Canvas Magazine | 2013 People to Watch by Conduit, Inc.

Empowering Marketing Service Providers

April 2013

Investing in the Future The Power of Testimonials How to Get Un-Stuck

To Sell is Human One-on-one with Daniel Pink

www.neenahpaper.com/CabAppleAndroidcm TM

Cabinet is a Trademark of Neenah Paper, Inc. ÂŠ

Publisher mark potter > mpotter@thecanvasmag.com

marketing manager brandon clark > brandon@thecanvasmag.com

MANAGING EDITOR michael j. pallerino > michael@thecanvasmag.com

ART DIRECTOR brent cashman

CONTRIBUTORS linda bishop, howie fenton, john foley, jr., al reijmer, ryan sauers, brian sullivan

p16

Editorial board chris petro GlobalSoft tom moe Daily Printing dean petrulakis Rider Dickerson david bennett Bennett Graphics

P12

The Company You Keep

Awards & Recognition

Publisher’s Thoughts

tony narducci O’Neil Printing

www.thecanvasmag.com

How an Employee Stock Ownership Plan can be good for you and your employees

Investing in the Future P6

Make Your CRM a Successful Collaboration P8

The Corner Office @TheCANVASMag www.linkedin.com/ groups?gid=1797952 CANVAS magazine for more information: 678.473.6131, 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, GA 30097 CANVAS, Volume 7, Issue 1. copyright 2013 CANVAS, All rights reserved. CANVAS is published bi-monthly for $39.00 per year by Conduit, Inc., 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, GA 30097 Periodicals postage pending at Duluth, GA and additional mailings offices. Periodical Publication 25493. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CANVAS, 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, GA 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.

April 2013

DEPARTMENTS

Business Insights: Understanding Today’s Print Buyers Communicating: Game On Marketing Insights: This just in: Smaller really is better Big Data : A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work and Think The Art of Information

People News Leading the way Honors put Canon among world’s leading innovative companies Top of the list Ricoh lauded for ethical practices for fifth straight year Around the Industry ‘Stronger together’ EP Graphics’ acquisition of Mignone Communications forms one of Indiana’s largest web printers It takes two The Flesh Company donates printers to Penn State University Lending a helping hand Unisource honored for employment of people with disabilities

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Product Spotlight Neenah Paper unveils sustainability friendly Environment Retail Card Papers

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The Parting Shot FEATURES P16

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Strategies that will help you take action and grow sales

Best-selling author Daniel Pink on why each of us are in sales

P20

P38

See who made our People to Watch list in 2013

How to let happy customers sell for you

How to Get Un-Stuck

And the Envelope Please...

This Selling Life

The Power of Testimonials

CANVAS P1

The Company You Keep

As we grow older, the impact our peers have on us becomes more significant. Remember when we were kids and the group decided to play soccer at recess. Chances are, that regardless of your wishes, you played. Most of us have an internal compass that makes sure we don’t jump off the bridge if everyone else does. But the reality is that our peers influence us in myriad ways. While I never have had an issue with any type of athletic, social or extracurricular activity, I think it’s

important to understand the impact a specific group has on you. Sometimes, it is completely cool to

Publisher’s thoughts

run with the crowd. It can be fun; it can connect you with others. But other times, it can be the wrong decision. Either way, you must be strong of heart and mind to be able to make the right call. The truth is that you’re defined by the company you keep. That’s why it’s important to keep

great company. The kicker is that you need to be great company, too. In other words, you must be positive, thoughtful and respectful to other people. You must get along with them and respect their needs. It’s not the easiest path to choose. But to stand out, you have to rise up and become the kind of person others want to be around.

To stand out, you have to rise up and become the kind of person others want to be around. Whether it’s at home, the office or in your community, respecting others and being positive will bring you many friends and much success. Your ability to see “the bright side of things” and “count your blessings” will determine your happiness. Your abilities to stand out, embrace what the world has to offer beyond material things and see things through joyful eyes are the keys to your long-term happiness. Your clients and your associates most certainly will consider you good company. Speaking of good company, check out our “People to Watch” in this issue. This group is the kind we’d like to run with. They are thoughtful and inspirational leaders who are focused on others. Their relentless commitment to serve has resulted in remarkable progress for their clients and respective organizations. They truly are great company. In addition, we are very proud to present an exclusive interview with best-selling author Daniel Pink. As devout followers of Pink, the CANVAS team wholeheartedly endorses his new book, “To Sell is Human.” As he has proven in his past best sellers, Pink has his finger on the pulse of what is happening. His brilliant message is easy to consume. Read our interview today, and then pick up a copy of his book. As always, I hope you enjoy our latest issue. We love doing it for you. Enjoy, and remember to be good company. Warmest regards,

Mark Potter Publisher Twitter @markricepotter

CANVAS February 2013

FOCUS It’s a dynamic new world. Speed to market counts, but now with a broader perspective. Today, it’s speed to market safer, smarter and more sustainably. To outperform today, you need a trusted partner. At Unisource, we’re that partner – that one source. Unisource offers a complete line of products designed to meet the needs of today’s complex printing environments: Nordic Plus, porcelainECO, Starbrite, u DIGITAL, u GLOSS, u VELVET and Whitehall. Please contact our sample department for samples or dummies.

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economics Investing in the Future How an Employee Stock Ownership Plan can be good for you and your employees

hen we last left Sam, the secondgeneration president and owner of Valley Graphic Media (VGM), he seriously was contemplating the possibilities of winding down his 40-plus year career in the printing industry. He and his wife, Margaret, had spent countless hours discussing their expectations, desires and personal “bucket lists” for life after VGM. Sam and Margaret are both classic “Type A” personalities. They raised four happy and successful children, while simultaneously working through a challenging past decade of VGM’s 55-plus years of existence. While they’re both satisfied with the results of their personal and business lives, they know that successfully transitioning into the next chapter involves an expertly devised plan. Still weighing their various exit strategy paths, Sam and Margaret realize that the first step in the process is to determine an accurate market value for VGM. Having discussed this in the

An ESOP can be a beneficial “tax shield” for all or part of your company’s earnings, depending upon the percentage of stock held by the ESOP.

By Al Reijmer

business such as VGM, it allows Sam to liquefy some portion of the equity he has accumulated in his company, without sacrificing the identity of VGM, jeopardizing the jobs of valued employees or relinquishing control of the company. There are many interesting reasons to consider an ESOP as a potential exit strategy. For starters, an ESOP can be a beneficial “tax shield” for all or part of your company’s earnings, depending upon the percentage of stock held by the ESOP. It establishes an incentive-based retirement program for your employees, making them beneficial stockowners in the company where they work. And while Sam and Margaret surely appreciate an ESOP’s provisions and creativity, they realize that in their situation it likely will only provide them a “partial exit strategy” for the foreseeable future. The formation of an ESOP would allow Sam to immediately access a percentage of his equity in VGM, but unless he’s able to appoint or hire a successor to relieve him of his daily

past with several printing peers, Sam

involvement in the management of

knows he must confirm that VGM’s

VGM, he’d need to delay the couple’s

actual value is in line with his expecta-

retirement and “bucket list” activities.

tions. He wisely chose to engage the

In time, upon the continued success

assistance of an M&A consulting firm

of VGM, Sam could offer additional

that specializes in the printing indus-

shares of his stock to VGM employees,

try. No matter which exit path they

further realizing his remaining equity to

ultimately choose, Sam and Margaret

complete the exit strategy.

don’t want to experience any negative

years. His first priority would be to give

ESOPs can be a viable alternative

surprises that an inaccurate valuation

them a secure future. Sam and Marga-

for many company owners. Sam and

likely would provide.

ret have performed some preliminary

Margaret only have scratched the

If you read my article in the last

research on the possible formation of

surface of the due diligence necessary

issue of CANVAS, “One Size Does

an Employee Stock Ownership Plan

to fully determine if this will be their

Not Fit All,” you’ll recall that not unlike

(ESOP). Around for nearly 40 years,

most effective and rewarding exit path.

many owners contemplating their next

ESOPs originally were authorized by

In the next issue, we will examine

phase or exit strategy, Sam appreci-

federal legislation in 1974. While ESOPs

another option in the quest for Sam

ates the efforts and contributions of

can be viewed from multiple perspec-

and Margaret to successfully transition

VGM’s many key employees over the

tives, from the owner of a privately held

into the next chapter in their lives.

