P10
The ‘Wow’ Factor
P26
Training Day
P36
Discounting is for Wimps
supporting print sAles sales & MArketing Marketing executives
April APRIL 2010
Finding
your
Drive Rethinking what motivates us at work
April 2010
P2
Publisher’s Thoughts Thin Ice
P4
Ideas to increase customer spending P5
Lost in the Sauce P7
The Corner Office Leadership Insights: Everyone has a Brand Tech Corner: QR Codes Print in the Mix Fast Facts CMO: Marketing Insights
P9
People News Flore Communications’ davemail and GraphicMail partner to produce e-mail marketing services
P10
The ‘Wow’ Factor Are you doing enough to impress customers?
P16
Finding your Drive Rethinking what motivates us at work
P25
Product Spotlight ilinkONE Version 8.5 Millmar’s Xtreme Coated Cover
Publisher mark potter
Marketing Manager caroline farley
MANAGING EDITOR graham garrison
ART DIRECTOR brent cashman
CONTRIBUTORS Linda Bishop, Timothy Ferris, Colleen Oakley, Ryan T. Sauers, Brian Sullivan
Editorial board lisa arsenault McArdle Printing Co. gary cone Litho Craft, Inc. peter douglas Lake County Press aaron grohs Consolidated Graphics, Inc. ron lanio Geographics, Inc. randy parkes Lithographix, Inc.
P26
Training Day It’s not just a Hollywood blockbuster. Canvas investigates how spending minimal time training your salespeople can improve your business tenfold.
P36
Discounting is for Wimps Three tips to creating higher margins and happier customers
P40
The 4 – Hour Workweek Escape 9-5. Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
CANVAS magazine for more information: 678.473.6131, 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, Georgia 30097 CANVAS, Volume 4, Issue 2. copyright 2010 CANVAS, All rights reserved. CANVAS is published bi-monthly for $39.00 per year by Conduit, Inc., 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, Georgia 30097 Periodicals postage pending at Duluth, GA and additional mailings offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CANVAS, 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, 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. . 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
P1
Thin Ice
B
Back in November, I bought my 6-year old son a pair of hockey skates. I make no bones about it, I love hockey and would be thrilled to have him get involved in a team-oriented sport. Unfortunately, as soon as he got on the ice, his feet slipped out from under him and he landed hard on his back and bumped his head pretty good. He looked up at me with tears in eyes and said he wanted to get off the ice. Naturally, I was bummed and thought that his skating days had quickly come and gone. A funny thing happened a few minutes later. Without a word to his fanatical father, Joey stepped back
on the ice. In no time, he was cruising around the rink. Granted, he was kind of just pushing with one
Publisher’s thoughts
foot, but I didn’t care. The kid figured it out. You see, it wasn’t about the skating. It was about never giving up, persevering, and understanding that you cannot progress without training and practice. As I write this, just two and a half months later, we are preparing for my son’s first hockey practice. Not only has he come to love hockey, his skating has improved by leaps and bounds. Even more important,
Do we really believe things will come easily now that we are adults? he loves to try new things on his skates, because he knows that he will only get better with time. He has no problem making mistakes or falling down, because he now knows it is part of the process. If I ask anything of my son or daughter for the rest of their lives, it is that they never fear failure and that they understand nothing comes easy. I want them to know that nothing they ever accomplish will be without a whole-hearted investment. Why does it seem that we lose that idea over the years? Do we really believe things will come easily now that we are adults? The answer is no different than when my son bounced his head off the ice for the first time. It is gut check time. This economy is restructuring all industries and things will never be the same again. If you are not doing anything different for your business, or you talk a good game but won’t truly invest in changing things for the long term, it is the equivalent of bouncing your head off the ice. You are ignoring the truth and are denying yourself the chance to grow. As Daniel Pink notes in Drive, “As wonderful as flow is, the path to mastery – becoming ever better at something you care about – is not lined with daisies and spanned by a rainbow. If it were, more of us would make the trip.” This road forward won’t be easy. We may even bump our heads along the way. However, with a little perseverance, practice, and acceptance, we will soar. Without it, we are on thin ice. Warm regards,
Mark Potter Publisher
P2
CANVAS April 2010
X-Ray Vision
Ideas to increase customer spending by Cyndie Shaffstall
A
A few weeks ago, I toured the Blanks/USA facility in Minnesota. Walking through their manufacturing area was like a time warp. It has been years since I’ve been around a letterpress, let alone surrounded by a bevy of them. I was immediately overwhelmed by nostalgia.
I think it’s very likely that many of your customers tend to buy the same paper and
printed products campaign after campaign and year after year. Perusing the Blanks/ USA catalogue, or touring the facility, would lead most of us to the same conclusion: if customers knew about these products, they would be buying them. I think that the Blanks/USA illustration offers you real opportunities with your customers: show them
Cyndie Shaffstall has worked in
and they will come.
the marketing and publishing
For those uber-creative customers who do think beyond the postcard mailer, they
industries for more than three
probably think most custom work is outside their budget due to cost. They may think
decades. She is director of
that their only option is to print large quantities in order to bring the cost-per-piece
QuarkAlliance at Quark, Inc.,
within their reach.
and in her spare time she
Using blanks, your customers can create marketing pieces such as binder tabs, door
is editor and publisher of
hangers, table tents, stubbed raffle tickets and coupons — printed on security papers
X-Ray Magazine, managing
(so they cannot be reproduced) — signage on vinyl media designed for a digital press,
member and inventor at
and even assemble-your-own pocket folders.
StrappyArt, LLC, SEO/SMO
Yes, I understand that your business is to sell printing and that finishing services can
advisor at Spider Trainers,
provide additional revenue opportunities, but at the same time, these services can
LLC, and the founder of
price a project right out of a small- to mid-sized business’s budget. I would rather have
ThePowerXChange, LLC.
