September 2010 Business Forum

Your Sales, Marketing, and Business Management Newsletter

September 2010

Inside This Issue: Page 2 Business Quotes Brand Builder Books in Review: Frontline Profit Machine

Page 3 Your Number-One Salesperson: Your Website

Page 4 Design Forum: Proofing: The Most Important Step

Page 5 Technology Forum: Manage Your Printing Online & 24/7

Page 6 In That Year Customer Profile: IUPUI Athletics How Much Will It Cost Me?

Your Number-One Salesperson:

Your Website

Page 7 Fineline University Recap: List Hygiene Essentials Guess Who I Am

Page 8 Difficult Customers Made Easier

We will not ask for your business until we can help you improve it.

8081 Zionsville Rd • Indianapolis, IN 46268 317.872.4490 • www.FinelinePrintingGroup.com info@FinelinePrintingGroup.com

n Strictly Bness

Books in Review

Business Quotes

Who’s on the frontline at your company? Are you confident they are doing the best they can to make the customer feel secure in choosing your

“Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.”

—Zig Ziglar

company, and turning that feeling of security into a sale? Ziad Khoury points out in his book Frontline Profit Machine that while business owners have little control over their competitors, they have absolute

“If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep getting what we’re getting.”

—Stephen Covey

control over the performance of their team and the people they allow to be a part of that team.

He goes so far as to say that “improving the service and sales ability of the frontline—the customer-facing staff—usually provides the opportunity for the biggest upside impact for the

“Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see farther.”

—J.P. Morgan

organization.”

Khoury has developed a system called the Khoury

Frontline Profit Machine

“Good leadership consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people.”

— John D. Rockefeller

Performance Equation that he has used for over 15 years to help companies reach their performance potential. In this book, he shares the steps involved in this equation in hopes of helping companies

by Ziad Y. Khoury

optimize sales and service performance. The three

The blueprint for exploding profits with your existing sales and service team.

areas addressed in the KPE are: creating the right environment; ensuring the right personnel fit; and executing the right action.

Using the KPE as his foundation, Khoury has written a book with the blueprint to build a lasting organization.

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2 n Bness Forum

Your Number-One Salesperson: Your Website Are you frustrated by the lack of business your website generates? By making some simple changes, you can improve the effectiveness of your site. These changes will lead to increased online visibility, more quality traffic, and more inbound leads that build your business.

Ask yourself this question:

• It’s not about you. Is the copy

• Measure and improve.

Who is your number-one

on your homepage about you or

How’s the traffic on your site?

salesperson? Is it your website?

about your audience? Remember

Be sure you are looking at your

If you’re honest with yourself,

that people really only care

traffic reports at least once a week,

your company website should be

about their problems, their needs,

if not more. What kinds of search

your best salesperson: it doesn’t

and their issues. Address those

terms are people using to find your

eat, sleep, or ask for time off, and

points before unveiling your

site? Are there other sites or blogs

it has the potential to increase the

corporate history, hours, or even

that are sending traffic your way?

sales for your company in ways

your products and services.

Have you experienced a spike or

salespeople cannot. It is always

• Get people actively involved.

slowdown in traffic? If so, why?

on, always providing information,

There are many ways to involve

Answering these questions will let

and always accepting orders.

people with your company through

you determine what you should

Isn’t it time you started treating

your website. Invite them

do to enhance your Web presence.

it like the superstar it is? Follow

to download articles, enter

You may find yourself adding

this advice to increase the

contests, take surveys, or click

more videos to YouTube, spending

effectiveness of your website:

links. Passive visitors don’t

less time producing podcasts,

buy; involved visitors become

or increasing the number of daily

customers.

Twitter posts in order to encourage

• Can people find you? You can have the most cutting-edge website on the planet, but unless

• The sales funnel. Your website

the right flow of traffic.

The bottom line is this: keep

people can find it, it won’t sell

has to be more than an online

more products than a plain site.

brochure. Its goal is to take them

your finger on the pulse of your

You must pay attention to SEO

through the steps to purchasing

website. Don’t let it atrophy.

(Search Engine Optimization)

products and services from your

A dead website won’t get the

if you want your website

company. Take a moment

job done. A site that is alive and

to succeed. Perform a keyword

to consider what a visitor to your

relevant to your customers’ needs

analysis and make sure the words

site wants to accomplish, and make

is an unstoppable force.

your prospects use to search

it as painless as possible to reach

appear throughout your website,

that goal. The path from first click

especially in your title tags,

to “Place My Order” should be

headers, body copy, and

mapped out with clear calls-to-

intrasite links.

action that reveal the next steps.

