It’s springtime and for Sales + Marketing Ideas readers, that can only mean one thing: it’s time for the annual look at The Nationals model home winners. Jan Mitchell shows us that even in a recession, the 2011 Model Home Gold winners proved they could shine!

Also in this issue…

• Making Tough Decisions: Who to Hire and How to Fire
  by JoAnne Williams
  
  
Staying in the game with less than the best players doesn’t make sense. A guide to recruiting – and eliminating.


• How Innovative Marketers are Braving the Bold New World of Social Media
  by Jil Blumberg Froman and Amber Turner
  
  
The marketing industry is experiencing its first significant paradigm shift in many years. Two case studies on integrating social media into a marketing strategy.

Plus, Roger Fiehn, Fellow, MIRM offers timely advice in his article, “Developing a Survival Plan” and Erik Cofield answers frequently asked questions about the lead-generation and follow-up programs available today in “CRM Systems: Real-World Q&A.” 

For more information, please visit www.smimagazine.com.