EMPOWERING MARKETING SERVICE PROVIDERS
OCTOBER 2015
Navigating threats and barriers
The importance of understanding culture
The best content strategies revealed
Amplify Everything with the Power of Paper
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OCTOBER VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 10 • PRINT EDITION • OCTOBER 2015
16
CANVAS P1
Inside this issue| Publisher’s Note
BOILERPLATE
ALSO INSIDE
24 30 34 40
THREATS & BARRIERS A snapshot of the road ahead for the printing industry
BOILERPLATE
04
Publisher’s Note: Without a net
STAT PACK
06 P2
CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
NEVER SURRENDER
The sales pro’s guide to self-motivation
CORNER OFFICE
08
The importance of understanding culture
10
What kind of communicator are you?
11
Book rec: Humans are underrated
Q&A: JURJEN JACOBS On what today’s customers are thinking
BEHIND THE CURTAIN
12 14
Awards & Recognition Mergers & Acquisitions
MSP SPOTLIGHTS
15
Ride Along: Neenah expands design collection
CHANGING THE WORLD OF PRODUCTION INKJET. HIGH-QUALITY COLOR
COMPETITIVELY PRICED
OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY
TRUSTED PARTNER
HIGH PRODUCTIVITY
CANON SOLUTIONS AMERICA VOTED THE NUMBER ONE “COMPANY TO WATCH” AT THE 2015 INKJET SUMMIT. Océ ImageStream inkjet press
Océ VarioPrint i300 inkjet press
Recognized as the top “Company to Watch” at the 2015 Inkjet Summit, we are committed to helping customers take their production print operations to the next level. That’s why we’re pleased to present our newest inkjet presses. The Océ ImageStream™ 3500 inkjet press is the first full-color continuous feed Océ inkjet solution to print on standard offset paper providing offset productivity with the variable data print benefits of digital printing. The Océ VarioPrint® i300 inkjet press features innovative cutsheet inkjet technology at a savings of up to half the operating costs of traditional toner-based equipment. Discover how these production inkjet presses will revolutionize your inkjet print production workflow. SEE A SNEAK PEAK! VIEW THE INKJET INNOVATIONS VIDEO, AT: PPS.CSA.CANON.COM/THEFUTUREOFINKJET 877-623-4969 CSA.CANON.COM
Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. Océ and Océ VarioPrint are a registered trademarks of Océ-Technologies B.V. in the United States and elsewhere. Océ ImageStream is a trademark of Océ-Technologies B.V. in the United States. All other referenced product names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged. © 2015 Canon Solutions America, Inc. All rights reserved.
Inside this issue| Publisher’s Note
BOILERPLATE
WITHOUT A NET
Change deserves your respect. I’ve done a lot of preaching about adapting to change and embracing new ideas. But when change is thrust upon me, I’m as sensitive as the next guy. Wanted or not, it really doesn’t matter how much you think you’ve prepared for change – it still hurts. Mike Tyson’s famous quote, “Everyone has a plan ‘til they get punched in the mouth,” is dead on. Change is inevitable. And it’s going to sting. Whether you choose to change or not, nothing can be done to simply absorb it, accept it and immediately extract joy from it.
Wanted or not, it really doesn’t matter how much you think you’ve prepared for change – it still hurts. Change comes to all of us – personally and professionally. Oftentimes, we don’t seek change. It comes out of nowhere. Ironically, that kind of disruption does not have a monopoly on pain. The changes we seek can be just as difficult – maybe more so – because we thought we were prepared. In many ways, when we seek change because we believe it will provide growth, it is much harder. We believe we’re armored up properly and that we’re strong enough to push through. But that type of mindset assumes there is a process or time limit to the pain. While certainly not easy, unexpected changes offer an advantage. When we’re not so prepared, instinct can take over. We adapt because there is no other choice. On the other hand, planned changes seem to provide some idea that we can revert back to the way things were if things don’t go smoothly. Maybe the key is to take away the proverbial safety net and force the change you seek. Clearly, there is no plan that allows you to process change properly. There will be unexpected situations and lots of frustration. But you can try to anchor yourself to an attitude that will treat all change with the respect it deserves. We have two stories that examine the role disruption plays in our lives. Our cover story, “Disrupt,” examines the steps every leader can take to make it an effective part of their company’s growth strategy, while “Disrupting the Print Shop” provides a closer look at how it impacts our market. Also in this issue, the story “Threats and Barriers” provides a snapshot of the challenges facing today’s printers and what lies ahead. We hope you enjoy this issue, and happy fall.
Warmest regards,
Mark Potter, Publisher @MarkRicePotter
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CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
CONTRIBUTORS
Linda Bishop, President, Thought Transformation @Linda_Bishop Justin Ahrens Founder & Principal Rule29 @JustinAhrens Ted Gorski President Get Your Edge @GetYourEdge Jurjen Jacobs VP Global Marketing & Innovation Velcro Industries @JurjenJacobs
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 9, Issue 10. copyright 2015 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.
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STAT PACK
Your goal is to get to the top of the mountain and you’re riding your bike, competing to get there first… and you get passed by a motorcycle.” – Christoph Becker, CEO and chief creative officer at B2B agency Gyro, on why there needs to be more emotion and less data in marketing today
WHAT’S ON YOUR TO-DO LIST? Ask today’s chief marketing officers about
the most pressing items on their to-do lists, and then stand back. According to the Aberdeen Group’s “The CMO Dilemma: Bridging the Gap Between Love and Money” report, the lists are big on customer retention, satisfaction and profitability. The report was based on data from a survey of 447 marketers at B2B, B2C and B2B/B2C companies from around the world, with 57 percent here in the States. Here’s a look at what topped their lists:
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CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
The percent of marketers who believe meaningful call-to-action offers are the key to increasing click-thru rates (CTRs), according to Ascend2’s “Marketing Technology Strategy Survey.” Other favorable strategies include list segmentation (47 percent), message personalization (42 percent) and testing and optimization (35 percent). The report was based on data from a survey of 303 marketing, sales and business professionals from around the world (68 percent B2B-focused, 32 percent B2C).
HOW DO YOU DO CONTENT?
