Canvas Magazine | Legacy | June 2016

IN THIS ISSUE

EMPOWERING MARKETING SERVICE PROVIDERS

Best practices for building your creative brand 7 sales tips you can use right now Uncovering the real myths of employee engagement

JUNE 2016

JUNE

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 6 • PRINT EDITION

18

CANVAS P1

Inside this issue| Publisher’s Note

BOILERPLATE

ALSO INSIDE

24 16 30 36 CREATIVE CORNER: STEPHEN PENNING On why print still matters

BOILERPLATE

04

Publisher’s Note: Success has no grandsons

STAT PACK

06

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CANVAS JUNE 2016

WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Dialing in on what it means to be a printer in the digital age

CORNER OFFICE

THE WINNING HAND Seven easy tips to sell more

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

08 10

5 steps to a culture shift

12

6 myths of employee engagement

MSP

11

Book rec: Dealstorming

15

Industry news & more!

Neenah: Your creative inspiration here

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Inside this issue| Publisher’s Note

BOILERPLATE

SUCCESS HAS NO GRANDSONS

I was once told that in order to become wealthy, you need one of two things to happen. You either need to own something, or you need to inherit the dough. The likelihood of owning something seems a little more possible than having someone leave you a pile of money.

In an unlikely analogy, it is a lot like faith. You see, there are many people who feel that if you grow up in a faith-based household, there is a good chance you will exhibit the same values. Whether it is a faith in God, money, or squatting monkeys, your family has a great influence on how you see the world today. However, the family does not have the ability to bequeath a belief in something.

The reality is that you cannot inherit success either. It simply doesn’t work that way. In order to truly know success, you must choose it for yourself and not have someone leave it to you. Independent will is the greatest human gift, and being able to choose how to act, believe, and think sets us apart from the animal kingdom.

Don’t wait for someone or something to provide what you think you need. You must find it and own it for yourselves.

Success has no grandsons. Positivity and thoughtfulness have no grandsons. In other words, unless you have direct relationships with the things you want to believe in and achieve, then you can never truly know them. Certainly, the idea of leaving a legacy is important and increases the chances of your followers doing well. However those who come after you must discover their own path to know true success.

Oftentimes, I want so much for my kids to achieve something or act a certain way. I want them to have faith in the things that I am telling them. And while my constant barrage of insight might help, they could only own those values if they independently choose them for themselves.

Don’t wait for someone or something to provide what you think you need. You must find it and own it for yourselves. Success can only come when you own that goal. In turn, owning anything takes great investment and an unrelenting demonstration of your independent will.

We hope you will use your will to read this issue cover to cover. The main feature, “Legacy,” is a great story about how to operate day to day with your clients and how to carry yourself as a successful business person. The second feature, “Designing Business,” offers a neat outlook on the business of design and gives you a perspective on a segment near and dear to all of us.

Enjoy the issue and please consider attending thinkMSP 2016. It will be a blast.

Warmest regards,

Mark Potter, Publisher @MarkRicePotter P4

CANVAS JUNE 2016

CONTRIBUTORS

Linda Bishop, President, Thought Transformation @Linda_Bishop Justin Ahrens Founder & Principal, Rule29 @JustinAhrens Magi Graziano CEO, Conscious Hiring and Development @keenmargo Pete Wiltjer, Owner, PWMG Inc. @pwiltjer Jamar Laster CANVAS Contributor jamarlaster@gmail.com

GET IN TOUCH WITH US @THECANVASMAG

2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400 Duluth, GA 30097 WWW.THECANVASMAG.COM

THE CANVAS TEAM MANAGING EDITOR michael j. pallerino CREATIVE DIRECTOR brandon clark SALES/MARKETING mark potter

EDITORIAL BOARD lisa arsenault McArdle Solutions gina danner NextPage tom moe Daily Printing dean petrulakis Rider Dickerson david bennett Bennett Graphics

PUBLISHED BY CANVAS, Volume 10, Issue 4. copyright 2016 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 Opus® Dull Cover 80lb/216gsm and Opus Dull Text 80lb/118gsm, an industry-leading, environmentally responsible paper. Opus contains 10% post consumer waste and SFI and FSC chain of custody certification.

BEYOND BREAKTHROUGHS

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Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. Océ and Océ VarioPrint are registered trademarks of Océ-Technologies B.V. in the United States and elsewhere.

All other referenced product names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged. © 2016 Canon Solutions America, Inc. All rights reserved.

STAT PACK

The idea behind this is if we don’t know where the edges are, how do we know if we’re pushing the boundaries? We want projects that everyone is going to be looking at five years from now.”

– Umang Shah, global director of digital marketing and innovation at Campbell Soup, on why brands should encourage innovation by mandating failure

DID YOU KNOW? According to [24]/7’s “2016 US Customer Engagement Index,” anger over poor service has led to 47 percent of consumers saying that they would take their business to a competitor within one day (if price and products are of equal value). In addition, 79 percent say they would do it within one week. The report surveyed 1,200 U.S. consumers across four age groups: Millennials (age 18-30), Generation Xers (age 31-49), Baby Boomers (age 50-69) and members of the Greatest Generation

(age 69-plus). Interestingly, members of the Millennial and GenX generations are less patient than previous generations.

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CANVAS JUNE 2016

The percent of marketers who are expressing more confidence in fueling a return on investment with social media, according to Salesforce’s “State of Marketing” report. In addition, 67 percent are planning to boost social marketing budgets, the survey found.

The report surveyed nearly 4,000 marketers from around the world.

DID YOU GET MY EMAIL? Survey shows just how much we check our messages

Emails aren’t just for work anymore. According to Samanage’s “Email Overload Survey,” 35.2 percent of U.S. adults check email at least one hour every day outside of work hours. If you’re looking for some perspective, that adds up to more than 30 days of extra work per year, or triple the number of vacation days the average U.S. worker receives every year. The study gauged opinions of 1,500 U.S. adults.

Here’s some other interesting nuggets the survey uncovered:

55.2 % Pref er a te onli xt mes ne c s hat, age ov er in soc ial m tranet email, o edia r

23% Che “ve ck em dur ry oft ail e ing din n” ner

% 6 .

25 d cte d e n e con ganiz p r e Ke tay o s to

% 2 .

24 to ed ected e N nn o yc sta

19.2% Wake up to check work email “very often”

% 9 .

18 re mo ils e v i a e Rec 100 em y a n tha very d e

CANVAS P7

CORNER OFFICE

Perspective | Leadership | Insights

BY JUSTIN AHRENS

5 steps to a culture shift Editor’s note: This is the final installment of a three-part series

by CANVAS columnist Justin Ahrens on the importance of understanding culture. Go online at thecanvasmag.com to read the first two pieces in our October 2015 and February 2016 issues.

information about cultural fit and sends a clear message about the kind of person who will be successful in your organization.

n the first two parts of this series on the importance of understanding culture, we took an up-close and personal look at why it is one of the most important components to your company’s success.

