Canvas Magazine | New Year's Evolution

P4 Campaigning with Print P6 The Sweet Spot

CANVAS DEVELOPING HIGH ACHIEVEMENT IN PRINT SALES

P11 Print in the Mix P12 Weathering the Storm P19 Product Spotlight P26 Printing Reps of North America P36 The Power of a Story P40 Book Recommendation: Buying In

DECEMBER 2008

New Year’s Evolution

Top industry personnel talk about New Year’s resolutions past, present and future.

Check out the full story on page 19.

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DECEMBER 2008

Publisher’s Thoughts Difference Maker

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Campaigning with Print Why a bipartisan campaign of Web and print services could increase business for you.

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People News In Collaboration with LAgraphico and Midnight Oil Creative, Disney launches first English school in China

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The Sweet Spot Increasing print sales is a piece of cake. A three-tiered cake.

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Print in the Mix Top Source for Coupons P12

Weathering the Storm What printers are doing to generate business despite an uncertain 2009 outlook.

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Product Spotlight Kodak Sappi

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New Year’s Evolution Top industry personnel talk about New Year’s resolutions past, present and future — and reveal the secrets for making your goals for the year ahead stick.

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Printing Reps of North America Shooter’s Guide

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PUBLISHER

EDITORIAL BOARD

mark potter

lisa arsenault

aaron grohs

MANAGING EDITOR

McArdle Printing Co.

Consolidated Graphics, Inc.

gary cone

ron lanio

Litho Craft, Inc.

Geographics, Inc.

CONTRIBUTORS

peter douglas

randy parkes

Ryan McNally, Michelle Bracali

Lake County Press

Lithographix, Inc.

The Power of a Story

brent cashman

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Buying In

graham garrison

ART DIRECTOR

How to move an audience of any size.

CANVAS magazine FOR MORE INFORMATION: 678.473.6131 6555 Sugarloaf Parkway Duluth, GA 30097

CANVAS, Volume 2, Issue 6. Published bi-monthly, copyright 2008 CANVAS, All rights reserved. Subscriptions: $29.00 per year for individuals; issues are sent free of charge to print representatives. If you would like to subscribe or notify us of address changes, please contact us at 6555 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite 307, Duluth, Georgia 30097. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CANVAS, 6555 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite 307, Duluth, Georgia 30097. Please note: The acceptance of advertising or products mentioned by contributing authors does not constitute endorsement by the publisher. Publisher cannot accept responsibility for the correctness of an opinion expressed by contributing authors.

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

CANVAS

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Difference Maker

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Let’s Go! Get fired up! It’s time to rise up and make a difference! Think about how you view things right now. Are things really tough? Are you letting circumstances affect you? If so, then maybe it is time to

CANVAS

launch a new resolution for 2009.

I attended Graph Expo this year and have to tell you – I was a little disappointed. Not with the show

itself. The technology and offerings from the suppliers were incredible. The stuff you have to sell going forward is really cool, and you should be excited about the opportunity. However, I just felt a bit of a malaise hanging over people. In fact, it seemed like many of my conversations were about the state of

PUBLISHER’S THOUGHTS

the economy and how difficult things are right now.

I’m sure that many discussions with clients start the same way. “Well, you know things aren’t too good. We are really cutting back next year.” It is enough to make you crazy, right? But, we have no choice. We must be resolute in our cause. We need to find a way to add value and make a difference.

Stick with what you can do to make a difference and do it with conviction. Be a game changer and don’t let the game change you.

Resolutions are a funny thing. We talk about how we are going to make changes, but, time and again, we fall back into old habits. It is easy to do if we don’t see immediate results.

This is a time that positive results aren’t going to come easily. It is going to take resolve and some creative thinking. We may not make money the same way we used to. In turn, we need to collaborate with clients and our organization to create new products and services that make a difference.

If you were walking a tightrope across a canyon, chances are that to get to the other side you would really have to concentrate. If you looked down or let yourself get distracted by the wind or a low flying bird, you would probably fall. But, if you take one step at a time and focus on the wire, you could make it. So, don’t let yourself dwell on the things you cannot control. Stick with what you can do to make a difference and do it with conviction. Be a game changer and don’t let the game change you.

I know you may not find lasting motivation in a letter from some guy in a magazine. However, I choose to write about the opportunity rather than the circumstances. Maybe I’m an optimist. Or maybe I just don’t want to fall off the wire. Now, get out there and make a difference!