X percent of some than 100 percent of none. Blanks/USA offers more than 55,000 product iterations and, according to their CEO, Andy Ogren, 25 percent of their business is fulfilling custom requirements. While it is true that Blanks/USA does a bit of printing, it is not their focus. Printshops make up the bulk of their customer list, so most of their print-
Add a custom landing page to every print campaign for analytics tracking and you have the best that both the print and electronic worlds can offer.
ing is limited to numbering tickets and other types of customization. For Blanks/USA, their expertise lays in the production of press-ready pieces that would normally require a trip to the bindery department or trade shop down the street. There are two possible scenarios here for you: buy manufactured papers and sell at discounted bindery rates, or buy manufactured papers and reel in the limited-budget customer. Either way, you benefit and you sell more print. As a great example, open your wallet. How many store club or loyalty cards do you have right now? This is the most popular marketing campaign since the direct-mail postcard, and using a manufactured paper, it is firmly within the budget of even the most cost-conscious small business. Known as StayFlat integrated cards and club cards, these are creative and effective prod-
ucts for which every buyer recognizes the value. How can a piece like this become part of an electronic campaign? Easily. Add a custom landing page to every print campaign for analytics tracking and you have the best that both the print and electronic worlds can offer. Getting that next print order is going to come down to creating a competitive advantage. In many cases, that advantage can be creativity; in others it will be cost. Using pre-manufactured papers can create both.
P4
CANVAS April 2010
Taking
A c t i o n
Lost in the Sauce
D By Paul Castain
Did you know . . .
• 170 billion e-mails are circulated worldwide each day, according to abcnews.com. The average decision maker receives at least 100 of those daily.
• Fast Company Magazine says the average consumer is exposed to over 3,000 ads daily. •N YC Research group Basex says people lose 2.1 hours per day due to interruptions (probably reading all those e-mails).
When you look at the average decision maker, they are engaged in at least 30 calls per
Paul Castain is the
day, receive at least 25 voicemails and are now doing the work of at least one more person
Vice President of Sales
due to downsizing.
Development for Consolidated Graphics and is responsible for
When you speak in terms of their world and tie what you do to complement that, you get attention. You also differentiate from “cold callers” and fast forward your success.
creating and delivering sales training content, as well as mentoring the CGX sales force. Paul’s career spans more than 25 years, during which time he’s trained more than 3,000 sales and sales leadership professionals. Prior to joining Consolidated Graphics, Paul was the Director of Corporate Solution Sales at Dale Carnegie
What does that mean to you? Lots of room to get “lost in the sauce.” Here are three things
and Associates.
you can do about it. 1. Get compelling. The word “compelling” is subjective, isn’t it? I would venture to say your prospect’s definition is subjective, too. The best way for you to be more compelling is to find “Trigger Events” – things going on in your prospect’s world that you can tie your service to. Examples: New product launches, expansions, quarterly earnings, things going on with competitors, etc. When you speak in terms of their world and tie what you do to complement that, you get attention. You also differentiate from “cold callers” and fast forward your success. 2. Get more creative. Prospects desperately need creative solutions. Reps need to demonstrate creativity, not just talk about it. Demonstrations pack more punch. If you think a cold call does that, I would challenge you to think outside the cold calling box and . . . 3. Use a well-balanced sales mix. Everyone (prospects included) has a preferred method of communication. For some, it’s the phone, others it’s e-mail, social, and conventional networking, etc. Why limit yourself by only utilizing a phone strategy? Don’t eliminate your phone work. Find ways to complement the phone and change things up. So, what’s your plan to stand out? Perhaps it’s time to rethink your approach and add some new weapons to your sales arsenal.
CANVAS
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Co Th Of rn e fic er e
Leadership Insights
Everyone has a Brand By Ryan T. Sauers
L
et’s face it ... we use the word “brand” all the time. We talk of the brands we
To help simplify this subject, I have developed an acronym that can help you better understand and examine the subject of a brand.
like, as well as the ones we don’t. Successful organizations have established valuable brand equity and a
strong brand name. Think about people’s loyalty to Nike’s “Just
Do It” campaign or Apple’s “There’s an APP for that” campaign. These campaigns are entirely centered on making the customer personally identify themselves with that brand. This is the future of marketing.
A BRAND can be considered the Barometer reading of one’s Reputation, Attributes, Name, and Distinctiveness.
A brand can be referred to as the sum total of key ideas, emotions and perceptions that are communicated to your audience and associated with your organization’s work Building a strong, recognizable and consistent
So the question is not if you have a brand, because everyone and
brand takes time, effort and commitment. This
every organization has a brand. Instead the question is: What do you
hard work pays off by creating something referred
do with your brand? In short, your brand is not defined by what you
to as brand loyalty. Brand loyalty is one of the
say it is, but is characterized by what others say it is.
most valuable assets any organization can have. A brand can be referred to as the sum total of key ideas, emotions and perceptions that are commu-
Everyone and every organization has a brand. In turn, many people wonder what their brand stands for. In short, a brand is not defined by you. It is defined by your market.
nicated to your audience and associated with your
With this information, you can begin to determine the ways you
organization’s work. A brand can then be called the
want to purposefully grow, change, re-frame, promote, and strength-
“shorthand” for the identifying characteristics re-
en your current brand position. So, how do you define your brand?
tained and recalled when an audience thinks about
Remember – we all have one, and there is no better time than now
their experience with your organization.
to address your brand.
Ryan Sauers is President/CMO of Sauers Communications in Atlanta, Ga. It is a full service visual communications company. Ryan has a M.S. degree in Organizational Leadership and a CME designation thru SMEI. He is a frequent writer and speaker on topics such as sales, marketing, communications and leadership. More info on the company can be found at www.sauersgroup.com
P6
CANVAS April 2010
Co Th Of rn e fic er e
Tech Corner
QR Codes
H
ave you seen those funny-looking bar codes in the shape of a square? No, they are not some secret bar code or government tracking device. They’re possibly the future of print. These little squares are Quick Response Codes, or QR Codes. Developed in Japan in the early 1990s, these 2-D barcodes are used to improve tracking and provide relevant and immediate information.