Al Reijmer is a partner at New Direction Partners (NDP), a leading advisory and management consulting firm that specializes in the printing, packaging and allied graphic arts industries with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions. You can reach him at areijmer@newdirectionpartners.com (www.newdirectionpartners.com).

CANVAS April 2013

Ricoh’s TotalFlow Solution Driving the future of digital production workflow.

At Ricoh, innovation means more than offering industry leading equipment and software. That’s why we created TotalFlow, our one-of-a-kind solution designed to give you easy access to revenue-generating solutions from web-to-print to personalization, document and job management, multichannel marketing and much much more!

Our TotalFlow solution offers you: • Customized workﬂow solutions • Comprehensive implementation services • Strategic and consulting services • Advanced business development services with Ricoh’s Business Booster Program Call 1-800-637-4264 or visit ricoh-usa.com today to learn how we can quickly take you from workflow to TotalFlow.

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JOIN US!

Mobile media Make Your CRM a Successful Collaboration

By John Foley, Jr.

s technology has evolved, so has CRM (Customer Relationship Management). Historically, CRM tended to focus on internal operational effectiveness. It was all about providing easier access to information for

employees and ideally help promote collaboration between departments within the company. It was a little black book on steroids, designed to help store a company’s valuable contact data. It eventually grew to include the ability to generate automatic follow up and beyond.

When you combine the philosophy of today’s social CRM and the right software package, you can have a match made in heaven.

With today’s CRM, if you get a complaint on Facebook, you face it head on and contact the customer. You work out a solution. But it doesn’t end there. You make sure the practices and procedures are in place internally so that the issue doesn’t arise again. And, you may even turn the whole situation into a case study. Look at the little things: Talk to your current clients and prospects via your website blog by inviting comments, on your YouTube channel and other social media profiles. Ask and engage. What are their likes and dislikes? What are

Today’s CRM must take into account

that streamline everything. Software

their suggestions? Thoughtful or not,

social media, mobile marketing, and

as a service (SaaS) has created an even

they may at least have a little merit.

more. CRM captures the attention

playing field, allowing companies of

In the end, successful CRM is all

of prospects with relevant content,

all sizes to implement CRM tools and

about a synchronistic collaboration –

making sure that content is available

strategies at a much more reduced

between sales, marketing, customer

via multiple channels. It’s an inte-

cost than before.

service, social media and a great soft-

grated customer experience via vari-

When you combine the philosophy of

ware platform. Every company (well, at

ous touch-points. It’s a more social

today’s social CRM and the right soft-

least the ones that want to make money

CRM model, using blog posts, videos,

ware package, you can have a match

and stand the test of time) wants to

podcasts, tweets and other social

made in heaven. You have the process

develop strong, lasting relationships

media posts to disseminate informa-

in place to help coordinate efforts, but

with their customers. In order to do

tion, educate prospects, invite conver-

you have the strategies that embrace

that, your company must understand

sation and develop relationships.

the conversational nature of CRM that

your customers’ needs and behaviors.

CRM is not only for the “big” guys

helps develop relationships. It’s sort of

How can you cross sell or up sell if you

in business. Today, businesses can find

a yin-yang thing. You want to balance

don’t fully understand your customers’

the right fit for their budget and stra-

the internal operational efforts with

needs? You can’t. You need all the

tegic needs with software products

your outside lead development.

pieces in place in order to succeed.

John P. Foley Jr. is CEO and CMO of Grow Socially (www.growsocially.com). For more information, call 800-948-0113 or email him at support@growsocially.com.

CANVAS April 2013

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Business Insights Understanding Today’s Print Buyers

f you’re a CANVAS reader, you most likely have sales responsibilities and work with print buyers. Knowing as much as you can about your audience is important. And so is keeping up to date with your customers.

By Howie Fenton

1. M aster your elevator speech This will help you clearly differentiate your company from the rest. Be specific and use stories to reinforce how you and your company are different.

2. Know who to address You must be able to talk to print

While there are many sources of good information about print buyers, one

buyers and marketing decision makers

of the best may be PBI or Print Buyers International. Led by Margie Dana, the

because these two departments are

organization constantly is researching and promoting print buyer education in

working

the industry.

some cases, becoming one. Do you

After recently visiting the PBI site, I read two items I thought would be relevant and interesting. The first, published this past December, was the result of a

closer

together,

and

understand how to talk to the two groups differently?

survey that asked print buyers what they expected in 2013. The 162 responses help paint a picture of today’s typical print buyer. Here are some of the conclu-

3. Run a tight ship

sions from the study.

Even though the make and quality

You must be able to talk to print buyers and marketing decision makers because these two departments are working closer together, and in some cases, becoming one.

of your equipment is not as important as it used to be, print buyers still appreciate the use of high-quality equipment, paperwork and proof of ongoing quality inspections and well-maintained equipment.

4. Know your stuff If you’re not comfortable articulating the benefits of personalization, you’re working at a significant competitive disadvantage. Seek a subject matter expert to coach and support your marketing sales efforts.

•A bout half (53 percent) of those surveyed bought at least $1 million each year

5. Stay ahead of the curve

• Over half of the respondents (62 percent) had more than 15 years of experience

Print buyers appreciate ongoing efforts

•O ver half (64 percent) bought more offset and digital printing

to increase productivity and reduce

•W hen buying something new such as digital print for the first time,

costs. Companies that demonstrate

most buyers trust printers they have a relationship with • The most important value added service printers can offer is mailing and fulfillment

these efforts eliminate the need for the print buyer to demand concessions.

In a related blog posted on the PBI site in January, the group listed the keys to

What’s your opinion about the driving

successful print sales. Using their conclusions, I added some of my own experi-

forces with print buyers? Let me know,

ence to create a list of the five most important issues in today’s sales world.

as I’d love to hear about them.

Howard Fenton is a senior consultant at NAPL. He advises companies on how to overcome production issues, reduce production costs that hurt sales, and to build and sell more value added services. You can reach him via email at hfenton@napl.org.

CANVAS April 2013

Communicating Game On

Understanding the Speak First Think Later vs. Think First Speak Later groups

By Ryan T. Sauers

s we discussed in the last issue, we’re covering the four components of the Adaptive Communications model. The model, the central part of my “Everyone Is in Sales” book, will be helpful as we strive to become better communicators. For a summary of the model, refer to CANVAS’ February issue. Here, we’ll cover the first of the model’s four segments.

There are some general charac-

the life of the party. Does he have lots

marked by subtlety and understate-

teristics that each of the two parts

of friends? Does he struggle to be a

ment. The group tends to be defined

of this group (Speak First Think Later

good listener? Does he love to try

by engineers, librarians, researchers

vs. Think First Speak Later) tends to

new things, share new ideas or take

and IT professionals.

display. Let’s examine ways to under-

the initiative in relationships? Does he

Picture your high school science

stand who would be in the Speak First

start a conversation by saying, “Listen,

teacher. He likely focused his attention on

Think Later group and who would be

I have a great idea, let’s…”?

fewer things, used words sparingly and

in the Think First Speak Later group.

was not overly expressive. He most likely loved to reflect on deep matters. He

self-confident. They’re social and thrive

Defining the Think First, Speak Later Group

on interaction. They feed off others

In contrast, people in the Think First,

a statement it almost always was well

and love to discuss a breadth of topics

Speak Later group often appear

thought out and intelligent. This defines

(none of them in depth). Moreover,

reserved. They have a set of closely held

the Think First, Speak Later group.

they jump from one thought or task to

internal values. They don’t share ideas

One of the goals to improving your

another. They usually have a relaxed

easily. They work through their issues

communications is to understand what

and approachable nature and are quite

internally before sharing. They are prone

your “natural” right hand versus left

personable. And while speak first think

to say, “Let me think about it.”

hand preference is. You can use both

Many speak first think later types are

always took his time. But when he made

later types tend to “let it all out,” after doing so, they generally don’t like that they did. After a meeting, you might hear them say, “Man, why did I say that? Because they exude confidence, they view their ideas as great values to others and are not shy about shar-

Many speak first think later types are self-confident. They’re social and thrive on interaction. They feed off others and love to discuss a breadth of topics.

ing them. Thus, their concepts are “spoken out loud.” While the thoughts

Others may view them as shy or

hands, but one is more comfortable

may not be well developed, this is

reluctant to participate in a discussion.

and better developed. In contrast, one

how they think through their ideas.

