10:00 The Cooperative Perspective. 12:00 Working Luncheo

1
Marketing to Co-ops

• Steps for Success

2
Marketing to Cooperatives
WORKSHOP MODERATORS Janine Weidow Manager,
External Marketing NRECA janine.weidow_at_nreca.coop
Steve Collier Vice President of Business
Development Milsoft Utility Solutions steve.collie
r_at_milsoft.com
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Marketing to Cooperatives

• AGENDA
• 800 am Welcome Remarks Introduction/Goals
• 830 Workshop Session Electric Co-op 101
• 1000 The Cooperative Perspective
• 1200 Working Luncheon NRECA
  Resources
• 100 pm Doing Business with/Selling to
  Co-ops
• 200 Discussion/Closing Remarks
• 230 Adjourn

4
Workshop Goal Education

• Workshop Goal EDUCATION
• Better understand cooperatives structure
  operations.
• Hear cooperatives discuss how they do business
  with vendors.
• Learn about NRECA structure operations.
• And how NRECA works with its sister
  organizations.
• And NRECA resources for Associate Members
• Hear successful vendors discuss doing business
  with co-ops.
• Get your questions answered.

5
Marketing to Co-ops

• The Electric Cooperatives
• National Trade Association

6
Electric Utility Trade Associations
Cooperatives
Municipals
Investor-Owned
-
7

• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
• www.nreca.coop
• Primary Focus Rural Electric Cooperatives
• Distribution Cooperatives
• Generation Transmission (GT) Cooperatives
• Statewide / Regional Trade Associations
• Products Services Co-ops
• Affiliate Members (vendors)
• gt99 of electric cooperatives are Members.

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• RE Magazine
• Advertising
• Editorial Content
• Conferences
• Flagship conference TechAdvantage Expo
• Cooperative Research Network
• Part of NRECA
• All NRECA Members benefit
• Touchstone Energy

9

• American Public Power Association
• www.appanet.org
• Primary Focus Public Power Systems
• Divisions of local government municipal, county,
  state
• Include other utilities water wastewater,
  gas, telecomm
• Joint action agencies (like co-op GTs)
• Statewide / regional trade associations
• Associate Members (vendors)
• Municipal leagues related government
  organizations
• Less than half of public power systems are
  members.

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• Public Power magazine
• Advertising
• Editorial Content
• Conferences
• Flagship Conference Annual National Conference.
• Relatively small, limited exhibitor space
  exposure.
• DEED RD network
• Voluntary, dues based.
• A minority of APPA Members participate.

11

• Home Town Connections is a for-profit affiliate
• APPA owns 64, public power systems the
  remainder.
• Selects an exclusive preferred vendor in each
  category.
• Public power systems and trade associations are
  indirect marketing sales channels.
• Charges a marketing fee and receives commission
  on sales to any public power system.
• Vendor partners discount products / services to
  APPA Members.

12

• Edison Electric Institute
• www.eei.org
• Primary Focus Shareholder-Owned Electric
  Utilities,
• aka Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs).
• International Affiliates
• Associate Members (vendors)
• Edison Institute
• Institute for Energy Efficiency
• gt95 of IOUs are Members

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• Publications Conferences are not central to
  membership.
• Scant advertising, exhibitor opportunities or
  exposure
• Electric Power Research Institute
• Independent of EEI
• Voluntary, dues supported
• Also has co-op and public power members.

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Marketing to Co-ops

• More On NRECA

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• Founded in 1942
• Organized specifically to
• Overcome World War II shortages of electric
  construction materials,
• Obtain insurance coverage for newly constructed
  rural electric cooperatives, and
• Mitigate wholesale power supply problems.

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• Member-Elected Board of Directors
• 47 members
• One from each state with an electric cooperative
• Glenn English Chief Executive Officer
• Formerly U.S. Representative, Oklahoma
• Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia
• RSI Division in Lincoln, Nebraska

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• THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO
  REPRESENTING ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES AND THE
  CONSUMERS THEY SERVE
• National leadership and member representation for
  legislative, regulatory, and public policy.
• Education and training programs
• Insurance, employee benefits and financial
  services
• Technical expertise, advice and RD
• Electrification assistance in developing
  countries around the world
• National branding and services

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Marketing to Co-ops

• NRECA Members

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• DISTRIBUTION MEMBERS
• Poles, wires and meters
• Electric distribution cooperatives and nonprofit
  associations, nonprofit corporations, public
  utility districts, and government corporations
  or authorities
• Located in a state, territory, possession or
  commonwealth of the U.S.
• Engaged in furnishing electricity at retail to
  consumers