Mark Potter Publisher

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

X-Ray Vision

Campaigning with Print Why a bipartisan campaign of Web and print services could increase business for you.

by Cyndie Shaffstall

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“Why buy print if I can post it to the Web (for free)?”

How many times have you heard that statement? How did you respond? Who were

you talking with? Given the widespread concern for our collective financial future, it’s not surprising; but what do you say?

Web marketing in and of itself is rarely successful. It needs a launchpad in some cases

and in other cases it is the foundation for a marketing structure. Marketing 101 teaches that a potential customer does not hear your message until they’ve heard it at least three times. Therefore their marketing event should be three-pronged — e-mail, Web, and print, or some combination thereof. What that can mean for you is opportunity. Understanding search-engine optimization (SEO), viral and social marketing, and other online positioning can help you to impress upon your customer the value of adding print to their campaign.

Cyndie Shaffstall is editor and

In most cases, print costs more to produce than electronic campaigns. However, by

publisher of X-Ray Magazine.

the time you factor in the hosting costs, click-thru tracking, banner ads, traffic fees,

She has authored or co-authored

Web designers, and the lot, a customer might well spend more on the electronic mes-

nearly a dozen books on

saging than the print job.

computer software, and self-

Back to the Marketing 101 rule, imagine a budget split in thirds: one third to the e-mail

published her first, QuarkXPress:

message, one third to the matching landing pages, banner ads, and statistical analysis, and

Making the Most of Your

one third in print. The print portion might be a postcard or brochure that goes out at cam-

Negative Experiences.

paign launch, or it could be a loyalty piece such as a gift card that closes the campaign.

Understanding and embracing the possibilities of electronic campaigns might be the

About ThePowerXChange and X-Ray Magazine

key to new opportunities. Partnering with an electronic company to help you understand the vast possibilities is a great start. If it’s inexpensive to a customer, it’s inexpensive to you too.

X-Ray Magazine

What about offering a print customer complimentary electronic banner ads to go

(www.xraymag.com) touches

with that direct mail piece, or working with a data-analysis company to track results and

on a wide variety of topics that

provide feedback on the delivery number and completion rates? That could lead to a

are of interest to the designer,

second, more-targeted campaign based on the results provided.

press, prepress, publishing,

By way of example, we recently built a customer-loyalty campaign with three com-

and web-content creator

ponents: a variable-data e-mail, variable-data Web pages (also known as PURLs), and

professional. It is a publication

a direct-mail postcard. There were three versions of the e-mail and postcard. They had

of ThePowerXChange, LLC

the same message and were sent to the same customers, but each version had a dif-

(www.thepowerxchange.com),

ferent reward: one was a simple thank you, one a coffee-shop gift card, and the last,

which distributes thousands

a discount coupon at our store. The intent was to determine what type of gift would

of extensions-based products

actually drive the customer to the site and compel them to complete the survey.

used with applications such

At the end of the campaign we had a stack full of completed surveys, data on what

as QuarkXPress, Photoshop,

type of customer visited the site, what offer prompted them to take action, and we also

Illustrator, and Acrobat, as well

knew whether e-mail or print drove them to act.

as many stand-alone applications

With this in mind, the next time you’re sitting with your potential customer and they

for the designer, publisher,

are discussing their print requirements, offer up analyses, maybe a banner ad or two,

printer, and web-content creator.

or how about an e-mail? Maybe even throw in the design services.

If you think that electronic media is your competition and that a campaign is one way or the other, then you weren’t paying close attention to the presidential campaign.

Viral/social marketing was pouring out of computer monitors, but it wasn’t alone.

I have enough door hangers to start my own paper mill. Getting involved, knowing how you can complement a campaign, and how you can help the customer achieve better results will bring you the repeat business that is your mainstay.

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

People News In collaboration with LAgraphico and Midnight Oil Creative, Disney launches first English school in China

D

Disney, pioneering the introduction of Western teaching methods and modern multimedia technology in its flagship English school in Shanghai, China, has partnered with Midnight Oil Creative and LAgraphico to produce interior graphics, curriculum books and educational literature. Midnight Oil Creative designed the Play and Learn curriculum book, take-home learning tools for students to share with their parents, flash cards and a songbook that includes a CD of the songs enjoyed in class. These four components for this first term of classes are colorcoded by level and chock full of games and activities to help with learning.

LAgraphico was responsible for the production of the interior signage deco-

rating the facility. Exciting visuals help create a fun learning environment for students and teachers alike. Printed with zero VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions and therefore with no odor, these colorful, long lasting, pollutantfree graphics will stand the test of time.