How they work STEP 1: A QR Code can be placed on almost any kind of media – a postcard, marketing collateral, clothing, an outdoor sign, an educational paper, and much more. STEP 2: The QR Code activates by using a mobile device with a corresponding application. By simply taking a picture or scanning the code with the application, the mobile device is connected to the desired URL. STEP 3: At that point, the person will be instantly directed to a Web site or a landing page. Special offers or coupons can be incorporated to fully integrate the marketing program.
How are they being used? QR Codes are used primarily for marketing efforts. Marketers are incorporating them into specific ad campaigns in an effort to increase Web site traffic and qualify leads. As mobile marketing and cloud computing grow in acceptance, QR Codes offer a fantastic way to bridge print and other media together. QR Codes are being seen on business cards, direct mail pieces, magazine ads, billboards and more. They are not only in the printing industry, but are catching on everywhere, from sports to fashion.
Drawback One possible drawback in the short term is the unrelenting pressure on ROI and the general lack of awareness from the public. Although QR Codes are very popular overseas, there is a surge in interest within the American printing industry. In an effort to explore the relevance of QR Codes, CANVAS will present a more in-depth look in our May digital issue and the June print edition. Stay tuned!
Correction: CANVAS referenced an incorrect name in our February 2010 issue. The company that created JOBZ! Software is Carpe Data.
CANVAS
P7
Co Th Of rn e fic er e
Print in the Mix Fast Fact
A
ccording to LogicLab’s “Trends and Chal-
• Press releases/PR pitches/newswires (31%)
lenges in Publishing: Magazine Survey 2010,”
• Associations (17.2%)
a survey to determine how U.S. magazine
• E-mails (13.8%)
publishers and editors keep up to date, the
• National print magazines/newspapers (12.9%)
top channels most often used by this group
to learn about new products and services are:
Online, the most frequently used sources of information to
• Articles in print (49.1%)
share ideas with industry colleagues and/or keep up with
• 1-on-1 phone calls (47.2%)
industry trends include:
• Direct e-mails (41.1%)
• Facebook Groups (28.1%)
• 1-on-1 chat (25.5%)
• LinkedIn Groups (19.3%) • Twitter (17.5%)
The top channels for getting news and new job- and industryrelated information include:
LogicLabs is a company which applies quantitative disciplines of
• Internet (general Web and/or specific Web sites (37.9%)
data-driven marketing to the media-buying ad process.
To read Print in the Mix print market research studies, go to www.printinthemix.rit.edu. Print in the Mix is a free and easily accessible clearinghouse of research on print media effectiveness, published by the Printing Industry Center at RIT and made possible by a grant from The Print Council (www.theprintcouncil.org).
CMO
Marketing Insights
C
MO Council partnered with Ricoh/IBM Info Print
The chart below represents the percentage of
Solutions to survey 469 marketers at an array of or-
customers actually partake in loyalty programs.
ganizations to dig deep into their loyalty programs
44% 16% 9% 6% 8% 6% 11%
and the effectiveness. “The Leaders in Loyalty”
explores the disconnect with loyalty programs and
other marketing mediums. Marketers often believe loyalty programs to be at the top for profitability, when in truth, it may not be as effective. The CMO Council took a deep look into retail marketing plans to expose the truth about loyalty programs and how to improve and to fill in the current disconnect.
Less than $100,000 $100,000 to $500,000 $500,000 to $1million $1-3million $3-5million $5-10million More than $10million
The moral of this loyalty story is that there is, clearly, What percentage of your overall customer base does this represent?
opportunity to push the bottom line through deeper engagements with program members. But, market-
Under 10 percent
21%
32%
5% 10% 10%
22%
10-20 percent 20-30 percent
ers must move beyond viewing these programs as single streams of outbound communications to drive sales, or increase promotions or free and discounted offers. Customers are craving deeper engagements
30-40 percent
and are assuming that program membership also
40-50 percent
brings a more personalized engagement – in fact,
Over 50 percent
for many consumers, their payoff for loyalty translates into a brand bringing them something made just for them, even if it is as simple as an offer on a valued product at the exact time they need it.
To read the full report, please visit cmocouncil.org
P8
CANVAS April 2010
People News Fiore Communications’ davemail and GraphicMail partner to produce e-mail marketing services
F
Fiore Communications Founder Dave Fiore announced a part-
service. He states, “When I started davemail, I knew very little
nership with GraphicMail “because of their world-presence,
about HTML or the process of creating e-mail newsletters, but
reliability, innovation and outstanding customer service,” he
Andra (sales representative) and the GraphicMail team were
said. “They also provide the same level of professional service
patient and helpful with both me and my designer. Over the
to businesses and organizations of all sizes looking to maxi-
last two years they have continued to answer every question,
mize the effectiveness of their e-mail marketing efforts.”
solve every challenge and allow me to serve my clients ef-
Davemail, a development of Fiore
Communications that consists of a team of professional writers and designers who provide clients with content-rich newsletters, needed to partner with a worldclass company to manage and deliver clients’ e-mail newsletters. Fiore noted
ficiently and seamlessly. GraphicMail is
E-mail marketing and newsletters provide a cost effective communication tool.
an amazing business partner and a huge reason why my business is a success.” GraphicMail provides davemail with the technology and structure to produce and send bulk e-mails, providing comprehensive reports to monitor the
that with the downturn in the economic
efficiency of every e-mail marketing
climate, companies are focused more on maintaining existing
campaign. Davemail brands the white label GraphicMail
customer relationships and cutting back on the cost of pulling
pages with their logo and uses the GraphicMail structure to
in new customers. E-mail marketing and newsletters provide a
manage the e-mail campaigns. According to Fiore, his clients
cost effective communication tool.
are impressed by the reporting functions, user-friendly and
Fiore said he approached GraphicMail seeking a part-
prompt service provided. Says Fiore, “I have put my name,
nership that would develop and grow davemail into a more
money and reputation on the line with davemail, and it is my
effective and technologically advanced e-mail marketing
partnership with GraphicMail that makes it work.”
