your week.

3. Under-spend time. Make sure that all of your appointments are not back to back. As a general rule, leave ten minutes open for every one hour of activity. If you find yourself unable to leave these gaps in your schedule, then push things off. Procrastinate as much as possible the things that are not necessary

The Truth of Time: How to Do Less and Get More Done

By Dave Crenshaw, Author, The Myth of Multitasking

March/April 2015 -

Welcome New MembersNew Members from October 2014 to January 2015

Pam AdamsPam’s Paper n Paints6388 Zorn RoadAlbany, NY 12203(518) [email protected]

Piyush AgarwalThe Installers97/a,1st Floor, Road No. 14, Jubilee HillsHyderabad, Telangana State [email protected]

Kayla BassPerfections by KaylaP.O. Box 1856Lindale, TX 75771(903) [email protected]

Frank CourtSignature Decor4545 Conrad DriveLa Mesa, CA 91941(619) [email protected] Diego

Lin ErhardtPrecision WallcoveringP.O. Box 886Boulder, CO 80306(303) [email protected] Mountain Chapter

Ronald GiraldoRG Wallcovering and Painting104 Margaret StreetPawtucket, RI 02860(401) [email protected]

Robert HibshmanHibshman’s Wallpapering118 Windsor DriveEphrata, PA 17522(717) [email protected]

Chad JeffriesBrick City Painting & Drywall, LLC426 W. LoveMexico, MO 65265(573) [email protected]

Richard TuttleRichard Tuttle& Associates LLC t/a Distictive Wallcovering4089 Mays Store RdFranklinton, NC 27525(919) [email protected]

Gordon WallisGordon Wallis Wallcovering Service5139 Hamilton LanePace, FL 32571(850) [email protected]

in that moment. Doing this will leave you the room to handle the unexpected.

Ultimately, being at peace with the truth of time is a matter of you being truthful with yourself. While you are likely capable of doing anything you put your mind to doing, you are not capable of doing it all at once.

Dave Crenshaw is a master of helping entrepreneurs conquer small business chaos. He has appeared in Time magazine, USA Today, the Washington Post, and the BBC News. His first

book, “The Myth of Multitasking: How ‘Doing It All’ Gets Nothing Done”, has been published in six languages and is a time management best seller. His latest book, “The Focused Business: How Entrepreneurs Can Triumph Over Chaos”, is also a small business best seller. n

© Invaluable Inc. All rights reserved. All text is protected by copyright laws. Unauthorized copying, reproduction, and broadcasting prohibited.

March/April 2015 -

Do you know a fellow WIA member who gets so involved, goes above and beyond the call of duty all the time and is always there when you need him or her? Does that person deserve a national award? Well, it’s time to take action and nominate any and all of those award candidates!

Through its National Awards Program, WIA honors paperhanger members, chapters, and associates who have made significant contributions to the organization and industry. These honorees have made the organization stronger and influenced others to strive toward the highest standards possible within the wallcovering industry.

This year’s national awards will be presented in New Orleans, Louisiana, during the National Convention. Take a look back at last year’s events – charity hangs, workshops, conventions, regional and local events to help identify worthy candidates.

What makes this organization great? Our members make us great! There are those who shine, those whom you count on, those who lead. You get out what you put in. With all these clichés there is probably a person who stands out who has made a difference. That person is one you need to nominate for one of our national awards. Look over the awards and descriptions and fill out the enclosed form and make that nomination before the July 1st deadline. Please be as specific as possible, because some people may not know this person and the judging committee must understand why this candidate is deserving of the award.

If you have never been to the recognition ceremony at the convention, then you

have missed a special time where members get together to celebrate the accomplishments of our colleagues and our organization has a whole.

Listed below are the awards bestowed by WIA. Please take the time to read each thoroughly and think about whom you know who might qualify and whom you would like to nominate.

ALL NOMINATIONS MUST LIST SPECIFICS. Nominations without specific detail cannot be considered. A nomination form can be found with this issue of The Installer.

Sam Kovnat Award This is the highest award bestowed by the WIA. This award is given to a paperhanger (regular) member who has given outstanding service to the organization over an extended period of years. The nomination comes from the Board of Directors. (If you have a person in mind, contact a board member to discuss).The individual must have a minimum of 10 years of service to the WIA at a combination of local and national levels; e.g., local level-chapter officer, involvement in the industry; national level-board member with substantial responsibilities; committee chair whose ideas and dedication have brought projects to fruition.

Golden Shears AwardThis award is for an innovative, new program or service that furthers the organization within the industry, the profession, and/or the membership, at the local or national level. Nominations can be for an individual or a group for their collective work. The program’s conception, development and implementation must be spelled out along with the benefit to

National Awards RecognitionBy Anthony Russo, C.P., Anthony P. Russo, Paperhanging, Stratford, Connecticut

March/April 2015 -

the WIA or the installation industry it provided (e.g., Maya Romanoff Educational Program, The Point System, etc); service to the WIA beyond the call of regular involvement; revitalization of a chapter through a new creative approach.