The flagship school began its first term Sept. 19, 2008, to outstanding reviews, including this rave from Bradley Grose, Director of Global Creative for Disney English: “Congratulations to the creative team on a job well done. The pilot school interior and exterior design, banner systems, signage and Term A deliverables — illustration, design and branding — are out of this world! Not only does all the feedback point to the fact that you have collectively hit the mark of Disney’s high standard of quality, quality, quality, but the time frame in which you executed this is beyond measure. Bravo!”

AeSSb pot

The

S

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

By Michelle Bracali

T

he ingredients’ list can be lengthy: cold calls, meetings with decision makers, staying current on products and services. Add others and stir as you see fit.

The problem with all of these ingredients, however, is the amount of organization needed to stay on top of it all – to formulate a successful strategy out of all the components.

Adapting a tiered approach will help simplify the focus and clarity necessary for developing new sales opportunities.

Increasing print sales is a piece of cake.

A three-tiered cake.

CANVAS

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The Sweet Spot

Visualize a tiered cake. As a print salesperson, imagine offering clients the most satisfying and appealing cake for dessert. This imagery works exceptionally well given the current perception by many customers that print is now a commodity. Don’t offer them what they may perceive as just the commodity, offer them more.

Give them cake. The competition may be selling a perceived commodity, but you’re offering more. You’re proposing not only what the customer expects, but a sweeter and more satisfying experience as well.

First Tier: Attitude The first tier is usually the largest part of the cake and the base which provides stability. The first tier can be likened to a salesperson’s attitude. It provides the support for all other sales skills to be built upon. It also needs to be the largest of skills a salesperson possesses. The right mindset is the solid foundation for successful selling. Without it in place everything else crumbles.

A genuine positive attitude is necessary for the tenacity required to create new sales. A salesperson can break away from the competition by a first tier attitude. In challenging times, projecting a

Salespeople certainly don’t control the economy or the current financial situation.

Again, the only thing you do control is your mindset and the resolve to meet the challenges you face successfully. calm and positive demeanor is vital. Times are tough. Frustration is rampant. Many customers and prospective clients are no doubt discouraged and fearful by the rapid decline in their 401ks and other personal savings. The price value of their homes may have fallen. Perhaps some are even frightened they may lose their jobs.

Don’t let the fears of others permeate you. Smart and prudent sales professionals will not give in to fear. It breeds desperation, and very few people are encouraged to place orders with desperate salespeople or their companies. Remember, if clients are cautious or even fearful by the current state of affairs, more than likely the competition is as well. The salespeople who do not give in to fear but rise above the negativity will be the ones who truly do have something to offer new clients.

Even in times of economic prosperity, a positive and confident approach is still the first tier in offering customers a sweeter and more satisfying print experience. It’s human nature to gravitate toward others who are genuinely happy. Salespeople who have the right mental attitude possess a special aura about them that prospects and clients pick up on. They instinctively know that buying from a salesperson who exudes sincere confidence and happiness about their work will ultimately provide a better and more productive experience for them as print buyers.

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

A positive attitude is also a thing of beauty since it’s the only wholly controllable aspect you have in your life. You can’t control the actions of your competitors or the actions of your clients. The only thing you control is your reaction to the events occurring around you. Salespeople certainly don’t control the economy or the current financial situation. Again, the only thing you do control is your mindset and the resolve to meet the challenges you face successfully.

Read inspiring books to remain encouraged. Classics such as “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill or “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. Read or re-read these books and others like them. It’s vital to remain optimistic about the ability and success to sell in any economy.

People don’t like to be taken for granted.

Properly convey your appreciation through small touches like a hand written thank you note or a simple but sincere phone call or voice mail.

Second Tier: Don’t forget the basics Another wonderful aspect of having the right mental attitude that is the other elements of successful selling become easier to execute. Consider the basics. In the book, “Bo’s Lasting Lessons”, the legendary University of Michigan football coach, Bo Schembechler, writes, “In football, I’d much rather face an explosive but sloppy team than a hard core, simple squad that does all the little things right.” The same holds true for sales. You may be selling the newest and best print technology, but unless you have the basics covered, it won’t matter. The basics are simple but sometimes overlooked. They are the little things that prove readiness and commitment to a client.

How quickly do you return e-mail or phone calls? Are you available when a client needs you? How great are your communication skills?