CANVAS
P9
P10 CANVAS April 2010
Imagine this: The purchasing director at your largest client has set up a meeting with the marketing director. You’re not invited. The purchasing director says, “We spend a significant portion of the marketing budget on printing. I’ve been looking into ways to cut costs and suggest we start using reverse auctions.”
Are you doing enough to impress customers? By Linda Bishop
CANVAS P11
The ‘Wow’ Factor
Scenario 1: The marketing director replies, “Who
we’re making their job easier. Even so, the idea of adding new ven-
would be allowed to bid?”
dors makes me nervous. No matter what a printer promises, you
The purchasing director taps a file. “I have 20
won’t know how they’ll perform until they do a job.”
names of potential vendors. Right now, we get
The purchasing director strokes his chin, thinking. “Not every
three bids. Reverse auctions automate the bid-
job is critical, right?” The marketing director nods to answer. “Why
ding process. We post specs and suppliers sub-
not try reverse auctions on jobs where quality is average and the
mit quotes, making it easy to shop for lower pric-
delivery schedule is flexible? We can bring new vendors on board
es without investing additional time.”
without risk.”
The marketing director says, “It works for me. Our current vendors do a good job, but I can’t
“That works for me,” the marketing director says. “Let’s give it a try.”
say any have impressed me, and I’d love to save money on print.”
Scenario 3: The marketing director hears the proposal. She holds up her hand and says, “I don’t even want to consider that. Currently
Scenario 2: The marketing director hears the pur-
we have several vendors, but one stands out. They get the bulk of
chasing director’s plan and says, “I would like to save
our work and they’re worth every penny we pay them. Quality is
money, but I’m happy with our current vendors.”
fantastic. They always come through on tight turn-arounds and ser-
“When you look at the product in the box, does one printer stand out?” the purchasing di-
vice is exceptional. They give me new ideas to grow our business and save money, and I can’t risk losing their services.”
rector asks. “Not really. All our printers meet our delivery schedules. Now we provide print-ready PDFs, so
Impressing your customers We all want to be the valued supplier in scenario three. To gain that coveted position, we must wow our customers.
“ You can’t make a ‘wow’ experience all the time. However, you can create a company culture where everyone feels a duty to create a ‘wow’ experience.” – Emmanuel Trenche, Director of Marketing and Communications, Rex Three
Eight-hour workdays contain 480 minutes. Stand-out moments are significantly better or significantly worse than the rest of the day. To ‘wow’ customers, we must create positive stand-out moments. Impress customers by anticipating needs and meeting them before you’re asked. Doing that saves customers time, demonstrates you’re in tune and proactively searching for new ways to make their life easier. Show genuine appreciation for the business you get. A personal note or a phone call to thank customers for an individual order does more to wow than generic e-mails that could have been sent by auto-responders. Phone calls out of the blue to thank people for past business also stand out. Make it your priority to make customers look brilliant to their bosses. Educate them. Give them new ideas to save money or generate additional revenues. Stop customers from making mistakes – particularly when mistakes would be highly visible inside the buyer’s organization or expensive to fix.
Handling problems I buy many books on Amazon.com. I buy from them because it’s convenient, but I am not a loyal customer. In the past couple of months, a problem arose on a shipment relating to a book I ordered as a gift. For an unknown reason, the book got hung up in a post office in North Carolina. I received an e-mail from Amazon.com alerting me to the problem. They told me to contact the post office. The short and impersonal e-mail contained no information as to which post office was holding the book, and no person at Amazon.com I could call for additional information. The problem resolved itself, but how the situation was handled left a sour taste in my mouth, and impacted my perception of the brand. Research has shown time and again that how problems are handled either builds customer loyalty or erodes it. When you
P12 CANVAS April 2010
The ‘Wow’ Factor
have a problem – and it will happen – have a plan
Emmanuel Trenche is Director of Marketing and Communications
to handle it so you ‘wow’ the customer. The fol-
at Rex Three. Before joining Rex Three, he worked in the banking
lowing are some ways:
industry where the customer’s experience was treated as a brand
• During the resolution of the problem, treat the
differentiator. When attempting to entice Fortune 500 brands to
client as a partner, not an adversary.
tour their South Florida facility, Rex Three’s marketing department
• If you are to blame, accept responsibility and offer apologies.
mails eye-catching, personalized invitations to prospects offering a ride to the plant in a Hummer during their lunchtime. They’ve even
• On major problems, fixing the problem may not be enough to satisfy the customer. You may need to offer atonement for the customer’s time and trouble.
incorporated PURL campaigns to allow visitors to select their lunch preferences prior to an important lunch meeting on-site. “You can’t make a ‘wow’ experience all the time,” Emmanuel said. “However, you can create a company culture where everyone
• Look at the problem from the customer’s point of view. Even if they’re at fault, be sensitive to how the problem makes them look to their boss.
feels a duty to create a ‘wow’ experience.” One way Rex Three does it is by focusing on customer relationship management. They invested in a CRM system as part of their strategy to touch customers frequently and in meaningful ways, and took the extra
The bar keeps getting raised
step of tying it into their MIS system. “You spend a lot of money and time
Once upon a time, we were thrilled to own a cell
to acquire a new account. Once you have a customer, it’s important to
phone, even if the coverage was limited and
manage the relationship to maintain and grow it. To do that, you have to
the reception was poor. Nowadays, we would
continuously improve the customer’s experience,” Emmanuel said.
fire a phone company if they delivered that
Improving the customer’s experience is often easier than we think if we focus on everyday interactions. For example, a customer
level of service.