We examined the true essence of a good culture, and why it is important to have a true collective expression of values from every member of your team to make it work.

To note, there is a clear path to healthy culture, and you achieve this one step at a time. Let’s look at what it takes to get there:

In addition to cultural preferences, the interview process should assess an individual’s passion. Passion motivates individuals to add value to the world and themselves beyond the confines of their daily duties.

The subject of one’s passion doesn’t necessarily need to be a part of one’s job, but often in creative spheres it can be.

Whenever possible, employees should be empowered to bring their passions into their work in creative ways. People are more engaged when the subject of their passion can be incorporated into professional projects, and this encourages a culture of high involvement and personal ownership.

Define

Begin by reflecting on and prioritizing the values your company stands for, and the beliefs you hold about how people work best.

Be strategic

Why these principles? What sort of environment will they construct? What sort of people will thrive in this environment?

Be concrete

What concrete behaviors are associated with these beliefs? How can you encourage them?

If you filter for the culture you need at your company, you’ll be much closer to the successful outcomes you desire.

Implement

In order for culture to be more than lip service, it must be used to guide decisionmaking and design policy. It is through the implementation of cultural preferences that you create an environment that will retain the people you want to keep.

Implementation also acts as a means of communication, demonstrating the culture by providing a host of daily, action-based reminders of organizational values. Cultural preferences can guide the design of a workplace that caters to the type of employee you want in insightful and unexpected ways.

For example, Exxon Mobil – with a culture that leans toward the extremes of rigidity, formality and systemization – was considering switching from a defined benefits plan to a defined contribution plan (more commonly offered by companies today). They decided against it, concluding, “the security the defined benefits plan provides is more in sync with the values of the employees the company hopes to retain.”

Filter for a cultural fit

A formal cultural assessment is an invaluable tool – it allows for statistically valid measurements of cultural preferences. Another common practice is requiring prospective employees to specifically address your core values during the application and interview process. Asking the applicant’s take on core values (or inviting them to share how they embody these values) gathers relevant

Filter for passion

Assessing your culture

Not sure where you stand? Ask yourself and your team these questions to assess your culture: • Can you concisely define what you stand for, believe and value?

Can your employees?

• What concrete policies are in place to foster these values?

• Are you filtering new hires based on cultural fit?

• Do your workers have opportunities for growth and development?

• Are passion projects optional?

Are they encouraged?

• How do you foster a sense of ownership?

• Does everyone in your organization have the same definition of success?

Depending on your answers to the above, you will have an idea of where to add detail or shift. No matter where you land, remember that everyone has a culture preference. If you don’t understand that, you are doomed to frustration.

Remember, if you filter for the culture you need at your company, you’ll be much closer to the successful outcomes you desire.

Justin Ahrens is founder and principal of Rule29, an award winning suburban Chicagobased strategic creative firm. He is a frequent guest blogger, national speaker and author of “Life Kerning: Creative Ways to Fine Tune Your Perspective on Career and Life” (Wiley). Follow him and Rule29 on Twitter ­– @justinahrens and @rule29.

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CANVAS JUNE 2016

CORNER OFFICE

Perspective | Leadership | Insights

BY MAGI GRAZIANO

Six myths of employee engagement ith today’s global ability to produce carbon copy technology and business models, people truly are a company’s only competitive advantage. Businesses that want to accentuate and optimize their competitive talent advantage focus on employee engagement strategies that improve overall workforce productivity and return on staffing investments.

A major disruption to employee engagement is the adverse impact of the unhappiness epidemic across many companies. When employees are disengaged or disenfranchised, performance plateaus or greatly diminishes. If you know why there is unhappiness at work, you can do something about it.

Studies show that the drivers of employee engagement have everything to do with how an employee feels about work and at work. It begins with feeling connected and invested in the company’s mission and direction, and continues with trusting leadership. The first step in creating and inspiring engagement in the workforce is to debunk the pervasive and misleading myths about employee engagement. Here are six myths that disrupt a company’s ability to keep people engaged:

Myth No. 1 – A flexible work environment fosters productivity

While remote work opportunities reduce the carbon footprint and avert hours wasted in traffic, more often than not, companies do a poor job of looping remote workers into the day-to-day activities of the business. Unfortunately, a typically adverse impact of remote work for the employee is out of sight, out of mind.

Research shows that remote workers and workers with flex time schedules receive less coaching and mentoring, and miss out on the institutional knowledge-sharing and socialization that happens in the typical course of a shared workspace.

Today’s workers are more evolved and present to work-life fulfillment than ever before. They fundamentally want and need more than a job for a paycheck.

Myth No. 2 – Strong paychecks equal strong loyalty

Not all people primarily are motivated by money, and more often than not, fair and sustainable pay is not a motivator. It’s a table stake. For years, managements have approached solving the employee retention problem through monetary rewards and incentives. While this economic motivator works for 20 percent of the population, most organizations find that this alone is insufficient in reversing the turnover trend.

Truth be told, for 80 percent of the working population, money doesn’t create engagement. Forty percent want workplace rewards in terms of more educational opportunities, rewarding and challenging projects, and the sense that they can further their knowledge and career path as a result of working with a specific company or in a certain role. The other 40 percent want to feel emotionally connected to the mission and service of the organization, and to the customers they serve. Increasing customer-facing opportunities is more rewarding than a few extra bucks in their paycheck or a gift card. If anything, workers use money to create bidding wars between current and future employers.

Myth No. 3 – Employee independence is necessary for performance

One pervasive myth is that all employees need autonomy and independence, and the more hands-off that management is, the better the employee will perform.

The reality is that autonomy and independence are not values everyone shares. To one employee, being left alone can be a true benefit. They may thrive when left to their own devices. To others, it leaves them disconnected, isolated and ignored.

Myth No. 4 – A job is just a job

Today’s workers are more evolved and present to work-life fulfillment than ever before. They fundamentally want and need more than a job for a paycheck. A striking majority of workers say they want purpose and meaning in the work they do, and that they are happier at work when they know that what they do matters to the success of the organization.

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Myth No. 5 – Employees should be satisfied with their current position

High-performing people must see a pathway for themselves in the role they own and in the company they work in. Engagement research shows that when people see a pathway for growth and development they provide a higher-level of consistent results. When employees feel a company is invested in their growth, they’re more committed to their role and more connected to how they impact the success of the company.

Myth No. 6 – Your company is enough to keep your employees

What has become painfully apparent over the last decade is that people don’t leave companies – they leave managers. When good employees don’t have strong relationships with their managers, no incentive or brand loyalty will keep them fully engaged. People need to feel appreciated, respected, acknowledged and important. They want regular feedback and mentoring.