You know content is a great way to drive your brand, but what type should you use and how do you promote it? According to Starfleet Media’s “2015 Benchmark Report on B2B Content Marketing and Lead Generation” report, case studies and client success top the list for today’s B2B companies. The report, based on data from a survey of 324 B2B marketers and salespeople from around the world, included responses from companies such as technology, manufacturing and business services. Here’s a snapshot of the most common types of content used over the past 12 months:
67%
Case studies/ client success stories
62% White papers
58% Webinars
52% E-books
42% 38%
Infographics
Research reports
CANVAS P7
CORNER OFFICE
Perspective | Leadership | Insights BY JUSTIN AHRENS
The importance of understanding culture Editor’s note: The first in a three-part series by CANVAS columnist Justin Ahrens on the importance of understanding culture.
W
If you take a look at this example, there are a few inferences that you can make: • Rule29 probably attracts and hires
e can get inspired. We can learn how to upgrade our skills,
employees who have a “can do”
but if we’re not in the right culture or helping to create
mentality (true).
the right culture, we’re missing out on our best work
• Rule29 probably attracts and wins
opportunities. Culture is an important component of any
clients or projects that present
company. In fact, I would argue it may be the most important component.
Culture defined
different, new challenges (true). So, what led us to seek those kinds of
The first step to creating your company’s culture is to figure out what
employees and work with those kinds
your organization stands for and making decisions based on those
of clients? I would argue it’s because
values. Workplace culture is the manifestation of a company’s beliefs
we implicitly value continual learning
and values. It ultimately becomes the definition of “How We Do Things
and growth. We like to constantly figure
Around Here.”
things out creatively and expand beyond
Culture has nothing to do with whether or not your company has a pool
our best capabilities. That’s our company
table or what kind of music you play in the office (if you play music at all).
culture. Because of this value, we implic-
We often point to those things as examples of culture, but really those
itly seek people and projects that will
are the by-products – the expression – of a company’s culture.
lead us more in that direction.
To find out a company’s culture, you almost have to work backward
A company’s culture is much more than
and figure it out deductively. What does a company’s posture about a
just the fun atmosphere in the office.
particular thing say about them and what they value?
Sure, there’s a fun atmosphere when you
As an example, at Rule29, you rarely (if ever) will encounter someone
enter Rule29, but if you dig deeper, you’ll
who says, “We can’t do that.” Our posture generally is one of possibil-
see the implicit values and desires that
ity and interest, even if a project seems insurmountable or completely
drives our creative, our employees and
foreign to use. We generally feel capable of figuring anything out and, if
our clients.
history serves to prove itself, usually are successful.
To find out a company’s culture, you almost have to work backward and figure it out deductively. What does a company’s posture about a particular thing say about them and what they value?
At
Rule29,
the
company
culture
simply is the result of the conversation that constantly is occurring among your employees, your clients and your creatives, based on a set of values that underlie it all. These three groups inform and influence each other every day, and take place within a structure and leadership that allows them to function out of abundance, not deficit. 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.
P8
CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Game changers Say yes to 98% of commercial jobs, produced cost-effectively with no compromise on quality or media range. Introducing the latest ground-breaking innovations from HP Indigo. Faster, smarter and more profitable, this new line-up is changing the rules of the game. It includes the HP Indigo 5600 and 7800 digital presses, as well as the B2/29 inch HP Indigo 10000 – all you would expect from an Indigo press, but in a wider format. It’s a game-changing portfolio that’s redefining what’s possible with print. With thousands of digital sheetfed presses in operation, as well as partnerships with leading vendors for end-to-end solutions, HP Indigo is the proven choice for profitable growth. Find out more at hp.com/go/indigo
HP Indigo 7800 Digital Press
HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press
© 2014 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
HP Indigo 5600 Digital Press
CORNER OFFICE
Perspective | Leadership | Insights BY TED GORSKI
What kind of communicator are you? hat kind of communications style do you have? Are you approachable? Aggressive? Social? Today, leaders need excellent communication skills, regardless of their own communication type. Understanding the style of the person you’re communicating with is the difference between getting your message across and getting it across well. Here are four communication styles and how to effectively communicate with them:
No. 1 – The Aggressor-Asserter
They are competitive, goal-oriented, demanding, task-oriented and fast-paced. Time is money and money is time. Because they are direct, you know where you stand. Their biggest fear is losing control. They ask the “what” questions. These leaders have key strengths that include providing momentum, providing focus and making quick decisions. Their “on top of it” approach can keep everybody on target or even get things done early. But there must be balance, as their weaknesses include overstepping their assignments and taking over tasks – not necessarily because they can do them better, but because they want to get them done. To effectively connect with the Aggressor-Asserter, you must: • • • • • • • •
Be brief, direct and concise Provide options Use a fast, quick pace Focus on results and return-on-investment Avoid providing lots of details Provide short answers Look them straight in their eyes Be truthful
Understanding the style of the person you’re communicating with is the difference between getting your message across and getting it across well. No. 2 – The Socializer
These individuals are charismatic, enthusiastic, persuasive, lively, loud, talkative, friendly, people-oriented and very social. They also are visual and creative. Their biggest fear is social rejection and they ask the “who” questions. The Socializer is a great motivator. In most organizations, they are on sales teams. They’re very creative and enjoy brainstorming. They don’t keep track of time well and sometimes work tight to deadlines. They enjoy being the center of attention. To effectively communicate with a Socializer, you must: • • • • • •
Allow time for social interaction Put details in writing or email Have a fast-paced, positive approach Use a whiteboard in your discussions Use phrases like “Picture this” or “Do you see” Avoid a harsh, aggressive tone
No. 3 – The Mediator
These individuals are calm, level-headed, great listeners, team-oriented, introverted and loyal. They make decisions in a consensus manner. Mediators like to marinate on questions. They dislike conflict, so they’ll internalize and tolerate it. Mediators do not pat themselves on the back. They make great teachers/trainers and mentors. As a result, this internalization builds until they explode. Their biggest fear is loss of stability. They ask the “how” questions. Team and project managers typically fall into this style. Weaknesses include being slow to make decisions. To effectively connect with a Mediator, you must: • • • • • •
Be patient and logical Use a steady, low-keyed approach Involve them in the planning process Praise them privately Allow time for “marination of ideas” Start conversation with a warm and friendly greeting • Keep your tone of voice at discussion level
No. 4 – The Analyzer
These individuals are meticulous, detail-oriented, introverted and task-oriented. They can be considered perfectionists and are suspicious of others. They may answer a question with a question. Their biggest fear is criticism. They ask the “why” questions. Key strengths include being detailedoriented, superb problem solvers and providing the team’s reality check. Weaknesses include having tunnel vision and looking for the perfect solution. To effectively communicate with the Analyzer, you must: • Be organized and logical • Support your position using facts • Make sure each point is understood before moving to the next • Don’t use the phrase, “Let me give you some constructive advice.” • Use words such as process, data and procedure • Motivate them by quality and data
Ted Gorski is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and president of Get Your Edge. For more information, visit www.GetYourEdge.com, call 603-472-3821 or email Ted@GetYourEdge.com.
