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The article offers information on several music events in the U.S., including the Mentone Cannonball event at Camp Riverview in Mentone, Alabama, from August 20-22, 2010, the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention which will be held from September 8-12, 2010 in California, and Mountain Heritage Day, which will be held on September 25, 2010 at the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

This article features three U.S. companies whose pay plans received a transformation. In 2002, executives at FedEx Corporation, the shipping and logistics firm based in Memphis, Tennessee, realized they needed a new compensation plan for their sales organization. The problem was twofold. Number one was the volume of complaints coming from field salespeople and sales managers about how confusing and unpredictable the pay program was. While such issues are reason enough to overhaul a compensation plan, FedEx actually had a second, and equally important, impetus for change. The company's 5,000-member sales force had previously been charged with selling one main product, but with mergers and rollouts of the other product lines, FedEx needed to focus its salespeople on selling a good mix of all three products. In other words, the company had to provide its salespeople with the motivation to do something they were not used to doing, which was to sell a diverse product line. According to David Cichelli, principal with the Alexander Group Inc., a sales management consulting firm, thy needed to create a pay program that would encourage sales of all the products without displacing the sale of one product for any of the others.

Reveals that companies in the U.S. are becoming more serious due to declining revenues in 2002. Significance of the cancellation of the holiday party at LightWare Inc. in 2001; Percentage of respondents to the 'SMM'/Equation Research survey who believe that their companies have become more serious; Chief executive officers who implemented cultural shifts at their companies; Strategies to motivate salespersons.

Features several celebrity chefs in the U.S. Ming Tsai; Emeril Lagasse; Rocco DiSpirito.

Presents news for marketing and sales executives in the United States as of September 2000. Impact of changing customer and shareholder expectations on sales strategies of electronic retailers; Sponsorship of the 2000 Olympics by UPS; Effort of H.J. Heinz Co. to boost the sales of its ketchup.

Presents the most influential people in sales and marketing history in the United States. Includes automobile manufacturer Henry Ford; Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton; Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller; Film director Steven Spielberg; Singer/actress Madonna. INSETS: The Internet as a sales medium, by Michael Dell.;Delivering the goods, by Fred Smith.;Catering to air travel changes, by Herb Kelleher.;Cataloging future sales, by Lillian Vernon.

Presents `Sales & Marketing Management' magazine's survey of the twenty hottest domestic markets to do business in 1998 in the United States. Emergence of Boulder, Colorado as the top area to sell products in; Market's potential to buy products in certain industries. INSET: Boulder: Growing despite itself. by A.C..

Details Johnson Controls Inc.'s training program for rookie salespeople developed by Bob Looman, the company's director of installation sales. Lack of consistency in the company's previous sales structure; Effectiveness of the staggered approach to sales training; Orientation with the company and its products; Honing of presentation and relationship-building techniques; Field training. INSET: Getting them out quickly, by A.C..

Discusses strategies for salespeople in the United States to improve buyer-seller business relations. Survey findings by the periodical `Sales & Marketing Management,' on the complaints by purchasers; Areas of improvement needing sellers' attention; Concerns in improving service; Techniques to develop familiarity for the customers' businesses; Recommendation to improve delivery efficiency. INSETS: The numbers don't lie.;Purchasers cool to the net..

Focuses on the adoption of national account management (NAM) programs by companies in the United States to meet customer demands. Steps that ensure a successful NAM program; Tips on selecting national account managers; Factors contributing to the success of NAMs. INSET: Are you qualified?..

Focuses on the use of president's clubs or annual sales honors clubs to motivate sales personnel in the United States. Texas Commerce Bank's incentive programs; Xerox Corp.'s incentive trips to president's club members; Objectives of president's clubs. INSETS: When everybody wines, by Ginger Trumfio.;A presidential affair.;There's no `I' in team, by G.T..

Focuses on United States business organizations' recognition of their outstanding sales personnel during annual sales meetings. Use of the recognition as a motivation tool; Cases; Comments from industry executives; Publication of internal monthly newsletters; Offer of incentive trips; Staging of impressive sales meetings. INSET: Recognition planning..