While all of these perceived solutions are good ideas as components of an effective employee engagement program, alone, they are insufficient means to drive employee connection and engagement. A well thought-out, conscious employee engagement program considers who people are as individuals, and allows for customization in the approach to assigning work and giving feedback. Individualization is a 21st Century shift from the one size-fits-all management of the ’80s. A main component of a well-built employee engagement program includes a highly competent management team that embraces coaching and mentoring their people.

When a manager takes the time to offer professional development opportunities, communicate how the employee’s role contributes to the overall organization’s success, and rewards for great performance, employees feel valued and appreciated and engagement soars.

Magi Graziano is CEO of Conscious Hiring and Development, a speaker, and an expert on employee recruitment and engagement. She also is author of “The Wealth of Talent.” For more information, visit www.

KeenAlignment.com.

Perspective | Technology | Insights

THE CX FACTOR

79%

77%

76%

Digital advertising

Social media

85%

Email

86%

Mobile website

Desktop website experience

90%

Telephone support/sales

Survey shows what touch points are central to customer experiences Today’s customers no longer follow the almighty dollar when choosing which brand is right for them. Today, it’s all about the experience. According to “The CX Challenge” report by Econsultancy and Adobe, 73 percent of consumers prefer to do business with brands that use personal information to make their shopping experiences more relevant. The findings are forcing marketers to implement strategies to create the best experiences possible for their customers. The report was based on a survey of 2,252 marketing, digital and e-commerce professionals. Here’s how marketers ranked the following touchpoints as the most important focus for optimizing CX:

BOOK REC

CORNER OFFICE

THE CONTENT GENERATORS

Intuition versus research? When it comes to developing content ideas, 88 percent of marketers say they use intuition in regular group meetings, according to Rundown’s “2016 Content Report.” The report also shows that 76 percent say ideas are developed during dedicated brainstorming sessions, while 60 percent say content ideas are generated by individual staff members. Interestingly, 52 percent admit that they don’t have a clear understanding of what content works and why.

The report was based on data from a survey of 330 self-identified U.S. content marketers.

Dealstorming:

The Secret Weapon That Can Solve Your Toughest Sales Challenges

By Tim Sanders

You know it happens – despite your team’s best efforts, some deals inevitably go awry. And too often, it’s the deal that you want or need the most. “Dealstorming” is Tim Sanders’ term for a structured, scalable, repeatable process that can break through any sales deadlock.

Sanders calls the strategy the Swiss Army knife for today’s toughest sales challenges – one that can fix the broken parts of the brainstorming process and reinvigorate account management for today’s increasingly complicated sales environment.

Dealstorming drives sales innovation by combining the wisdom and creativity of everyone who has a stake in the sale. In his seven-step Dealstorming process, Sanders shows how it has helped drive results for companies as diverse as Yahoo!, CareerBuilder, Regus and Condé Nast. The process, based on Sanders’ years as a sales executive and consultant, has led to a stunning 70 percent average closing ratio for teams across all major industries, leading to game-changing deals and long-term B2B relationships.

In today’s ever-competitive landscape, CANVAS believes that we all could use a little Dealstorming to reach the goals we set to get ahead.

CANVAS P11

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Personnel Moves GPA has promoted Mary Ann Geers

Personnel moves & Product news

Katsuhiro Endo was named outside director; Mitsuhiro Honda was appointed external audit and supervisory board member; and Robert Curtis, previously director, vice chairman, has retired.

to the new position of VP of corporate strategy. Geers will serve as the driving force behind GPA’s marketing, prod-

Product News

uct, research, and development and technical teams.

R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co. has appointed the board leader-

ship and CEOs of its spinoff companies – LSC Communications

Inc., Donnelley Financial Solutions Inc. and R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co. The spinoffs are expected to be completed by October 2016. Thomas J. Quinlan III will be chairman and CEO of LSC, while Judith H. Hamilton will head the board of directors.

Daniel N. Leib will be CEO of Donnelley Financial Solutions, while Richard L. Crandall will serve as chairman of the board.

In addition, Daniel L. Knotts will be CEO of RRD, while John C. Pope will be chairman of the board. Until the spinoff transactions are complete, the management structure of RRD will remain in place.

Roland DG Corp. has made a number of key changes within its sales organization. Tony Miller, previously director of sales, strategic accounts, has been promoted to oversee all of Roland’s regional sales managers for the U.S. region. Miller and his team will support all of Roland’s U.S. product lines, including digital printers, dental products and 3D devices, as well as managing the channel partners that sell those products. In addition, Grant Davis, formerly national accounts manager, has been promoted to national sales manager. He will lead a newly-formed business development team focusing on existing national accounts and new business throughout the United States. Matt Owens and Daryl Chaffins, previously business development managers for the product line, also have been promoted to national account managers. Both will report to Davis.

Roland DG also has made several changes and additions to its board of directors. Among the appointments, Hidenori Fujioka, previously director and executive VP of Roland DG, was named representative director, president of the company, and Masahiro Tomioka, previously representative director, chairman and president, has stepped aside as president, but continues as representative director and chairman. In addition, David Goward, previously company director, was promoted to executive VP, director; P12 CANVAS JUNE 2016

Canon Solutions America Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of

Canon U.S.A., Inc., has announced that DMM Inc., a leading transactional print and direct mail solutions provider, has expanded its industry-leading document print production capabilities to support continued growth with the installation of two Océ VarioStream 8000 Twin continuous feed printers at its Scarborough, Maine headquarters. The company’s most recent investment increases DMM’s data driven transactional print and direct mail production capabilities and capacity for its customers who utilize high volume, business-critical, and time-sensitive print and direct mail pieces.

Idealliance, a leading industry association for print and digital media best practices, has named Fujifilm’s J Press 720S the indus-

try’s first inkjet production printing solution to achieve Digital Press System Certification. The certification verifies a system’s ability to meet or exceed established industry expectations for excellence.

Idealliance certifies the capabilities of commercial production xerographic and inkjet devices to meet GRACoL 2013 specifications and other specific print standards. The Digital Press System program evaluates the entire press system, including the digital front end, print engine, and paper for testing and certification in areas of color, print properties and print production. The J Press 720S was the first system to be certified to the new GRACoL 2013 specification, the industry’s latest benchmark for high-quality print.

Around the industry & Awards/Recognition

Around the industry

Awards & Recognition

Roland DGA Corp. has opened its new East Coast Imagination Center in Wilmington, Mass., near Boston. The 3,500-square-foot facility will serve as product demonstration and application display venue, as well as a training and sample production site for Roland resellers, customers and prospective customers. In addition, the Imagination Center will be open to the public. Like many of Roland’s business divisions around the world, the facility boasts a Creative Center gallery that showcases a wide variety of products made by Roland DG customers and technologies. Visitors can see actual examples of creative output and get a feel for what these amazing machines can do.

