Learning Opportunities
Expo Seminars to Identify Paths and Obstacles to Growth
Duane Cashin says the Internet has — or should have — changed the way people approach selling.
“These days, when people want to buy something, they enter that process with a ton of information,” said Cashin, owner of Hartford-based Cashin & Co. and a noted expert in the areas of prospecting, sales process, and sales management. “With the Internet, people can thoroughly research things — consumers are more informed than ever, and that impacts the way people should sell.”
This development is one of many that Cashin will discuss in a program he calls “The Future of Sales and the Adjustments You Need to Make” — although he acknowledged that, in many ways, the future is now.
His talk is one of a dozen seminars now on the slate for the Western Mass. Business Expo, set for Nov. 6 at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, an event expected to draw more than 150 exhibitors and 3,000 visitors.
Other topics to be explored include everything from immigration law to cold calling; from the emerging workforce in this country to raising a company’s profile through YouTube.
And then, there are the “Emdees.” That’s the name that Amesbury-based McDougall & Duval Advertising Agency has given to a program — in the form of an awards ceremony — involving examples of the best and worst uses of social media.
“There are many issues and challenges involved with operating a business, large or small, today,” said Kate Campiti, associate publisher of BusinessWest, which is once again presenting the Expo. “And as we approached this year’s event and its educational component, which is an important part of the show, we wanted to address some of these challenges and give business owners and managers information they could take to the office or the plant the next day.”
The seminars, which will run from 9:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., are grouped into three tracks — Sales & Marketing, Social Media, and Business Management — and are designed to be as interactive as possible, said Campiti, adding that the roster of programs was compiled after careful consideration of several dozen submitted proposals.
The full schedule of seminars is currently posted on the show’s website, www.wmbexpo.com. The programs to be presented include:
• “How TV and Social Media Have Affected Media Consumption,” presented by representatives of Comcast Spotlight;
• “Beyond an Entrepreneur,” presented by Paul DiGrigoli, president of DiGrigoli Salons and a noted motivational speaker;
• “Make an Impact with Multichannel Marketing,” presented by Tina Stevens, president of Stevens 470;
• “Leading Change,” presented by Lynn Whitney Turner and Ravi Kulkarni, principals with Clear Vision Alliance;
• “Am I Wasting Money and Time Doing Social Media?” presented by Paul Stallman, owner of Alias Solutions; and
• “Branding Bootcamp,” to be led by Meghan Lynch, president of Six-Point Creative Works.
Campiti said additional components of the Expo program, including breakfast and lunch speakers and other presentations, are being finalized, and will be announced in future issues of BusinessWest and posted on the website.
The day-long event will conclude with the Expo Social, which has become a not-to-be-missed networking opportunity since it was first staged at the 2011 Expo.
Comcast Business is once again the presenting sponsor for the Expo. Other sponsors include ABC 40/Fox 6, Health New England, and Johnson & Hill Staffing Services. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available.
Fast Facts:
What: The Western Mass. Business Expo
When: Nov. 6
Where: The MassMutual Center, Springfield
Highlights: Breakfast and lunch programs; keynote speakers; educational seminars; Expo Social; more than 150 exhibitors
For More Information: Visit
www.wmbexpo.com or call (413) 781-8600.