When customers want to spend time talking, be grateful they’re talking to you instead of your biggest competitor. The bar is raised on expectations time and
calls and is in the mood to chat. When you’re having a crazy-busy
again. Sometimes, the best way to impress a cus-
day it’s easy to adopt a brisk tone of voice to encourage the cus-
tomer with a product or service that has been
tomer to tell you what they want and get off the phone.
around for awhile is by rethinking the entire ex-
Wowing the customer could be as simple as giving customers
perience. Starbucks accomplished that. Whether
the gift of your full attention, because we all love it when people
you love their coffee or consider it over-rated
are interested in what we have to say. When customers want to
and over-priced, you can learn from the company
spend time talking, be grateful they’re talking to you instead of
who reinvented coffee shops.
your biggest competitor. Recognize that the way you conduct
In the book The Starbucks Experience, author Joseph A. Michelli talks about how Starbucks
yourself on the phone is an opportunity to build stronger relationships and differentiate yourself.
strives to “surprise and delight” customers. He
There is no better time than today to start creating more ‘wow’
points out that customers like predictable expe-
experiences for a customer. Find a way to surprise and delight
riences because they’re safe, but doing the same
them. Delivering more than expected sets you apart from your
thing day in, day out won’t make you stand out.
competitors, creates a competitive advantage and stops you from
Small, pleasant surprises ensure customers don’t
losing business. Roger Staubach put it well when he said, “There
get bored and seek new options.
are no traffic jams along the extra mile.”
Linda Bishop has spent over 20 years in sales and marketing. She was previously vice president of marketing for IPD printing, presently owned by RR Donnelly. In 2005, she started Thought Transformation, a national firm dedicated to helping clients add sales dollars by developing an educated and professional sales force.
P14 CANVAS April 2010
CANVAS P15
Finding your
Drive
P16 CANVAS April 2010
W
hat if we told you that the workforce is going about this all wrong? What if we said that salespeople shouldn’t be motivated by short-term commissions, but rather, long-term fulfillment? That companies should not only have their employees work less, but sometimes they should be able to work on something not related to their job at all? What if we said that a key to success isn’t emphasizing immediate gains but thinking more toward what’s on the horizon?
Rethinking what motivates us at work By Graham Garrison
Ridiculous? Well, what if we told you that some of the most successful companies in America have not only tried some of these concepts, but embraced them? And it could only be a matter of time before individuals, companies and industries follow suit. This is a conversation about motivation. It goes beyond sales tips for print reps and an industry shifting from commodities to marketing services. This is a 30,000-foot view type of conversation, about what you, as an individual, want out of your career, and what you, as a company or organization, may change to collect and keep a motivated workforce.
CANVAS P17
Finding your Drive
But the conversation doesn’t begin in the present or on the horizon. Rather, we need to back up to where we went wrong, where technology and communication have passed us by and the way we do business hasn’t. The conversation starts with the carrot, and the stick.
Traditional thinking New York Times Best-Selling author Daniel Pink calls it Motivation 2.0. If we’re talking about motivation as an operating software, then Motivation 1.0 was based on humans meeting their primary needs, such as food and shelter. Motivation 2.0, then, was the reward and punishment tactic – the carrot and the stick. It’s gotten us to this point, it seems logical enough and it’s deeply rooted in the way we compensate and do business, but is it really enough? “One reason that this approach has endured for so long is, it does produce results in the short term,” says Pink. “The second is, it’s pretty easy to do. It’s also the way we’ve always done things. Those are three pretty potent forces for keeping something in place.” But there are cracks. The mentality leads to dwindling performance and burnout. It stifles creativity in favor of short-term gains. Motivation 2.0 doesn’t reward good behavior. In fact, it can encourage and lead to unethical behavior. Although Motivation 2.0 is not the main reason for our recent economic downturn, the mentality can be credited with at least some of the blame. “It’s not the main perpetrator, but it might be an accomplice,” says Pink. “On the financial industry side, a lot of it was the very predictable consequences of huge rewards for short-term performance. When you do that, it distorts the system in a number of different ways. First off, there were the Bernie Madoffs out there. The second is that no one took into account the collateral effects on the rest of the system. You’ve got all of these people in the system making bad decisions, whether it was homeowners looking to buy a house they couldn’t afford, a mortgage broker looking to get a quick deal or packaging these bad mortgages, securities looking to sell these mortgages, and so on. You had a lot of people motivated entirely by shortterm thinking. We’re paying a very big price for that right now.” Pink says that a lot of companies and industries have gone awry by focusing on selling their existing capabilities and thus losing sight of what’s coming next, print included. “They end up becoming an expert at something that isn’t that relevant,” he says. Like phone
P18 CANVAS April 2010
“ If you get better at something, you are more likely to get some kind of external reward for it. Whereas if you are doing something only for the external reward, I just don’t think that you are going to get that good at it. If you’re not that good at it, then you’re probably not going to get that external reward.” – Daniel Pink, New York Times Best-Selling author
CANVAS P19
Finding your Drive
companies that didn’t invest in cell phones. Mov-
– is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and
ie store chains that didn’t invest in On Demand or
create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.
mail services. Or ignoring digital print and vari-
He brings four decades worth of scientific research and many real-
able services when customers are looking more
world examples to back up his claims. But the gist is this:
and more for those options.
“If you are doing something because you want to be doing it,
It’s a drift toward irrelevance, Pink says, and it’s
you’re more likely to put in the time it takes to get better at it,”
much harder to recognize and stop than a near
Pink says. “If you get better at something, you are more likely to
death experience.
get some kind of external reward for it. Whereas if you are doing
“If you are teetering on the brink of closing
something only for the external reward, I just don’t think that you
your business or everything is about to collapse,
are going to get that good at it. If you’re not that good at it, then
then people make big changes. But, short-term,
you’re probably not going to get that external reward.”
it’s hard for people to change.”
But what does it look like in the workplace? For starters, Pink believes companies should take compensation off the table. “I think
New way of thinking
you’ve got to pay people more than enough,” he says. “You’ve got
Enter Motivation 3.0. Pink writes in his new re-
to pay people enough so that you take the issue of money off the
lease, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What
table so people are able to do good work.”