P10 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Perspective | Technology | Insights
ALL EYES ON YOU
This much we know – through 2018 the use of behavioral marketing data will increase. That’s the takeaway from Millward Brown Digital’s “Getting Digital Right 2015” study, which says that nearly 70 percent of marketers currently are using behavioral data to make marketing decisions. Interestingly, only 14 percent of marketers say they are “confident” in their use of data, the study found. The study was based on input from more than 400 marketers spanning brands, media companies and agencies.
CORNER OFFICE
THE TAO OF THE TWEET
Wait, before you send that tweet, check the clock. That’s right, according to Buffer’s “Twitter Timing” report, the highest volume of tweets occurs on average between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., local time. Translation: The highest volume hour for tweeting varies significantly by location; for example, 9 a.m. is the most popular tweet time in San Francisco, whereas noon is the most popular tweet time in New York, the study found. The report was based on an analysis of more than 4.8 million tweets sent by 10,000 Twitter accounts from around the world. Other survey nuggets include: • The highest number of clicks per tweet on average occurs late at night, between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., local time • The fewest clicks per tweet on average occur in the mornings when tweet volume is particularly high, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., local time. • The best time for clicks tends to be evening and late night across time zones, with variations – for example, 7 p.m. is the peak time in Denver for clicks, whereas it is 2 a.m. in Paris.
BOOK REC
Humans Are Underrated: What High Achievers Know That Brilliant Machines Never Will
Computers are taking over the world. How many times have you heard that over the course of your professional career? The nightmare scenario for some still is playing out as the power of technology continues to dominate our everyday lives. Bestselling author Geoff Colvin explains how the skills the economy values are changing in historic ways. As Colvin writes in “Humans are Underrated,” the abilities that will prove most essential to our success are no longer the technical, classroom-taught left-brain skills that economic advances have demanded from workers in the past. Instead, Colvin says our greatest advantage lies in what humans are most powerfully driven to do for and with one another – empathy, creativity, social sensitivity, storytelling, humor, building relationships and expressing ourselves with greater power than logic can ever achieve. As technology advances, the key is not to try and beat computers at what they do, but to develop our most essential human abilities. Humans Are Underrated is the book that will show you just how valuable you are and what it takes to be great.
CANVAS P11
BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Awards & Around the industry | Mergers & Acquisitions
Around the industry
Awards & Recognition Fineline Printing Group has been recognized as one of 20 companies on the “2015 Indiana Companies to Watch” list. The awards program was presented by the State of Indiana and the Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (OSBE) and endorsed by the Edward Lowe Foundation. Companies to Watch celebrates Indiana’s privately-held second-stage companies – businesses that are past the startup phase and considered to be established, and face issues of growth, not survival. Fineline was selected based on its innovation in the marketplace, including excellence in process management, managed print services technology “Finelink,” strategic client and program support, and resilience and growth during times of economic downturn. FlexPrint
Inc.
again
has
Xerox has donated a Xerox Color 800 Press with the Xerox EX Print Server to Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department. The Color 800, which can print 80 pages per minute, is being used to produce output for student design projects, publishing endeavors, papers and displays in the Graphic Communication Department. The high-capacity press powered by Fiery, features a variety of finishing options, such as stacking, trimming, punching and booklet making, and a fifth dry ink station, at which Cal Poly will use Xerox Clear Dry Ink to add new dimensions to output using spot, flood or textured effects.
been named to the “2015 Inc. 500|5000 list” as one of America’s fastest growing organizations. This year’s honor marks the sixth consecutive year that FlexPrint has made the list, debuting at No. 423 in 2010. Each year, Inc. Magazine ranks the 5,000 fastest-growing privately held firms in the United States. Printing Industries of America (PIA) has named its “2015 InterTechTechnology Awards.” Judged by an independent panel of judges, the awards recognize innovative companies expected to advance the performance of the graphic communications industry. Also honored were solutions that facilitate cross-media
The Electronic Document Scholarship Foudation (EDSF), the international non-profit organization dedicated to developing and providing programs to attract and support students worldwide with their education plans, has added two members to its 2015 Board of Directors. The new additions include Barbara Stainbrook, VP, business development for Ink Jet & Industrial Printing of Konica Minolta Business Solutions, and Mark J. Subers, president and CRO for Printing & Packaging and Publishing at NAPCO Media.
marketing campaigns, use a new standard to define and commu-
BR Printers has added two
nicate brand colors, and simplify the integration of production
key players to its sales team,
and business processes. The 10 technologies selected included
including Derek Giulianelli as
(listed alphabetically): • Océ VarioPrint i300 (Canon U.S.A., Inc.) • ORIS CxF (CGS Publishing Technologies International LLC) • KODAK PROSPER 6000 Presses (Kodak) • NX advantage, KODAK FLEXCEL NX System (Kodak) • EFI DirectSmile Cross Media (EFI) • Automation Engine Connect (Esko) • Prinect Media Manager (Heidelberg) • Highcon Euclid Digital Finishing Technology (Highcon Systems Ltd.) • MGI iFOIL (MGI) • X-Rite eXact with Scan Option (X-Rite)
P12 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
VP of sales, and Todd Lambert as an account executive. BR Printers, San Jose, Calif., is a leading provider of digital printing products and book manufacturing. It also operates production facilities in Independence, Ky., and East Windsor, N.J.
Ready to Deliver Brand on Demand When we asked offset printers in 2007 to describe the perfect short run press solution, they didn’t mince words. The print quality needs to be as good as offset litho. Use standard coated and uncoated stocks, and load-up and off-load of sheets shouldn’t require an owners manual to figure out. The prints should be smooth, without any pile-height issues, and look and feel like an offset sheet. Prints need to be durable too, especially when using finishing equipment. And please…no more click charges. Fujifilm’s J Press 720S technology delivers these benefits and J Press installations have produced millions of brand on demand impressions where it counts most - in the field. So why wait on the promises of new technology, when proven Fujifilm innovation can help you dominate the high-quality, short-run market today. Seeing is believing. Visit fujifilminkjet.com today.
