Canvas Magazine | Down, but Not Out

P4 Turning the Tables P5 NAPL Q&A with Mike Philie

CANVAS SUPPORTING THE PRINT SALES & MARKETING PROFESSIONAL

P6 Hot Technologies P7 Reasons that Compel Consumers to Open Their Direct Mail P8 People News P10 Standard Operating Procedure P23 Product Spotlight P24 Women in Print Sales P30 Ethics vs. Revenue P36 Life After Death

APRIL 2009

P40 Book Recommendation: How to Be Like Walt

Down, But Not Out How three print industry veterans are turning a bad economy into opportunities

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APRIL 2009

Publisher’s Thoughts Now is the Time

P4

Turning the Tables Making the new media work for you

P5

The NAPL’s Mike Philie answers your print sales questions P6

Hot Technologies A conversation with the NAPL’s Howie Fenton on Web-to-print technology

P7

Reasons that Compel Consumers to Open Their Direct Mail P8

People News Svec Teagle & Little

P10

Standard Operating Procedure Preparing for the worst so you can be at your best

P14

Down, But Not Out How three print industry veterans are turning a bad economy into opportunities

P23

Product Spotlight manroland iPaper CMS

P24

Women in Print Sales Print industry veteran Michelle Bracali gets to the heart of why women have made a successful contribution to print sales

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PUBLISHER

EDITORIAL BOARD

mark potter

lisa arsenault McArdle Printing Co.

MANAGING EDITOR

gary cone Litho Craft, Inc.

graham garrison

peter douglas Lake County Press

ART DIRECTOR brent cashman

aaron grohs Consolidated Graphics, Inc.

CONTRIBUTORS

ron lanio Geographics, Inc.

Linda Bishop, Michelle Bracali, Colleen Oakley and Brian Sullivan

randy parkes Lithographix, Inc.

Ethics vs. Revenue Determining what’s right and wrong in the print sales landscape.

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Life After Death How a dead sale can bring life to your career

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How to Be Like Walt CANVAS magazine FOR MORE INFORMATION: 678.473.6131 6555 Sugarloaf Parkway Duluth, GA 30097

CANVAS, Volume 3, Issue 2. Published bi-monthly, copyright 2009 CANVAS, All rights reserved. Subscriptions: $29.00 per year for individuals.

If you would like to subscribe or notify us of address changes, please contact us at 6555 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite 307, Duluth, Georgia 30097.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CANVAS, 6555 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite 307, Duluth, Georgia 30097. Please note: The acceptance of advertising or products mentioned by contributing authors does not constitute endorsement by the publisher. Publisher cannot accept responsibility for the correctness of an opinion expressed by contributing authors. Periodicals Postage Paid at Norcross, GA and at additional mailing offices.

CANVAS magazine is dedicated to environmentally and socially responsible operations. We are proud to print this magazine on Sappi Opus® Dull Cover 80lb/216gsm and Opus Dull Text 80lb/118gsm, an industry leading environmentally responsible paper. Opus contains 10% post consumer waste and FSC chain of custody certification.

CANVAS

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Now is the Time

A

Are you in or are you out? Seriously, what’s it going to be? Are you going to be part of the new landscape and the creative solutions that will be born out of this time? Do you have the

CANVAS

stomach for it?

I’m tired of everybody telling me that they are cutting their budgets and just trying to hang on. We

lost our way a long time ago. Our relentless focus on the short term and maximizing shareholder value is no way to run a business, an industry, or a country.

It takes risk to build business. As Helen Keller stated, “security is mostly a superstition. It does not

PUBLISHER’S THOUGHTS

exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing”.

Most of you know my opinion that this country was built by an entrepreneurial spirit. The cornerstone of our country and our industry is small business, and the courage that comes from risking it all for a

Venture capital in the modern day forces a shortterm, short-sighted focus.

Let’s gut it out and build our business around a cause. cause. Well, ask yourself what companies have a true cause? Now, you don’t have to start your own company to be an entrepreneur. I think the definition is more expansive.

The term entrepreneur applies to someone who creates value by offering a product or service. Entrepreneurs often have strong beliefs about a market opportunity and organize their resources effectively to accomplish an outcome that changes existing interactions.

The reality of our situation is that new cottage industries and grass roots initiatives will be the driving force in the new day. There is no quick fix, and there sure ain’t gonna be any bailout money to help us get started. Venture capital in the modern day forces a short-term, short-sighted focus. Let’s gut it out and build our business around a cause.

So, I’ll ask again. What’s it going to be? “Oh poor us,” or “it is what it is and let’s rock”? I bet that a good portion of you will choose the latter. However, when are you going to choose it? Are you going to wait until there is no other choice, or are you going to realize that it is going to take a long time to build new ideas into profitable business … and that there is no time like the present.

Mark Potter Publisher

P2

CANVAS APRIL 2009

X-Ray Vision

Turning the Tables Making the new media work for you

by Cyndie Shaffstall

T

“The Rocky Mountain News Publishes Final Edition After 150 Years.” “Amazon Ships

Kindle® 2.” “Free Software Turns the iPhone® into an eBook Reader.” With headlines like this making the news, can we convince our customers that print is still a viable medium?

Over the past decade, there’s been chatter about the end of print, but is that really

where we are headed? If so, where will we be in 10 years? … in five?

It’s unbelievable that headlines are actually driving the decisions of so many today,

but it does seem to be the case. Those online headlines can work for us or against us.

It’s up to us to ensure that the right message — our message — is heard.

The drivers For several months I have been digging into social-media optimization, and since 2001, Cyndie Shaffstall is editor and publisher of X-Ray Magazine.

I have been working with search-engine optimization. These two efforts usually go hand in hand, and you can put them to work.

She has authored or co-authored

On the Web, there are a few major players in the search engine category, with Google

nearly a dozen books on

at the top. Google has fully automated applications that scour Web sites, creating a list

computer software, and self-

of the content. This is called indexing a site. Once Google has created this list, when a

published her first, QuarkXPress:

user searches for a term or phrase, Google checks its list and returns results. The most

Making the Most of Your

relevant results are listed first. Working to position your company at the top of these

Negative Experiences.

results is called search-engine optimization (SEO).

Social-media optimization (also called viral marketing) is the word-of-mouth ap-

About ThePowerXChange and X-Ray Magazine

proach. It depends upon online social gatherings to spread messaging. If you’ve not delved into Facebook®, Twitter ®, Plaxo®, or LinkedIn®, now’s the time.