Focuses on the link between customer satisfaction and salespeople's compensation. Importance of customer satisfaction; Analysis of the compensation systems of Macklanburg-Duncan, Automobile Protection Corp. and Appleton Papers Inc.; Monitoring and measurement of customer satisfaction; Building of personal relationships with customers.

Presents the restaurants which won in the 1994 Business Executives' Dining Award (BEDA). Focus on the restaurants' quality cuisine and exceptional service; Features of the restaurants; Importance of the choice of restaurants during lunch meetings.

Reports on the appointments and promotions of convention and visitor bureau presidents in the United States as of February 1994. Turn over rates; Assignment relocation; List of appointees. INSET: 1993 new CVB heads..

Features San Francisco Bay Area and other neighboring Bay Area cities as venues for the meetings industry. Meeting facilities; Hotels; Attractions. INSETS: Anchors aweigh in Stockton.;Tripping out.;What's new in the San Francisco Bay Area..

Percents several resorts in the United States that offer package deals for meetings. Includes The Homestead in Virginia; The American Club in Wisconsin; Amelia Island Plantation in Florida. INSETS: Hot deals.;Skiing.;Golf.;Tennis.

Recommends alternative incentive trips for sales people. Includes a trip to Portugal; Iowa; Malaysia; Galapagos Islands.

Sales representatives don't usually make the best actors. But 10 salespeople in a conference room in New York are currently playing the role of real estate agents. None of them have ever sold a piece of real estate before in their lives, but they're trying their hardest to convince reluctant buyers not to back out of a deal. It's the main message of this training course, produced by Huthwaite Inc., a company that provides corporate sales training services, based in Sterling, Virginia. And these 10 salespeople have come to the Huthwaite course, titled "Making Major Sales" and based on the company's SPIN Selling philosophy, to learn how to penetrate deeper into accounts and ultimately close more business.

Reports on a study by economists Jeff Biddle and Daniel Hamermesh claiming that discrimination against unattractive people is a problem among companies in the United States. Differences in the earnings of law graduates based on attractiveness; Confirmation of a previous study showing that people with good looks get larger paychecks.

Interviews Robert J. Calvin, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship and marketing at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, about the differences in sales styles between the United States and China. Reason the Xiamen University is interested in teaching American sales and sales management techniques; Areas of Chinese sales and sales management that have the biggest differences from business in the U.S.; Biggest challenges if U.S.-based companies were to set up sales offices in China.

Provides information on the rule implemented by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration at major airports requiring passengers to obtain a board pass prior to passing through security. Expectations of analysts from travelers when choosing between check-in desks and self-serve kiosks; Advantage of the rule to busy travelers.

Presents information on tourist spots in San Diego, California. Transportation offered to guests at The Lodge at Torrey Pines; Features of the Gaslamp area; Services offered by The Fish Market seafood restaurant.

Reveals that some companies in the U.S. are unwilling to shoulder the expense of a single-purpose business trip. Challenge facing salespersons; Importance of trips in building relationships.

Presents ways for salespeople to call on customers despite the crisis in public relations in the U.S. Information on how to relieve awkwardness; Importance of being prepared; Significance of a letter from the chief executive officer.

Presents news briefs on business marketing as of August 2002. Popularity of television advertising in Italy; Acquisition of the doggy puppet from Pets.com by 1-800-Bar-None; Changes in the name of an independent consulting arm of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Predicts the recovery of the U.S. economy according to the National Association for Business Economics. Factors that influence the growth of the economy; Industries that are predicted to lead the recovery.

Discusses developments in employee motivation strategies in the U.S. Change of interest of employees regarding overseas business trips; Adjustment of incentive programs for employees in Lexington, Kentucky; Benefits gained by the real estate company CB Richard Ellis from improvizing an overseas travel.

Focuses on competition in the U.S. sales industry as of August 2002. Involvement of ethics in business competition; Significance of a devising a strategy on how to capitalize; Importance of focusing on the customers.