Canon U.S.A. Inc., has been to the Forbes “America’s Best Employers” list for another year. The company placed among the top 250 employers in the mid-size category, based on the results of a survey of more than 30,000 professionals at mid-size and large U.S. companies, nonprofit institutions such as hospitals, government agencies and U.S. divisions of multinationals.

HP, in partnership with Dscoop, has named the inaugural winners of the “HP Inkspiration Awards for the Americas,” which recognizes the most innovative work produced with HP digital printing technology, and the Rod Key Marketing Excellence Award recipients, which recognizes companies with the most creative marketing campaigns to promote their own businesses. Winners included:

General Commercial Printing Alternative Printing Methods: Clearstory Best in Show: GLS / NEXT Precision Marketing Brand Identification: Arizona State University Print and Imaging Lab Brand Identification: Hemlock Printers Ltd. Brochures: Oregon Printing Communications Brochures: The World Bank Calendar: GSB Digital Catalogs: Duggal Visual Solutions Direct Mail: The Standard Group Invitations: Corrugated Synergies International LLC Invitations: GLS / NEXT Precision Marketing Photo Applications: Hatteras Publishing: Mohawk Rod Key Marketing Excellence Award: The Standard Group

Labels & Packaging Alcoholic Beverage: CMC Group doing business as Century Label For the ninth year in a row, Heidelberg USA hosted the annual

SkillsUSA Georgia Competition in Advertising Design and Graphic Communications at Print Media Center in Atlanta. The Printing and Imaging Association of Georgia (PIAG) partnered with Heidelberg to sponsor the event. Heidelberg loaned a number of offset presses and, for the first time, sponsored the digital printing portion of the competition. Heidelberg representatives were on hand to conduct training and assessment using a Linoprint CP digital press.

Additionally, Baumfolder loaned a Baum 714 Tabletop folder for the finishing area of the contest. PIAG’s Educational Foundation awarded $2,000 in scholarships to the first place winners, who along with their advisors, advance to the national SkillsUSA competition, June 20-24, in Louisville, Ky. For the national competition, Heidelberg USA donates the use of three presses, as well as staff

Beauty: Digital Label Solutions, Inc. Flexible Packaging: Groupo Ercus Folding Cartons: Tap Packaging Solutions Food: Summit Print Corporation Other: Digital Label Solutions, Inc. Rod Key Marketing Excellence Award: Innovative Labeling Solutions (ILS)

Wine and Spirits Labels: ILS Large Format

Banner: Britten Studios POS Signage: GSB Digital POS Signage: Blooming Color Décor Wallpaper: Conestoga DPI LLC

to train and conduct the competition.

CANVAS P13

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Awards & Around the industry | Mergers & Acquisitions

Calling all companies

PIA looking for Best Workplaces Printing Industries of America (PIA) wants your workforce. Nominations currently are being sought for the “2016 Best Workplace in the Americas (BWA)” competition, the graphic communication industry’s only program to recognize companies committed to their workforce through sound human relations practices.

The competition evaluates a company’s success in eight key areas, including management practices, work environment, training and development, financial security, work-life balance, recognition and rewards, health and wellness programs, and workplace health and safety. Winning workforces also will receive: • National and local media promotion • Logo provided to display on websites and promotional materials • Opportunity for increasing employee recruiting and retention • A custom plaque commemorating the achievement To enter, download the 2016 Entry Form or contact Jim Kyger, PIA’s assistant VP, Human Relations, at BWA@printing.org. Deadline to enter is Sept. 30, 2016.

WHAT’S GOING ON? LET US KNOW! GET 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.

P14 CANVAS JUNE 2016

MSP PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS

Download the MSP Resource Guide app Products and resources just a tap away

Your creative inspiration here

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

Neenah’s latest comprehensive swatchbook for The Design Collection features 15 grades and more than 100 premium papers

If you’re looking to add that “extra something” to your print collateral and specialty packaging projects, your search ends now. Neenah’s new, comprehensive swatchbook for The Design Collection is the mother of all swatchbooks, with more than 100 gorgeous premium papers — everything you could possibly want when it comes to colors, textures, finishes and weights.

Neenah’s new swatchbook for The Design Collection and its accompanying print sample deck show off the beauty of creativity combined with specialty papers.

This all-encompassing book replaces the previous 1.0 and 1.1 swatchbooks, housing all 15 specialty grades that make up this fashion inspired portfolio of premium papers for luxury packaging and high-end print collateral. Take a look inside and see how the STARDREAM® Papers match the Pantone’s Color of the Year and color pairings.

The Collection new book also features seven print samples, which showcase a variety of papers and print demonstrations, from Opaque White and metallic inks, to foil stamping and embossing. A blind embossed sheet of PLIKE, Orange features an amazingly small line of gold foil stamped type, placed on top of the emboss.

Also included in the new lineup is the ASTROKING® Papers, which feature a hint of shimmer and a plush satin finish that can add opulence to any project. The ASTROKING Papers are available in one white and four rich colors, including Snow White, Desert Sand, Moss Green Brown Stone and Plum Tree.

You’ve got to open this book to understand the expanse of this beautiful collection.

Oh, and in case you missed it earlier this year, there is an accompanying print sampler, The Design Collection Sampler 2.0, with 22 pages of idea-generating designs and production techniques available. Together, these two must-have tools offer a look at the limitless creative solutions for luxury projects.

>> To get a free copy of The Design Collection 2.0 Sampler, visit: http://www.neenahpaper.com/resources/findadistributor

CANVAS P15

CREATIVE CORNER

Creative director

Stephen Penning on why print still matters

When American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) was looking to secure its top slot in the highly competitive lifestyle retail market among Millennials, the $3.1 billion brand turned to 160over90 for creative collaboration. These are the situations that Stephen Penning lives for. As executive creative director and principal at 160over90, he oversees all the creative for its Philadelphia and Gainesville, Fla. offices.

Utilizing the all-American collegiate image that defines the AEO brand, he oversaw the design and packaging that helped capture the imagination of the ever-fickle, yet highly coveted, consumer group. In addition, 160over90 helped rotate seasonal point-of-purchase displays, national print ad campaigns, hangtag design, and on-product and in-store graphics. It even assisted in the creation of the company’s annual shareholder report.

The art of the design is in the diversity. American Eagle. Godiva chocolates. The Miami Dolphins. MIT. Over the past 12 years, Penning has had touch points in the creative endeavors of these brands, and many more.

We sat down with him to get his take on where print fits into the mix for today’s creative firms.

Print is great because it allows you to reward those who want to engage with something tangible.

Why is print still one of the best mediums for telling a brand’s story?