Motivates Us, that the secret to high performance
Pink identifies three elements of true motivation – autonomy,
and satisfaction – at work, at school, and at home
mastery and purpose. He uses real-business examples of the
In the medical setting, physician satisfaction increased at one hospital when the doctors were allowed to work on an aspect of the job they found most meaningful. successful implementation of these elements. Google gave its engineers autonomy by allowing them time to work on their own projects. Pink calls these “FedEx Days,” where employees work on a project of their choosing and deliver the results overnight or during a set period of time. Other companies have tried this approach, or another similar one coined ROWE (results-only work environment) with successful outcomes. The Post-it note? That came during a 3M worker’s personal project. Google News, Orkut and Talk? Those were side projects. An Australian software firm launched 48 new projects with a 20-percent time experiment for its employees. Pink contends that “only engagement can produce mastery,” and that for workers who have a passion for a particular task, the “activity is its own reward.” Workers are looking for a flow in their work-life, one with ways to increase their knowledge and thus mastery of a craft. Although mastery is difficult, ultimately in the new landscape workers will drift toward a position where they are constantly challenged and can hone their skills over a better-compensated one that may lean more toward monotony.
P20 CANVAS April 2010
Pink writes that “the most deeply motivated people – not to mention those who are the most productive or satisfied – hitch their desires to a cause larger than themselves.” It’s creeping in to business already – as evidence by companies like TOMS Shoes, which donates a pair of shoes to a child in a developing country for every pair a customer buys. Or the Harvard MBA students who, after watching Wall Street veterans crash and burn the economy, set out to write an oath on business ethics for themselves before they venture out into the workplace. In the medical setting, physician satisfaction increased at one hospital when the doctors were allowed to work on an aspect of the job they found most meaningful.
Can it succeed?
The three elements – autonomy, mastery and purpose – are harder to implement.
Pink says a lot of the companies he researched changed to Motivation 3.0 elements in subversive ways. It may have started in one department and spread to another, or as a trial run for the entire company. In one instance the CEO walked into his company’s Christmas party and announced the shift to a ROWE model in the coming year as an experiment. There are risks involved, of course. It’s hard to conceive and launch forward-thinking measures when you’re worried about the bottom line. “If you are a publically-owned company, you get punished or rewarded based off of your short-term performance,” Pink says. “Even companies owned by private equities have the same type of short-term performance expectations. The big problem is mainly for short-termism.”
CANVAS P21
Finding your Drive
And there is no easy formula. “Everyone is looking for the easy simple answer,” Pink says. “Do these three things and all will be right with the world. It just doesn’t exist. If it did, everybody would do it.” The three elements Pink mentions – autonomy, mastery and purpose – are harder to implement. Giving control over to a workforce is easier said than done. Mastery, in anything, takes time and effort. And having purpose while making payroll is doubly tough. But ultimately, it’s worth it, Pink says. “Doing something worthwhile is much more difficult,” he says. “You try one thing and if it works, keep doing it. If it doesn’t, try something else. It can be laborious, but it’s really the only way.”
Beyond the bottom line An industry perspective on motivation
CANVAS: What motivates you beyond the bottom line?
CANVAS: How do you incorporate this into your zerobased marketing approach?
CANVAS: Author Daniel Pink writes in his new release, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, that the secret to high performance and satisfaction – at work, at school, and at home – is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. What are your thoughts on that line of thinking?
P22 CANVAS April 2010
Patrick J. Surrena, CBC, Principal, Chief Relevance Officer, of Personal Relevance, LLC: I’ve always said, “I get my kicks by helping people solve marketing problems.” If I can identify a challenge, help them solve that challenge resulting in their success, that’s more reward than the personal bottom line. Surrena: This is vital in the zero-based marketing approach in that if I am truly looking at what’s best for solving a clients’ marketing problem, I have to be aware of and knowledgeable about all of the marketing tactics available and the marketing accountability each of those tactics can provide. If someone is pre-disposed to one marketing tactic or another (maybe that’s where they are most comfortable, they get paid higher commissions on that specific type of work or whatever the motivation) that can dramatically influence the outcome. Since my motivation is to help solve a marketing problem for the client, I am mentally and emotionally free to always start with a clean slate, regardless of their history or preferences, to recommend any and all of the most appropriate, timely, relevant and most importantly, accountable, marketing tactics. To me, that’s zero-based marketing, and what leads to client success. Surrena: I believe he is 100 percent on the money. Human resources studies done for many, many years, have always indicated that financial rewards are always fourth or fifth in line for job satisfaction. The ability employees have to be recognized for performance, have a pleasant work atmosphere, managers have the need to lead, etc. before the financial rewards come into play. I also think that what he says is directly related to the number of small businesses we have in this country that help drive our economy – businesses that are led by individuals that have that need to lead and direct their own destiny. There is a certain value to independence that people value dearly not only as citizens in general, but as employees or business owners as well.
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The only publication for print sales & marketing executive. CANVAS is the first & ONLY publication that focuses on what is truly relevant to the world of the graphic arts sales & marketing executive. It investigates the challenges of an industry that is decidedly global, while at the same time, intimate and local. This sophisticated publication explores intelligent sales techniques, marketing models and best practices. By delivering the insights of industry leaders and innovators, CANVAS supports the printing and graphic arts industry better than all the rest. • 6 printed issues a year • New Digital editions • Weekly e-letter: CANVAS NOTES • Education on-line at www.thecanvasmag.com • All issues archived in page turning software
Product Spotlight »» Product Spotlight
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CANVAS P25
P26 CANVAS April 2010
Training It’s not just a Hollywood blockbuster. CANVAS investigates how spending minimal time training your salespeople can improve your business tenfold. By Colleen Oakley
Day I n every company, there are at least a
few born salespeople. Those guys that people shake their head at in admiration and say, “he could sell ice to an
Eskimo!” But in the new landscape of
print sales, innate talent isn’t always enough to close the deal.