20

• GENERATION TRANSMISSION MEMBERS
• Generate and resell wholesale power to their
  member utilities
• Cooperatives, nonprofit associations, nonprofit
  corporations and public utility districts
• Located in a state, territory, possession or
  commonwealth of the United States
• Engaged in the marketing, generation and/or
  transmission of wholesale bulk electricity for
  sale to others for the purpose of resale

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• TRADE SERVICE ASSOCIATION MEMBERS
• Related organizations that are not actually
  engaged in the marketing, generation,
  transmission or distribution of electricity
• members are generation transmission or
  distribution cooperative, associations, nonprofit
  corporations, public utility districts
• Located in a state, territory, possession or
  commonwealth of the United States
• Engaged in support of electric co-ops marketing,
  generation, transmission or distribution of
  electricity

22

• TRADE SERVICE ASSOCIATION MEMBERS (cont)
• Unified advocacy to the general public,
  regulatory bodies and state legislatures on
  behalf of their members
• Voluntarily membership
• Governed by member-elected representatives
• Offer desired services
• Education training
• Publish newspapers or magazines for members
• Group purchasing
• Other

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• PRODUCT SERVICE COOPERATIVE MEMBERS
• Cooperatively-owned organizations
• Members generally include NRECA members
• Objectives are aligned with the objectives of
  NRECA.
• Provide products and services at better price,
  quality, terms, service than would be available
  elsewhere
• Insurance - Federated
• Banking - NRUCFC
• Data Processing NISC, SEDC
• Telecommunications NRTC
• Transformers Equipment - UUS

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• ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
• Companies doing business with NRECA members
• Includes
• Utility equipment manufacturers, distributors,
  wholesalers
• Consulting / professional services
• IT software products and services
• Telecomm products and services
• Financial products and services
• Consumer products and services
• Many participate in TechAdvantage Expo and
  advertise in Rural Electric Magazine.

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Marketing to Co-ops

• Other NRECA Organizations

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• November 1962 - NRECA and the newly-established
  U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
  signed an inaugural cooperative agreement in the
  White House Oval Office in a ceremony witnessed
  by President John F. Kennedy. NRECA
  International, Ltd. was incorporated as a wholly
  owned subsidiary of NRECA in June 1972.

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• HELPING DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ELECTRIFYY
• Original purpose Share lessons learned from US
  rural electrification with developing countries
  around the world.
• Assisted development and deployment of rural
  electrification programs in over 40 countries.
• Support from USAID, U.S. Department of
  Agriculture, the World Bank, the UK Department
  for International Development (DFID), Asian
  Development Bank (ADB), and host country
  government agencies.

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• THE NATIONAL BRAND OF ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES
• Voluntary membership for NRECA members
• More than 660 Touchstone Energy cooperatives in
  46 states are delivering electric power and
  energy to more than 30 million consumers.
• www.touchstoneenergy.com

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• THE POWER OF HUMAN CONNECTIONS
• National promotion advertising
• Television ads on various channels including
• Print ads in major national publications
  including
• Advertising brand and collateral for member
  co-ops to use.

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• NATIONWIDE SERVICES FOR MEMBERS CUSTOMERS
• Bill Consolidation and Energy Management Program
• Touchstone Energy Home
• Energy Saver Program
• Co-op Connections
• Sites Across America.com
• Energy education programs
• Kids "Super Energy Saver" Program
• Discovery School Program - Get Charged!

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• Monitor, evaluate apply technologies that help
  electric cooperative utilities control costs,
  increase productivity, and enhance service to
  their consumermembers.
• Results are available to all NRECA voting
  members.
• Online and printed studies, reports, newsletters
• Web conferences
• Seminars and presentations at conferences
• Partners with US DOE, EPRI and other RD
  organizations.
• Six Member Advisory Boards an Industry Advisory
  Group

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• Principal areas of investigation include
• Clean coal and environmental-management
  technologies
• Renewable and alternative energy
• End-use solutions that help the customer make
  better use of electricity
• Distribution system operations best practices
• Broadband communications and information
  technology
• Transmission capacity and security

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Marketing to Co-ops

• National Cooperative Business Network
  Organizations

34

• INSURANCE EXCHANGE
• FOR ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES
• Founded in 1959
• Property casualty insurance for rural electric
  co-ops in 40 states.
• Includes coverage for water, sewer, propane and
  natural gas, surge suppression, security systems
  and other cooperative business ventures.
• Phil Irwin, President
• www.federatedrural.com