The J Press 720S provides offset quality inkjet printing for short run work that will pass the eye test of even the most discerning brand manager. Fujifilm proprietary technologies, combined with the presses’ superb registration accuracy, provide extraordinary fine text and line detail, stunning vibrant colors, and superb skin tones, resulting in a smooth high quality finish with the durability and finishing characteristics of an offset print.
Visit fujifilminkjet.com to:
INFO
Get a Print Sample
DEMO
Set up a Demo
WEB
View Videos
BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Awards & Around the industry | Mergers & Acquisitions
Mergers & Acquisitions Neenah Paper has signed a definitive agreement to purchase all of the outstanding equity of ASP FiberMark LLC (“FiberMark”) from an affiliate of American Securities LLC for $120 million. With annual sales of more than $160 million, FiberMark is a specialty coating and finishing company with a strong presence in luxury packaging and overlapping technical product categories. The company sells globally from six production facilities in the United States and one in the United Kingdom.
Electronics For Imaging Inc. (EFI) has acquired privately-held Matan Digital Printers, an award-winning provider of innovative technologies for superwide-format display graphics and other
WHAT’S GOING ON? LET US KNOW!
industrial printing applications. Based in Rosh Ha’Ayin, Israel, the company’s digital industrial inkjet printers are designed to offer high productivity, quality and durability, while ensuring a low cost of ownership. Matan’s work force of approximately 70 employees has joined EFI, giving EFI a significant presence in Israel, a center for innovation in the printing industry. Yosefi has joined EFI as VP and GM, EFI Inkjet Israel. In other EFI news, the company acquired Bergamo, Italybased Reggiani Macchine, a leading technology provider with an extensive lineup of industrial inkjet printers utilizing waterbased inks in printing on fabric. Reggiani’s inkjet technologies, which will be rebranded as EFI Reggiani, address the full scope of advanced textile printing, with versatile printers suitable for water-based dispersed, acid, pigment and reactive dye printing inks. Reggiani has customers in more than 120 countries served by a wide distribution network and agents in over 40 countries.
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 OCTOBER 2015
Download the MSP Resource Guide app Products and resources just a tap away
Ride along
MSP PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
Neenah expands design collection, unveils companion swatchbook
Four new premium paper grades. That just happened
for designers to set their work apart with premium
at Neenah Paper. The world-class selection of colored,
packaging, look books, high-end brochures, gift card
pearlized and textured papers, The Design Collection,
holders, greeting cards, identity materials and other
has been expanded to include four premium paper
print collateral.
grades from Italian papermaker Gruppo Cordenons.
The new collection includes NATURAL EVOLUTIONS
And if that wasn’t enough, Neenah also expanded its
Papers (colors: White, Frost and Ivory). MONNALISA®
popular STARDREAM® and WILD® Papers lines, which
Papers (colors: Premium White), Slide (colors: Black and
are available in a new companion swatchbook to the
White) and Astroprint (color: White).
original Design Collection swatchbook.
Neenah has also expanded these popular lines, in-
“The demand for The Design Collection has sur-
cluding the STARDREAM Papers (added C1S text
passed our every expectation,” says Ellen Bliske, senior
weights for box wrap in the most popular colors) and
brand manager at Neenah. “We can’t wait to see what
WILD Papers (now includes four new colors in popular
designers will do with all the new items.”
111 pound. Cover: Sand, Clay, Brown and Black.
With these additions, The Design Collection now offers 15 paper brands, blending six iconic paper lines from North America and nine on-trend Italian brands. The new collection now offers more unique options
>> For samples and to read more about the line, visit www.neenahpaper.com/finepaper/ designcollection. To see The Design Collection, go to www.neenahpaper.com/designcollection.
CANVAS P15
PERSPECTIVE
By Lorrie Bryan
P16 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Cover Story
D
riverless cars. Biometric trackers. 3D-printed drones and bones. Iris-scan identifiers. Sounds like a list of the gadgetry used in a James Bond movie. But in fact, all of these technologies are on the path to becoming commonplace. You soon may be unlocking your iPhone via an iris scan, and sporting body parts made with 3D printers. Is this disruption? Many are quick to label these newfangled gad-
gets as big bang, game-changing disrupters, but academic experts have more rigid criteria for determining what constitutes disruption. “People throw around the word disruption fairly cavalierly these days, however, not all innovation is disruptive,” says Yael Hochberg, an associate professor at Rice University and one of the foremost experts on accelerator programs. “Print industry leaders need to understand that disruption is a process that happens when new startups come into a space to address the needs of customer segments that are not core customers for incumbent players and whose needs are not addressed by current products.” “Typically, these startups offer a product that is cheaper than that offered by incumbents, but also stripped of certain elements that the core customers of incumbents require,” says Hochberg, who serves on the advisory board and board of directors for a number of startup companies. Although disruption often seems to happen abruptly, it usually takes time. The new entrants climb the technology S-curve and create a product that does serve the incumbents’ core customers and often it is cheaper/better/faster due to new technological advances.
“In the knowledge age, corporate battles are won through creative thinking and fresh human innovation, not by bending steel or cutting costs.” – Josh Linkner, Author, The Road to Reinvention
CANVAS P17
Disrupt!
THE NATURE OF DISRUPTION
Like volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and other potentially catastrophic occurrences, disruption is a natural insuppressible element of an ever-changing cycle of life. “Typically companies can’t address every customer segment out there, so they focus on their core customers, which leaves a segment of customers for newcomers to serve with new technologies,” Hochberg says. This is the fertile ground from which disruption springs into being. And it usually is the playground where light-footed newcomers frolic, rather than heavily laden corporations. “Once large corporations are invested in a certain way of doing things, it is often difficult for them to jump onto a new technology S-curve and take a new approach for fear of upsetting core customers, or because the new technology at its outset can’t serve their needs fully,” Hochberg says. “New entrants enter, and over time can displace incumbents who don’t find a way to shift onto the new curve.” While this is the typical way new technologies and methods are introduced to the market, it is not the only way innovation happens. “Many companies figure out how to stay ahead of the new technology shifts and survive and win by disrupting themselves,” Hochberg says.
COW OR BUFFALO?
When cows sense a storm is coming, they try to outrun it. But instead of getting ahead of it, they end up plodding right along with the storm and the stampeding herd, prolonging their exposure and discomfort. Conversely, buffalos charge right into the same storm, and by running at it, they quickly run through it, minimizing their discomfort. Often in business, what appears to be the most conservative option could be fatal. It turns out playing it safe has become recklessly dangerous. “Since the start of the 21st Century, the world has changed dramatically,” says Josh Linkner, a highly successful tech entrepreneur and bestselling author of “The Road to Reinvention: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation.”