But that’s not true. They simply want

style is easier. So, as you go through this

They are sociable and expressive, and

to think things through before articu-

model and build on it, think about which

prefer speaking to writing. The profes-

lating their thoughts. They often get

group favors your disposition and which

sions you’re most likely to find them in

mad for not speaking up in settings

one a person you struggle to communi-

are traditional sales, politics or public

they know they should have.

cate with is in.

These individuals tend to focus their

This is a great way to put this model

Think of the most outgoing person

attention on a few things and are good

to work. Until next time, I challenge

you know. Now, think about him in

listeners. They prefer written over

you to work harder on your adaptive

myriad settings. Does he tend to

verbal communications. Reflection is

communications

have many of these characteristics?

more important than taking immediate

doing this will pay great dividends for

Maybe it’s a friend who loves to be

action. When they communicate, it’s

you and your company.

relations, to name a few.

style.

Successfully

Ryan T. Sauers is president and owner of Sauers Consulting Strategies, whose business is growing your business. Sauers founded the independent consulting firm after nearly 20 years of leading printing/visual communications companies. Sauers is working on his doctoral degree in organizational leadership and has a master’s in organizational leadership. He is both a Certified Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) practitioner and Certified Marketing Executive (CME). Ryan’s best-selling book, “Everyone Is in Sales,” can be ordered on Amazon.com at: www.everyoneinsales.com. Let’s talk: www.ryansauers.com.

CANVAS P9

Marketing Insights

She said it...

We constantly iterate. Not everything that we try succeeds by any means, but that’s the spirit with which we approach every day. – Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor in chief of The Huffington Post, on why it’s important to dare to fail

This just in:

Smaller really is better In the world of tablets, smaller, lower-priced devices are becoming all the rage. That’s why International Data Corp. (IDC) revised its 2013 forecast for the number of tablets being shipped to 190.9 million units, up from its previous number of 172.4 million. Breaking down the 2013 numbers, the Android-based tablets’ market share is forecasted to reach a peak of 48.8 percent, while Apple’s iOS is expected to slip from 51 percent of the market in 2012 to 46 percent in 2013, IDC predicts. By 2017, IDC forecasts that tablet shipments will total more than 350 million.

BOOK REC

Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work and Think By Viktor Mayer-Schonberger & Kenneth Neil Cukier The rise of big data has helped create several types of companies: those that own data, those that analyze data and those that know how to use it to find the answers to new problems. Oxford professor Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, author of “Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Internet Age,” and economist data editor Kenneth Niel Cukier take a revealing look into the hottest trend in technology and the dramatic impact it will have on the economy, science and society at large. Which paint color could tell you if a used car is in good shape? How did Google searches predict the spread of the H1N1 flu outbreak? Mayer-Schönberger and Cukier say the key to these questions, and more, is big data, which refers to our growing ability to crunch vast collections of information, analyze it instantly and sometimes draw profoundly surprising conclusions from it. Calling it a revolution on par with the internet or the

printing press, they say big data will change the way we think about the future of business, health, politics, education and innovation. Big Data paints a brilliantly clear picture of how this kind of procured information will change our lives, and what we can do to protect ourselves from its hazards. This is a must-have book for all CANVAS readers.

The percent of Americans who support the new six-day package, five-day mail delivery schedule the U.S. Postal Service plans to implement starting the week of August 5. The results were part of a USPS-commissioned study conducted by the independent market research company Ipsos.

P10 CANVAS April 2013

The Art of Information Survey shows how companies are rolling out their content marketing In today’s marketing universe, SEO and social media are converging into content marketing optimization. A recent report

Articles

74%

by content marketing company BusinessBolts.com shows that 74 percent of small businesses use content marketing to increase traffic and promote their brands.

Blog posts

64%

The report, “Content Marketing Survey Report 2013,” highlights the top ways companies are using content marketing. Here’s a breakdown:

Infographics

Social media content

33%

49% Videos

Email newsletters

38%

41% CANVAS P11

People News Awards & Recognition Mark Steputis, president

Honors put Canon among world’s leading innovative companies

and CEO of Vision Graphics

Staying at the core of innovation continues to drive the Canon brand. One of the

Inc., has been named a finalist for “CEO of the Year” by ColoradoBiz magazine. The Mark Steputis

award recognizes leaders who

show

outstanding

professional achievement and community impact through their career-long body of work. Finalists were selected by a panel of representatives from the Colorado Association of Commerce & Industry. Under Steputis’ leadership, the Loveland, Colo., company has grown to become one of Colorado’s 250 fastest growing privately owned companies, and one of the country’s 400 largest printers in servicing both regional and national clients, including several Fortune 1000 brands. Timothy Keran, CEO and owner of Western Graphics, is the inaugural recipient of Printing Industries of America’s “Managing for Improvement Award.” The Timothy Keran

Leading the way

award is bestowed upon

a manager in the printing industry who

world leaders in digital imaging solutions, Canon recently received two distinctive honors that help solidify its commitment to innovation. For the 27th consecutive year, its parent company, Canon Inc., has ranked among the top five U.S. patent holders. In 2012, it produced 3,174 patents, a new high. According to the latest ranking of preliminary patent results issued by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, Canon Inc. ranked first among Japanese companies and third overall in the United States for patents granted. In addition, Canon was named to the “2012 Top 100 Global Innovators” list, produced by Thomson Reuters. The list recognizes 100 corporations and institutions around the world “that are at the heart of innovation.” Selection is based on four principal criteria: overall patent volume; patent grant success rate, global reach of the portfolio, and patent influence as evidenced by citations. “For more than 20 years, we’ve been a top five corporate recipient of patents,” says Francis A. McMahon, VP, PPS marketing for Canon Solutions America. “Our corporate philosophy, Kyosei, encourages innovation. Kyosei means aspiring to a society in which all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously live and work together for the common good. Innovation is key for a few reasons. It helps us gain competitive advantages and reduce competition. It drives economic growth by raising margins and profitability, creating new jobs and protecting market share. It helps make life easier for our customers and helps improve their businesses. And it helps attract alliance partners. We are pleased to be recognized as a Global Innovator.”

Top of the list Ricoh lauded for ethical practices for fifth straight year

has demonstrated the ability to create

When it comes to ethics, it’s about more than just making statements. Just ask

real and lasting improvement for his or

Ricoh, which was named to The World’s Most Ethical (WME) Companies’ list for

her company. Over the past five years,

the fifth consecutive year. A record 145 companies made this year’s list, including

Keran has helped the St. Paul, Minn.,

International Paper and Xerox.

company complete more than 2,000

The designation, bestowed by the Ethisphere Institute, not only honors compa-

employee-initiated projects and drive

nies that promote ethical business standards and practices internally, but also that

striking improvements in rework, lost-

exceeds legal compliance minimums and shapes future industry standards by intro-

time accidents and sales per employee.

ducing best practices.

He also instituted a profit sharing plan

Ethisphere is a leading international organization dedicated to the creation,

that rewards employees for improving

advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, governance, anti-

efficiency and customer satisfaction.

corruption and sustainability. This is the seventh year it has published its rankings, which were culled from a record number of nominations and applications.

Around the Industry Zoo Printing Inc. has added a new location in West Deptford, N.J. The new facility, which will help shorten shipping times to the East Coast, complements its other locations in Southern California and Kentucky. Zoo now can deliver to almost anywhere in the United States within one to two days using standard ground shipping. Brown Printing Company has acquired Nellymoser, a Boston-based mobile marketing and technology company. Nellymoser offers both a mobile companion application platform with self-service tools and packaged print-to-digital solutions, which are then deployed by their customers as cross media campaigns. Nellymoser will operate as a division of Brown, a Gruner + Jahr Co. The company will maintain its operations in the Boston area.

P12 CANVAS April 2013

‘Stronger together’ EP Graphics’ acquisition of Mignone Communications forms one of Indiana’s largest web printers In an economy that has forced a lot of companies to revisit their game plans, EP Graphics and Mignone Communications have found a strategy that works. EP acquired the operating assets of Mignone, located in Huntington, Ind., to form one of Indiana’s largest web printers. The companies are integrating the staffs and operations in the EP Graphics’ plant in Berne. The combined operations will have approximately 150 employees. “Mignone Communications is a great strategic and cultural fit with EP Graphics,” says Tyler Kitt, president and CEO of EP Graphics, which specializes in short-tomedium runs for a wide variety of catalogs, books and other publications. “Our operations complement each other, and we share a commitment to quality on-time delivery solutions. We will be stronger together.” EP Graphics, founded by Christian Muselman in 1925, began as Economy Printing Concern. Today, the company is jointly owned by the Muselman family and Tyler Kitt. DRG, a sister company, also owned by the Muselman family, is comprised of two divisions: Annies, a media company whose products include magazines, kits and supplies, books, online classes and TV programming; and Strategic Fulfillment Group, which provides state-of-the-art fulfillment and database marketing services from a 140,000-square-foot facility in East Texas.