X-Ray Magazine (www.xraymag.com) touches

Using SEOs and SMOs

on a wide variety of topics that

A quick search on Google and you’ll find countless results showing economic miseries

are of interest to the designer,

and companies going out of business; but try to find good news about print and sud-

press, prepress, publishing,

denly it’s a challenge.

and Web-content creator

You can change this, however. In print, verbally, and, yes, online — customer testi-

professional. It is a publication

monials are good news. Just like we’ve done for years in our self-promotional materials,

of ThePowerXChange, LLC

telling a good story or sharing a win influences buyers. You have customers who are

(www.thepowerxchange.com),

still experiencing wins with print. They have launched a campaign, created a beautiful

which distributes thousands

coffee table book, or maybe created a variable-data project that taxed your resources,

of extensions-based products

but which you delivered on time and with measurable results. This is great news beg-

used with applications such as QuarkXPress, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat, as well as many stand-alone applications for the designer, publisher, printer, and Web-content creator.

ging to be shared. Here are some ideas on how to share it.

UÊÊ7À ÌiÊ>Ê«ÀiÃÃÊÀi i>Ãi]ÊLÕÌÊ ÃÌi>`Ê vÊ > }Ê ÌÊ ÕÌ]Ê« ÃÌÊ ÌÊ Ê http://www.free-press-release.com/.

UÊÊ Ài>ÌiÊ>Ê i` Ê iÌÜ À Ê> `Ê Û ÌiÊ> Ê vÊÞ ÕÀÊVÕÃÌ iÀðÊ* ÃÌÊÕ«`>ÌiÃ]Ê> `ÊLÀ>}Ê about customer achievements to other customers. (Be sure to get the necessary permissions.) Talk about new equipment or services that you are offering.

UÊÊ ``Ê>Ê}> iÀÞÊÌ ÊÞ ÕÀÊV «> ÞÊ7iLÊà ÌiÊ> `Ê« ÃÌÊÌ iÊ ÕÌÃÌ> ` }Ê« iViðÊ-« à ÀÊ>Ê design contest and promote it to your LinkedIn network and through press releases.

UÊÊ Ài>ÌiÊ>VV Õ ÌÃÊ ÀÊ}À Õ«ÃÊÜ Ì Ê/Ü ÌÌiÀ]Ê* >Ý ]Ê } i]Ê> `Ê9> Á°Ê > iÊ>ÊV mitment to posting news bites. It doesn’t have to be about you, it can be anything relevant to your members or followers.

The Web, eBooks, and online marketing do not have to be your competitors. They can be the reason you succeed when your competitors do not. When your customer is doing a search on Google for a printshop, make sure that your shop is the one they find and that there are pages and pages of positive, creative messaging.

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

NAPL The NAPL’s Mike Philie answers your print sales questions Follow-up Dear Mike, I’m new to the printing industry and I wanted to ask a question regarding follow-up with a prospect after the initial contact. I am interested in keeping in contact with some of my previous business contacts; one in particular is my recent employer. How do I keep in touch and in-front of the marketing director without “burning” my connection to them? I still have contacts within the company, so I can get insider information without having to “bother” the director, who has been given numerous other hats to wear beyond just his marketing role.

Regards, Paul

Mike Philie

Mike: Hi Paul, Good question. I would add him to your list of “follow-up with interesting ideas” clients.

Keep a file of interesting print marketing ideas, and on a periodic basis (every other month, or quarterly) write a summary document/letter that can go out to this list. It’s a way to stay in touch and let them know that you’re thinking about their business, without taking a lot of your time or theirs.

Have a Question?

Send it to DearMike@napl.org

Carving out time Dear Mike, My manager says that I need to get in front of people every day. I don’t disagree, but when I usually visit, they don’t have time or can’t see me. How can I plan my day better?

About the Author Mike Philie is a vice

Help, Tony

president and consultant with NAPL (www.napl.org).

Mike: Dear Tony,

With 28 years of sales,

Different parts of the country have different protocols for meetings with clients. In some areas,

management and

dropping in is perfectly acceptable, while in others it’s a huge waste of time. I would highly

executive leadership in

recommend that you have a specific reason to meet with a client and that you communicate

the printing industry,

that with them prior to the meeting. Give them a valid reason why they should carve out 20 to

he helps companies

40 minutes to meet with you. What’s in it for them? The better you can answer that question,

optimize their business

the better the chances you’ll have in meeting with them.

and increase shareholder value. He advises clients

ABCs of SICs

on market and business

Dear Mike,

strategy, sales and

Are SIC codes a useful way to find new prospects?

business development, sales and executive

Signed, Searchin’

coaching, leading organizational change,

Mike: Dear Searchin’

business turnarounds, and

Using SIC codes is one way to go, but only if you know what you are looking for. Take a look at

providing interim C-level

your best existing customers. What SIC codes do they fit into? If you are looking for prospects

management services.

that might look like your current good clients then yes, SIC codes could be a good search tool

He can be reached at

to find others within the geographical areas that you are prospecting. Remember, search early,

mphilie@napl.org or at

search often…

(410) 489-7188.

CANVAS

P5

Technology Corner

Hot Technologies A conversation with the NAPL’s Howie Fenton on Web-to-print technology

Editor’s Note:

Howie Fenton: In my opinion, two things determine a hot technology. From a sales

In order to stay ahead of the

and value proposition viewpoint, a hot technology is something that helps address

latest technological trends in

a customer need, such as convenience in the way you do business. From an opera-

the print industry, CANVAS asked

tional viewpoint, a hot technology is something that helps increase productivity, such

the NAPL’s Howie Fenton to give

as faster turnaround times and reduced manufacturing costs. Ultimately this helps

his insight into what he considers

your value proposition also, because two of the most important issues to overcome

hot technologies, and how it will impact your value.

today are turnaround time and competitive pricing.

One hot technology that fits this criteria is called Web-to-print. For some customers, the ability to get an estimate online quickly or order a reprint quickly makes their company more convenient. In addition, there are some products such as business

About the Author

from Web-to-print solutions into production with no touches.

I know from my training sessions with salespeople on this subject that the idea of a Web-to-print solution may be considered a threat because it can remove or reduce the role of the salesperson in the process. Admittedly, for certain products it will reduce time spent in estimating and the monitoring of the job as it goes into production.

But is that a bad thing?

Web-to-print technology is readily available, and for those customers who feel it has value and want to use it, they are going to search for and buy from companies that offer it.