September 2010 n 3

Design Forum: Tips and Ideas for Graphic Designers

n Did You Know?

Proofing: The Most Important Step Follow these essential proofing tips to ensure a perfect printed piece.

By Sandy Kessel, Marketing Associate at Fineline Printing Group It is true what they say: “You learn something new every day.” As a recent college graduate, I know that my education will never end. When I started at Fineline a year ago, I soon

Richard Miller

discovered that commercial and digital print is as complex as it is fascinating.

Working in the marketing department, I’ve found proofing to be the most important step

n Fineline was founded in 1981 by

to produce an effective, error-free piece; once it is approved, you’re committed to what’s

Argentinean-born Richard Miller.

on file. This is a process I developed and use when reviewing each final draft that comes across

n The only part of the body that has no

my desk:

blood supply is the cornea in the eye.

It takes in oxygen directly from the air.

• Re-read everything. Re-read everything carefully and with an open mind. Too often the

n There are 1,792 steps to the top of the

typos and grammar mistakes are missed because they have been there since the beginning.

Eiffel Tower.

Our minds play tricks on us and we can still “read” the word even if it is misspelled.

• Review the paragraphs as an image. Take a step back and look at the layout of the copy

n The largest toy distributor in the world is McDonald’s.

almost as if the copy is an image itself. Check for the following: Are there widows or

n Americans on average eat 18 acres

orphans (stand-alone copy that has been separate from its paragraph)? Is the copy filling the

of pizza every day.

allotted space appropriately? Is spacing consistent? Are font sizes and styles consistent?

• Review the page as a whole. Take another step back and look at the page. Do all of the

n During the American Civil War, 185,000 troops died in combat or

images look like they belong together? Are the images spaced out and aligned cohesively?

of battle-related wounds; 373,000 died

Is there a consistent feel and style to each image? If you have copy overlaying an image, is it

of disease.

clear and readable?

n It is impossible for a solar eclipse to last

• Review the entire piece. Look at the entire piece. Did you maintain a consistent approach throughout each page? If there is bleed from page to page, does it match? Is the main

for more than 7 minutes 58 seconds.

message and emphasis placed correctly?

• Review your images. Check your logos, photos, and images for their individual appearance.

Business Funnies

®

Factors such as proportions and resolution have a big impact on your piece’s overall message. A crisp visual gives a clean and appealing feel. (To review optimal resolution for vector and raster images, visit FinelinePrintingGroup.com/docs/PrintSpecs.pdf.)

• What would you do differently? Before you sign off on your piece, think about what you would do differently if you could. A different image or a different placement? It might be painful to change your piece in this late stage. But if it would improve the value and impact of your piece, it will be worth the effort.

• Get a second opinion. A fresh pair of eyes is a great asset to have. Invariably someone else will see something you have missed. Having someone else around the office, or even at home, can provide a fresh perspective.

These might be steps you have taken in the initial artwork development stages. Still, checking anything twice has its benefits. Remember, your finished piece represents your organization.

“Our computer shows you have a faulty alternator, a weak battery, and you’re three days late on your auto loan payment.”

4 n Bness Forum

You want it to have the right, polished message. It is always better to be safe and take the time to proof properly than to be sorry later.

Technology Forum: Tips and Ideas for Marketers and Print Buyers Manage Your Printing, Online and 24/7 Understand why more and more companies are turning to print-on-demand and document management solutions.

By Joe West, Director of E-Business at Fineline Printing Group Saas Infrastructure: Because of the

If you have multiple purchasing

Seamless ERP Integration: Most systems

personnel, remote locations, important

Software as a Service (Saas) delivery model,

easily integrate with a variety of corporate

branding guidelines, and/or sales channels

you’re up and running without the hassle of

Intranet, e-procurement, and enterprise

involved in co-op marketing, you should

servers, software, installations, viruses, and

resource planning applications. Your users

consider an online document management

other resources.

don’t have to learn a new interface to use the

Brand Management: You determine

system. Also known as print-on-demand and web-to-print, these are automated

which elements are fixed and which are

solutions for creating, printing, and

flexible. This guarantees enforcement

managing the delivery of static, versioned,

various features; they simply place orders using their own familiar software.

Environmentally Responsible:

of corporate identity and design standards.