It takes two

The Flesh Company donates printers to Penn State University

L ending a helping hand Unisource honored for employment of people with disabilities In the end, any successful company will tell you that true success lies in the people you employ. Unisource Worldwide can attest to that philosophy. The company recently was named the “2012 Employer of the Year” by the California Disability Services Association (CDSA) for its commitment to employing people with developmental disabilities. The CDSA Excellence in Employment

Award

program

highlights

employers with a commitment to diversity in the workplace – demonstrated by their efforts to expand job opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities. “[We] are proud to embrace a diverse and inclusive workforce, including people of all abilities,” says Al Dragone, Unisource’s CEO. “These team members are highly committed, highly motivated and extremely productive. We view them as a valuable asset to our organization.” PRIDE Industries, Roseville, Calif., which has partnered with Unisource Worldwide for more than 15 years, made

the

nomination.

Unisource

employs some 50 PRIDE clients with disabilities at its Sacramento facility, where the employees provide preassembly manufacturing services in When Penn State University’s in-house print center needed help around its peak production cycles; The Flesh Company stepped up big time. Working with Xerox, Flesh arranged for the donation and ownership transfer of two Nuvera digital presses. “We were exploring ways to move some excess equipment, and through some industry contacts, we learned that Penn State might be able to use them,” says Roger Buck, director of marketing for the St. Louis printer. Abbas Badani, director of the Multimedia and Print Center, says the university plans to install the

a supported employment environment. Additionally, Unisource partners with PRIDE for assembly and kitting services, creating work for up to 100 people with developmental disabilities at PRIDE’s facility in the Natomas area of Sacramento.

second Nuvera in its student union location.

Your news here »» People news. New products. Trends shaping the way our industry does business. If you have a news item, CANVAS wants to hear about it. All you have to do is email us the information and a photograph, and we’ll do the rest. Send your information to michael@thecanvasmag.com.

CANVAS P13

»» Product Spotlight

Green is Good Neenah Paper unveils sustainability friendly Environment Retail Card Papers The cards are part of the company’s packaging line, which includes ENVIRONMENT Folding Board Papers, and specialty papers for card carriers, set up boxes, bags and hand tags. They will

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P14 CANVAS April 2013

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hris stared at his sheet listing sales for the month. Wow. They were down by more than 20 percent from last year. How did that happen? He’s always

busy. His days flew by. With responding to a barrage of emails, client requests and production

How to Get UnStuck

Strategies that will help you take action and grow sales

problems, there was hardly a moment to think. He thought about his clients. At the end of

He was floored. Had it really been six months

since he called any of these companies?

He scanned the spreadsheet. He should

call Mark Murphy at BigBuy. They had a couple of really good meetings. Chris remembered their last conversation. BigBuy was considering a rebrand and

By Linda Bishop

last year, the hospital told him they weren’t going to print their newsletter anymore. His biggest retail client printed their catalog in the first quarter, but reduced the quantity and page count (along with his commission).

didn’t plan to print much. If they changed their mind, he would have known, right?

Chris went online and searched BigBuy’s website. There was a new logo. He missed an opportunity. He wasted an hour musing over the sales report. It was

None of his clients did an annual report anymore. And

time to quit messing around and call new people. Chris

while he still handled plenty of direct mail projects, many

scanned the spreadsheet again. He remembered talking

were simple postcards with short runs and small invoices.

with Julie Smith at Nice Company over the phone. She

In an era of tight budgets, there were few opportunities

had a long-time relationship with another vendor and

to upsell customers on high-end papers or special effects

wasn’t sure she wanted to make any changes.

like embossing.

He remembered that Julie loved seeing samples. She

Chris needed some new customers, and he needed them

said they inspired new ideas. Chris couldn’t remember

quick. He grabbed the blue binder on his credenza and

any new products that excited him, so he walked to the

starting surveying his scribble. There were notes and news

bindery, where Jack, the bindery manager, saw him root-

articles about companies mixed in with LinkedIn profiles he

ing through customer sample boxes.

had printed out. After a little digging, he located a spreadsheet listing companies, contacts and the dates of the last calls he made.

P16 CANVAS February 2013

“What are you looking for?” Jack asked. “Something that will make a prospect sit up and take notice. Something jaw-dropping,” Chris responded.

How to Get Un-Stuck

“Don’t really have anything like that right now. Try talking to Sue. Last week we produced a high-end direct mail piece with special effects for one of her clients. She’d have extras.” After unsuccessfully tracking down Sue, another 20 minutes passed. The day was nearly over and Chris hadn’t made one call. He looked down at his inbox. There were 16 new messages. He decided to return calls tomorrow.

What’s the benefit in worrying? Everyone worries. It’s part of what makes us human. Worry is triggered by information, an outcome or a new event. Chris was worried because his sales had dropped from the previous year. Graham Davey, a psychology professor at the University of Sussex in England, was one of the first experts to study the benefits of worrying. In a 1994 study, he found worrying often helps us in several important ways, including as a motivator to take action and resolve problems. Worrying can be debilitating and stressful. And while you know you must change, your thinking doesn’t shift to action. Without action, nothing changes. Now you feel worse. Your stress increases. You need a strategy to get un-stuck. You’re no longer thinking – you’re obsessing. It’s time to get out of the rut and make more calls, schedule more appointments, get more opportunities and grow your sales.

Thinking is good, but it doesn’t guarantee you’ll reach a decision-maker to schedule a meeting. The truth is that 30 minutes of cold calling is better than 30 minutes of thinking about what to say. Make More Cold Calls Does this sound familiar? You must make some cold calls, but you haven’t called on a prospect in a month. You sit there for 18 minutes trying to devise the perfect script – one that will guarantee you’ll get an appointment. You got nothing. You spend the next 36 minutes surfing the web looking for inspiration. Nothing. You decide to call tomorrow. Problem is, tomorrow rolls around and you still don’t know what to say. The

Your Client Checklist Your prospects want to know how you help your current clients. Here’s a checklist of what you should have done for them: • Saved money on a project • Reduced postage costs • Delivered a critical job quickly • Provided a unique solution • Handled something from end-to-end and provided a turn-key solution • Flawlessly executed a complex job

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week passes – still no calls. You start to wonder what went wrong. Thinking is good, but it doesn’t guarantee you’ll reach a decision-maker to schedule a meeting. The truth is that 30 minutes of cold calling is better than 30 minutes of thinking about what to say. If you want a good script, try this Thought Transformation cold call strategy. Just fill in the blanks. Hi PROSPECT NAME. My name is YOUR NAME and I’m proud to be part of the experienced team at YOUR COMPANY. Recently we helped a CLIENT NAME with a project where we TELL WHAT YOU DID AND HOW IT HELPED. May I have the opportunity to meet for 30 minutes and share how we could help you with NAME A BENEFIT, too? Spend 10 minutes or so to devise your script, and then make a minimum of three calls. Do it. Don’t whine, whimper or waffle. Suck it up. Dial and talk. You might even get someone on the phone.

Get Prospects and Customers to Respond It’s discouraging when nobody acknowledges your communications. It’s baffling when you have a great meeting – or thought you did – and nobody bites on your follow-up. And it’s disheartening when long-time customers ignore you.

What should you do? There is no magic answer. Continually mauling over what went wrong doesn’t do you any good. So try focusing on some fresh-start thinking. Think creatively about what you can do right now using one of these three techniques: Explain the problem to a peer you respect – Ask for their advice and take it, even if the action they suggest makes you feel uncomfortable. Act immediately. Don’t over-think the advice. Try the ‘10 for 10’ approach – Spend 10 minutes to come up with 10 possible actions to solve the problem. Scan the list. Pick the best action. If it doesn’t work, pick something different. Repeat until you run out of options. If you’re already worrying about whether or not this will work, stop right now. You won’t know until you act. Tap into your inner genius – Think about what you want to do. Now write it

Three coldcalling truths you should know Truth No. 1 There is no perfect message that works every time on every prospect.

Truth No. 2 Cold-calling always has been, and always will be, a numbers game.