There are going to be many hot technologies like Web-to-print that will make ordering easier and produc-

Howie Fenton is an author, trainer

tion more automated. You can try to pretend they don’t exist or don’t work well, and

and consultant with NAPL. For

that may work for some of your customers, for some period of time. But eventually

two decades, he has trained sales

someone else will walk in their door offering this technology, and you will lose

and customer service people on

some customers.

the value of new technology, and

Does this mean that hot technologies will diminish your value as a salesperson? No,

helps companies reduce manu-

it will only diminish the value of those people that ignore it and hope it will go away.

facturing costs and turnaround

From my seminars training about new technology, I have discovered that the best

times. For more information, call

salespeople understand that they must constantly search for new ways to add value,

(800) 642-6275 ext. 6328, or email

and are constantly evaluating and reinventing their value proposition based on new

at hfenton@napl.org

P6

From an operational viewpoint, a hot technology is something that helps increase productivity, such as faster turnaround times and reduced manufacturing costs.

cards or books that can move directly

CANVAS APRIL 2009

products and technology offered by their company. Are you?

Reasons that Compel Consumers to Open Their Direct Mail Vertis Communications’ Customer Focus survey asked adult consumers the question: “Which one of the following makes a difference as to what direct mail you open?”

And the reasons are:

REASON

Timing of the piece arriving coinciding with need for the service/product Consumer’s name on the front of the envelope The package looks interesting A special offer or discount The package looks important Feel something in the package A free gift or token inside Dated material enclosed None of these

TOTAL ADULTS 67% 66% 60%

To read Print in the Mix print

54%

market research studies, go

52%

to www.printinthemix.rit.edu.

51%

Print in the Mix is a free and

42%

easily accessible clearinghouse

35%

of research on print media

5%

effectiveness, published by

Customer Focus® is Vertis Communications’ proprietary annual study tracking consumer media and buying behavior across a wide variety of industry segments and media including advertising inserts, direct marketing, and the Internet.

Source: 2008 Vertis Customer Focus® Direct marketing 2009:Retail DM

the Printing Industry Center at RIT and made possible by a grant from The Print Council (www.theprintcouncil.org).

CANVAS

P7

People News Svec demonstrates green initiative to its customers over the holidays Svec Conway Printing is a dynamic, environmentally committed, 20-person printing firm located in metropolitan Washington, D.C. The objective of its 2008 Holiday Card was to inform clientele of steps taken in the previous year toward becoming a greener business — to “entertain and enlighten, without preaching,” according to the company.

Svec chose to illustrate this point using waste paper as its medium. The cover stock was skid-wrapping paper from Cascades paper deliveries throughout the year — some cards had the logo still visible, others tear marks from sealing tape. French-folded pages made it clear that text pages were over-printed onto makeready sheets (from environmentally conscious client projects), and the printer laid down three hits of opaque white, and a final overlay pass of metallic silver (for a holiday effect) which was reversed out to allow the white text to tell its important story.

Teagle & Little certified FSC print provider

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

Norfolk, Va.-based Teagle & Little an-

use practices, business practices and

nounced that it is now recognized as

consumer behavior.

a certified Forest Stewardship Council

“Many of our clients are very environ-

(FSC) chain-of-custody print provider.

mentally conscious and had requested

As a FSC certified printer, Teagle & Lit-

we get this certification so they could

tle support the use of papers that origi-

show their customers they care,” says

nate from timbers harvested by certified

Greg Jordan, president of Teagle

providers that follow FSC guidelines for

& Little. “Our clients asked and

responsible forestry. Teagle & Little is

we delivered; we can now help cus-

also a recognized Rainforest Alliance

tomers choose FSC certified papers

Certified™ printer. The mission of the

that highlight their environmentally

Rainforest Alliance is to protect ecosys-

responsible choice and include the

tems and the people and wildlife that

FSC and Rainforest Alliance logos

depend on them by transforming land-

on their projects.”

Your clients have high expectations.

速

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XMPie gives you the power to exceed all expectations.

Visit: www.xmpie.com/canvas

HiVcYVgY DeZgVi^c\ EgdXZYjgZ Preparing for the worst so you can be at your best

By Graham Garrison

Deep in California’s Mojave Desert, the United States Army crushes the proud. The National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin is designed to whip combat units into shape and prepare them for desert warfare, insurgencies and handling relationships with testy civilians. The object of the three-week training isn’t to find out what a unit’s strength is – rather, their weaknesses. Then they’re exploited, over and over, until the outfit learns from their mistakes. By the time a brigade packs for the trek home, they’ve gone through as many scenarios as possible, so that when they’re deployed, they are ready to handle almost anything that’s thrown their way.

Too bad print sales reps don’t have an NTC. Think about it. Would you have rather gone through a simulated misstep and gotten advice on how to properly tackle the problem – or thrown into a sticky situation on the job with little guidance and no clear plan of action?

CANVAS enlisted some of the best and brightest in the print industry to draft a set of marching orders for reps in the event of a mistake. Call them our Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The following are scenarios that every rep, at one time or another, has found themselves in. Here’s how to get out of a mess, and how to avoid them in the future.

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

Ä H]^ee^c\ ^chigjXi^dc \dcZ Vlgn " Ddeh Zhi^bVi^c\ " :bV^a^c\ ndjg lVn dji " I]Z WaVbZ \VbZ " B^hXdbbjc^XVi^dc WZilZZc iZVb bZbWZgh " B^h]VcYa^c\ egdd[h

CANVAS

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Standard Operating Procedure

Problem: Shipping instruction gone awry

If a bulk shipment has to be rushed to a location, the customer may

Kimberly Lawton Koon, president and CEO of

not be willing to pay for next-day delivery. And why should they?

Lawton Printers, Inc., cautions reps to avoid a

Thus, printers will have to eat the cost of the shipments for some-

breakneck speed in the sales race. For instance,

thing that could have been avoided earlier in the process.

In short, not being thorough has put the printer in a bad position.

a sales rep may get so excited about a job that he

The challenge is tempering a rep’s enthusiasm for getting the

or she doesn’t take all of the shipping instructions

order and rushing to the next one. Sales managers can help by de-

down when the job ticket is written. While the final

manding a set of protocols for the job ticket for the rep to review,

product can ship quickly with today’s advances in

and CSRs are always a good resource to cross check instructions

technology, if done haphazardly, all it ends up be-

before the job begins, so that all shipping questions are answered

ing is a massive headache for the printer.

on the front end.