Because you minimize waste of paper and

Just-in-Time Fulfillment: With a few

the resources needed to produce collateral,

and variable data pieces.

clicks, your order is processed and company

you reduce the cost and impact

press-ready templates via an Internet

forms, stationery, and marketing collateral

on the environment.

browser-based portal to request items

are delivered just in time. You get real-time

and follow jobs through the production

access to accurate counts and the reorder

to schedule a consultation, email me at

and fulfillment process. This cuts the middle

alerts; this ensures that you always have

joew@FinelinePrintingGroup.com.

man out of the print purchasing process,

product available, when you need it.

Essentially, you use pre-defined and

Print Spend Control and Analysis:

so you spend less and get product faster.

Some of the benefits of document

These systems can utilize cost centers

management and print-on-demand

to provide purchasing and spending controls.

systems include:

The robust reporting features let you analyze

24/7 Ordering from Unlimited Users:

To learn more about these systems or

metrics like print-on-demand versus print-

You can let anyone that you want access

to-warehouse. You can budget and forecast

your storefront from any Internet browser,

more accurately for future needs.

any time. It’s essentially a marketing store that your entire organization can use.

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Joe West

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8/11/2010

September 2010 n 5

n In That Year

1998 n Smoking is banned in all California bars and restaurants. n Suspected “Unabomber” Theodore Kaczynski pleads guilty, and accepts a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. n Dale Earnhardt wins the Daytona 500 on his 20th attempt. n Titanic wins 11 Oscars at the 70th Academy Awards. n With maximum sustained winds of 180 mph, Hurricane Mitch makes landfall in Central America.

It was the most powerful storm of the hurricane season. n Jesse Ventura, former professional wrestler, is elected governor of Minnesota. n Daimler-Benz completes a merger with Chrysler Corporation to form Daimler-Chrysler. n Hugo Chávez Frías, former member of the Venezuelan

Customer Profile: IUPUI Athletics IUPUI is regarded as Indiana’s premier urban

• Former Jag George Hill was chosen in the

university. Recently, U.S. News and World Report

2008 NBA Draft and is a guard for the San

ranked it as one of the top 15 “up and coming”

Antonio Spurs.

American universities, and Forbes ranked it as the

• Men’s head basketball coach Ron Hunter has

eighth best public college in the Midwest.

earned national acclaim during his 17-year

The Athletics Department offers 14 varsity

career helping collect shoes for those in need.

sports (eight women’s/six men’s) with over 230 student-athletes. Nearly 80% of the athletes hail

Those wishing to be involved with IUPUI

from Indiana, most among any in-state NCAA

Athletics can do so in a number of ways:

Division I School.

• Purchase tickets to a game.

• Volunteer on a Jaguars Athletics Club Board

Some interesting facts about IUPUI Athletics:

of Directors subcommittee.

• In 2009-10, student-athletes combined

• Sign your child up for the Junior Jaguars Club

to achieve a 3.02 GPA and performed 1,400

to receive free admission to IUPUI events,

hours-plus of community service. Six student-

a Junior Jags Kids Club t-shirt, a birthday card

athletes were chosen among the university’s

from Jinx the Jaguar, and invitations

Top 100 Students.

to special events.

• Last year, sophomore Chen Ni earned the Contact Trevor MacDonald at

program’s first-ever NCAA Championship

twmacdon@iupui.edu or 317-278-5216

in the platform diving competition.

for more information.

• The women’s soccer program has won the past two Summit League crowns. www.IUPUIJags.com

Facebook@IUPUI Athletics

military and politician, is elected president of Venezuela.

Fineline periodically profiles customers in the Business Forums. If you are a current customer and would like to be featured, contact your account manager or contact us at editor@FinelinePrintingGroup.com to express your interest.

How Much Will It Cost Me? Does your company have a price list

Down to Business 6 n Bness Forum

representatives can review the price list with

detailing the prices for each of your products

them and explain any deals or price breaks

or services? If not, here are some reasons

you may be offering.

why it might be a good idea to create one:

• It makes discounts seem more real and

• It shows you have standardized pricing.

significant. By seeing the actual prices you

Everybody who enters your store or talks

charge for products and services printed

to one of your outside sales reps receives

on paper, customers will gain a better

identical pricing information.

appreciation for any discounts you provide.

• It serves as a great visual aid. When

• It enhances your image. Customers will

customers enter your lobby with questions

see you as a vendor they can count on to be

about pricing, your customer-service

organized, professional, and on the ball.