“If you take the stereotypical born salesperson with the gift of gab and you put him up against a salesperson who’s been trained, he’ll lose nine out of 10 times,” says Peter Ebner, founder of Ebner Seminars, which presents about 100 seminars on print sales each year. Steve Amiel, president of Marketing Mentors, agrees. “Print salespeople have spent the last 30 years selling print with a hearty hand clasp and taking their clients out to lunch. But the nature of being successful has changed,” he says.
CANVAS P27
Training Day
And to keep up with the changing landscape of print, training is essential. “The success of one’s business is tied directly to the skill sets and strength of his sales force,” says Craig McConnell, president of PrintGrowPro. “But most companies don’t make that connection and will forego training due to the cost factor in today’s economy.” In fact, it’s a risk that an estimated 95 percent of print companies are taking. “Instead of training, print companies rely on what I call the ‘Watch Fred’ model,” says Linda Bishop, president and chief sales officer of Thought Transformation. “When they hire a new salesperson they say, ‘Watch Fred do it, and if you have any questions, ask him.’ If you are the top person at your company and you think that people will be motivated to learn
“ If all you’re doing is quoting jobs, you’re going to lose out to price competition every time.” – Peter Ebner, Ebner Seminars, founder
what you need them to know for your company to be successful on their own, you’re making a big mistake. People are learning all the time, but not necessarily what you need them to learn to make your company successful.” And that’s not the only mistake printing companies are making. “Most companies today don’t know how to support their sales staff,” says Amiel. “They just yell at their salespeople harder, get them to make more cold calls, get them on the street, get them to do more of the same thing. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. If you want to be competitive in this new market, it’s time to make a fundamental shift in how companies support their salespeople to market, a shift in the type of salespeople that printers hire, and a shift in the compensation to remunerate people dealing with the longer nature and time involved in solution selling.” The experts estimate that only five percent of printing companies have committed themselves to making the shift and training their salespeople. The opportunity for a sales force with an edge is there. Here’s an insider look at what their sales teams are learning from the top professionals in the industry.
Stop selling printing One of the most important lessons salespeople are learning is that not only do you have to sell solutions to your clients’ problems, you have to position yourself as an industry expert in a
P28 CANVAS April 2010
CONNECT
Are you making the right connections? Coming April 2010 Stay tuned to Canvas at www.thecanvasmag.com
Training Day
vertical market, says Ebner. Whether you’re an expert at direct mail, magazine publishing or financial reports, you have to become a partner to your client, not just a vendor. “Those are the guys making money,” he says. “Instead of just quoting a job, you know the ins and outs of their company and can make suggestions to make it better.” The key is to remember that “nobody wants printing,” he says. “Say you have a marketing manager that spends $3,000 a year on brochures. He’s not interested in brochures. If he could find a more effective way to generating leads he would drop brochures. That’s why you have to focus on what the client really wants and then offer solutions.”
Rethink specs “If all you’re doing is quoting jobs, you’re going to lose out to price competition every time,” says Ebner. “You’re forcing a prospect to make their decision based solely on price.” But if you change the specs you can make a presentation to justify your price and instead of selling apples to apples, you’re now selling apples to oranges. “You can call your prospect and say, ‘Let me tell you why you should invest 1.2 cents extra per brochure.’”
“Companies not using scripts are winging it. And managers don’t know what their salespeople are doing.” – Peter Ebner, Ebner Seminars, founder
P30 CANVAS April 2010
Training Day
Meet the Trainers Peter Ebner Founder of Ebner Seminars, has spent more than 25 years in the printing and publishing industry training salespeople. His company, Ebner Seminars, presents about 100 seminars on print sales each year. For more information go to www.ebnerseminars.com, or call (905) 713-2274.
Linda Bishop President and CSO of Thought Transformation, sold commercial printing for 17 years, even though she’s not a “natural salesperson.” With a degree in accounting and an MBA in marketing, she now uses her talent in analysis to help salespeople do more of what works and stop doing what doesn’t. Check out Linda’s blog at www.salesisnotforsissies.com. For more information go to www.thoughttransformation.com, or call (770) 846-3510.
Steve Amiel President of Marketing Mentors, has sold more than a couple hundred million dollars of print in his 25year career in the industry. Currently, he works with corporations to resell his consulting capabilities as part of their press package. He works with 150 salespeople every week from different companies to improve their performance. For more information go to www.marketingmentors.com, or call (914) 301-9419.
Craig McConnell President of PrintGrowPro, uses his 30 years of experience in the print sales industry to provide sales management expertise to smaller companies who don’t have sales managers in place. He also trains and motivates sales staff to deliver their best performance possible. For more information go to www.printgrowpro.com or call (314) 753-2802.
P32 CANVAS April 2010
C.E.O a n v a s
d u c a t i o n
n l i n e
Delivering the tactical competitive advantage you need
CANVAS P33
Training Day
Use a script “Companies not using scripts are winging it,” says Ebner. “And managers don’t know what their salespeople are doing. Write a script for prospecting and at the end of two hours you can identify strengths and weaknesses of that script and make adjustments accordingly.” The best part? “Anybody with little or no training that uses the script will get the same results.”
Evaluate weaknesses “Everybody’s got a talent,” says Bishop. The key is knowing what the talents of your salespeople are and filling in performance gaps. Training events are perfectly suited for this. “If you hired a bunch of people who were really good at hunting new business, they may never fully penetrate an account as deeply as someone who is more focused on exploding inside an opportunity,” she says. “As a top person, you should be looking at where the strengths and weaknesses are, and then not just filling performance gaps, but taking people’s strengths to the next level.”
“ A valuable salesperson is low cost, on time and high quality. Invaluable ones come in and help to improve the way their clients sell and market.” – Steve Amiel, Marketing Mentors, president
Know the difference between being a valuable salesperson and an invaluable salesperson Training provides a clear game plan on what an organization is looking for in its reps. “A valuable salesperson is low cost, on time and high quality,” says Amiel. “Invaluable ones come in and help to improve the way their clients sell and market.”