“Typically companies can’t address every customer segment out there, so they focus on their core customers, which leaves a segment of customers for newcomers to serve with new technologies.” – Yael Hochberg, Associate Professor, Rice University P18 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
t
Disrupt!
“Global financial crisis, technological breakthroughs, geopolitical turmoil and other tectonic shifts in our world should have shaken our belief in the old-school ideology of success through risk aversion. And yet, shockingly, most people still play by the old rules, wondering why their results are plummeting as they faithfully follow their old formula for success.”
CREEPY CRAWLERS
Sometimes to succeed you must diligently turn over rocks and see what crawls out. Linkner urges business leaders to take a careful, critical look at every aspect of their operation (products, services, production, technology, processes, and systems) and explore areas for improving their models. Reinvention is the necessary process of proactively crafting a new future. The more effectively you drive ongoing innovation and reinvention throughout your organization, the more routine these examinations will become – and the more opportunity you’ll have to make course correction before it’s too late. “By making the choice to challenge even your most valuable core concepts, you can help to ensure that your organization will grow stronger as a result of innovation rather than being consumed by it,” Linkner says.
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Disrupt!
BULL’S EYES
As the old saying goes, “Every bull’s eye is the result of 100 misses.” Likewise, failure is an essential element of success and of reinvention. “When you study innovative breakthroughs in just about any area, you find that some of the biggest advances are the result of someone toying with the seed of an idea, then developing it through a series of stumbles, missteps and failed experiments that eventually bear fruit,” Linkner says. The best organizations embrace failure as an element of the disruption process. They create a culture that encourages courage and they focus on celebrating new ideas instead of ignoring them. They instill the spirit of reinvention in their employees by fostering boldness rather than complacency, and rewarding employees for challenging the status quo rather than suppressing them. “In the knowledge age, corporate battles are won through creative thinking and fresh human innovation, not by bending steel or cutting costs,” Linkner says. Accordingly, business cultures that support, nurture, and harness their team’s best creative ideas are the winners of photo-finish victories. Creative ideas are rarely born as fully developed and fully defensible. Rather, they are nascent sparks that must be refined and shaped to bring their full power to life.” And that is the genesis of disruption.
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Although disruption often seems to happen abruptly, it usually takes time.
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PERSPECTIVE
DISRUPTING
THE PRESSROOM How change continues to impact today’s printers By Michael J. Pallerino
P24 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Feature Story
I
n his bestselling book, “The Innovator’s Dilemma,” Harvard Business School professor Clay Christensen defined “disruption” as a disruptive product that addresses a market that previously couldn’t be served – a new-market disruption. Christensen boldly proclaimed that leading companies can do everything right and still lose their market leadership or, worse yet, disappear altogether if they fail to recognize the new way of doing business. Stand by the “traditional” way of doing business and you
could get pushed to the curb. Christensen’s book, published in 1997, still is a “must read” for business leaders wading through industries where disruption is redirecting their market strategies. Queue the music for the commercial printing industry, where analysts such as Dr. Joe Webb, president of Strategies for Management Inc. and head of the Economics & Research Center at WhatTheyThink.com, keep a close eye on the everchanging face of the marketplace. If you’ve been watching the numbers lately, printing shipments are trending upward. Webb says that’s a positive sign for an industry that experienced its share of disruption over the past decade. “The old printing guard has either retired, been fired, sold their businesses or gave up. The next generation has taken over in many companies. This new generation of managers, mostly in their 40s, grew up with computers at home and
“Disruption will continue to force us to find new products and services to offset the declines or find better sales opportunities.” – Howie Fenton, Associate Director of Operations Consulting, InfoTrends
have been using technology their whole lives. They have also lived in an industry that has never grown or declined.”
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Disrupting the pressroom The story is one everybody knows. In the throes of a wicked and long lasting recession, the commercial printing business, like many others, took its lumps. With the need to alter business strategies and adapt to a new way of doing business, print shops found themselves in new worlds – broadband, online video, podcasts, smartphones, social media, tablets, content marketing, and other devices and formats. The Printing Service Providers (PSPs) of yesterday became the Marketing Service Providers (MSPs) of today.
“Find a partner who will evaluate your print operation and will work with you to help you build a customized solution just right for you.” – Eric Hawkinson, Senior Director of Marketing, Production Print Solutions division of Canon Solutions America
“You couldn’t play the ‘wait-until-things-come-back’ game, you had to make those interactions with your clients deeper and more proactive,” Webb says. “You could not take print sales for granted anymore. Those print businesses that adapted their offerings and tactics found stability. If this history tells us anything, it’s to be wary and flexible, and especially vigilant about communications technologies and social changes that enable or thwart media use.” These are new – and exceedingly positive – days in the printing services industry. Take a quick glance at today’s marketplace, and you will see that production inkjet technology is projected to account for nearly one-third of all digital print by 2016. Inkjet solutions apply to virtually every production print market – book production, direct mail, transactional, commercial, and promotional. In addition, sheetfed inkjet products promise to be the next wave of products to revolutionize the arena. The new type of digital press will help consolidate sheetfed black-and-white and color workflows on to one production printing system. With these evolving technologies and all their applications, it once again is time for printers to evaluate how incorporating these changes into their business models can benefit their businesses. That’s where companies like Canon Solutions America enter the picture. The company, which continues to stay one step ahead of the changing marketplace, recently launched its first high-volume sheetfed color inkjet digital press – the Océ VarioPrint i300 inkjet press. While combining high-speed inkjet with sheets of paper is challenging for all players in the print industry, Océ iQuarius Technologies is a constellation of innovations that facilitates high-speed inkjet on sheets of paper. It’s the reason the Océ VarioPrint i300 is such a big player. “We were an early pioneer of inkjet technology, accumulating broad and deep expertise in inkjet heads, paper, and ink technologies,” says Eric Hawkinson, Senior Director of Marketing, Production Print Solutions division of Canon Solutions America. “The presses in our industry leading inkjet portfolio are known for their robust design and consistent, high-quality output. Coming to market with a high-volume, sheetfed inkjet digital press is a natural extension of our industry leadership and everything we’ve accomplished over the past few years.” Inkjet technology has accelerated the printing industry’s transition from offset to high-volume digital output. This technology offers the ability to reduce overall operating costs, while maintaining personalization in highspeed environments. Sheetfed inkjet devices have the added benefit of allowing printers to leverage existing in-line finishing options. Hawkinson says the technology is now better developed than it was a decade ago and development will likely accelerate in the coming years – again changing the face of today’s print shops. “Now is the time to invest in inkjet – but invest smartly,” Hawkinson says. “Find a partner who will evaluate your print operation and will work with you to help you build a customized solution just right for you.”