The customers we’re trying to reach spend most of their time in front of a screen consuming content. Their attention is often limited to a few seconds, where they decide whether or not they want to continue to engage. Print is great because it allows you to reward those who want to engage with something tangible. For example, take the work we did for the Georgia Campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. One of the most impactful print pieces was an acceptance packet.

The pride and prestige of getting accepted into medical school is amplified with a branded packet containing strong messaging and imagery. It’s much more meaningful than an email congratulating them.

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What are some of the more popular ways print is being used?

Engaging with digital content is often transactional. Print affords you the opportunity to serve up something that a customer can touch and feel. To that end, we see production techniques that can enhance an experience frequently used.

What is the real key to using print?

It’s understanding what the customers’ expectations are, and then crafting an experience from cover to cover that exceeds them.

What defines the perfect print piece?

A visually interesting piece that communicates a clear message and entices the audience to take action. Tangible communication affords you the opportunity to create a memorable experience and something that someone can hold on to.

Are the best marketers the ones who find ways to marry the worlds of print and digital?

Yes, it’s important to find balance.

Complementing digital pieces of communication with print pieces shows how the legs of a brand can flex and evolve with an audience and the audience’s needs for receiving various messages.

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PERSPECTIVE

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Cover Story

By Michael J. Pallerino

“You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back toward the technology – not the other way around.”

– Steve Jobs

int is the master of all things financial. The personal budgeting app makes managing your personal finances a cinch by automatically pulling all of your financial information into one place. Everything right in front of you – on any device.

But breaking into the wide, wide world of apps can be a daunting task – for established brands and newcomers alike. So the Mint brain trust had an idea.

Why not brand the effectiveness and efficiency of the Mint app on Instagram? Through its “My Mint Moment” contest, the company encouraged the Instagram community to share photos of moments where their lives and finances aligned to make dreams come true – those “#MyMintMoment”s.

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Legacy

With a $1,000 prize as the carrot, Mint users were asked to stop, reflect and celebrate their life-altering moments, whether it was paying off a loan, saving for a dream vacation or knocking an item off their bucket lists. And the photos rolled in – weddings, new homes, exotic vacations, etc. The #MyMintMoment initiative’s ability to inspire user-generated content drove curiosity and demand for the app by appealing to the one thing every customer shares – emotions.

Photo essays. Online reviews. Social media posts. Blogs. The strategy around user-generated content quickly is becoming one of the most enterprising tactics used by today’s brands. According to Forrester Research’s “User-Generated Content’s Impact On Brand Building” study, consumers continue to embrace ratings and reviews as key factors in their decision-making process. The study shows that 71 percent say customer ratings and reviews are important, while 76 percent are more likely to purchase a product if they see enough positive reviews.

“The more people feel like they are in the know, have knowledge and even a hand in the business, the more they will feel inspired to spread the word.”

– Joe Curcillo, Adjunct Professor, Widener University School of Law Today’s consumers are high-tech, highly informed and intently curious creatures. They want what they want and they want it now.

And they’re not shy about seeking opinions or sharing their experiences with anybody and everybody who will listen.

Holly Mason believes that consumers have always wanted to interact with the brands they have emotional connections with. They just didn’t have the means – until now. “We have more opportunities and tools to interact and connect with brands more directly (social media, apps, blogs, websites, etc.),” says Mason, owner and president of MasonBaronet, a Dallas-based integrated marketing communications firm with a strong focus on branding. “Technology has given consumers not only direct access to have a relationship with a brand, but access to more information.”

With geography no longer a barrier when shopping for new products and services, today’s consumers have everything at their fingertips. “I think this is why consumers want a connection with brands and why it’s so important for brands to create a genuine connection with their customers,” Mason says. “It’s morecompetitive than ever, and takes more to stand out and break

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Legacy

through the clutter. When there is no emotional connection, con-

them is to ensure your social channels, websites and blogs are

sumers are easily swayed to other companies, products or services.

enriching their lives and providing content that’s relevant and fo-

But, when you capture their hearts and minds, they become brand

cused on their needs. “The current generation of consumers has

ambassadors – rallying on your behalf.”

grown up in an interactive society,” says Joe Curcillo, a speaker,

The equation is pretty simple – if you have happy customers that love your brand and are willing to be vocal ambassadors

lawyer and communications expert, who also is an adjunct professor at Widener University School of Law.

and tell their friends and family – there’s nothing more powerful.

With the world at their fingertips, they feel like they have the

In today’s digitally-centric world, having your customers promote

power to control the universe. Once you give them the ability to

your brand is priceless.

contribute and interact with your product and/or service, they

“We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job everyday to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.”– Jeff Bezos To help celebrate “Shark Week” last year, Discovery partnered with Dunkin’ Donuts to launch a multichannel photo sweepstake campaign, “Take a Bite, Take a Pic.” Shark fans from around the world were instructed to take a picture of themselves sinking their teeth into a shark-inspired donut, and then share it via Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #DDSharkWeek.

will be loyal. “When someone feels like they are part of a solu-

According to Reevo’s “The Pursuit of Happiness: The Road to Customer Advocacy” report, 70 percent of consumers place peer recommendations and reviews above professionally written content.

For even more incentive, the best photos were featured on Discovery Channel’s “Shark

tion, they feel good,” Curcillo says. “If they feel their concerns were addressed, they are more likely to post positive comments on Facebook or Twitter. Those posts will reach out to all of their friends, and your business or product will become desired by all the cool kids.”

Curcillo says public opinion is the best gauge of where the next demand will be found. Years ago, companies utilized futurists to determine where they would need to be in the new marketplace. Today it is a very democratized approach that

allows future projections to be on the mark.

After Dark” program. Viewers were encouraged to visit

“People today can find anything on the internet,” he says.

www.SharkWeek.com/Dunkin, to enter, and then vote

“This creates a need for information that fosters a demand for

for their favorite shark-inspired photo. The winning shots

transparency. Secret formulas and guarded recipes are no longer

also were featured on a Dunkin’ Donuts digital billboard

acceptable. People want to know what they’re eating. They also

in Times Square.

want to know exactly what they’re buying, and how many other

The key to user-generated success lies in the tools you

people are happy with that product. The ability to search and sort

provide your audience. One of the best ways to engage

by customer reviews is certainly not an accident. The more people feel like they are in the know, have knowledge and even a hand in the business, the more they will feel inspired to spread the word. Good or bad.”

According to Reevo’s recent “The Pursuit of Happiness: The Road to Customer Advocacy” report, 70 percent of consumers place peer recommendations and reviews above professionally written content. “When brands deliver entertainment and enrichment, they are rewarded with brand advocacy and loyalty,” Mason says. “Not only will your story go viral, but you’ll be more credible in the eyes of your potential customers and people will be more likely to give you a try.”