Bob Isenberger Paperhanger Member of the YearThis award is for a paperhanger (regular) member who has made noteworthy contributions to the WIA and/or industry during the preceding 12 months. The involvement can be at the local or national level with contributions which have benefited a chapter, region or the entire membership with expectations beyond the normal participation expected from a member.

The Guy Cooper Golden Plumbline AwardThis award recognizes an outstanding WIA affiliated chapter. Examples which would make a chapter worthy of this award include: 75 percent of members attend meetings/activities; yearly charity projects either with chapter members or individuals within a chapter; great programs for members; activities that bring members’ families and/or other chapters together; interaction with local industry people; workshops or “Meet the WIA” programs as well as member recruitment and retention. Best NewsletterThree (3) consecutive newsletters from the current year must be submitted. Any chapter may nominate its newsletter and its editor for this award.

Skip Lowe AwardThis award is presented to an associate member who has given dedicated service to the Association. It is anticipated that the board of directors would place names in nomination; however, any member may nominate an associate serving at the National or local level.

Documentation of the contributions of the associate member must be included with the nomination.

Patricia Niehaus Leadership AwardThis award is for an individual who has displayed leadership, initiative, creativity and dedication and through involvement has inspired others. WIA members, leaders and staff along with industry related organizations may nominate an installer member for this award. Self nominations will not be considered. n

CHAPTERSAtlanta

BaltimoreBay AreaBerkshireBoston

Central PennsylvaniaChicago

Coachella ValleyColumbus

ConnecticutDelaware County

Greater CincinnatiLos AngelesMiami ValleyMilwaukeeNew Jersey

New OrleansNew York

Northeast OhioNorthern CaliforniaNorthern New Jersey

NorthwestPhiladelphiaPittsburgh

Rocky Mountain ChapterSan Diego

South FloridaTwin Cities MetroUpstate New YorkWashington DC

Westchester CountyWestern Carolina

Jane Austen novels are full of characters who make astounding social errors. Austen’s novels illustrate perfectly how not to behave. And though they were written 200 years ago, the social lessons translate to today.

Take social media. Much has been written about bad manners and blunders on social media, but here are a few I’ve experienced recently, discussed in the context of Austen’s most uncivil characters.

Facebook over-sharing We all have “friends” who do this. Barrage us with images of food they’ve cooked, food they’re about to eat in a restaurant, drinks they’re about to consume, people they’re about to consume the drinks with.

Then there are the 20 pictures of their kids they post every other day. Then there are the Bible verses, the political messages, the inspirational sayings, the photos of those people on “Duck Dynasty” praying. You can’t hit the unfollow button fast enough.

Don’t over-share on Facebook. Though you are sharing with your friends, no one wants to know the minute details of your life. Before you post something, ask yourself whether you would talk about the content of your post at a crowded cocktail party.

Questionable connections In 2014, “connections” have a different connotation, but there are still rules about how you acquire connections on LinkedIn. Recently, I received this LinkedIn connection request: “I see that your company is hiring for a part-time communications associate. Let’s connect so we can talk about how I can fill this role.” Oh, really? I have no idea who you are, and you want to connect only so I can help you get a job.

Treat invitations to connect on LinkedIn like introductions at a networking event. You wouldn’t approach a stranger at an event and open with, “Can you help me get a job at your company.” So, don’t do it on LinkedIn.

Have an actual conversation Have you ever worked with someone who refuses to pick up the phone, insisting that everything can be solved through email or texting?

We all know the types of misunderstandings that occur with electronic communication. It’s difficult to convey intent and tone through a text message or email. Some situations call for human-to-human interaction, even if it can’t be face to face.

When you can, opt for a phone call. Have an actual conversation. Clear up the situation with a 10-minute discussion instead of sending 10 emails. And texting is no substitute for a conversation, either. n

March/April 2015 -

WINNING WALLS (From page 4) is on – our craftsmanship.

Did you ever have a job that you considered entering, but just ran out of time or didn't get around to doing it? You'll be happy to know that this year you can enter any project completed in the past as long as it meets these two criteria: you were a WIA/NGPP member when it was done and it was never previously entered in the WWWW contest. We're also hoping to give members the opportunity to choose whether or not their entries are anonymous. Therefore projects that have previously been posted on social media are still eligible to be entered.

Although the general format of this contest has been decided, we are still open to and very much welcome feedback from members. We have not made a final decision on the total number of pictures allowed per entry or where we will cap the word limit, but these are decisions that have to be made very quickly. If you have strong feelings about this, suggestions as to what might make this contest better in future years, or any questions or concerns, please email Jeanette Gilbreath, chair of the WIA Craftsmanship Awards committee, myself or Nancy Terry at the office. n

A Guide to Social MediaBy Laura Hale Brockaway, Alta Software

the installer march-april 2015

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