Fineline University Recap List Hygiene Essentials:

n Guess Who I Am This man was born in Jamestown, New York on February 19, 1959. His

How Maintaining Your Data Treats Both the Environment and Your Customers With Respect This is the first of four articles summarizing key takeaways from the August 2010 Fineline University: The Profits & Power of Direct Mail and speaker Mary Ann Bennett of The Bennett Group. Next month’s recap will be on Variable Data Printing and will be featured in our October E-Forum. To get Fineline’s E-Forum, Mail Advisories, and more, go to http://tinyurl.com/finelineoptin.

father was a U.S. senator. In 1971, his family moved to Bronxville, New York where he was a three-sport athlete. He captained the football, basketball, and baseball teams and was named his school’s athlete of the year. Unfortunately, injuries prevented

A primary goal when you mail is to get the piece

1. Zip+4

in the mailbox of the intended recipient. You also

Zip+4 is the “cornerstone of automation

him from playing college football.

In 1981, this man graduated

probably want to maximize automation discounts

discounts.” Things to know about the “+4”:

from Washington & Jefferson College

to save costs. And, you may need to get the piece

• They change all the time as the geography and

in Washington, Pennsylvania

to the recipient as soon as possible.

mail volumes change. Make sure you—or your

with a degree in Economics.

There is one thing you must do to achieve all

mailing provider—run your list against

A year after graduation, he began

of these goals: barcode your mail piece.

a reputable CASS-certified software to update

an administrative internship at the

According to Mary Ann Bennett, it is going

your records.

league office of the NFL in New York.

to happen anyway so you might as well take

• CASS stands for Coding Accuracy Support

The following year, he joined the New

the lead. The benefits are many. In addition to

System which is maintained by the USPS.

York Jets as an intern, but returned

increasing deliverability and reducing postage

There are certified CASS software vendors

to the league office in 1984 to serve

costs, you will also:

approved by the USPS.

as an assistant in the public-relations

• Reduce printing costs

• If you purchase a mailing list, make sure it is

department.

• Reduce processing costs

Zip+4 encoded and is CASS certified. If it

From there he was appointed

• Increase response rates

isn’t, don’t buy it!

assistant to the president of the

• Be more eco-friendly

To read the full recap and learn about the next article,

American Football Conference

There are three lenses to look thorough when

go to: FinelinePrintingGroup.com/learn/article0910.pdf

and took on a variety of roles until

assessing your list(s):

his appointment to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in December of 2001.

During his tenure as COO, he worked extensively on league expansion, realignment, stadium development, and the launch of the NFL Network. On August 8, 2006, after five rounds of voting, this man was chosen to serve as the commissioner of the NFL. He is married to Fox News Channel anchor Jane Skinner and the two have twin daughters.

This man is none other than Roger Goodell.

September 2010 n 7

• Judgmental. Characteristics: Confident and informed, yet often arrogant and condescending. Solution: Be sure to know your stuff. Ask questions and listen intently.

• Indecisive. Characteristics: Practical and hardworking, but have a hard time making decisions. Solution: Provide thorough answers, emphasize results, and don’t push or rush their decision.

• Unresponsive. Characteristics: Reserved, quiet, and have a hard time expressing themselves. Solution: Ask open-ended

Sales Achievers

questions, and wait patiently for answers.

• Hostile. Characteristics: Extremely critical and insulting, while refusing to listen to reason. Solution: Remain calm, let them

Difficult Customers Made Easier

blow off some steam, and follow up with a feasible solution.

Surely every salesperson has had the

• Pessimistic. Characteristics: Gloomy,

• Excitable. Characteristics: Energetic

opportunity to deal with a “difficult”

and talkative, but likely to have difficulty

customer. Next time you have the chance,

focusing. Solution: Be ready to answer

rather than simply avoiding them, step

a variety of questions and find creative

up to the challenge by considering their

solutions, while concentrating on the overall

character type, and adjust your selling efforts

big picture.

accordingly. Chances are, if they’re difficult

• Sensitive. Characteristics: Caring and

with you, they’re difficult with other vendors

empathetic, but prefer chatting to doing

as well. If you can win them over, they may

business. Solution: Take the time to make

change their tune and become loyal customers.

a personal connection, while emphasizing

Here are some examples of how you can deal

how their decision can have a positive

with various personalities:

impact on everyone involved.

negative, and have a tendency to view the downside of everything. Solution: Discuss negative opinions first, and then concentrate on the positive aspects of a solution.

• Disorganized. Characteristics: Busy and overwhelmed, with a tendency to set aside or forget things. Solution: State the facts clearly, and stress ways that your offer could make their life easier.

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8 n Bness Forum SM