35

• SERVICE INTEGRITY EXCELLENCE
• Founded by NRECA, incorporated in 1969
• Original purpose was to develop independent
  financing to supplement / replace REA
• Provides banking services to more than 1,050
  electric cooperative owners serving 32 million
  ultimate users.
• Also provides banking services to rural telephone
  utilities.
• Sheldon Petersen, Governor CEO
• www.nrucfc.org

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• NATIONAL INFORMATION SOLUTIONS COOPERATIVE
• Merger of CADP NCDC in 2000
• 500 electric telco members in 47 states
• Accounting business services, customer
  information billing services, e-commerce
  solutions, EO solutions.
• Also provides CIS services to national retailers
  in cooperation with Touchstone Energy.
• Vern Dosch, CEO
• www.nisc.coop

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• SOUTHEASTERN DATA COOPERATIVE
• 200 electric members in 33 states
• Accounting business services, customer
  information billing services, e-commerce
  solutions, EO solutions.
• Ron Camp, CEO
• www.sedc.coop

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• UNITED UTILITY SUPPLY
• 230 electric co-op members in 17 states
• Manufactures and sells distribution transformers
• Distributes electrical distribution supplies
  equipment
• Ron Sheets, President
• www.uus.org

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• YOUR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COOPERATIVE
• Founded 1986 by NRECA, NRUCFC and NTCA
• To provide telecommunications for internal use
  and for resale by rural electric and telephone
  utilities.
• Bob Phillips, CEO
• Original business was satellite television for
  members and affiliates eventually serving gt2
  million retail subscribers
• Also offers IPTV, satellite broadband, AMR,
  SCADA, voice data dispatch radio, MVNO mobile
  phone.
• www.nrtc.org

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Marketing to Co-ops

• What Is a Cooperative?

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• COOPERATIVELY-OWNED BUSINESSES
• A business incorporated under local state law.
• 1752, Benjamin Franklin forms Philadelphia
  Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from
  Loss by Fire, still in operation today
• 1844, the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society
  opened a cooperative store on Toad Lane in
  Rochdale, England.
• Cooperatives are deemed to be not-for-profit and
  therefore usually tax-exempt.

42

• THE COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLES
• Voluntary Open Membership
• Democratic Member Control
• Member Economic Participation
• Autonomy Independence
• Education, Training Information
• Cooperation Among Cooperatives
• Concern for Community

43

• Cooperatives usually form to provide products or
  services with greater economy, efficiency,
  quality or values than would otherwise be
  available.
• Often to achieve economies of scale or leverage
  of scope.
• There are three kinds of cooperatives
• Consumer-owned
• Producer-owned
• Employee-owned
• Electric cooperatives are consumer-owned

44

• COOPERATIVES IN THE US
• Over 120 million people are members of 48,000
  cooperatives.
• Nearly 10,000 U.S. credit unions have 84 million
  members and assets in excess of 600 billion.
• Well known national cooperatives include
• USAA (customer-owned)
• ACE Hardware (employee-owned)
• Ocean Spray, Land O Lakes (producer-owned)

45
Marketing to Co-ops

• More About Electric Cooperatives

46
A Brief History of Electric Cooperatives

• FDR learned in 1930 that 80 of the US was
  electrified, but only 10 of rural America had
  electric service.
• FDR formed Rural Electrification Agency in 1934.
• Congress formed Rural Electrification
  Administration under USDA in 1935.
• Offered loan guarantees / low interest loans to
  qualified borrowers (not just cooperatives).
• Provided financial and engineering standards.
• USDA reorganized in 1994 and replace the REA
• with the Rural Utilities Service (RUS).

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A Brief History of Electric Cooperatives

• RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES
• Most IOUs were not interested in the risks and
  low rate of return for extending rural electric
  service.
• Consumers banded together to form cooperative
  (consumer-owned) corporations to qualify for REA
  loans and loan guarantees.
• Within ten years of the REA being formed, 90 of
  rural Americans had electric service.

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49
Electric Co-op Facts

• 864 distribution cooperatives and 66 generation
  and transmission cooperatives serve
• Over 40 million people across 47 states
• 15.5 million residences
• 1.8 million commercial accounts
• 138,792 industrial (less than 1 of the total)
  industrial accounts
• 17.5 million meters
• 2,500 of 3,141 counties in the U.S.

