My sister is in the business of communications. She is founder of the Elite Communicators Group (ECG). Her article published February 19th by the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) reaffirms the importance of personal connections in business. Exploring strategic networking trends for 2015, Christie Smith argues that whether we connect with people on-line or face-to-face, “it is the authenticity of those relationships that determines their ROI”. She cites a recent Harvard Business Review survey which found only 12 per cent of companies believe they are using social media effectively. Christie suggests refined internal procedures and improved analytical tools will soon reveal the true ROI on our social media efforts. As a blogger, I certainly agree with her concluding it is your core audience that is most worth engaging via social media.

This week a number of traders will be out of the office re-establishing connections in the field. Some of us will be looking to reconnect with customers who have been doggedly digging out of snow banks in frozen parts of the continent. Others will be prepping for the important upcoming North American Wholesale Lumber Association Regional Meeting in Vancouver April 2nd. Registration details are available here. Congratulations to fellow NAWLA Vancouver Regional Organizing Committee member Bart Bender on his appointment to Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Interfor, effective April 1st.