“Say the job ships on a Friday,” she says, out-

“Our CSRs are instructed to get the full shipping instructions

lining a scenario. “Friday morning we’ll get a list

prior to printing,” Koon says. “We try to get them when the job is

of 65 locations it has to be drop shipped to. It’s

actually entered.”

a lot of extra work for the bindery. So we’re not bulk boxing. We’re boxing based off of differ-

Problem: Oops estimating

ent locations. Or maybe it needs to be shrink-

A comma here or zero there can turn an estimate into a nightmare.

wrapped, and that’s a last minute thing to do.

“Don’t leave anything to memory because people forget things,”

The shipping and finishing seems to be the last

says Brad Wolff, a sales rep for Integrity Graphics. “When you get

thought. Now, our CSRs are instructed to get all

incorrect information because of an additional comma or no com-

of those addresses, the full information when the

ma — that’s a trademark for disaster.”

proof is approved, so we’re not against the gun or worrying about overtime.”

Reps should first figure out where the mistake was made. Did the customer give incorrect information? Did the rep enter the wrong number by accident?

Was the information gathered over a conversation, and not

“One of most difficult things for new sales reps is when they have to call a customer and say ‘We have a problem.’”

— Brad Wolff, Integrity Graphics

through a written correspondence? If so, that’s the most likely area where the mistake occurred, because there’s no trail, says Wolff.

Any information given verbally should be reviewed electronically or written and confirmed with the customer. Printers have a range of options to avoid these types of errors. Some have Web sites with order pages. Others use checks in email correspondence, or faxed print orders. Whatever the method, a paper trail can eliminate most number miscues.

Problem: Emailing your way out Whether by an act of God or a simple glitch in the production process, one thing is certain: at some point, reps will have to deliver bad news to a client. Chris Poor, VP of Flagship Press, says that the biggest mistake a rep can make in delivering that news is by hitting the send button and letting Outlook do the work.

“Real time communication is the best way to go,” Poor says.

So email is out. Instead, pick up the phone. Or better yet, make a trip over to visit the client if they are within driving distance. A phone call or an in-person visit will go a long way toward rectifying the situation, and, at the very least, it’s considered a courtesy. Hiding behind an email rarely helps the relationship.

Timing is also a factor. Delivering the news early in the process, i.e., as soon as it happens, is preferable to delaying, Poor says.

“Communicate as far ahead of time as possible,” he says.

Problem: The blame game A drying problem. Cracking problem. Scheduling conflict. If these were the factors that led to a mistake or late turnaround of a job, then fine. But if they aren’t, reps should avoid blaming the problem on anything other than what actually caused it, says Wolff.

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

“One of most difficult things for new sales reps is when they have

with the estimators and pre-press departments

to call a customer and say ‘We have a problem,’” says Wolff. “But if

also,” says Koon, “to help them understand what

you don’t do that, it’s going to bite you in the neck.”

goes into the job of a magazine over post cards,

If a customer discovers that the problem the sales rep men-

variable data and personalized URLs.”

tioned was not in fact the reason for the delay, then the relationship is at best strained, at worst severed. In this current environ-

Mastering the fundamentals

ment, reps can’t afford to damage a customer relationship like

Each situation requires its own particular solu-

that, says Wolff.

tion, but if reps can commit to two concepts in

“Suck it up and just deal with it,” says Wolff.

their interactions with customers, they’ll be well on their way to avoiding mistakes. The first is

Problem: Miscommunication between team members

communication – whether it be with finalizing

The sales process is not between just the sales rep and customer.

relationship with the production crew and CSR

Wolff says sales reps can make the mistake of not building a

teams. The second is verification – do you have a

relationship with their CSR back at the plant — and that can lead to

way to review your job tickets with customers and

problems. Miscommunication can create misunderstandings in a job

the production crew so as to avoid typos? Do you

order. If a sales rep is out visiting a customer and can’t be reached,

leave no detail to chance?

the details with a customer, or building a strong

“We have our salespeople spend as much time as possible with the CSR, understanding how jobs are written up, working with the estimators and pre-press departments also.”

— Kimberly Lawton Koon, Lawton Printers, Inc.

it is the CSR who may have to put out a fire with a production job — including communicating the situation with the customer. How else are reps to trust those accounts with their CSRs if they haven’t taken the time to truly build a relationship with them?

“You have to communicate — with customers and with your people inplant,” says Wolff.

It’s a two-way street. CSRs can keep sales reps up-to-date on the production cycle and spot potential problem spots. Sales reps can get CSRs comfortable with talking to clients — preferably the “low maintenance” ones first, then eventually all of the clients.

Problem: Mishandling proofs Oftentimes, misconceptions about the production process lead to incorrect assumptions on the reps’ front. One of the simplest errors occurs when proofs — whether they be PDFs or high-color proofs — are mishandled. A rep may leave the proofs with the customer, when the printer needs them back for the press match and for the binders for the imposition, Koon says. The best way to avoid glitches like that involves putting the reps through the motions of the other departments.

“We have our salespeople spend as much time as possible with the CSR, understanding how jobs are written up, working

CANVAS

P13

Down, But Not How three print industry veterans are turning a bad economy into opportunities

By Colleen Oakley

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

Out

Recession. Ugh. Just the word is enough to make salespeople want to stay in bed in the morning with the covers pulled over their head. But in reality, an economic decline doesn’t have to slow your sales to a halt. It’s possible to not only acquire new clients when the going gets tough, but actually grow your business and prove what you’re made of. “Anybody can be out selling in a good economy,” says Dan Steinborn, president of PrintGlobe. “Now’s the time that favors companies who have a little bit of strength in them to take more market share.”

Three printing professionals tell us how they’re doing just that.

CANVAS

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Down, But Not Out

What the sales associate says Mara Harris, regional southwestern printer 1. Don’t buy into the doom and gloom Scary headlines and dim forecasts can turn your cheery optimism into a half-empty glass before you even have your morning coffee.

“I read the news, but I’m not drinking the Kool-Aid,” says Harris.

“You have to keep some perspective. People are still buying printing and there are still deals out there to make. You may have to work differently or a little harder, but mostly, you just have to be-

“I’m shedding myself of old assumptions that I used to carry with me.”

— Mara Harris, regional southwestern printer

3. Take care of yourself If you’re not on top of your health, you can’t be on top of your game. “I’m training for a marathon, eating right and getting plenty of sleep,” says Harris. “It would be easy to drink too much, eat junk food and fall back on the ‘poor, pitiful, me’ train of thought, but where would that leave me in business?”