Truth No. 3 Bad cold calls still work better than no cold calls.

down. Close your eyes and imagine the outcome you desire. What do you want? How will you feel when it happens? Open your eyes. Ask yourself what you need to do to reach the goal. Jot down the first thing that comes to mind. In sales, action counts. You learn by doing. The more you do, the more you learn and the better you get. To master tasks faster, do them more often. Evaluate the outcome. When you worry, figure out what to do differently. Do it quickly. Winston Churchill put it best, “I never worry about action – only inaction.” Salespeople who use strategies to stay focused on immediate action will sell more, earn more and sleep better at night. Worrying less is good for you.

Linda Bishop, a longtime veteran of the commercial printing industry, is the founder of Thought Transformation Inc. (www.thoughttransformation.com), which trains and consults companies and sales professionals on how to sell more and reach their full potential. You can reach her at lindabishop@thoughttransformation.com.

And thee Please … p o l e v n E h list c t a W o t le p de our Peo a m o h w e e S

s “A leader take people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily ut want to go, b ought to be.” – Rosalynn C

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ar ter

in 2013

elp nitions that h fi e d y n a m here are f leadership. o rt a e u tr e define th m ve people fro o m u o y w o It’s h n . It’s what ca B t in o P to A Point rorrow. Leade m to r e tt e b e for a give you hop that without y h p o s o il h p n and a ship is a visio lent sources or ta re , y e n o m f to it, no amoun ny success for a le b a in ta s u s ieve can ever ach , the most e u rg a ld u o . It is, some w organization ollowing is F . s s e s s o p n t we ca valuable asse tch in 2013, a W to le p o NVAS’ Pe a look at CA insights that l a n io s s fe ro onal and p and the pers s. em to succes th f o h c a e s e driv

onovan Neale-May’s career spans more than 35 years in the busi-

ness, agency and media hubs of London, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. He has consulted with well more than 300 companies, and created imaginative promotional

marketing and strategic communications campaigns for well-established brands, infant technologies and high-flying category innovators. Donovan founded the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council in 2001. Today, the peer-powered network has more than 6,500 members in 110 countries, controlling some $350 billion in annual aggregated marketing spend.

Favorite quote? “Do, don’t stew.” – Jack LaLanne

What’s the true measure of success? Achieving a place where you have true peace of mind and inner-most satisfaction.

Donovan Neale-May Executive Director Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council Years in Business: 35-plus

What motivates you? A continuous sense of inadequacy, particularly as you view the achievements of others.

How do you want your customers to define your business? A trusted content provider and influential peer-to-peer community of chief marketers; primary go-to resource for every facet of strategic marketing worldwide.

What has changed about you over the last few years? I’m a lot more mellow and just a little less obsessive, compulsive.

What is your hope for the industry and the upcoming generations? A new age of digitally enabled relationships and experiences that create shared value for companies and their customers.

CANVAS P21

And the Envelope Please ...

Julie Shaffer VP, Digital Strategies Printing Industries of America Years in Business: 25

s VP, digital strategies for the Printing Industries of America (PIA),

Julie Shaffer plays a lead role in developing programs and tools to help its members develop new business through integrating print and digital marketing, and communications media. She can

be found holding training sessions or on-site consulting on topics such as premedia and digital print production, integrated marketing, social media and print e-commerce. Along with authoring several books, she writes for various industry publications and social media venues. In addition, Julie heads up PIA’s Integrated Print Media Center and manages its Education and Conferences group.

Favorite quote? “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” –Douglas Adams

What’s the true measure of success? If you can look around or picture the people you’ve known in the past, and see you’ve been part of helping them improve some small part of their lives or business, you’ve had success. I feel a sense of success when I take a concept or idea and work with a team to build it into something tangible, especially if that tangible thing can benefit others in some way. In my work life, this could be writing a book, or putting a new workshop or conference together that, after it’s finished, you hear how it really helped somebody.

What motivates you? I spend a significant amount of time researching new technologies, marketing, and consumer and business trends to glean what might be beneficial to pass on to our members and the industry at large. The fact that there is always something new to discover and share with others is very motivating.

How do you want your customers to define your business? As an industry association, we exist to serve our members and the industry as a whole. We strive to do that in all of our activities. When we come out with statements opposing movements like “Toshiba’s No Print Day,” we get criticized from people who think we are unaware of how communication is changing today’s world. Nothing is further from the truth. We develop entire conference programs around new technologies, such as our Integrated Print Forum. We understand these campaigns usually target office copier-type printing. But when a major corporation doesn’t make that distinction and casts all print as destructive to the environment, we have to react. I want our members to perceive this association as one that’s dedicated to helping them navigate their businesses toward growth – one that is always working on their behalf.

What has changed about you over the last few years? Professionally, I’ve become re-energized. It was disconcerting a few years ago when mobile communication tools were just starting to grow in popularity. There were so many talking heads and bloggers declaring the death of print. But today, I see so much promise ahead for printers to evolve their businesses with products and services that complement consumer trends with things like 3D printing, integrated media management and building businesses around custom-printed products. I spend every day looking at what’s new and considering how it can be adopted to make more business for printers.

What is your hope for the industry and upcoming generations? I know that while some products printed now will be less so, the value of what is printed will rise. I hope that the quality of printed products will be seen as premium objects and highly valued. I hope that print is held as a critical and valued part of the marketing communications chain. I hope that educational programs continue to contain programs that teach our future marketers and communications people that print is viable, concrete and lasting. I still love the smell of ink.

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Predicting the future isn’t easy. Preparing for it is. Be ready for tomorrow with HP Indigo. Whatever happens, you’ll have the long-term advantages of HP’s market leadership, unrivaled innovation and industry commitment as a partner by your side. And with the largest digital portfolio to choose from, your business is better prepared than ever. Find out more at hp.com/go/commercialprinting

And the Envelope Please ...

om Moe, VP of sales and marketing, and corporate director for employee-owned Daily Printing Inc., cut his industry teeth with sales and marketing roles at Unisource Worldwide and Potlatch Corp. A student of how marketing

communications can help build and transform a brand, Tom helped guide Daily’s transformation from a traditional printing company into a printing services company. Today, Daily strategically integrates key

Tom Moe VP Sales & Marketing

marketing communications platforms to connect print, digital, email and other marketing channels.

Daily Printing Inc. Years in Business: 25 years

Favorite quote “No matter where you go there you are.” – Confucius “Do or Do Not, There is no TRY.” – Yoda

What’s the true measure of success? The number of people who attend your funeral and say they will miss you.

What motivates you? The desire to make people more successful than they were yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that…

How do you want your customers to define your business? That they depend on us to help them succeed.

What has changed about you over the last few years? Today I am using all of my resources to help me work smarter and more efficient. By embracing new technology we are evolving our solution platform.

What is your hope for the industry and upcoming generations? That everyone understands the role marketing and advertising has played in the development of our society. I want everyone to understand that the answer to the question, “How are we going to sell this?” lies in the marketing plan. I want future generations to understand how to tell a good story. Done correctly, marketing is the answer; done incorrectly, marketing can kill. Print has been the medium in the past, and it can evolve to be a significant, successful part of the marketing mix in the future.

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fter working with several major web-to-print technology companies in the United States and Europe, Jennifer Matt founded Web2Print Experts. The technology consulting and development firm provides custom development on projects

involving web-to-print and its integration into financial and print workflow management systems. An impassioned industry ambassador, she also writes, consults and speaks about how the online world is impacting our industry through blogs such as thewebandprint.com. Her book, “Web 2 Print,” is available for a small donation to EDSF.org, where she is a board member.

Favorite quote “You know what’s great about this?”

Jennifer Matt

President

If you introduce this as your first reaction to everything, you’ll switch your mental

Web2Print Experts Inc.

model from finding flaws to finding gratitude. It will change your life. You get

Years in Business: 20-plus

what you focus on. If you want more trouble, focus on your troubles; if you want more abundance, focus on the abundance you already have.

What’s the true measure of success? Enjoying the work itself, not just the rewards that the work produces. Don’t work for retirement. I get to work every day and I love it.

What motivates you? Working with people – my team and my customers – to solve challenges by working and learning together; admitting openly when we make mistakes and then learning from them.

How do you want your customers to define your business? As a value-producing partner

What has changed about you over the last few years? Three years ago I started my own company. Today, I feel totally liberated (I’m sure everyone I’ve ever worked for is just as liberated). I am most comfortable in a leadership position where I’m setting the vision and direction. I can follow for a while, but eventually I go off on my own and cause all kind of challenges. It’s such a relief to have figured this out. I thought there was something seriously wrong with me.