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BUSINESS

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Feature Story

DESIGNING

BUSINESS Best practices for building your creative brand

By Jamar Laster

ainting. Photography.

Gardening. Hunting.

How about raising honeybees? There’s no one answer to how designers can best stir their creative juices and stoke their inspirational fires.

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Designing business That’s because regardless of the com-

what’s happening around you so that

mon vocation they share, designers still

you’re absorbing other creativity,” says

are individuals, says Kristian Andersen,

Brian Manley, owner of Atlanta-based Fun

partner of Indianapolis-based High Alpha,

With Robots Design Co. “Take time to

a company that conceives, launches and

sketch and doodle, because that may un-

scales next-generation enterprise cloud

lock something. Just do something that’s

companies through the application of

not a paid job, but something to unlock

business strategy, world-class design and

your brain and push you to the next level.”

product development.

But to talk about inspiring creativity

“What I might find restorative and

is sort of like putting the cart before the

inspiring might put others to sleep,”

horse. The fact is there are two avenues

Andersen admits.

that creative-minded people could ex-

But Andersen and other designers tend

plore to make a living in graphic design:

to agree that one of the best ways to in-

Work for an established industry agency

spire creativity is to do something outside

or firm, or work for themselves. And it’s

of their day jobs that they can learn from,

when the latter option is chosen that the

integrate into their work and also feed

challenges of building a business and

their creative centers.

brand – and how to overcome them – can

“You have to be culturally aware of

Stepping out on a limb

be explored in earnest.

“Never stop hustling. The only way you’re going to make money is to [take on as much work] as you can.”

You never know when new work opportuni-

– Brian Manley, Owner, Fun With Robots Design Co.

keting, publishing and licensing industries,

well as founder and CEO of Saxon Camp-

the room to be as creative and financially

corporate icon. All Art Licensing is a coach-

bell LLC, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based creative

successful as they choose, with an inher-

ing, training and consulting agency that

design agency, has experience on both

ent degree of sacrifice.

encourages graphic designers to explore

Manley’s Fun With Robots is a one-man operation that, coincidentally, was started as a therapeutic outlet to counteract the daily grind of a 9-to-5 job. So he knows first hand about building a business and brand, having amassed a clientele list that includes non-profits, churches, restaurants and music festivals. His advice for successfully launching – and sustaining – a graphic design business comes down to one word – hustle.

“Never stop hustling,” Manley says.

“The only way you’re going to make money is to [take on as much work] as you can.”

Saxon Campbell, a part-time professor at New York’s Shillington University, as

ties will become available to you, and it really depends on what you’re willing to sacrifice to feel comfortable in your career.”

J’net Smith, owner and president of All Art Licensing, says there are further options for designers to explore after going out on a limb into the business world.

“One [route] is corporate business and the other is creatively designing products,” she says. “You can either manufacture [the

products]

yourself

or

license

them yourself.”

Smith has more than 25 years in the marand is best known for taking the Dilbert brand from its infancy to being a global

sides of the figurative coin, having worked

“The reality of making a living in the de-

the licensing route. “I think a lot ofdesign-

at agencies and building his own busi-

sign business is just like starting any other

ers don’t realize what a great avenue that

ness. The latter, he says, gives designers

business,” Campbell says. “It takes risks.

is,” she says.

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Designing business Your business blueprint In general, the same principles that apply for most successful businesses apply for long-term sustainability in graphic design. Primarily, you must prove yourself and your business to be trustworthy and honest.

“You have to prove that you’re not taking advantage of [your clients] and that you can come through with the job,” Manley says. “I’ve found that a lot of the work I’ve received over time – and those people who have become long-term clients – have come from another designer who dropped the ball.”

There’s also something to be said for perseverance and fortitude. After all, when things go wrong – as they most assuredly will – success often can be predicated on whether you’re able to respond to the adversity, Andersen says, and be the figurative

VITAL TRAITS EVERY GRAPHIC DESIGNER MUST HAVE 1. CURIOSITY “Great designers are relentlessly curious – always learning, exploring and teaching themselves new truths (and challenging their existing beliefs).”

— Kristian Andersen, partner, High Alpha

glue that holds things together.

Also, because your company is only as good as its weakest link, it’s important to acquire quality staff – when it’s fiscally feasible – to fortify the business. “There is no substitute for cultivating your own talent and hiring the very best,” Andersen says. “All things being equal, building a great team is the single most important aspect of building a successful design practice.”

Having the aforementioned bases covered is crucial, but there’s one entrepreneurial skill that, when ignored, can lead to certain

2. COMMUNICATION “No matter how talented you are, if you can’t string together a sentence and tell someone why you’re doing what you’re doing, or deal with someone in a meeting or on a first-time client visit, you’re going to fail miserably.”

– Brian Manley, owner, Fun With Robots

failure. “Marketing your business should be what you spend half your time on,” Smith says. “If you know how to do business but don’t market it, then you won’t have a business. So getting those skills if you don’t have them is absolutely critical. And we’re lucky today because there are a lot of opportunities to learn entrepreneurial skills – marketing being the most important one.”

3. SALESMANSHIP “Half of design is convincing others that your solution is the right one. The best design solution in the world will fail if others don’t get behind it.”

– Kristian Andersen, partner, High Alpha

What customers want Today’s graphic designers need more than just a skill set defined by creativity. To most customers, that may even be a given.

A sometimes intangible skill that must be thoroughly honed to ensure business success is the ability to effectively work with

may uncover an entirely unmet customer need. Be bold; bring

clients and communicate.

that to the attention of your client, offer to help them ‘design’ an

“If you can’t work with clients, then you won’t even get to the creative thinking and all the skill sets that the graphic designer has,” Smith says. “Customers look for the artistic skills and the technical

offering that addresses the unmet need. Look for ways to extend the value of design across the entire value continuum.”

skills and all that, but they also need to be able to work with the

Market opportunities

designer, understand the target audience and problem solve.”

Manley says the digital sector continues to generate more op-

Manley and Campbell both agree that, to a certain extent, clients

portunities for graphic designers. “Social media is so huge,” he

want problem solvers. “Customers are looking for you to solve the

says. “We’re getting more and more tech advanced, so if you

problem of their design needs, and most people are asking for it to

have a big presence on the internet and social media, there’s a

be super cool, hip and relevant,” Manley says.

big opportunity to spur business.”

For Campbell, problem solving is the crux of the overall cus-

Campbell’s company focuses primarily on the luxury and

tomer experience that could lead to sustainable, repeat busi-

lifestyle market segments, saying the competitive landscapes

ness. “They seek guidance in not only design, but in starting their

present numerous opportunities. “This includes luxury brands,

brand,” he says. “This is where the ‘solving the problem’ part of

consumer products and blogs,” he says. “Lifestyle bloggers are

design we learned really comes into play. In total, the more you

competing with luxury consumer and fashion brands, and there’s

can offer the client, the better. If you’re proficient in more than

a big need for graphic design services to boost the effectiveness

what you were hired for, let the client know and you might find

of their marketing materials.”

yourself working on something you might have never expected.”