4. Call people who have fallen off the map Remember that ad agency five years ago who told you they’d never in a million years switch printers? Call them again. “I’m shedding myself of old assumptions that I used to carry with me,” says Harris. “I’ve called people I had written off who have said, “Yeah, I’d love to see you.’ I didn’t believe those calls would work and that people would want to see me, but they do. I had lost confidence in myself and forgotten that it’s all a numbers game.”

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

lieve. It’s all about the power of positive thinking.”

2. Get back to the basics All of that stuff you learned in sales training? It’s time to brush up on it. “Setting goals, cold-calling more, managing your database.

This is simple stuff, but it works,” says Harris. “There’s a big resort in town that has had a 20-year relationship with another printer. I asked the owner for 15 minutes of his time and he said he didn’t want to change printers. Ordinarily I would have caved in, but in sales school you learn to not give up that easily. So I wrote him a note urging him to consider a new technology we’re using. I haven’t heard back from him yet, but going the extra mile is important.”

Down, But Not Out

What the sales executive says George DeMambro, Acme Printing 1. Be more than a printer “In this economy, you have to offer new customers the fact that you’re not just a printing company — you’re a solutions provider,” says DeMambro. “So not only can you help them with their basic printing needs, but you can go beyond that. Is there something you can provide as far as mailing process? If the product is being delivered somewhere, can you help out with logistics?”

Be the company that meets their needs before they even know they have them.

2. Talk about price up front In this economy, everybody is thinking about how much it’s going to cost, first and foremost, so don’t delay that conversation.

“Be as upfront with the customer as you can,” says DeMambro.

“They have price forces on them so by just ignoring it, you’re not

doing yourself or them a service. Get it right out in the open and try to figure out how they can save money. Whether it’s making a piece smaller, changing papers, or the fact that you have equipment more efficient than the competition.

There’s no sense not talking about price because it’s in their mind.”

3. Network, network, network Phone calls and handshakes are great, but going online is even better. “We have 13 salespeople,” says DeMambro, “and everybody has their own style of networking. But we’ve encouraged everyone to get involved in LinkedIn and Facebook. I used to get one email a month that someone wanted to be in my group on LinkedIn. Now I get one a day. I think people are realizing that this is a great method of finding other people and any kind of networking is going to be good in this economy.”

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

“We have 13 salespeople,” says DeMambro, “and everybody has their own style of networking. But we’ve encouraged everyone to get involved in LinkedIn and Facebook.”

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Down, But Not Out

What the president says Dan Steinborn, PrintGlobe 1. Create an online market If you’re resistant to selling online consider this: you can expand your clients exponentially.

“Local economies go up and down. Things can be good in a town and things can get rough in a town. If all you sell to is that town then it could get increasingly challenging,” says Steinborn. “With the online channel you have a wider

“We’re not going to pull back and wait for the end to come because the reality is, there are still 6+ billion people on the planet.”

— Dan Steinborn, Print Globe

potential audience and can transcend your local

crease customer loyalty and make them say, ‘I want to work with

geography. Experiment with product lines you

that company because of a small difference they made and how

can produce in-house and try to build an online

they gave me service.’ Every business — either for pure survival

revenue stream. There are also excellent third

reasons or out of a desire to grow — needs to continue improving its

party Web stores that can enable you to quickly

customer service.”

sell products online and better compete with other online printing companies.”

3. Take risks “One can look at a time like now philosophically and say it’s a time

P20

2. Improve your customer service

to retreat, a time to hold tightly onto every extra dollar and not

It’s cheap (sometimes free) and can bring in

make any growth initiatives,” says Steinborn. “But I think anybody

new business by the truckload. “If you give out

who has the ability to grow or improve, should. We’re investing

10 quotes, you’re probably going to get at least

more this year than last year; we’re taking advantage of this time

three of those jobs,” says Steinborn, “but you

period knowing that a great many people will be in a state of

have to ask yourself: Why didn’t you get five or

paralysis. We’re not going to pull back and wait for the end to come

six? Everybody can improve customer service.

because the reality is, there are still 6+ billion people on the planet.

One time we bought a bag of Hershey’s kisses

And when the fear that’s gripped everyone is released, people will

and gave one to every customer that came into

get back to their lives, back to their businesses, back to buying and

the lobby. It cost, what, a whole 2 cents a per-

selling, and your company can come out on top. Take this oppor-

son? But how many people aren’t doing that?

tunity to make your business stronger so when the customers do

There’s always something you can do to in-

come back, they’ll come back to you.”

CANVAS APRIL 2009

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CANVAS

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Wom in Print Sales

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

By Michelle Bracali

Print industry veteran Michelle Bracali gets to the heart of why women have made a successful contribution to print sales

men Cinderella had it all wrong. She toiled

away while waiting for her prince to come.

Intrepid females of the 21st Century work hard but realize it’s up to them to make

their dreams come true. And a lot of them do, especially in their careers.

Frequently, these women are in sales.

Women in sales, particularly print sales, do a remarkable job within their careers.

It’s not by accident. Sales is a career full of multi-tasking responsibilities, and women excel in organization. These women have situated themselves into a vocation that allows them to utilize innate talents and skills that serve their clients extremely well. In honor and appreciation of the women of our profession, their unique perspectives are explored.

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Woman in Print Sales

Planning and organization Proper planning and detailed execution is an art form in print sales. Most projects are custom orders that require careful consideration and oversight. Saleswomen understand this and provide it to their clients. They know it’s often the details of a project that can make or break an order.

They get it because they regularly practice this type of management within their personal lives.

Household bill paid on time? Check. Childcare organized? Check. Orthodontist appointments arranged and chauffeured by mom? Check. Family meals coordinated in advance? Check. Chores performed? Check.

Women are used to thinking creatively. When others consider an aspect of a project impossible, it’s often saleswomen who overcome the objections to make the job happen.

Female sales reps are often wives and mothers who have abundant responsibilities outside of work. They’ve developed a unique talent for balancing household and parental duties along with career obligations. Savvy saleswomen parlay these multi-tasking talents into the type of service coveted by clients. They’re the ones who will ensure that proper packaging requirements are met or that important deadlines are reached.