What is your hope for the industry and upcoming generations? I believe we collectively are sitting in front of the greatest opportunity ever. Virtually everything has been democratized (access to opportunities, access to technology, ability to communicate for free, etc.). The print industry is in the communications business. Virtually everything about that is changing. And change produces opportunity. My hope is that our industry leaves behind the “victim” mentality and adopts the “opportunist” mentality. Stop talking about the good old days. They are in front of us, not behind us. Shed all those limiting beliefs about what you can and cannot change, and realize that you can learn anything at any age. None of this online/web/social stuff is that hard, no matter what the consultants say.

CANVAS P25

And the Envelope Please ...

s CEO of Mail Print, Gina Danner brings a unique blend of business insight and practical experience to the table. It’s the kind of attributes you acquire having spearheaded the development of integrated direct marketing systems for companies

nationwide. As a consultant, mentor and decorated entrepreneur, she helps her clients and partners hone their marketing and sales processes, guiding them to work smarter, quicker and more profitably.

Favorite quote

Gina M. Danner CEO Mail Print Years in Business: 25

“To whom much is given – much is expected.” – Luke 12:36-48

What’s the true measure of success? Each day we have the opportunity and the choice to be better than we were yesterday. My definition of success is that I realize that gift and continuously look at myself in the mirror, then ask and answer the tough questions.

What motivates you? I believe I have been given many gifts – the most important being a family that taught me how to be the best I could be, helped me to be a strong individual and taught me how to be a leader. Being a success is about honoring their commitment to me.

How do you want your customers to define your business? I want our customers to know that our single goal is to help them make money. I want them to believe and hold us accountable to helping them drive their business forward.

What has changed about you over the last few years? As I have made the transition from my 20s to my late 40s, I have learned more patience, while at the same time developing a strong sense of urgency. I tend to go in 27 directions at once. I’ve gained the patience needed to slow down a bit, help my team see the vision I’ve set and gained a more focused sense of urgency to further that vision beyond what it is today.

What is your hope for the industry and upcoming generations? I love print. My wish for all print company owners is to find a vision for their organizations. The “cottage industry” nature of the print industry will continue to evolve with consolidation. My true hope is that through that consolidation we don’t lose the rapid evolution and innovation our industry has delivered to society. Print is about communicating unique ideas. We are responsible for the communication of ideas all the way from Gutenberg to Google. There is honor and responsibility in that reality. It is critical that we thrive.

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And the Envelope Please ...

ake Walker, president and CEO of CP Graphics, subscribes to the “work hard, play hard” approach to life. His company was created three years ago through the acquisition of a group of commercial print companies in Southern Arizona. Over the last

three years, he has grown CP Graphics into a leading edge marketing services provider with successful clients throughout the world.

Jake Walker President & CEO CP Graphics Years in Business: 5-plus

Favorite quote “In a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.” – Warren Buffett

What’s the true measure of success? This is a tough one for me. I feel success is a journey toward continual improvement, not a destination. Improvement comes down to learning – getting a little bit better every day. In the end, you measure success by your level of commitment to that journey. If you can find a way to improve every day, you will succeed.

What motivates you? Empowering family, friends, employees, customers, partners and vendors to accomplish their goals and improve their lives. For me, there is no greater satisfaction than supporting a member of your team in the creation of his success.

How do you want your customers to define your business? That we are a strategic partner; it is our responsibility to understand our clients’ need and design a solution to meet that need. It doesn’t matter if that’s creative services; putting ink on paper or developing custom data integration for workflow automation. It’s our responsibility to support their success.

What has changed about you over the last few years? I am more focused now on observing and mentoring others. Early in my career, I felt managing change required me, as the leader, to force or take action. Over the last few years, I have found that to truly create and sustain change I have had to be better at setting the vision, and focusing my efforts on motivating and empowering those around me to implement the change.

What is your hope for the industry and upcoming generations? Innovate, innovate and innovate. The print industry is more than 1,500 years old. The scale and frequency of change over the last 10 years is new to our industry. My hope is that upcoming generations will see this change for the opportunity it is and mold the next 1,500 years through design and innovation.

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E n c o u r a g i n g

c r E at i v E

m i n d s

Founded in 1996, The Electronic document scholarship Foundation (EdsF) is a charitable, non-profit, that engages in programs designed to attract the best and brightest to the industry. By granting scholarships, fostering education, promoting research, recognizing leaders, encouraging innovation, and garnering and disseminating knowledge, we are helping build the next generation of digital content and delivery professionals. SCHOLARSHIPS

RESEARCH

EduCAtIOn

EdsFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scholarship program makes it possible for students to receive the education necessary to pursue careers in the document management and graphic communications industry. What sets EdsF apart from other Foundations is the international scope of our operations.

EdsF sponsors academic research grants and partners with major industry research firms to provide businesses with cutting-edge data on trends in the document management and graphic communications industry. since 2001, EdsF has provided 30 research grants, developed a grant/mentor program and published over 25 white papers.

Through recognition of leading educators and educational programs worldwide, EdsF continues to build awareness about career opportunities in the industry, while ensuring that businesses have a talented pool of applicants to recruit.

more than ever before, there is a critical need for individuals and companies to support the future of the document management and graphic communications industry. EdsFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scholarship program enables students to receive the education necessary to pursue careers in the industry, while providing much needed assistance in offsetting the ever increasing financial burden. Please join us as we work together to provide our future business leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary to shape our industry for years to come.

The Electronic Document Scholarship Foundation For more information visit www.edsf.org or call +1 817.849.1145

And the Envelope Please ...

ark Steputis, president and sole owner of Vision Graphics since 1996, learned the printing business from his late uncle, Francis Brooks, his predecessor as CEO. A hands-on executive who can be found on the premise at either his

Denver or Loveland, Colo., facilities, Mark is experienced in all facets of the graphics communications business, including sales, sales training, marketing and commercial print.

Favorite quote “Attitude” by Charles Swindoll The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Mark Steputis CEO/Owner Vision Graphics-Inc. & Eagle:xm Years in Business: 27

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes.

What’s the true measure of success? Being able to look yourself in the mirror and be proud of what you see.

What motivates you? I am working everyday to build an organization that is respected by its employees, customers and vendors.

How do you want your customers to define your business? I want them to recognize that we are a company they can count on. I would like them to know that we value their business, and take responsibility for the services and solutions we provide.

What has changed about you over the last few years? I would say I’m more humble. I still believe I have the capability to affect the outcomes I’m looking for, but in today’s business climate it is more difficult. I would say that leadership today is as hard as it has ever been in my 27 years as a CEO.

What is your hope for the industry and upcoming generations? I hope that the industry can successfully transition from being pure print providers to becoming trusted providers of customer engagement solutions. The digital world has dawned and we need to recognize our place within the media mix. With our Eagle:xm acquisition, we’ve taken that step and embraced the notion that integrated programs are the future. Along with that, it’s important that the printing industry continue to work on rebuilding respect for the job that we do. Our print customers’ businesses will continue to benefit when they incorporate the advancements of technology enhanced print into their business strategies. We also take serious our role as environmental stewards. Print doesn’t need to be relegated to the second string. Nothing replaces the look and feel and permanence of a printed piece, and because of that, we’ll be around for a long time.

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s a long-time member of the graphics communications industry, Annette McCrary’s experience as a supplier, customer and manufacturer continues to help her provide a holistic view of the market. Over the past 15 years, she has worked in a variety of

marketing roles as well as functioning as an executive coach. As director of production marketing at Ricoh, her latest passion has been to explore and source new ways to support the future of graphic communications. She also is very active in the ongoing development of the Ricoh Digital Literacy program.

Favorite quote “Always walk through life as if you have something to learn and you will.” – Vernon Howard

Annette McCrary Director, Production Marketing Ricoh Americas Corporation Years in Business: 26

What’s the true measure of success? Looking back and realizing that you have positively impacted the lives of others.

What motivates you? It’s the ability to take on new challenges. While you definitely fail at some, the ones that you succeed at make it all worthwhile.

How do you want your customers to define your business? The next frontier of communications.

What has changed about you over the last few years? I have learned that print – although vital – is a small element in the world of marketing and communications. Print now is a portal to knowledge, not an endpoint.

What is your hope for the industry and upcoming generations? That organizations like ours will continue to develop and nurture future graphic communications leaders, and to continue to explore the most effective means to deliver customized messages that make each consumer confident we are speaking directly to them and not the masses.