Hone in on the decision makers “Today, there is typically more than one decision maker at a company,” says Amiel. “Salespeople need to understand the political landscape of each company and where the dollars are in the budgets.” This will prevent wasted time and effort making presentations and sales pitches to people who don’t have the authority to make a decision.
P34 CANVAS April 2010
Get comfortable with the longer sales cycle “If you have a lot of salespeople on your floor who get their motivation from making a quick sale, no matter how smart they are, they will probably have a difficult time transitioning into the longer sales cycle that is today’s printing climate,” says Bishop. “But if salespeople are eager to know how to sustain interest in their client and learn how to make a bigger sale down the road,
“ Instead of reading the newspaper or watching news in the morning, I encourage all of my clients to find something very positive to read.”
that’s something I can teach.”
– Craig McConnell, PrintGrowPro, president
Foster good attitudes “If you take two salespeople who have a similar skill set and knowledge, the salesperson with the best attitude is going to get the business,” says McConnell. “This isn’t a climate for wimps. You have to be mentally and emotionally tough in order to survive. You can walk into the office feeling terrific, and then the first thing that happens is you have a customer calling and complaining about a job that didn’t arrive on time. You go from being a 10 to a 2 and it can take you all day to recover, if you don’t have a self-concept that’s solid and believe in yourself.” So how does McConnell suggest you keep your chin up? “Instead of reading the newspaper or watching news in the morning, I encourage all of my clients to find something very positive to read,” he says. “If a salesperson doesn’t believe in himself, no one else is going to believe in him.”
CANVAS P35
Discou is for wimps
P36 CANVAS April 2010
nting W
hen was the last time a customer or prospect asked you for a discount? If you are like most salespeople, it was probably today. So how did you
handle it? Did you expect them to ask for it? Probably. And when they did, did you know exactly how you were going to handle it? Truth is, it feels like it’s a better time to be a buyer than a seller, doesn’t
Three tips to creating higher margins and happier customers By Brian Sullivan
it? As a result, the new economic culture says that the only way to make it in business is to give away more than you ever did, just to get the same sales volume that you are used to getting. It also means equal or more work with less gross profit. That, my friend, stinks! While there are certainly times when discounting is necessary, it is up to you to break the chain of the “automatic” discount. Not for the sake of being a sales tough guy, but because it is your responsibility to make sure the customer gets a great product and you get a great margin. So try these tips so everybody wins.
CANVAS P37
Discounting is for Wimps
Stop feeling guilty when you quote a fair and honest price You sell great products and need to show PRIDE in the value they bring. Remember, prospects can smell fear in the first five seconds of your financial presentation. If you wince, smile uncomfortably, or use the words, “The price is around _______________,” you are cooked. Remove the term ‘list price’ from your sales language. Those words are translated as ‘wiggle room’ to even the average buyer and are an immediate signal that you are willing to go lower.
There will be times when you have to move on your price. But only after you offered your quote professionally. Always include three options on every price quote you deliver Make Option One your standard package with list price, and perhaps one add-on product or service. Make Option Two a premium option with even more add-on products or services. Make Option Three your economical package that includes your product alone … still at list price. Then confidently deliver that proposal. If the prospect feels they need to be economical, then they will choose an option that still gets you your fair price. (If you feel like this is deceptive, then go immediately back to the first tip in this list and read it again!)
Prepare for negotiations There will be times when you have to move on your price. But only after you offered your quote professionally. If this is the case, you need to be prepared before the negotiation begins. Make a list that has three columns. It should look like this.
What They Ask For
What You Can Give
What You Will Ask For
1)
1)
1)
2)
2)
2)
3)
3)
3)
P38 CANVAS April 2010
Before your presentation, think of the things they may ask for and write them down. Then, write down the things you can give and start with things the customer will value that will not cost you much. Lowering your price should be last on the list. In the third column, list the things you will ask for if you have to give. Because you need to make it a habit to never give without getting something in return. Also by doing this, you will be discounting because you want to, not because you have to. By practicing and implementing the above strategies in 2010, you will give away less profit, make more money, and as a result, feel compelled to give more. And that more will come in the form of greater service, more eager support, and a more sincere effort to do everything you can to prove to that customer that you are worth every nickel that is spent with you. You also have implemented a plan that will put you in an elite class in your industry.
You need to make it a habit to never give without getting something in return.
Brian Sullivan is author of the book, 20 Days to the Top – How the PRECISE Selling Formula Will Make You Your Company’s Top Sales Performer in 20 Days or Less. To learn more, go to www.preciseselling.com.
CANVAS P39
Book Recommendation
The 4 – Hour Workweek Escape 9-5. Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich By Timothy Ferriss
A
ccording to Timothy Ferriss, author of the best selling The 4–Hour Workweek, “our culture tends to reward personal sacrifice instead of personal productivity.” He goes on to say that in order to be successful, “we must focus on being productive
rather than being busy.” Ferriss’ fresh approach reminds us of an earlier book recommendation, 80/20. The general idea is that we
need to concentrate less on the trivial tasks that don’t produce money or enjoyment and more on creating true value. CANVAS readers take note. This book is not about working less and shirking responsibilities. The idea is central to the CANVAS theme. People need to be more creative, automate their lives in
Ferriss uses case studies of people who have reinvented themselves to validate his theories. order to scale for their clients, and let go of old encumbering structures. As Ferriss states, “I didn’t realize that working every hour from 9 to 5 isn’t the goal; it’s simply the structure most people use, whether it is necessary or not” Ferriss uses case studies of people who have reinvented themselves to validate his theories. In addition, he provides real-world templates for eliminating e-mail, negotiating with bosses and clients, or gaining the luxuries of the rich and famous for pennies. The 4–Hour Workweek is yet another reinforcement of the CANVAS ideals. Print salespeople will enjoy the read as they use more of their right brain, focus their time on what is truly important, and develop long-term sustainable success. Read this book and let Ferriss open your eyes to the need to create income streams that don’t require all of you. CANVAS highly recommends 4-Hour Workweek.
P40 CANVAS April 2010
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