“Women have an uncanny ability to be extremely organized,” says Account Manager Jeanne Davis of Roberts Printing in Clearwater, Fla. “For example, it’s not just about work; we’re juggling family and children’s extracurricular activities as well. With that you have to be organized.” Davis continues, “To be successful in sales and avoid the price pit, this is where organization comes into play. What are the

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

things a sales rep can do to set herself apart from the bottom line?

It’s by presenting more than a number. It’s about helping a corporate account adhere to branding guidelines, or perhaps tying into other mediums such as email blasts, PURLs, or variable data. It’s about differentiation.”

Astute saleswomen understand the first step in differentiating their products and services begins with concise organization. Information gathering is only useful if it’s effectively managed and organized for maximum benefits to a client.

Creativity Women are used to thinking creatively. When others consider an aspect of a project impossible, it’s often saleswomen who overcome the objections to make the job happen. Frequently, some of the objections are raised within their own companies. Women use inspiration to look beyond the obvious and arrive at solutions that appease not only their customers, but their internal organizations as well.

These balancing acts at work are oft made possible by experiences encountered outside the office. “Since I live in the Midwest, during the winter months I have to worry about snow days and the responsibility of finding child care when school is canceled unexpectedly,” says Terri Bornick, a national sales representative with Wisconsin-based Ripon Printers, and an industry vet of 14 years.

“I care about my clients and their careers.

Generally I try to be a positive, upbeat person in their lives.”

– Mary Ellen Johnson, McCallum Print Group

Because her husband works full time too and punches a time clock, he can’t be late. Therefore, it’s up to Bornick to find last-minute childcare. No easy feat when there is a client meeting and several other customer obligations weighing in.

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Woman in Print Sales

Bornick, and others like her, are forced to balance family obligations with the needs and requirements of clients. Snow days and other unplanned schedule impediments have a way of thrusting creativity onto a person. They already know how to create symmetry between the needs of their clients and the limitations of the print company.

Caring about careers, and customers With over 20 years of sales experience, Mary Ellen Johnson of McCallum Print Group in Seattle, Wash., knows a thing or two about successful sales relationships. “I care about my clients and their careers,” she says.

“Generally I try to be a positive, upbeat person in their lives.” As for individuals she may not click with, she offers the following: “Don’t do business with people you don’t like, they’ll drain your energy.”

This is sage advice indeed, especially for creating and perpetuating a career built on authenticity. Toni McLaughlin, a sales rep for Troy, Mich.-based Tepel Brothers Printing Company, offers this: “I love my job. It’s the best job in the world. I love to come to work.

Sales offers me a great opportunity to serve other people and make them happy.”

Sincerity is easy to spot in others, and top saleswomen have it in spades. These women present themselves as nothing less than 100 percent genuine. Women also tend to be nurturing and mindful of the need to cultivate relationships, and the attribute works well in sales.

They also are good listeners. “We’re not in there to sell just a job and put ink on paper,” McLaughlin says. “We’re there to listen, and women are generally more attuned to that.”

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

Understanding the value of teamwork

good that a confident and cheerful saleswoman

Behind all great saleswomen are a team of individuals. Everyone

will successfully meet the challenges that inevita-

from CSRs and production managers to purchasing and estimating

bly arise within each job.

departments. Prosperous saleswomen realize that everyone counts

Incessantly organized and abundantly creative?

in making the process. In other words, everyone contributes to the

Check. Highly empathetic and team oriented?

success of the sales department.

Check. Appreciative of their careers? You bet!

“When sales and production are in sync, that’s when ink on paper is a beautiful thing,” says Davis. “Not only does the customer

Smart and successful saleswomen have these traits and more.

feel it and experience the magic, but it’s the inspiration from it that makes me want to go out and sell it all over again.” Davis continues: “It’s all about having the belief from deep within and the confidence in knowing that I have the right team of people to back me up and deliver my word on the production side of print.”

Appreciative of opportunities Appreciation is apparent with McLaughlin. “I love my job,” she says. “It’s the best job you can have in the world. I love to come to work everyday and it helps that I work for a really great company.”

Enthusiasm and passion like that can’t be manufactured. When it comes from within and is wholly genuine, customers pick up on it and are drawn to it. People automatically gravitate to others who display both a confident and cheerful attitude. Saleswomen like this are a magnet for prospects and customers alike. Chances are Michelle Bracali is VP of sales at Macomb Printing, Inc. She has been in sales for over a decade and has sold more than $30 million in print. She continues to sell and is also a writer, speaker, and the founder of SeaShell Communications, a company dedicated to promoting excellency within the sales profession. Bracali may be reached at mbracali@seashellcommunications.com or at (586) 337-3148.

CANVAS

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Ethics vs.

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

Revenue Determining what’s right and wrong in the print sales landscape.

By Linda Bishop

It was a typical day for the printers in Ethica, USA. Steve, the owner of Decent Digital, met with the newest addition to the sales team. “I’m glad you took the job, Amy. How soon can you give me a list of prospects?” he asked.

Amy plopped a bulging folder on Steve’s desk. “I downloaded the entire account list from my old company before I left, so I have hundreds of names to call on. Where should I start?”

Across the street at Upright Offset, Walter reviewed an estimate. It was for his best customer, Luanne, and she never checked prices.

If he sold the job at the full 25 percent mark-up, he’d get a 10 percent commission. Above that, he benefited from a commission split. Every additional profit dollar netted him 45 cents. For a big job like this, an extra 10 percent mark-up meant a nice chunk of change — enough to take his new girlfriend, Bambi, on a week-long Caribbean cruise.

CANVAS

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Ethics vs. Revenue

Walter forced himself back to the job and compared the price to last year’s quote. It was higher, but he could just tell Luanne that paper prices had gone up. Still, he hesitated. Sales were down at Luanne’s company. There had been major budget cuts and a couple of layoffs in her department.

He gnawed his pencil, considering. The job was easy to produce.

When I first started selling, few companies required salespeople to sign noncompetes. That was back in the good old days when print delivered steady, profitable growth.

Average quality with plenty of production time. His thoughts drifted back to Bambi. She waved at him from the cruise ship deck.

That decided it.

The job was ready to go, and Walter was sure Luanne wouldn’t check prices. He added 25 percent to the cost, put the price in an email and pushed send.

At Principled Printers, co-owners Don and Molly scoured the financials looking for ways to cut costs and increase profits. Don said, “The amount we spend on sales commissions is ridiculous.

We need to reduce that line item.”

“How?” Molly asked. “If we cut commissions, salespeople will leave and take their accounts with them. We can’t afford to risk that.”