CANVAS P31

And the Envelope Please ...

passionate colorblind printing professional that usually can be found riding his Harley, Randy Sparrow grew up in the

industry. Along the way, he acquired a thirst for knowledge and a “back shop” work ethic that helped instill quality in

everything he does. Over the years, Randy has started, ran and closed shops. Today, the business development director for Rastar says that mentoring people and growing facilities is by far his favorite thing to do.

Randy Sparrow Business Development Director Rastar, a transcontinental company Years in Business: 40-plus

Favorite quote “Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable.” – Peter Drucker

What’s the true measure of success? It is monitoring how many clients, colleagues and friends request my advice. If the amount of demands on my time start to drop off, it is a true indicator that I am not providing the value that is needed.

What motivates you? I am very motivated to drive the bar higher with each of my customers and fellow co-workers on a daily basis. To do this, I’m constantly having to drive my own bar upward to keep up with their growth.

How do you want your customers to define your business? I cherish the moments when a customer arrives to the point of trust and open communications, allowing a mutually beneficial relationship. When these customers ask, it is critical to uphold your end of the trust factor, and to think openly as to how to solve their needs and desires, and truly be a member of their team.

What has changed about you over the last few years? At first, I’d work extremely hard changing the cards dealt to me; making sure I was always dealt a winning hand. While this brought forth great monetary success, it also came at the sacrifice of my personal quality of life. I had to modify my strategy to play all the cards I was dealt – good and bad. This afforded me a much better quality of life, but at a cost. I could, or should, have been more ruthless, as some opportunities were lost that could have been captured. Today, my approach is to only play the winning hands and pass the losing hands onto the competition. That means strategically playing and knowing when to fold. This has been rewarding and self-satisfying, allowing both the company and myself to be financially successful while staying balanced and healthy.

What is your hope for the industry and upcoming generations? I hope that the craftsmanship that was so prevalent in the past will continue to play a part in our future. I slowly see it eroding away in all areas of production and sales. The pride to master and own your part of the trade is needed to control the erosion that has taken place within our industry.

P32 CANVAS April 2013

This

Selling Life Best-selling author Daniel Pink on why each of us are in sales

id you hear the one about the customer who walks into a car dealership with virtually no information or idea of what he wants, and

walks out thinking he landed the â&#x20AC;&#x153;deal of the day?â&#x20AC;? The story with the rhetorical punch line stands as the clearest distinction between what the sales process used to be like

By Michael J. Pallerino

and how far it has come. Take that same scenario today, and that same customer most likely walks into the dealership armed with more information than any two salespeople could conjure up together.

P34 CANVAS February 2013

Daniel Pink, the best-selling author, who, for the past 10 years has made us rethink just about everything we thought we knew about the workplace, loves that story. The former chief speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore continues to be one of the world’s most impassioned business thinkers. With five bestselling books to his credit (See The Daniel Pink Library), Pink’s newest work, “To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving

The Daniel Pink Library To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others Offers a fresh look at the art and science of sales by using a mix of social science, survey research and rich stories. The book shows that everyday people now spend an enormous portion of their time persuading, influencing and moving others. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us Uses 50 years of behavioral science to overturn the conventional wisdom about human motivation and offers a more effective path to high performance.

Others,” sheds some serious light on the concept that everybody is a sales-

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

person today.

Charts the rise of right-brain thinking in modern economies and

Did Daniel Pink really just say we are all in sales out loud? Oh yes he

describes the six abilities individuals and organizations must master in an outsourced, automated age.

did. And he means it. Consider this. Pink says that while the U.S. Bureau of

The Adventures of Johnny Bunko:

Labor Statistics shows that one in nine

The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need

Americans works in the sales profes-

The first American business book in the Japanese comic format known

sion, the real truth is that each of us

as Manga, it is the only graphic novel ever to become a

is pitching something to somebody

BusinessWeek bestseller.

at any given time on any given day. Pink refers to it as “non sales selling.”

Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself

You pitch your services to your clients.

His first book, it became a cornerstone of

You expound the importance of good

employee-management relations.

This Selling Life

study habits on your kids. You woo your spouse into seeing

other people to part with resources. They are pitching ideas in

an action flick over that chick flick.

meetings, asking co-workers to take their views, trying to raise

Too often, Pink says salespeople were viewed as sleazy, cheesy, and forgive him, slimy icons of the “this-is-just-

money from investors. So, on some level, we all are really in sales now.

between-us” mentality that defined the sales process. But ing on a treasure trove of social science and counterintuitive

On whether today’s salesperson can keep up with the changing cycles

insights, Pink outlines the new rules for moving others – rules

I think some people still live in a world where the seller has the

that will change the way you view the sales process, and more

edge over the buyer. What they need to do is recognize that

importantly, how you are a salesperson in your own right.

selling in a world of information, selling in a world of parody,

“To Sell is Human” looks at the changing world of sales. Draw-

CANVAS sat down with Pink to get his views on selling, buying and why most people are oblivious that they are in sales.

and selling in a world of buyer beware and seller beware are fundamentally different. So, the salesperson has to draw a whole new repertoire of abilities and actual skills. That comes

On the fresh new points in selling

down to being able to recognize, understand and do it.

Like it or not, we’re all in sales now. Selling has a bad rap because most of what we know about it arose in a world where

On convincing people they are in sales

the seller had more information than the buyer. Too often, it was

It may sound like a pun, but it less hard to sell them on that

viewed as the buyer being ripped off. But today, the game has

concept than you would expect. And that surprised me a

changed. We now live in a world not just of “buyer beware,” but

little bit. I went out and made this quantitative, deliber-

also of “seller beware.” Today, information asymmetry is giving

ate, well-reasoned argument that we are all in sales. What

way to something at least close to information parity. Over the

I found is that people don’t need a whole lot of convincing.

last 12 years, there has been an explosion of new technolo-

They get it. When they take some time to look at their own

gies. More people are persuading, influencing and convincing

lives, they see that they are doing a lot of selling.

The New

ABCs of Sales

With apologies to Pulitzer Prize winning playwright David Mamet, who created the verbally abusive sales motivator played by Alec Baldwin in “Glengarry Glen Ross,” Daniel Pink is ushering in a new set of ABCs for persuading others. Pink’s new set of rules is not Always Be Closing, but instead, Attunement, Buoyancy and Clarity. Here’s a look.

Attunement

This refers to listening to and under-

Buoyancy

This refers to being optimistic and

Clarity

standing the other person. Pink calls

resilient, especially given how many

the increasing amount of information

it seeing through another person’s

times people will say no. While extro-

that may overwhelm people. Pink says

eyes. He points to new data that

verts traditionally are considered

the best sellers and persuaders tend to

underscores just how critical attun-

the most effective personality type

be good “curators,” those who can take

ement is. While empathy and under-

associated with sales, Pink says his

all of the relevant information and form it

standing emotions are important,

studies didn’t confirm that. Instead,

into a short, easy, compelling summary

understanding someone’s thinking

he found that “ambiverts,” those

that identifies the precise problem or

tends to be more significant.

falling in between introverts and

issue. In his studies and experiments,

extroverts on a personality scale,

Pink found that people responded

typically did the best in persuading

better in conversations when the other

others. Extraverts tended to talk too

person helped them identify the prob-

much, didn’t know when to listen

lem. There is enough information avail-

and often tried too hard to be right

able to allow a person to find a solution,

all the time, while introverts didn’t

but because there is so much readily

always speak up at the right time.

available, people have more trouble

Ambiverts were able to rely on both

identifying what the specific problem is

skill sets at different times.

rather than actually solving it.

P36 CANVAS April 2013

This is especially important because of

On the simplest way to get better at sales

premium today on expertise, which is not only emotional. Do

The biggest thing I encourage people to do to get better

you understand what the other side is thinking? Do you know

in sales is to take the other side’s perspective. You can

and understand what their interests are? Can you provide the

enhance perspective through subtle mimicry. Human

personality and expertise to help them do something better?

beings are natural mimickers. The more you’re conscious of

Somebody who is running a printing services business and is

the other side’s posture, mannerisms and word choices, the

emotionally connected to his customers is going to be better off

more you subtly reflect those back; the more accurate you’ll

than somebody who is not. There’s no question about that. But

be at taking their perspective. Too many people get too

if there is only an emotional connection, I’d be a little concerned.

wrapped up in their own perspective, so much so that they

It’s a balance. It’s about sitting on both sides – seller and buyer.

don’t take the time to see the other side. Today, with both sides having information, salespeople are almost forced to look at the other side. You don’t want your prospect to find what he needs without you, because today, he can do that.