PARTNERSHIPS ARE KEY
If there is one key to surviving and thriving in the world of disruption, it is by building partnerships. In an ever-evolving landscape, printers and vendors must continue to work together through mutual education.
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Disrupting the pressroom “Intelligent vendors listen to their customers to learn what pain points they may have or what their needs are, and then develop products based on that feedback,” Hawkinson says. “We rely on a group of customer advisors to provide input critical to our product development. The Océ VarioPrint i300 is a result of customers, industry experts, and Canon development teams working together to shape development priorities and various aspects of product concepts and processes.” Vendors also can work to help educate customers and the industry on developing technologies. That’s one reason Canon Solutions America created thINK, an independent community of Canon Solutions America production print customers, solution partners, and print industry experts. Designed to assist businesses in achieving accelerated growth and productivity, the collaborative community provides a forum to network with peers, share best practices, and learn from industry leaders and solution partners. “We are looking forward to seeing how this group will grow in the future and empower printers to take advantage of this technology,” Hawkinson says.
“If this history tells us anything, it’s to be wary and flexible, and especially vigilant about communications technologies and social changes that enable or thwart media use.” – Dr. Joe Webb, Head of Economics & Research Center, WhatTheyThink.com Howie Fenton believes that printers and suppliers working together is at the heart of succeeding in a disruptive marketplace, especially today’s print shops. Fenton, an associate director of operations consulting with InfoTrends, says the trend of declining volumes forced printers to seek new products and services to offset losses. “One of the challenges for today’s vendors is that it is getting hard to differentiate themselves on equipment feeds and speeds alone,” Fenton says. “They are being asked to do more. Do you have software products that can help me reduce my production and manufacturing costs? Do you have the training programs that can help my team better understand these new opportunities and be better at selling them?” Fenton says business development programs are becoming just as important as the services being offered. And while it is a big change for some manufacturers, others have been doing it for more than a decade. One of the things that InfoTrends is tracking today is the distinguishing factors between the printing industry’s leading and lagging companies. The leading companies are the ones investing more in sales and customer service – programs designed to help printers shifting staffing from the operational and production sides to marketing-type roles. “This often is the result of the disruptive changes you see when the economy gets better and more services are sold,” Fenton says. “How can we continue to make money with decreasing volumes and profitability? As much as we think this is new, this has been going on in the industry for the past 25 years. Disruption will continue to force us to find new products and services to offset these declines or find better sales opportunities.”
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PERSPECTIVE
By Michael J. Pallerino
P30 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Feature Story
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” – Henry Ford
ame a challenge you face every day. Depending on what space your company plays in, the scope of the challenge (or challenges) may vary. Let’s be realistic here – every industry, every marketplace, has challenges – threats and/or barriers that force companies to constantly reevaluate how and why they do certain things. You evolve – you have a chance at success. You don’t – well, you know the rest.
In addition, two out of three print functions are expected to grow (print logistics and print marketing/promotion) over that
Bill Barta will tell you straight up. There is no magic answer or
time frame, with total shipments of commercial printing and re-
silver bullet. Barta and the scores of printing industry executives like
lated support activities expected to increase at a modest pace
him agree that the most effective way to face threats and barriers is
through 2021, the study shows.
to face them head on. Push ahead. Inspire forward thinking and outof-the-box ideas. Rally your team to get things done bigger, faster and stronger. It all comes down to your approach. The companies that seek ways to add value for their clients and understand their challenges leave the door open to success. But that means moving past a “transaction selling” mindset and into one of being a “solutions provider.” “We all see the changes in social media and technology,” says Barta, president and CEO of Rider Dickerson. “Our competition is much larger than other printers. I believe the successful companies in our industry will be those
As the senior VP of business development for Rider Dicker-
“We all see the changes in social media and technology. Our competition is much larger than other printers.” – Bill Barta, President & CEO, Rider Dickerson
that invest in solutions for their clients that are not directly print
son, Dean Petrulakis continues to mine the many opportunities available to printers willing to take that next step forward. Part of the process is not only knowing what the printer down the street is doing, but what the other companies around you are doing as well. “It doesn’t matter what industry you are in or if you are B2B or B2C, our competition is everyone,” Petrulakis says. “We aren’t just competing with other printers anymore. We have to be aware that consumers interact with and buy from brands differently than they used to. We can bury our heads in the sand and pretend it isn’t
happening or we can adapt and prosper.”
related, but instead solve marketing and communication challenges more effectively.”
Riding the technology wave
Depending on your perspective, the prospects for the printing
Without question, technology has changed the way we do every-
industry’s long-term future remain relatively optimistic. The Printing
thing. With the proliferation of mobile, tablets and other devices,
Industry Association’s (PIA) “Industry Briefing: Competing in Print’s
consumers are choosing when and where to engage with brands.
Dynamic Marketspace in 2015” shows that the industry has op-
This has put the onus on brands to find a way to cut through
portunities. For example, while aggregate U.S. printing shipments
the clutter and digital noise to reach the right audience, with the
are projected to decline gradually until 2021 (from $158.5 billion
right message/offer, at the right time. It is incumbent on them to
to $143.6 billion), PIA projects that print’s economic footprint will
leverage consumer data and insights, and to deliver content, in all
remain large – more than $143 billion.
forms, to an audience that’s ready to make a purchase. Add to it
This makes the commercial printing market one of the largest U.S. manufacturing industries.
the ability to measure ROI in an ever-blurring omnichannel world, and the job is a big one.
CANVAS P31
Threats & Barriers The reality is that budgets allocated to printed materials
that data, and targeting your findings. That’s where print has
have been reduced amid this burgeoning revolution. But that
become an ally. “Print is tactile,” Badura says. “It involves the
barrier means today’s printers must be able to read, react and
reader, and it often contains a call to action, i.e., a coupon, or-
adapt with better precision.
der form, web and/or store address. It can create tactile emo-
Renee Badura, executive VP of sales for Quad/Graphics, believes that printers can continue to turn this into an advantage.
tional connections with imagery and copy that doesn’t exist in a digital environment.”