Andersen says the best way to identify opportunities for business

Andersen says designers must take a big-picture approach to

is to determine the areas in which designers must become more

solving their clients’ needs – one that canvasses all aspects of

fluent to remain competitive. Such areas include business and tech-

their business. “If you’re hired to design a logo and you stop

nology. “It’s no longer acceptable for a designer to just swim in his

there, you’re missing a big opportunity to add exponential value

or her lane,” he says. “They need to be conversant in the languages

to your customer’s business,” he says. “For example, it’s quite

of tech and business. Designers that can do this well will be well-

possible that in the process of researching a visual identity, you

positioned to serve customers in any industry.”

P28 CANVAS JUNE 2016

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PERSPECTIVE

P30 CANVAS JUNE 2016

Feature Story

WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Dialing in on what it means to be a printer in the digital age

By Pete Wiltjer

n one famous scene from the 1984 blockbuster “Ghostbusters,” Harold Ramis’ character, Egon, declared to his flirtatious secretary that “print is dead.” The joke worked because Egon was such a nerd, who then proudly announced to the woman who was hitting on him that he collected molds and spores as a hobby.

But printers have long understood the joke, even though it still is a popular sport in the media today to report on print’s decline, in terms of audience, impact and value. It doesn’t matter that there are 20 percent more trees in the U.S. today than on the first Earth Day in 1970. Or that modern printers have embraced a multitude of sustainable practices.

Let’s face it – some jokes just won’t die. In the past few months alone, the Boston Globe, HuffingtonPost.com, Money, USA Today and WIRED all have run articles debating whether or not print is dead.

But to paraphrase Mark Twain (like we so often are prone to do), reports of print’s death are greatly exaggerated. Because not only has the printing industry figured out how to embrace sustainability, many printers are thriving by promoting print as a strategic component to effective marketing campaigns.

Jason Tews, VP of marketing at Kelmscott Communications in Aurora, Ill., says his company began providing digital marketing services in 2007. Tracing its roots to designing, printing and binding work since 1936, Kelmscott’s evolution to a multi-channel mar-

“Unless your sales representatives are engaging their clients in meaningful marketing strategy discussions, they won’t uncover new opportunities.”

– Rick Aberle, CEO, Propago

keting services provider has been rapid.

Tews says the changes happened dramatically. “We went from design with direct mail, including personalized websites (PURLs) and emails, to complete strategic solutions that involve SFDC (Salesforce Dot Com) and marketing automation support.”

While the shift away from being a pure printing vendor required Tews’ team to change the way they approach business opportunities, the company does not talk with customers about marrying print and digital marketing.

CANVAS P31

Who you gonna call?

“Instead, we address client problems with solutions,” Tews

Aberle says. “Because no printer can compete with Vistaprint

says. “We do not go into an engagement trying to figure out how

on price, right? So talking about services in terms of print price,

this will lead to a print job, (because) it may never be seen in print.

print quality and turnaround are no longer advantages.”

However, I know that print works, and if it can fit into the cam-

“When we found printers that understood how to talk with their

paign, and it is appropriate, then we will present it as an option

customers about the marketing pipeline and marketing strategy,”

to our clients.”

Aberle says, “we also found printers that were able to get their own sales and operations teams excited about positioning print as a key

What do your customers want, really?

Rick Aberle, CEO of Austin, Texas-based marketing software company Propago, spent 17 years in the commercial printing industry before founding Propago. He developed the product specifically to serve printers, agencies and marketers, and says his software platform enables commercial printers to manage their print, large format, apparel and marketing output in an automated way.

Aberle says the best way for printers to grow their business today is to move away from selling print jobs, and instead spend time gaining a deeper understanding of what their customers’ marketing strategy and growth objectives are.

“Printers that focus on pushing jobs are going to lose in the long run, even if they have the top end digital printing technology, because selling print jobs are just table stakes,”

element of the marketing strategy.”

The facts back this up. There are many opportunities for leveraging print in the digital age.

• An International Communications Research survey found that 73 percent of consumers prefer mail for receiving new product announcements from companies they do business with, as opposed to 18 percent from email.

• Thirty percent more dollars are spent by multimedia shoppers than single-medium shoppers (data from USPS Mail).

• The MPA (Association of Magazine Media) tracks the number of active magazines published every year and documented that the number of active consumer print magazines grew in 2014, many of these via digital brands.

An International Communications Research survey found that 73 percent of consumers prefer mail for receiving new product announcements from companies they do business with.

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CANVAS P33

Who you gonna call?

Yes, you read that correctly. Digital brands like Angie’s List, Net-A-Porter, Politico and Uber all have launched print magazines to extend the influence of their products.

Tews says his clients still value print as part of their broader marketing strategy. “Print is substantial and has a longer shelf life.”

Kelmscott sees clients using print in several ways: • Support their electronic messages which are typically through email and remarketing efforts • Use data analytics to target their message to the statistically best audience • Use different levels of direct mail based on the segments within their data; postcards, self-mailers and dimensional mail (i.e., door busters) • Use of variable data and imagery to create a relevant experience for their recipient Kelmscott’s suite of marketing solutions, which include strategy, data management, design and demand generation, are the fastest growing service at the company today. But the switch to digital marketing solutions wasn’t seamless or immediate.

The company’s customers with heavy print strategies gradually moved to data to enhance print through segmentation and customization, and then they seemed to go directly into a lot of email.

“I know that print works, and if it can fit into the campaign, and it is appropriate, then we will present it as an option to our clients.”

– Jason Tews, VP, Marketing, Kelmscott Communications One Kelmscott client segmented its list into three groups; Email Only, Postcard with Email and Dimensional Mail with Email. Each linked back to a personalized resource portal.

Tews says another Kelmscott client is mixing the technology into the front end for a global campaign. “In that instance, we created several types of outreach, and the marketing managers can self-select their desired executions based on their audience and budget.”

The melting pot

“Now what we are seeing is that they are coming back to

Magazine publishers also continue to wrestle with the issue of

print and doing a good job of balancing their mix and type

how to blend their established print products with digital chan-

of outreach with budgets based on the data and ROI for each

nels. Last month, Abe Peck, a senior director at Medill’s Media

segment,” Tews says.

Management Center at Northwestern University, spoke to a large gathering of business-to-business editors at the American Society of Business Publication Editors’ Chicago Chapter Spring Bootcamp.

Peck shed light on how the revenue model of B2B magazines has shifted, and how journalists and other creatives can embrace the changes to find continued success. One of the key messages from his presentation was that even though the B2B publishing industry has evolved into a marketing and event management industry, the core product, print magazines, still is growing.

