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 Bness
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.
Brand Builder: Recyclable and Reversible Totes Price Sla sh: 30%
ch! a e 2 3 . 2 $ Off! As low as
Get your name out there while providing
carrying materials. Or consider using them as
customers with something they will use
employee holiday gifts or product/campaign
often. These reversible bags are black on
roll outs—stuffing them with additional items
one side and either red or royal blue on
for a contained presentation.
the reverse side. Imprint size is huge (10”
Contact promo@FinelinePrintingGroup.com
x 8”) with your logo of choice. These are
or get more details on our website at
ideal giveaways for tradeshows or any
FinelinePrintingGroup.com/brandbuilder.pdf.
special event when attendees need help Each month Fineline chooses a promotional or apparel product to heavily discount. These are limited time offers and available to the general public. To see our full catalog of products, go to FinelinePrintingGroup.com/promo/.
2 n Bness 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 Bness 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. Jensen Home Page
Joe West
Home
Page 1 of 2
My Profile
Log Out
Catalog
Submit Job
Shopping Cart
Order Manager
Reports
Search Catalog...
Benefit Summary • Save Money • Save Time • Get 24/7 Access • Be Green • Manage Your Brand • Eliminate Delays
Access all information via your custom home page—within one or two clicks.
Jensen Follow-up Letter Unicode - VDP
http://store.printable.com/printone/home.aspx?uigroup_id=3859
Jensen Bank Baseball Cap Jensen Bank branded baseball cap fe an embroidered patch logo on the fro fitted cap is made of wool. Fit may va depending on the construction, mater manufacturer.
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 Bness 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.
Got Something To Talk About?
Business Forum
Have your message reach over 4000 business men and women... for FREE.
How to Reach Us
Published by Fineline Printing Group
Fineline is offering its customers free editorial space in our Business Forum newsletters. If you have news, announcements, or an article that would be of interest
317.872.4490 ext 228 317.870.4410 fax editor@FinelinePrintingGroup.com www.FinelinePrintingGroup.com
to the Indiana business community, send it to our editor for consideration in an upcoming newsletter. Our space is limited so selection will be based on anticipated appeal to our audience and timeliness of content. Send submissions to editor@FinelinePrintingGroup.com.
SM
8 n Bness Forum SM