CANVAS

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The Sweet Spot

Not only when a job is running through the plant but in the offseason

Amplify your present routine: Improve your body language. Dress sharper. Listen more. Talk less. Work smarter. Be more creative. Provide solutions. Go the extra mile for prospects and customers. In other words, offer more.

as well. Are you communicating effectively with clients to keep them abreast of changes occurring not only within the print market but their industries as well?

Also, remember to thank prospective clients. People don’t like to be taken for granted. Properly convey your appreciation through small touches like a hand written thank you note or a simple but sincere phone call or voice mail. In other words, don’t take a prospect’s or a customer’s time for granted.

Another point for consideration is ongoing education. Even veteran salespeople benefit from new ideas and sources of information. New sales growth may come from existing clients or new customers altogether. Either way, chances are good that some of your new prospects may have professional networking sites such as LinkedIn. In order to remain relevant, it’s prudent to become familiar with these sites.

Remember, the basics which comprise the second tier are performed more effectively if the foundation of the first tier is strong.

Maintaining a steady and confident attitude is necessary for not only new sales growth, but also for a solid platform of top notch customer service and knowledge offered to clients. You’re giving them more. You’re delivering cake.

Third Tier: The flourish Upgrade yourself. Consider technology giants who understand this better than most other industries. Apple is a great example.

Whether it’s the iPod, iPhone or another product, each continues to be relaunched with fanfare. Each time essentially the same product is re-released. The difference being each generation is better than the last. Aspire to become better. Relaunch.

Borrow a page from Apple’s playbook. In some instances, the physical appearance of the product is the most striking change in a new generation. For example, when Apple releases a new version of the iPod, it’s often in newer, more vibrant colors. Sales professionals can relaunch in the same fashion. Offer clients a more vivid hue. Create more vibrancy. Don’t just sell, become more exciting. There are several ways to engineer excitability, but start with the most simple approach. Amplify your present routine: Improve your body language. Dress sharper. Listen more. Talk less. Work smarter. Be more creative. Provide solutions. Go the extra mile for prospects and customers. In other words, offer more.

Apple doesn’t offer the only MP3s in the market, yet it continues to dominate. Along with the credibility, there is buzz as well. People camp overnight in front of stores to be among the first to buy Apple products. It’s not just because the products are dependable. Apple fans do so because the company has done a terrific job of generating huge devotion and excitement. Do your customers feel the same about you?

By offering prospective clients and customers more, by offering cake, you can provide a more satisfying print experience.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michelle Bracali is Vice President of Sales at Macomb Printing, Inc. She has been in sales for over a decade and has sold more than $30 million in print. She continues to sell and is also a writer, speaker, and the founder of SeaShell Communications, a company dedicated to promoting excellency within the sales profession. Michelle may be reached at mbracali@seashellcommunications.com or at (586) 337-3148.

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Fast Facts Top Source for Coupons An August 2008 study found that 72 percent of consumers were using more coupons

Close to 40 percent of consumers say they want to receive their future coupons via direct mail, while 26 percent say e-mail.

than they did six months ago. When asked, three-quarters of respondents claimed the reason was the economy.

The study, conducted online by Prospectiv, polled 1,386 U.S. consumers.

The top source for coupons? Newspapers and magazines were the primary source of coupons for 51 percent of consumers.

How do consumers prefer to obtain coupons in the future? Close to 40 percent say they want to receive their future coupons via direct mail, while 26 percent say e-mail. Another 16 percent express a preference for Web sites and 14 percent favor newspapers.

The study also shows that nearly half of consumers ďŹ nd print and online coupons equally convenient. Just 9 percent report online coupons are most convenient.

To read Print in the Mix print market research studies, go to www.printinthemix.rit.edu.

Print in the Mix is a free and easily accessible clearinghouse of research on print media effectiveness, published by the Printing Industry Center at RIT and made possible by a grant from The Print Council (www.theprintcouncil.org).

/73F:7D;@9 F:7

+FAD? What printers are doing to generate business despite an uncertain 2009 outlook.

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

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nside the walls of Lake County Press, business is humming. The Waukegan, Ill.-based printer keeps estimating at a healthy pace and a three-shift schedule worthwhile with a steady stream of

orders.” It’s the sound of business as usual, which in the current economic climate, is actually a rarity. Peter Douglas, senior VP, director of marketing for Lake County Press, says that when he talks to the paper merchants making their rounds, the news coming from the outside isn’t quite as positive.

“Right now we’re pretty fortunate,” says Douglas. “[It] seems like we are weathering the storm a little bit better than others.”