50
Electric Co-op Facts

• Assets worth 100 billion
• Own and maintain 2.5 million line miles
• 42 of the nations electric distribution lines
• covering ¾ of the nation's landmass
• Deliver 10 of total kilowatt hrs sold in the
  U.S. each year
• generate nearly 5 of total electricity produced
  in the U.S. each year
• Spend nearly 9 billion annually on products and
  services needed to operate their systems
• Employ nearly 67,000 people

51
Electric Co-op Facts

• Rural Electric Cooperatives
• Only 16 of 47 states with electric regulatory
  authorities regulate some aspects of electric
  co-ops' operations
• Rates are reviewed and approved by local Board of
  Directors
• Rate Objectives of Utility covering
  costs/expenses

52
Electric Co-op Facts

• DISTRIBUTION COOPERATIVES RESELL POWER
• Purchase wholesale power
• A handful of distribution cooperatives generate
  some power
• GTs provide about 40 of power purchased by
  distribution cooperatives
• Full and partial requirements contracts
• Distribution cooperatives obtain the remainder of
  their wholesale power from a variety of other
  sources

53
Electric Co-op Facts

• SOME ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES ALSO OFFER
• Community development revitalization projects
• Improvement of rural water and sewer systems
• Assist in delivery of health care and education
• Internet service provider (ISP)
• Propane
• Natural gas
• Premises security monitoring control
• HVAC equipment service

54
Electric Co-op Facts

• COOPERATIVE COMPARISONS
• Pedernales (TX) is largest with 230,000 meters.
• Alaska Village serves the largest land area of
  any electric utility in the world with only 7,400
  meters.
• Gila River Community Utility Authority is the
  smallest with 26 meters.
• I-N-N (AK) is the next smallest with 296 meters.
• Average size 19,000 meters
• Median size 12,500 meters
• Rio Grande (TX) is the sparsest with lt2 meters /
  line mile
• (national average 7 meters / line mile)

55
Marketing to Co-ops

• Comparing Electric Co-ops
• to Other Electric Utilities

56
Division of Activities Americas Electric
Utilities
57
Utility Comparison
58
Cooperatives Compared With Other Electric
Utilities

• Co-op sales grew twice as fast as the total
• electric industry average in 2000.

59
Who Sells Americas Electricity?
60
Total U.S. Electric Utility Comparison by Sector
61
Co-op Retail Sales
62
Co-op Power Generation
63
Co-op Fuels Used in Power Generation
64
Marketing to Co-ops

• Understanding Electric Cooperatives

65
Understanding Electric Co-ops

• ELECTRIC CO-OP CHARACTERISTICS
• They are customer-owned, not-for-profit,
  principle-based.
• Their primary focus is cost, not profit.
• They are extremely sensitive to individual
  customers.
• Staff roles are broader duties overlap. 
• Their have distinctive practices vocabulary.

66
Understanding Electric Co-ops

• ELECTRIC CO-OP CHARACTERISTICS
• Business is very relationship based, more
  personal, less formal.
• Cooperatives nationwide are a tight knit
  community.
• Individual cooperatives are locally controlled,
  operate like a family, are very independent. 
• Co-ops prefer that you already work well with
  other co-ops.

67
Understanding Electric Co-ops

• ELECTRIC CO-OP CHARACTERISTICS (cont.)
• Most electric cooperatives share many
  characteristics
• But, no two electric cooperatives are just alike.
• What most impacts a co-ops view of planning
  operations?
• Size
• Growth
• Load factor
• Wholesale power cost
• CI customers
• Community demographics
• Leadership

68
Marketing to Co-ops

• The Cooperative Perspective
• Panel Discussion

69
The Cooperative Perspective
Panel Discussion
Moderator Steve Collier, Milsoft Panelists Final
list to come ASAP
70
The Cooperative Perspective

• Purchasing
• Technology
• Operations

71
How Co-ops Buy Products Services

• Cooperatives vs. Municipals
• RUS procurement rules (CFR 1726)
• Government procurement rules
• RUS borrowers must purchase from approved
  materials list

72
How Co-ops Buy Products Services

• Common purchasing practices
• 5 vendors or less (few suppliers)
• 3 bids orally requested
• 90 of purchasing activities are manual
  transactions
• Public bid opening not required unless a large
  power plant
• Supply chain management decisions by committee,
  OR
• Purchasing responsibilities are split among
  several functions