“We’ll require everyone to sign a non-compete agreement. After it’s signed, then we’ll cut commissions.”

Molly frowned. “Would a non-compete hold up in court?”

Don shrugged. “Who knows? I’m not even sure I’d bother to try and enforce it if anyone does leave, but no one will know that. If the sales force signs it, it gives us leverage.”

The idea made sense to Molly. They made plans to get a document drawn up by their lawyer.

Across the tracks at Wanton Web Press, Stan’s phone rang. He picked it up. “Hello.”

“Stan, this is Bobby. I’m at the airport and I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you sending me off for a little R&R.” Stan smiled. “It’s my pleasure. You worked your tail off doing a week of press checks here. I thought you deserved a nice vacation.”

“I looked at the brochure. The resort looks fantastic and I can’t wait to hit the golf course. I really appreciate this pal, and I won’t forget it the next time I bid a job.”

“I know you won’t, and you know we’ll do a good job printing for you.”

They hung up. Stan leaned back in his chair, put his feet up on the desk and smiled. The trip had cost him what . . . $1,500?

Pocket change compared to the commissions he’d get from the printing Bobby would buy over the next year. And it wasn’t like he was spending money out of his own pocket. He’d add the cost of the trip into Bobby’s next job. The boss wouldn’t care and neither would Bobby. It was a sweet deal for everyone.

Do the printers in Ethica sound familiar?

Every day, printers, in a quest to maximize revenues, face situations like these. Who owns information? How much mark-up is fair? What about non-competes? What customer expenses are honorable and which are suspect?

Scanning the ethical landscape, there’s shades of gray when it comes to behavior. If the right choice costs you a sale, what would you do? I talked with four managers to get their take on these issues.

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

Chuck Bellatti, sales manager at Garland, Texas-based Cenveo

salesperson handling the account, but the entire company. Still, if the salesperson leaves, some

Deidre Gonzales-Acord, sales manager at Austin, Texas-based Capital Printing Company

clients will follow.”

In today’s technology-driven world, salespeople no longer have to sneak into the building after

Hoyt Tuggle, president of Lawrenceville, Ga.-based Graphic

hours and copy information. They can log on to

Communications Corporation

computer sites at home, access company records and download them. With that in mind, should

Wendy Holmvik, VP of sales at Baltimore, Md.-based Art Litho

all salespeople sign a confidentiality agreement?

Probably wouldn’t hurt.

Who owns the account?

This question touches the heart of many ethical discussions. If the

What about non-competes?

salesperson owns it, they own all information relating to the ac-

When I first started selling, few companies

count. They determine mark-ups and pricing and decide how much

required salespeople to sign non-competes.

to spend on promoting their best interests with the customer. If

That was back in the good old days when print

the company owns it, then the company owns information, makes

delivered steady, profitable growth. Today, it’s

decisions and provides guidelines about entertaining, gifts, and

a different environment with slashed marketing

mark-ups.

budgets, product commoditization and longer

Chuck Bellatti’s answer was swift and to the point. “The company owns the account and the salesperson owns the relationship.”

sales cycles.

Many salespeople believe it’s harder to find

Deidre Gonzales-Acord said, “Early in my career, I was made to

new clients and develop long-term relationships.

understand that I don’t own the account. You’re getting paid to

Many companies agree, and that’s why they ask

handle an account, for being the face of the company. The com-

salespeople to sign non-competes.

pany takes the risk when a job has to be reprinted or when future

Wendy Holmvik requires everyone on the Art

revenues are lost because the salesperson mishandles a situation.

Litho sales team to sign one. “Not everyone will

The company provides a work environment and benefits for the

and that’s kept me from hiring a couple of people

sales reps. Clients are more inclined to follow the sales rep than

in the past. I’m going to invest a lot of money in

the company because they don’t like to experience change. As a

training and support. I don’t take hiring lightly.

manager, I try to make sure our clients know that it’s not just the

It’s a long process. If I offer you a job I want to

CANVAS

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Ethics vs. Revenue

know you’re committed to me like I’m committed

worth different amounts to clients and no one pays more for a job

to you.”

than they think it is worth. Once you have the work, it’s a different

Holmvik handles non-competes in a way that is both transparent and fair. If you want to sell for

situation. There are different ethical restraints because the client is counting on you to look out for their interests.”

Art Litho, you must sign one, and you know that before accepting the job.

Hoyt Tuggle has non-competes in place, but

How much can you ethically spend on a client for entertainment and gifts?

uses them selectively on new hires. “They only

If you buy the client a $200 dinner, it’s called entertaining. If you

cover new business developed while the sales-

stick $200 in a plain white envelope and hand it to the client in a

person is at Graphic Communications,” he said.

dark parking lot, it’s called a pay-off.

“They’re limited by geography and time. They

We’ve all heard about corrupt buyers demanding bribes. Bellatti

don’t stop anyone from earning a living, so they

told me a story about a new hire in customer service who was upset to

hold up in court.”

learn Bellatti did business with one particular print buyer. At his previ-

Recently I heard two stories about retroactive non-competes. One printer was purchased by an international corporation. A year after the buyout, the salespeople were told commissions were being reduced in specific cases, and all salespeople were required to sign non-competes. Several salespeople refused to sign, resigned and left.

ous job, the CSR had seen evidence that this buyer took payoffs.

“You won’t see that here,” Bellatti told him. “She’s never asked me for anything extra and I’ve never offered.”

I asked, “Do you think dishonest buyers know when they’re dealing with dishonest salespeople?”

“Definitely,” Bellatti said. “I’ve never been approached and I don’t expect to be, but you hear stories and you know some are true.”

Other salespeople stayed and signed, accepting the pay cut because it was impossible to move

Ask yourself

their book of business.

If it’s your job to create revenue, how far will you go? When it comes

Is this ethical? I say yes. The company told ev-

to sales ethics, here are two useful questions to serve as a guide.

eryone about changing the commission structure

Would you be happy if your actions were exposed to the world?

upfront and practiced full-disclosure. The new

If the buyer’s boss found out about your actions, would he/she

requirement may not have been popular, but it

want to continue a relationship with you and your company?

was executed with integrity.

Another story made me cringe. Faced with sinking sales, a company asked everyone to sign a non-compete. A couple of salespeople left.

The ones who stayed signed on the dotted line, and then the company cut commissions.

There’s no honor in that decision. The printer saved a few bucks today, but that story will make the rounds impacting their ability to hire experienced talent in the future.