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Weathering the Storm

Survive and Thrive Tips

Cloudy skies

Redefine yourself – now “The majority of our industry still defines itself as printers,” says Kevin Joyce, CMO of Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group. “People still have not gotten their heads around that just because you have to transform and provide additional services that you can no longer define yourself as a printer, it doesn’t mean that printing is still not a critical element of what we do.

It’s providing you the platform, justification and credibility to be something else.”

The housing bubble burst over defaulting loans, energy prices

The storm hit in late 2007 and worsened by the fall of 2008. skyrocketed by the summer of 2008 and credit markets dried up as Congress worked on a “bailout” package for failing financial institutions such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and AIG. Suddenly, Wall Street was in a freefall so dire that even some of America’s largest companies were having a hard time making payroll because of the uncertain credit market, never mind the hits to the small business sector.

NAPL’s Chief Economist Andy Paparozzi predicted the unraveling of the credit market (See the November 2007 CANVAS article “On the Horizon”). The difficulty, he says, was anticipating how many credit institutions would be affected.

“If the first domino fell, you didn’t know where the second domino was going to be,” says Paparozzi. “You couldn’t figure it out in time to stop it from falling. The whole system unraveled.”

If businesses on “Main Street” thought they’d be immune to the Wall Street panic, they were wrong. Paparozzi says that print sales

The experts agree that the best strategy for 2009 involves increasing the book of business with the customers you already have. Parkes says that with new salespeople and equipment, Lithographix has just “scratched the surface.” were already slowing the second half of 2007, and by mid-2008,

Don’t ride it out “You can’t simply sit this thing out,” says the NAPL’s Andy Paparozzi. “Because the industry is changing structurally and so profoundly, and because structural change doesn’t turn off when the economy turns down, you’ve now got to come out of these recessions stronger than when you went in.

Getting more productive, efficient and more valuable to your client or you get left behind.”

it was an all-out contraction. NAPL’s latest figures (August 2008) pinned print sales down 2.3 percent for the year, and Paparozzi says they are expecting at least 2 percent for the whole year, and possibly as much as 2.5 percent in 2009.

However, it’s not that print sales reps aren’t making their numbers. For instance, Lake County Press was exceeding 2007 sales by 4 percent, and looking to finish out 2008 strong, according to Douglas. There are other factors at play, says Paparozzi.

“What’s happened in the industry over the last 12 months is you have both the pressure on revenue, and a badly damaged economy dampening revenue,” says Paparozzi. “But you also have

Plan ahead Vince Lapinski, CEO of manroland, says forward thinking in good conditions and bad should be a constant for any business.

“We didn’t just wake up and see that 2008 was going to be a tough year, we knew 2008 was going to be a tough year – we planned on it,” he says. “Over time, we know we go through cycles in this business.

That’s clear. Even in the good times, you’ve got to be working at how you make your company more efficient.”

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

very broad, very substantial operating cost inflations — Paper prices, energy, materials, healthcare. So you have really a classic textbook profit squeeze. What we’ve seen throughout the year is beyond the top line, the trouble really has spread to the bottom line. Even people who were growing were having trouble getting that growth through to the bottom line because of the very broad and significant increases in operating costs they were wrestling with.”

The pressure is on To say that Kodak has a lot of moving parts would be an understatement. Its B2B sector alone is a $3.6 billion business made up of five categories. However, despite so many different segments

and a world’s worth of markets to monitor, Kevin Joyce, Chief Marketing Officer of Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group, isn’t using any of that as an excuse to expect diminished returns.

Instead, Joyce says that “a change in climate is just going to be the environment in which our organization is expected to deliver better performance.”

It may even offer businesses an opportunity that they may not have explored otherwise.

“This economic environment will put pressure on people that are still thinking about the future in the traditional sense of [print being] a manufacturing industry,” he says. “It’s going to force them to realize that they will have to survive. We’re a pretty efficient industry. The only way you can survive and thrive (because who just wants to survive?) is challenging the business model.”

Part of Hawthorne, Calif.-based printer Lithographix’s strategy has involved looking at new markets. Randy Parkes, VP of marketing, says that whereas sectors such as automotive, entertainment and annual reports are seeing cutbacks, other markets, such as retail, offer new opportunities. As such, Lithographix has invested in bolstering its sales staff and upgrading or purchasing new equipment to go after more business.

“The market has been changing for the past few years and we’ve been working hard to diversify our business,” Parkes says.