“We must leverage technology to help our clients create ex-
And that is the key. Print is everywhere. Digital technology has
ceptional customer experiences in all media. Today’s marketing
changed where the printed word can travel in a matter of min-
programs include many facets and touchpoints, and it’s incum-
utes, from Atlanta to Austin, Texas to San Francisco, to Japan
bent upon marketing service providers (MSPs) to help marketers
and Amsterdam, and around the world again.
execute seamless campaigns – delivering value and relevance in connected and consistent print and digital channels.” Today, it’s all about mining for data, collecting and analyzing
Deidre Acord, sales manager for Capital Printing Co., says this is where the beauty of print begins. “While you may be able to read a book or brochure on your iPad, computer or smartphone, people still want to feel something tactile in their hand. To visu-
“Print is tactile. It can create tactile emotional connections with imagery and copy that doesn’t exist in a digital environment.”
ally see and feel the printed piece is still important.”
– Renee Badura, Executive VP of Sales, Quad/Graphics
grades to any device, computers, proofing, presses, bindery equip-
Acord loves when new customers visit their plant and see the magic of how ink gets on paper. “It still is an amazing process to watch. We also have online print customers that don’t care to come to the plant and see how things gets printed. They just fill out the online order form and get their printed piece in a matter of days.” The key is to have a smart management team that is willing to invest in the growth. But that doesn’t mean you have to be the first to jump into the new equipment game. “With generations of upment, it takes a lot of patience to not jump right in,” Acord says. “It’s important to evaluate the equipment yearly based on what and how much you’re printing. You have to know your market. That’s what makes the relationship with your customers so important.”
Growing an aging industry When printing and marketing firms Nextpage and PrintBig, the result of a merger between Mail Print, Graphic Services and L&L Manufacturing, recently attracted some bindery talent from a competitor, CEO Gina Danner saw it as an ominous sign of things to come.
P32 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
“The new hires were frustrated, because at their previous employer everyone was just putting in time waiting until retirement,” Danner says. “The entire organization was ‘stale.’ While it’s good for us, I see many owners that have given up on the prospects of growth for their company and are now waiting to retire.” It is the exact opposite at NextPage, which also recently acquired Print Big Solutions, a company that specializes in banners, wallpaper murals, vehicle graphics and other large-format print-
FIVE
barriers today’s printers must navigate now
ing. Danner says it’s just the latest move for a company bent on doing what it takes to continue to grow with the times.
Staffing
Over the last 24 months, NextPage, owned by Danner, her brother Eric and Larry Wittmeyer, Jr., has merged four compa-
As the printing industry continues to evolve, its ability
nies, expanded its plant, consolidated operations in a single
to attract top-tier Millennials must be a priority.
state-of-the-art production facility, renamed the organization, invested millions of dollars in new technology, and completed
An aging industry
an office and plant remodel. Danner believes moves like this will attract top-tier talent. “Toptier talent does not think of the print industry when starting a career search. It’s not a sexy growth career full of driven young people.” Attracting Millennials is something every printer should have at the top of their lists. It’s a threat too many printers are ignoring. Smart printers are evolving by incorporating new and improved systems or offering new services to meet their client needs. This will help attract the next generation of printers. “One of the largest barriers our industry faces is staffing,” Rider Dickerson’s Barta says. “Right now, there are fewer and fewer young, talented people joining the industry across all departments – sales, customer service, offset pressroom, prepress, bindery and mailing. As an industry, we do not do a good job recruiting and promoting ourselves to the various talent pools. Most printing companies have a continually aging work force. Some of the digital technologies have helped lessen our needs for certain positions, but we all have significant challenges finding young, talented personnel.” As marketers continue to seek that magic formula to engage consumers and close a sale, printers must continue to position themselves as a tactical weapon. It can (and must) be
As many of today’s printing company executives reach retirement age, the industry must compensate by making sure the future generation is in place (a move that piggybacks the need to attract young talent).
Sales compensation with value Many printing sales associates are paid as if they are top-tier sales hunters, when in many cases they are farmers, waiting for the client to call and place an order. The industry must do a better job of selling value.
Recognizing customer needs and value Printers must do a better job at canvassing the market and analyzing client needs across vertical markets. In turn, they must be able to service those
done, Quad/Graphics’ Badura says. “Listen to the challenges,
needs. That means identifying new technology or
start with the data, and work together in developing print and
software platforms.
digital solutions that deliver the desired results and improve campaign performance.”
Avoiding the race to the bottom Too much iron in the market has resulted in a race to the bottom. Print service providers have taught buyers they can pay what they want to pay for a project. The key is to stop being lackadaisical when trying to sell your services.
CANVAS P33
SALES
P34 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Feature Story
NEVER
SURRENDER By Linda Bishop
otivation. We all know what it feels like to have it, and it’s a wonderful thing to sell when you’re completely focused, productive and driving toward completion of a task or goal. We all know what it feels like to have lost it. Focus fades and attention wanders. Even small tasks, like making a single phone call to a promising lead, feel like boulder-sized burdens too heavy to carry to completion.
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Never surrender
High motivation helps you sell. Low motivation holds you back. Both states are normal. Over your lifetime, you already have learned multiple strategies to motivate yourself, but if you’re like me, improving self-motivation skills is not a topic frequently visited. Why? Because until recently I thought my skills were good enough. After an epic episode of prolonged procrastination on an important project, I took a hard look at my own selfmotivational toolbox. I forced myself to go back over the ground I covered. What was it about this project that made it so hard to get started and keep going? Why did I let it drag on for so long? When I finally finished, there was little satisfaction in a job well done – only relief that I finally completed the task. Since it’s important to find joy in my work, what should I have done differently? Motivation gives you a reason to act. It is an emotional state that prods you into action. Activity creates progress, resulting in momentum toward a goal, making you feel good. Like all emotions, motivation ebbs and flows. Occasionally, it vanishes completely, going into a dark cave in our minds to hibernate. Productivity plunges off a cliff. We diddle and dither, and check out social media. Sometimes, a short break revitalizes us. Other times, distraction has the opposite effect, especially when a deadline is involved. Lack of focus leads to stress. To avoid that, you want to recapture motivation, and do it quickly. To accomplish that, here are four simple, but effective tactics you can use to reawaken desire and get going again:
THE YOUTUBE METHOD Sometimes, I just need a little outside inspiration to get back on track. If you have access to a phone or computer, inspiration is easy to find on YouTube. One of my favorite videos is from Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers. The video, created by ESPN, is called “Winning is a Habit.” It reminds me that it takes gritty determination to win, and even when I don’t feel like working hard, hard work is required to be the best. For musical inspiration, I’m a fan of the “Eye of the Tiger” video, which features clips from the movie, “Rocky III.” Watching this reminds me that greatness lives inside all of us, and hard work and dedication can turn ordinary guys into big winners. Why does this method work? It’s because we are all natural mimics. We have a unique ability to watch others and imagine ourselves in the same circumstances. The next time you need a motivational boost, give this simple method a try. It works.