How much mark-up is too much?

“It’s not about percentages — it’s about value,” Bellatti said.

Holmvik agreed with Bellatti. “If you have any hesitation about the amount of mark-up you’re including, then you need to ask yourself if you’re bringing enough value to the client.”

Gonzales-Acord expanded on value. “There are times when you review the job and know it may require more than is quoted,” she said. “You add in that pain factor. I tell my clients when I add in extra money to cover changes, and if we don’t use it, I’ll credit it back. My clients are comfortable knowing that they have that cushion and that I have the experience to understand there may be some red flags when you take on a difficult job.”

“When you’re bidding on a new job, any price is ethical,” Hoyt said, “because different jobs are

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

If the answer is no to either question, rethink your decision.

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

:WTS /TbS` 2SObV You get a call from a dream prospect who says they want to meet with you to discuss their budget and purchase plans.

Yippee! If you could only land this account, 2009 will be looking like your best year ever. You are determined to do everything in your power to make it happen. To prepare for the meeting, you spend several hours researching the client’s Web site, putting marketing materials together, collecting customer testimonials

How a dead sale can bring life to your career

and organizing your pricing information. You drive two hours to the meeting, build great rapport with decision-makers, ask

By Brian Sullivan

relevant questions, energetically convey your solution, skillfully overcome their objections and deliver what you consider to be a competitive pricing structure. In short, you nailed it. They tell you they will review your materials and seem appreciative of your efforts. You walk out of the ofďŹ ce, conďŹ dent that you gave it your best and that the effort will be rewarded.

CANVAS

P37

Life After Death

Three days later when you follow up, the decision-maker who you met with tells you they decided to stick with their current printer, “But thanks for coming by.” In the next few minutes, your body and mind goes through four of the five stages of the Dying Sale …

Denial, Anger, Bargaining, and Depression.

Denial: It couldn’t have happened!

Anger: What a jerk!

Bargaining: Maybe I should cut my price even more?

Depression: Oh my goodness, how could this have happened?

So what do you do from here? Should you tell the prospect they are making a huge mistake, and that in the long run, it will cost them? Or perhaps you should throw out the great rejection cliché, “Are you sure you were comparing apples to apples?”

Why not hit them right between the eyes and ask them: “OK Phyllis! Did you just play me so you can get a better cost out of your current printer?”

Create a plan to keep your name in front of them over the next 12 months. One good way to do this is by creating a monthly newsletter sharing with them anecdotes of how your service helped your clients become happier and more productive.

Moving on As much as your heart and mouth are dying to tell the prospect they made a tragic mistake that they will regret for the rest of their lives, you must quickly get to the acceptance stage. From there your next steps should be the following: UÊÊ- ViÀi ÞÊ­ÞiÃ]Êà ViÀi Þ®ÊÌ > ÊÌ i Ê for the opportunity.

UÊÊ Ã ÊÌ i Ê>ʵÕiÃÌ ÊÌ >ÌÊ i «ÃÊÞ ÕÊ i>À ÊvÀ Ê the experience. “Phyllis, I was wondering if you could help me. Was there something better I could have done to earn your business?” Remember, more lessons are learned from failure than success, so don’t miss the opportunity.

UÊÊ À «Ê>Ê/ > Ê9 ÕÊ ÌiÊ ÊÌ iÊ > °Ê/ ÊÌ i ° UÊÊ/i ÊÌ i ÊÌ >ÌÊÞ ÕÊÜ Ê> Ü>ÞÃÊLiÊ>Û> >L iÊ and will continue to work hard to earn the opportunity to serve them.

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CANVAS APRIL 2009

Top of mind Then create a plan to keep your name in front of them over the next 12 months. One good way to do this is by creating a monthly newsletter sharing with them anecdotes of how your service helped your clients become happier and more productive. You could also provide valuable information about new products that your competition is neglecting to tell them about. Add industry trends and news that they would find value in. Personalize it with a picture of you being you. Maybe it’s a picture of you showing a prospect a new technology. Or maybe it’s just you hanging out with your kids on a recent vacation! Just make sure the newsletter hits their logic and emotion. In other words, it should make them smarter while creating a personal connection with you. Does creating a newsletter like this take time? Sure, but the sales you get as result will far outweigh the time invested.

Here’s the good news. The day will come when your competi-

Once you get the account, you will then be able accept the fact that your dead sale was nothing more than the first essential step in the creation of one of your best longterm customers.

tion slips up. When they do, that prospect will think of you first because of how you handled the first rejection and how you continued to find ways to serve them. Once you get the account, you will then be able accept the fact that your dead sale was nothing more than the first essential step in the creation of one of your best long-term customers.

As president of PRECISE Selling, Brian Sullivan helps improve sales, customer service, negotiations, leadership, and presentation skills through seminars and Internet training programs. He also hosts “Entrepreneurial Moments,” a radio show on business and personal development. For more on his speaking, consulting or book, visit: www.PreciseSelling.com or email: bsullivan@preciseselling.com.

CANVAS

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Book Recommendation

How to Be Like Walt Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life

By Pat Williams

I

f you don’t know about the life of Walt Disney, CANVAS recommends that you read “How to Be Like Walt” by Pat Williams, and prepare to be motivated. Pat Williams, an author of over 50 books and renowned NBA executive for the Orlando Magic, is an inspirational figure by himself. His

in-depth look at Walt Disney and the values he embraced offer us critical lessons for these turbulent times.

Williams’ massive amount of research and interviews chronicle the watershed moments of an American icon. In turn, he offers the cornerstone lessons we can learn from Walt’s life. His imagination has always received the most publicity, but his ability to take risks to follow his dreams, his commitment to family, and his leadership abilities were equally impressive.

“When you’re curious, you find lots of interesting things to do. And one thing it takes to accomplish something is courage.”

— Walt Disney

At a time when we need hope and vision, maybe we should spend some time with a man who chased his dream relentlessly.

This was a man who wasn’t looking to make a quick buck. He was a man who knew that building something good takes time, lots of elbow grease, and real teamwork.

I recommend this book because it has touched me on so many levels. Walt Disney was willing to put it all on the line for what he believed in. I would like to think that CANVAS and our readers are following his example. We will script our future just as Walt did. As Walt once stated, “when you’re curious, you find lots of interesting things to do. And one thing it takes to accomplish something is courage.” This is the time we need to show courage. Picking up Pat’s book is a great first step.

Mark R. Potter Publisher

P40

CANVAS APRIL 2009

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