Deals with the effort of the U.S. government to win support for the war against terrorism. Actions taken by U.S. President George W. Bush after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the country; Ways to connect with people; Advertising campaigns for the effort.

Presents a study of corporate managers regarding their cost cutting measures in the U.S. in 2002. Percentage of managers that have cut their budgets for entertaining clients; Percentage of companies that have canceled or scaled down incentive travel for customers; Background of the U.S. economy.

Comments on the pricing dilemma U.S. industries are facing with the declining economy of 2002. Decision of building supply company Wiffle Lumber Inc. not to raise product prices; Advice for companies regarding pricing issues.

Provides information on the marketing efforts of several businesses in the U.S. Details on the Osama bin Laden-themed toilet paper sold by America Wins; Features of a workstation designed by Scott Adams; Cancellation of the plan of developer Pat Turner to build a disaster-themed restaurant.

Reports on the impact of concerns over anthrax on the attitude of U.S. companies towards direct-mail marketing. Information on the failure of the direct-mail campaign launched by American Honda in September 2001; Action taken by the Direct Mail Association regarding mail fears in the U.S.; Implications for the growth of electronic mail marketing.

Discusses the opportunities offered by the economic downturn to recruiters in the U.S. Benefits of the downturn for the employee recruitment efforts of businesses; Advantages of participating in job fairs; Actions taken by Tigris Consulting to recruit sales and marketing employees.

Provides information on employment opportunities offered by several industries to sales executives in the U.S., as of December 2001. Health care industry; Insurance industry; Security systems industry; Technology industry.

Focuses on the increase in business trips of salespeople with children in the U.S. Impact of traveling with children on professionalism; Tips on traveling with children.

Describes Dallas City in Texas as a tourist destination. Amenities of Four Seasons Resort Club in Texas; Menu item at The Mansion on Turtle Creek restaurant; Information on the wholesale merchandise mart Dallas Market Center.

Focuses on the management of incentive travel programs and other business trips in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. Precautions that employers should take regarding incentive travels.

Focuses on the marketing of turkey meat in the U.S. Information on the consumer service of Butterball Turkey; Aim of the 'Turkey Lover's Month' campaign of the National Turkey Federation.

Reports on the plan of U.S. airlines to install an in-flight e-mail systems in 2002. Information on how to use in-flight e-mail systems; Benefits of the e-mail system for business travelers; Domestic airlines that signed a deal to develop in-flight broadband service.

Presents a list of recommended restaurants in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Le Bec-Fin; Brasserie Perrier; Loews Philadelphia; The Plough and Stars; Tastykake.

Comments on the decline of first-class service at several airlines in the U.S. Service offered by United Airlines; Benefits that are important to business travelers; Suggestions for airlines to retain customers.

Presents tips on marketing in the U.S. List of suggested competitions for sales representatives and marketers.

Presents information on the advertising strategies of several companies in the U.S. Starwood Hotels & Resorts; Procter & Gamble; Half-com.

Reports on the economic conditions of the U.S. as of September 2001. Increase in consumer confidence; Comparison of the index of the National Association of Purchasing Management between May and June 2001; Ways to prepare for an economic turnaround.

Features several travel spots in Columbus, Ohio. Handke's Cuisine restaurant; Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus, a drinking establishment; Lofts Hotel.

Features Orbitz, a Web site owned by U.S. airlines which offers air travel itinerary at the lowest price. Description of the Web site; Tickets on smaller airlines offered by Orbitz; Criticisms on the Web site.

Features several graduate school programs for sales and marketing education and course work in the U.S. Bachelor's degree in sales offered at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio; Degree programs offered at the Baylor University, Hankamer School of Business in Waco, Texas; Online courses and master of business administration degrees offered at Capella Online University.

Focuses on the cost-cutting strategy of lessening annual sales meetings by Lexmark International. Savings of the company from such a strategy; Surveys and studies conducted regarding the reduction of sales meetings in the U.S.; Consequence of cutting sales meetings completely.