So find the center of influence for your
product or service
73
How Co-ops Buy Products Services

• Advantages for the supplier
• Co-ops are easy to work with less bureaucratic
• Co-ops are dependable and pay on time
• Co-ops are usually willing to pay for JIT
  deliveries and other value added services
• Co-ops are known to be honest and loyal

74
The Co-op Supply Chain
Engineering planning
Purchase need
Suppliers contacted
Quotes received
Supplier selected
Order typed transmitted
Warehouse Review
Price Delivery
Invoice received
Supplier Paid
Order shipped or backorder released
Warehouse receives
Receiving copy is sent to purchasing /or A/P
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76
How Co-ops Buy Products Services

• What Co-ops Buy
• Line transformers (20)
• Conductor (18)
• Poles, towers, etc (13)
• Station equipment (11)

The big 4 account for _at_ 2/3 of the spend!
77
How Co-ops Buy Products Services

• The Suppliers role
• Long standing relationships mutual trust
• Products priced on a case-by-case basis
• Stocking/Consignment/JIT programs
• Little long-term planning

78
Areas of Potential Improvement

• Some co-ops manage their supply chain, some dont
• Growing focus on supply chain cost performance
  and measurement
• Group buying, standardization, etc. can reduce
  costs
• Almost ½ of all co-ops are unwilling to join with
  other co-ops in the purchase or storage of
  materials
• Normally utilize short-term forecasting
• 3 bids and a cloud of dust preferred method
• Inventory turnover varies based on vendor
  alliances vs. self management

79
Decision Influences

• Having other co-ops as customers
• Understanding what a co-op is and how co-ops
  operate
• Successful track record
• Appearances at NRECA conferences/shows
• Customer Support/Tech Support

80
Panel recommendations

• Show success with other co-ops (if not a co-op,
  then a similar sized electric utility)
• Understand what a co-op IS and what a co-op is
  ABOUT
• Demonstrate a willingness to work with the co-op,
  even if theyre not huge
• Create a relationship
• Customer Service

81
How do co-ops find information?

• Shows/Conferences (mostly NRECA)
• Trade Magazines (RE, TD,)
• Web sites
• GOSSIP
• Talking with counterparts at other co-op shows,
  meetings, schools

82
Staying Informed

• Reading publications such as
• Rural Electric Magazine
• Transmission Distribution
• Electrical World
• Utility Automation
• Energy IT
• PC Magazine
• Networking with other cooperatives.
• Keeping informed on technology projects ongoing
  at cooperatives.

83
Staying Informed

•  Attending trade shows
• Distributech
• NRECA TechAdvantage Conference Expo
• IEEE Rural Electric Power Conference
• IEEE Transmission Distribution
• Other specialty conferences and shows (GITA
  Autovation, CS Week)

84
Leveraging NRECA Resources

• Publications
• Conferences/Trade Shows
• Associate Membership

85
Rural Electric Magazine

• Mission is to help readers become more informed
  participants in the electric utility industry and
  in the business life of their co-ops and local
  communities.
• With nearly 26,000 subscribers, RE Magazine has
  the widest circulation among employees of
  electric co-ops of any utility industry
  magazine.
• Two-thirds of those readers make or affect
  purchasing decisions.

86
NRECA Publications

• Two major publications inform and educate
  members, decision makers and the interested
  public
• Rural Electric Magazine, published monthly
• Electric Co-op TODAY, a weekly newspaper

87
Rural Electric Magazine

• Help readers become more informed about new
  technologies, products and services through
  monthly technical articles and special issues and
  sections.
•  Technical Articles
• Co-op Tech
• Solutions
• Utility Marketplace

88
Rural Electric Magazine

• Special Issues/Sections
• TechAdvantage and Expo Preview (usually
  February)
• Connections Supplement (April and October)
• Buyers Guide (May)
• Directory of Electric Co-ops (July)
• Advertisers Study (September)

89
Rural Electric Magazine

• Associate Members can help by supplying RE with
  examples how they work with co-ops to improve
  their utility operations and enhance customer
  service.
• Check for upcoming topics in the printed media
  kit or at the RE Magazine Web site
  www.remagazine.coop
• Contact us three months ahead of the issue
  date.        