On what printers must do to succeed in today’s market

If you are in the business of only getting your customers printing at the cheapest price, that model won’t sustain itself.

It’s about more than just selling printing; it’s about selling

On whether the art and science of selling can continue to innovate

insights. You have to help your customers run their businesses

Never understate people’s ingenuity. I think it will be fasci-

better. If you are in the business of only getting your customers

nating to see what the selling process will be like 10, 20 years

printing at the cheapest price, that model won’t sustain itself.

from now. My hunch is that, like a lot of things, the process may become more automated. The parts that remain will

On connecting with people on an emotional level

be those things that humans do real well, thing like creating

You have to understand where people are coming from, but I

people in a more transcendent sense. But I can see sales

think there is a hardheaded aspect to this as well. There’s a real

becoming more human, not less human.

new ideas, connecting with people emotionally and serving

Wondering how you will meet your annual sales goal? Long-time commercial printing industry veteran and sales expert Linda Bishop has the tips and tricks to help you succeed! Her inexpensive, no-fluff practical guides are guaranteed to help you and meet your sales goals this year! Visit ttbooks.biz/shop today! Selling in Tough Times – Discover new ways to hit your sales goals in a down economy 101 Cold Call Tips – Find out how to take your cold-calling skills to the next level The Sales Pro’s Guide to Using LinkedIn ® – Learn to use LinkedIn® as a business building tool For free, daily sales tips read Linda’s blog, www.salesisnotforsissies.com, and follow her on Twitter, @Linda_Bishop.

Order your copies today by visiting ttbooks.biz/shop.

The Power of Testimonials How to let happy customers sell for you

hink of a vacation you planned recently? If you’re like most, you paid close attention to the customer reviews you saw during your web research on possible destinations and places to stay.

By Brian Sullivan

In short, prospects want to know what others think of you and your solution. So, the question is, “What are you providing that will convince them that what you’re saying is really true?” If you said, “Not much,” don’t sweat it. But it’s time to fix it.

Next, to prepare for some good

It’s time to start thinking about testimonial letters. This tool can increase the number

reading while on your trip, maybe you

of sales you make as well as decrease the time it takes to get the order. Following

stopped by Amazon, checked out the

is everything you ever wanted to know about a testimonial letter, and more.

book description page and visited the

What is a Testimonial Letter?

customer review section again. The reality is that we trust the opinion of the customers over the opinion

It’s a brief summary, note or letter of positive customer comments that become a regular part of your sales process.

of the seller. And guess what? Your customers feel the same way. But if

How Many Do I Need?

the only opinion they ever get about

To power up your sales presentation, you should have at least five testimonials

how great your product and service

from customers who are happy they have you as a business partner. But don’t

is comes from somebody who’s paid

stop at five. There is no downside to having a presentation binder or folder full of

to say it (you), you may be delaying or

different types of decision-makers addressing specific benefits they found in your

preventing a ton of orders.

products or services.

Allan A Novem Ja m e s

nimal C

How Do I Get Them?

linic

Write this down: Customers are not

ber 14 , 2012

going to chase you down the hall and throw unsolicited testimonial letters at you. You get them by asking.

Allan,

DVM le Stre et Shelbin a, MO 6 34 68 21 Ma p

D ear B

Why Would They Offer One? The short answer is because you

rian,

asked. But you can only ask if your product has done what you promised,

This is ma na g

for co n

just a b

e m e nt

rief no

s of t w a

and if your follow-up service is even

te to e

re you

x p res s

o ur s a

better than the product you sold.

tisfac t

ion wit helped h t he p to p r o u s acq rac tice T he s o vide se u ir e. We’d f t w ar e r vice, a li k saves o e n t d o n t ha n k y ew a n d patien ur s t af ou t s mo n improv f time, ey. e d p ro which in tur n d uc t s. saves t he p r a We ha c tice a d t he p nd rivileg e of b e t he d e vice, a ing a b nd let e t a te s me say t site f version or you we ar e . Your r n ew s co m p a excited of t w a r contin ny’s at a b o u e for u e s to t this n tention impres e t w o and im detail s u s, a p ro d u and c u proved n d we c t s in t s to m e look fo he f u t u r satisf r w ar d re. ac tion to c o n tinuing to u s e Re g a r d your s, tinuing

Your five-star service is what will have earned you the right to ask for help.

How Do I Ask? “Insert Customer Name Here: I like to check in and make sure you’re satisfied with our solution and the service we’re providing.” Assuming you receive good feedback, follow with, “I was wondering if you’d be willing to help me. I frequently have potential clients ask for referrals or third-party opinions about our company. Would you mind if I put some of the positive comments you shared with me into a short note. I’d love to share them with potential customers.”

P38 CANVAS April 2013

Note: You are writing the letter. All they have to do is approve what you write.

If you’re in phone or inside sales,

The good news is that you’ll do an even better job writing it than they will. The

include either full testimonials as attach-

outcome is a great testimonial letter they don’t have to spend time writing.

ments in an email or cut and paste a few comments in the body of your message.

Isn’t That Too Pushy?

Remember, people are not only used

No, it’s not. Great service is rewarded. Asking for a testimonial should be easier

to “reviews,” they’re now in a habit of

than asking for the order. You’ve already established a trusting relationship.

making it an important part of their decision-making process.

How Do I Make Asking a Habit?

Here’s the good news. Most salespeo-

Don’t expect to get a testimonial from every happy customer. But just like with sales

ple reading this article still won’t have a

goals, you must set a testimonial letter objective. For example, for every three new

testimonial letter six months from now.

customers you get, secure at least one new testimonial. By making asking a habit, you’ll

That means you have a real opportu-

have a binder full of comments that can be used in many sales situations.

nity to separate yourself from the pack. When customers sit down to review your

Where Do I Use Them? Positive comments from a testimonial can be used to support a key feature or benefit while delivering your presentation. For example, if you’re discussing a timesaving feature of your product, you can open your testimonial binder or folder and quickly show three customers’ letters about how your solution saved them a ton of time. They’ll be more interested in those “reviews” than they’ll be in that fancy brochure you’re holding.

By making asking a habit, you’ll have a binder full of comments that can be used in many sales situations.

proposal against your competitor, your competitor’s pile will feature a brochure and pricing, while yours will have a brochure, pricing and a selection of great trust building comments that add credibility to your story. Those comments will not only land you the order, but it’ll give you another round of testimonials from another happy customer.

As president of PRECISE Selling, Brian Sullivan, CSP, delivers seminars and internet training programs on sales, customer service, leadership and presentation skills to companies of all sizes. To sign up for a free video training module on The Beauty of Questions, visit www.precisesellingonline.com. For seminar information, visit www.preciseselling.com.

The Parting shot

P40 CANVAS April 2013

Why you should expect more from your paper and your paper company. In these challenging times, you need more than just the highest quality paper competitively priced. You need a paper company that genuinely understands what you’re facing everyday and is constantly working to help you succeed now and in the future. That’s Sappi. The Standard Sappi is committed to promoting the viability and relevancy of print. One of the ways we bring this commitment to life is with The Standard, our series on how to use print to create unique and compelling campaigns.

Growing the Future Sappi continues to make capital investments to ensure our paper mills are state-of-the-art and globally competitive. We’ve invested over $37 million in our paper machines this year alone.

e-Business Solutions From on-the-go mobile apps to our latest tool—echat, Sappi is at the forefront of making it easier for you to do business with us through a robust suite of eBusiness solutions.

eQ Providing videos, white papers, eQ blog, eQ Tool, and product benefits statements all to help you lead the conversation when it comes to paper and sustainability.

Printers of the Year Celebrating how your hard work is an art form and rewarding this work with much needed financial resources to strengthen your marketing and branding initiatives.

Digital Design Center Personalizing your marketing collateral to help you sell your unique digital printing capabilities.

Ideas that Matter Since its inception in 1999, 500 nonprofit projects have been funded with $12 million worldwide to causes that enhance our lives, our communities and our planet. This strategic initiative powerfully illustrates how print can promote social good.

Off Register It’s no surprise that printers love Sully. He gets to say everything you guys are thinking. He gets “it”…because we get it.

For more information on any of these important initiatives, please contact your Sappi sales representative, or call 800.882.4332.

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