On Feb. 3, MSA presented Jeff Taylor, founder of Monster.com. Jeff presented the "Monster Story" and trends within marketing and eRecruiting. We were very pleased with the turnout-75 attendees. It was a great evening from the beginning to the end. With time to network, as well as an opportunity to listen to Jeff Taylor and ask questions, everyone left the meeting with some great ideas. MSA will continue to offer more of these programs. Make sure you attend our next program and join in the fun.

The First Wave

When automated testing was first introduced in staffing in the late 1980s, it represented a paradigm shift in the industry. Prior to the availability of these products, skills testing had been administered using written multiple-choice questionnaires. New products from companies like Kelly Services and Qwiz utilized a technology called 'performance-based testing', which presented test takers with interactive simulations of software products like WordStar and WordPerfect. These interactive simulations asked test takers to demonstrate their skills by performing real functions.

As business is reported to be rising throughout the staffing industry, it is important to review you policies and application/employment procedures to ensure compliance with the law. With the increased business and the associated opportunities, it is still important not to overlook essential functions in the recruitment, employment, and deployment of assigned workers. It would be worthwhile to revisit the important functions that are necessary and legally required from you, the employer of record, when ramping up your staff and assigned employees.

When do your salespeople give up on a prospect? Recent studies indicate that 50% stop trying after the first call. That percentage increases to 65% after the second call and to 80% after the third call. A whopping 90% of all salespeople throw in the towel after four calls. Now here is the real difficulty with these percentages: professional relationships don't normally begin to grow until you've communicated at least six times with a potential customer. In many instances, prospects decide to talk to you only after 10 or even 12 contacts have taken place.

Imagine David Letterman is on the streets of New York City with a microphone in hand. He has one question to ask those who happen to pass by: "What is the purpose of being in business?" What do you think the most common response will be? I would guess that almost everyone, if not everyone, will answer that the purpose of being in business is to make money.

The American Staffing Association launched its first- ever major marketing campaign to enhance customer perception of the staffing industry and ASA.

Preparations for the campaign began last year with the industry's most comprehensive survey of customer opinion about the staffing industry. The research results were used by the ASA industry marketing committee to develop an aggressive marketing plan that was approved by the ASA board of directors in late January.