90
Rural Electric Magazine NRECA Contacts

• Co-op Tech and Utility Marketplace Bill Koch,
  [phone], specrep_at_earthlink.net
• Solutions John Lowrey, [phone],
  lowrey_at_aiec.org
• CONNECTIONS Nancy McMahen, [phone],
  nancy.mcmahen_at_nreca.coop
• Editor Perry Stambaugh, [phone],
  perry.stambaugh_at_nreca.coop
• Advertising Danielle Burton, [phone],
  dburton_at_remagazine.org
• Contact us anytime to discuss how your product
  or service helps electric co-ops do a better job
  for their consumers

91
NRECA Conferences and Expos

• Overview of NRECAs Conferences and Expos

92
Overview of Conferences
93
Identifying Conference Topicsand Speakers

• Electric Cooperative Business Network
• Access e-communities of electric cooperative
  employees to identify key issues, objectives, and
  potential speakers for conferences
• NRECA input
• Year-round input welcome, especially on hot
  topics and new technologies
• Call for Presentations-6-9 months before each
  conference

94
Participants Have Told Us

• They like to hear co-op success stories
• They like to hear directly from the co-ops
• Case studies
• They do NOT prefer to hear sales talks
• They want practical information to take home.
  This is the way they can sell ideas to
  management.
•  
• BOTTOM LINE The more success stories you have
  with co-ops, the higher your chances are to get
  the word out about your products.

95
Associate Membership
96
Marketing Opportunities

• Sponsorships
• Program Advertising
• Golf Tournament
• Exhibits
• Presentation Opportunities
• Networking

97
Associate Member Benefits

• Increased exposure to electric utility
  decision-makers
• Access to electric utility industry information
• Valuable networking opportunities
• Potential for sales, partnering and other
  business alliances

98
Types of Memberships

• NRECA offers you a choice of three associate
  membership levels designed to fit the needs of
  your company and your business
• Silver Associate Member
• Gold Associate Member
• Platinum Associate Member

99
Exposure Benefitsfor Associate Members

• Subscription to Rural Electric Magazine
• Annual Subscription to Electric Co-op Today
• Designation in the Annual Network
  Services/Associate Membership Directory
• Designation in our Annual Buyer's Guide
• Access to NRECA Conferences and Seminars
• Associate Member Logo for Print Advertising
• Certificate of Associate Membership
• Link to NRECA's Home Page
• IFS Benefits
• Access to NRECA member database
• Listing In NRECAs Buyers Guide
• 2010 Network Services/Associate Membership
  Directory
• Rural Electric Magazine Utility Marketplace
  section
• CONNECTIONS RE Magazine Supplement
• Listing in NRECAs Membership Directory
  Published in July issue of RE Magazine

100
Exposure Benefits forGold and Platinum Associate
Members

• All Silver Associate Member benefits, plus
• Discounts on Space at TechAdvantage Expo
• VIP Suite at TechAdvantage Expo
• Discounts on Full-Page, Four-Color Ads in RE
  Magazine
• One complimentary registration to the CEO
  Leadership Conference
• One complimentary registration to the Marketing
  to Co-ops Workshop

101
Exposure Benefits forPlatinum Associate Members

• All Silver Associate Member Benefits, plus
• Complimentary Space and Discounts on Space at
  TechAdvantage Expo
• VIP Suite at TechAdvantage Expo
• One Free Full-Page, Four-Color Ad in RE Magazine
• One Free ½-Page, Black White Ad in RE Magazine
• Platinum Associate Membership Plaque
• 12,000 Annual Dues

102
Leveraging NRECA Resources

• Questions?

103
Marketing to Co-ops

• Doing Business With Cooperatives
• Panel Discussion

104
Vendor Panel

• Members of panel have spent years working with
  co-ops
• Are Platinum Associate Members and Affiliate
  Members of NRECA
• All have extensive knowledge of co-op business
  practices, sales cycles and business needs

105
Final Points Selling to Co-ops

• Assist - dont pester
• Understand position and perspective
• Do homework for the co-op
• Be available - not underfoot
• Price to co-op pocketbook
• Produce what you promise
• Provide Excellent Customer Service

106
Appendix Resource Information

• 2007/2008 NRECA Annual Report
• About NRECA Brochure
• Associate Member Brochure and web site on
  nreca.coop
• Touchstone Energy web site on www.touchstoneenerg
  y.com
• 2010 TechAdvantage Exhibitor Prospectus
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 2009 Connect Exhibitor Prospectus
• 2009 New and Emerging Technologies Exhibitor
  Prospectus (for information only)
• CONNECTIONS Supplement Information
• Rural Electric Magazine Media Kit

107
Final Points - Selling To Co-ops

• Final Questions?