Aberle says a printer’s ability to leverage an existing business relationship always will have value, but won’t often lead you to a business growth opportunity, because print on its own is a commodity.

“But training field sales representatives to find out what the marketing pipeline and marketing strategy is opens up opportunities to serving your clients in new ways,” Aberle says. “This client could need apparel or large format. Large format still has 40-50 percent mark-ups in it. Unless your sales representatives are engaging their clients in meaningful marketing strategy discussions, they won’t uncover new opportunities.”

Aberle says that before his team evolved into Propago and still was a print organization, only about 15 percent of its sales reps understood this. “Most of them had a book of business and just wanted to pitch print jobs. But when your clients have an issue, you are able to help them when you ask questions.”

Pete Wiltjer is an inbound marketing and PR consultant, and the owner of PWMG Inc. in Aurora, Ill. For more information, please visit pwmginc.com.

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SALES

Seven easy tips to sell more

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Feature Story

By Linda Bishop

ometimes, reaching the next level of success is easier than you think. All you need is to tweak a tactic, make a small adjustment or try a new approach. Small actions can have a big impact, so find a tip that fits and start using it in the next 24 hours. Here are seven tips that can help get you going: No. 1 – Expect to be busy Is this situation familiar to you? You make a call on a prospect. It goes well, but there isn’t any immediate need you can fulfill. The prospect says, “I’m glad we met. Stay in touch.” You nod, smile and agree. The next day, you’re buried under an avalanche of new projects. Before you know it, six weeks have passed and you haven’t done a darn thing to stay in contact with the prospect. When you finally get around to calling, the promising lead doesn’t immediately return your call. You can’t help but wonder if a lack of follow-up cost you a new sale.

Instead of assuming you’ll have time to follow up, plan three follow-up steps right after you leave the meeting. Decide when to send a PDF of a case study in an email, drop a sample in the mail, and ask for another meeting. Set up reminders in your calendar. When a re-

Many salespeople are adapting to cope with these changes.

The better strategy is to adapt to win.

minder pops up, add the follow-up item to your daily to-do list. Even if you’re busy, do it to get new clients.

No. 2 – Don’t ignore the clock Joe Straka, president of Priority Press, says, “Time kills all deals.”

He’s right. Someone can be interested in buying from you today, but when too much time passes without forward movement, people start to question, wonder and reconsider. When a buyer says, “We are going to buy,” but can’t close the order today, beware. If too much time passes, he may decide never to buy at all.

No. 3 – Be fun to deal with Never forget that customers who buy from you are shopping. Sometimes it’s fun to shop, and other times it’s miserable. What are you doing to make your customer’s purchasing experience enjoyable, interesting and fun? Do you talk about topics that interest them? Use show and tell techniques to engage them? Bring donuts? Fun helps you sell, so don’t underestimate it.

CANVAS P37

The winning hand

No. 4 – Identify all the barriers There always are obstacles in every sales cycle. Start identifying barriers in the first call. Write them down on a list. Develop a plan to overcome them. After every meeting, review the list. Assess whether you’re gaining ground or if you need a new plan.

No. 5 – Set an objective for every call Every time you’re face-to-face or on the phone with a client for a planned meeting, you should have a clear objective. What do you want to accomplish? How will accomplishing the objective help you move forward in the sales cycle? Clarity of purpose has power for creating new sales.

No. 6 – Improve your motivational writing skills to get more meetings Email is the No. 1 way we communicate in business today. The majority of our requests to meet are sent via this channel. In order to get meetings, you must present the benefits of the meeting so that your customer is motivated to meet you.

No. 7 – To improve your email writing skills, try this five-minute exercise Select an email written to request a meeting where the person either didn’t respond or declined your request. Print out the email. Grab a highlighter. Highlight everything in the email talking about the benefit of meeting with you. Find a way to improve the “What’s in it for me” factor for your intended recipient.

Consider this introductory email from a sales rep named Eddie Oldschool to a new prospect:

Hi Bob Buyer, I represent Big Printer. We’re a commercial printer in your town that has been in business for 50 years. We can print 6-colors, plus coating on sheet sizes up to 28 inches x 40 inches.

We also do 4-color digital printing.

We provide great quality and service.

I would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about your business. Can we meet next week?

I’d love to show you samples.

Thank you, Eddie Oldschool In Eddie’s email, the only statement that qualifies as a presentation of benefits is, “We provide great quality and service.” The others provide information. They tell Bob Buyer what Big Printer does, how they do it, where they do it, how long they’ve been doing it, and how long Eddie has worked in the printing industry.

Buyers skim emails. They will not invest mental energy in decoding information statements to identify benefits. They care about benefits. They do not care about interpreting information to decide if there is a compelling reason to meet with a salesperson.

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Listening is a learned skill.

No matter how good you are at it, there is always room for improvement.

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The winning hand

Meetings lead to sales. Getting more meetings is simpler than

interrupt? Did you abruptly change the direction of the conversation

you think if you use this easy highlighter method: Print your email.

at any time, possibly making the client feel like you were not inter-

Highlight the benefits. Determine if those benefits provide enough

ested in what he had to say?

motivation to meet.

Creating this feedback loop lets you self-correct. You can compare

No. 7 – Don’t do all the talking during sales calls

what actually happened to your model for the ideal salesperson – the superior listener.

A good friend of mine and a fellow sales professional named Fred

Adapting to win

Sternberg once told me that if he wrote a book for salespeople, it

J. Paul Getty once said, “In times of rapid change, experience could

would be called, “Listen or Go Broke.” While we both laughed, we

be your worst enemy.”

also acknowledged the truth in the statement.

Listening is a learned skill. No matter how good you are at it, there always is room for improvement. To determine what must be improved is easy. All you have to do is download one of the thousands of free recording apps and record an upcoming meeting.

Later that day, while the meeting is fresh in your mind, play the recording. Listen to see who talked more. You or the client? Did you

There are a lot of changes going on in the customer’s world and your world. Many salespeople are adapting to cope with these changes. The better strategy is to adapt to win.

Winners continually look at ways to improve. You’re a winner, but the clock is ticking. Choose one of these tips and use it to take your skills to the next level.

Good selling.

There always are obstacles in every sales cycle. Start identifying barriers in the first call.

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.

P40 CANVAS JUNE 2016

TOUCH IS THE FINE LINE BETWEEN

read & remembered

There’s a reason the smartest brands choose paper for important messages. Because holding something in our hands can shape how we feel. What we know. And, critically for marketers, what we buy.

See how brilliant brands use haptics—the science of how things we touch shape the way we feel— to create deeper connections with their customers.

Visit sappi.com/haptics to learn more and request your own copy of “A Communicators Guide to the Neuroscience of Touch.”

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