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Danielle Feroleto, Small Giants I’m going to go out on a limb and confess and unpopular view…I hate selfie sticks. I actually will alienate myself from almost every reader and tell you I also hate selfies. Now, before you stop reading and throw this offensive article in the trash, let me tell you why. I love networking! Every single little thing about it….from the first uncomfortable conversation to the rewards you reap in relationships built throughout your career, it is, in my opinion, The most important business skill you can acquire. It’s not for everyone and it’s not as easy as most think to do it well. I will give you some of the best tips I have learned in networking all through the reasons I believe your selfie stick is ruining your networking life!

Construction spending is at record levels for the second straight month in March and is up 4.9 percent for the first three months of year compared to the same period in 2016, despite dipping slightly compared to February, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said many firms are eager to see details of the President’s pending infrastructure plan, which should boost construction demand.

Kathy Nanowski, Fuss & O'Neill Along with many of you, I receive many marketing journals and articles about the newest trends in managing marketing and business development processes. I bring most of these articles home and highlight what might be relevant to me and my firm. Of course, if I did half the things I highlighted, I would run around frantically, driving senior leadership crazy. Unfortunately, what many people do instead of selectively committing to some of the work is do none of it. What is the best process or metric or program that will give you the biggest return on your investment? Because let’s face it, any new program will require an investment of time and money, both of which are very precious. There are numerous marketing and business development metrics out there. Some of the most popular include: total sales, sales dollars spent versus winning rates, hit rates, and the list goes on. I measure more than seven different sales metrics on a monthly and YTD basis.

Managing the workforce is a focal point at the Associated General Contractors of America Annual Convention in Las Vegas, where it's been noted that competition for top talent has heated up.

Need a vendor? Reach thousands of suppliers and service providers in one place: �鶹��ý's official purchasing directory, Constructor Marketplace. This site places you in contact with vendors from more than 50 categories -- everything from acoustical and drywall to windows -- quickly, so you can get the materials or the help you need to get the job done right. Use Constructor Marketplace's free Request for Proposal (RFP) Automator to request custom project bids from multiple Marketplace vendors with just a few clicks.

Craig Clark, President and CEO of Dynalectric and Chair of the Specialty Contractors Council, was selected as Chair of the Year by �鶹��ý President Mark Knight from a list of impressive nominees.

At the Associated General Contractors of America's National Convention, Tim Sinclair, chair of �鶹��ý's Specialty Contractors Council, took part in a forum on preconstruction best practices -- a list of which is included in this article.

�鶹��ý of America’s Past Chair of the Lean Construction Forum Steering Committee, Jeff Esgar, Sundt Construction, was asked to contribute an article based on �鶹��ý’s Lean Construction Education Program’s Unit One course entitled: “Variation in Production Systems” for the Lean Construction Blog.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017 | 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (ET) This lively, information-packed WebEd, brought to you by the �鶹��ý of America Business Development Forum, presents industry experts, Ken Simonson, Chief Economist, Associated General Contractors of America and Cliff Brewis, Vice President of Operations for Dodge Data Analytics as they provide construction industry leaders and Business Development professionals national and regional construction market predictions in light of a new presidential administration.

The Business Development Best Practices are an ongoing effort by the �鶹��ý Business Development Forum Steering Committee to bring more BD resources and best practices to the �鶹��ý membership. Written and developed by industry experts in Business Development, these best practices cover a wide range of topics, from relationship building and sales to marketing and proposals.