HAVE AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER This is simple, too. When you’re stuck, pick up the phone. Call a friend. Explain the situation. You’re stuck and you must get moving. Friends can be very
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By continually revisiting your strategic solutions list as your project progresses, you’re continually ready to anticipate and act.
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Today’s world of print is constantly changing, creating new demands on your organization. We designed the new Canon imagePRESS C800 Series to prepare for what’s next. With speed and flexibility, now you can apply your creativity in new forms and at a pace you need. From the first print to the last, and across a wide range of formats and finishing options, the imagePRESS C800 Series consistently delivers legendary Canon color and quality you expect. And that will give you the confidence to plan for tomorrow, where you can expect more than just a return on your investment — expect to see a return on your ideas. See the imagePRESS C800 Series in action at Graph Expo Exhibition Space #1213
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Never surrender
helpful and when they give good advice, don’t waffle. Promise to take the action they recommend within a set time frame. Hold yourself accountable to your promise, and commit to letting your friend know you have taken the action within the agreed-upon time frame. When we ignore a commitment to a friend, we feel guilty. No one wants to feel that way, so having an accountability partner provides an extra dose of motivation when needed.
ANTICIPATE AND PREPARE There are short-term goals and long-term goals. When you’re on a journey to a long-term goal, the road is longer. Oftentimes, there are more hills to climb. To reach big goals, it pays to anticipate moments when you will feel unmotivated and plan to pass these barriers as quickly as possible. One method that works is to list all potential obstacles you may encounter. Allow your imagination to run free and be as negative as possible. What could go wrong? What delays could happen? Why would you lose focus? List everything you can think of. Next, devise a strategy to triumph when you face one of these situations. Here’s another tip: By continually revisiting your strategic solutions list as your project progresses, you’re continually ready to anticipate and act. Continual preparation is what it takes to win in sports and in life. Be less likely to get stuck. By knowing the answer to problems before they occur, you can adopt a grab and go approach with the right solution.
TAP INTO YOUR INNER TONY ROBBINS One of my favorite sales tools is the recording app on my phone. I record to-do lists, practice voicemails to prospects and plan sales calls. I also record my own motivational speeches, speaking in second person terms, using the “you” form of address. Research published in The European Journal of Social Psychology has shown that 96 percent of the population report engaging in on-going internal dialog. This same study also found that using “you” self-talk improves outcomes over “I” self-talk when you want to motivate yourself to achieve an outcome. To put it another way, it’s more effective to say, “You need to make three prospecting calls before 9 a.m.,” than to say, “I need to make three prospecting calls before 9 a.m.” One theory as to why this is effective is based on early childhood training, where we are socialized into society by instructions that are delivered in second-person terms. For example, “You must pick up your toys.” During those critical developmental years, “You” talk instruction was internalized as behavioral guidance. It continues to work when you use it as a framework for your own motivational pep talks. Every sales professional has days when motivation is low. When this happens, don’t wait for your attitude to change. Instead, have a go-to strategy to take charge and change your attitude as quickly as possible. As Rocky Balboa said, “It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.”
To reach big goals, it pays to anticipate moments when you will feel unmotivated and plan to pass these barriers as quickly as possible.
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.
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FINAL THOUGHT On point with...
JURJEN JACOBS
Global marketing and innovation leader Jurjen Jacobs on what today’s customers are thinking Staying ahead of the competition. Remaining relevant with your customers. Staying in step with trends. Ask Jurjen Jacobs what keeps marketers up at night, and there are his answers. Jacobs, VP of global marketing and innovation for Velcro Companies, has a front row seat to the world of customer engagement, overseeing a team of more than 40 marketers strategically spread across Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Mexico, and the United States, and serving both the B2B and B2C markets. Here are his insights on what today’s consumers want from the brands they follow.
What does the marketing landscape look like out there today?
I think it’s best to define what marketing is today. From where we sit, it is to identify, and agree to how we look at the market. Once a consensus is achieved, the effort must focus on gaining customer insights around what the market’s needs are. Through this, you drive product development, the core value proposition and, of course, an unrivaled customer experience. Marketers have to make sure these projects and opportunities are managed through the operational funnel.
What is marketing’s role in the customer experience?
Marketing owns the front end innovation and the unrivaled customer experience, but then it also has to manage the entire process to ensure that delivery is on time and profitable. Marketing owns the business case. Today’s marketing landscape requires ownership of front-end innovation and design thinking to deliver unrivaled customer experience. In today’s world, there isn’t enough focus on owning the front-end and, ultimately, the entire business case in the end.
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How important is the customer experience today?
Marketers must understand how to deliver the unbeatable customer experience, especially in today’s digital environment where customer feedback is greatly transparent and readily available to go viral at any moment. There isn’t room for mistakes or false promises, your brand will always be present.
Customers want to be seen as strategic partners. They want to be a valued part of the product development and innovation process.
What consumer trends do you see evolving?
Customers are not only telling you what they think about a product, they’re telling you what they need or what they’re looking for. This drives their decision to purchase and encourage others to do the same. Previously, brands would bring a product to market and consumers would provide feedback. Today, they’re telling you how to improve it, and how to make it great and desirable. The “voice of the customer” is incredibly important. Customers want to be seen as strategic partners. They want to be a valued part of the product development and innovation process.
So, it’s about staying one step ahead of the technological race?
In today’s digital world, everything moves at a much faster pace. It is important to keep up with new technologies and industry trends. With new technologies and platforms, brands are combining ideas with existing platforms and creating tremendous success. They cannot do it alone. They must have strategic partnerships and networks. It’s all about differentiation between their brand and their direct competition, customer loyalty and keeping their employees happy while maintaining an innovative corporate reputation.
TOUCH IS THE FINE LINE BETWEEN
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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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