Diversifying has allowed Lake County Press to pick up business in one segment if another one falters, Douglas says. “We’re fortunate in the sense that we service 20 distinct markets, because

Learn from the past Following 9/11, Lake County Press, like most businesses, experienced a decrease in sales and revenue. Instead of hunkering down, the printer actually went through with a bold financial decision. “At that point in time, Sept. 12, our CEO Ralph Johnson actually signed the contract for our 12-color roll sheet press,” Peter Douglas, senior VP, director of marketing, says. “We were expanding at the time when things weren’t looking good, and that certainly served us well in the following months.”

Invest in people Stocks may be down, but people never are.

“We’ve made cuts, like everyone, but at the same time we’ve been really aggressive in attracting new, experienced sales reps,” says Randy Parkes, VP of marketing, Lithographix.

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Weathering the Storm

NAPL’s State of the Industry Report NAPL’s (www.napl.org) economics team has issued the latest edition of its annual State of the Industry report. NAPL’s State of the Industry report and series of updates throughout the year are widely regarded as the definitive source on current and future industry trends.

“This latest edition of the State of the Industry serves as a powerful, strategic planning tool that defines both the challenges and the historic opportunities facing today’s graphic communications executives and how they can chart a path for sustainable success and profitability,” said Andy Paparozzi, NAPL vice president, chief economist and the study’s key author. “Specifically, the report offers a look at where we are and a forecast for 2009; capital investment trends and how to maximize those investments; executing a plan of action more effectively; turning the recession into an opportunity; and a detailed look at the structural changes within the industry.”

NAPL’s State of the Industry Report – Seventh Edition is based on data provided by 600 companies with annual sales ranging from less than $1 million to $200 million. Participants included both NAPL members and nonmembers.

NAPL’s State of the Industry research is produced by NAPL’s Printing Economics Research Center and sponsored by Heidelberg (www.heidelbergusa.com).

To order a copy of NAPL’s State of the Industry Report – Seventh Edition, (free for all NAPL members; $299 for nonmembers), visit www.napl.org or call (800) 642-6275. To find out about membership discounts on other reports in the State of the Industry series, contact Frank DiPasqua at ext. 6319.

For information about NAPL consulting services including Interim Management services, visit www.napl.org/consulting or contact Tim Fischer, NAPL executive vice president, at (201) 523-6376 or at TFischer@napl.org.

of our diversity, we’re able to get through these types of times where certain markets may be affected more than others,” he says. “We’re able to pick up areas that may have not been as busy to fill the gap when our larger market segments are down.”

A capital idea Vince Lapinski, CEO of manroland Inc., doesn’t mince words when he assesses the current situation. “There will be some shakeout,” he says. “Any time there is a downturn in the economy, at least in this business, there’s always been a shakeout. This will be no different. The strong printers will do fine and the printers that are not in a strong financial position and their client base may be somewhat weak, it’s going to be tough for them.”

Lapinski says it’s vital for printers to continue to invest in equipment and technology. “If they don’t, quite honestly, they’re not going to make it.”

There’s a catch, however. Investing in new equipment without the financial strength to do so is bad not only for the printer and manufacturer, but the industry as a whole. But for healthy companies, the capital is out there, he says.

“Getting access to capital will still be somewhat of a challenge,” Lapinski says. “However, we have partners in that area that say as long as companies are financially sound, they’re going to get access to capital.”

It doesn’t have to be merely for new equipment. Lapinski says that manroland offers printers services such as process optimization, workflow solutions and life cycle management to help maximize efficiency.

Using relationships to get out of the recession The experts agree that the best strategy for 2009 involves increasing the book of business with the customers you already have.

Parkes says that with new salespeople and equipment, Lithographix has just “scratched the surface.”

“We no longer feel we are ‘just a printer,’” he says. “We’ve expanded into both Grand Format and Photographic/Retail and have been able to capitalize on existing relationships.”

Douglas says Lake County Press is focusing on offering more value-added services for its client base, utilizing things such as print-binding, dye-cutting, full digital capabilities in-house with variable data and versioning, as well as fulfillment for short- and long-term storage.

“The quickest way for us to expand our business is to go to the clients that we already service,” Douglas says. “That’s one of the areas we’re concentrating our growth.”

Growth can happen in a slow economy. It can even happen in a recession. In fact, business can be very good in 2009 for companies willing to change the way they look at themselves and their business. Think marketing, Joyce says.

“Printing is in a very good position to take advantage of this recession, if we’re going to be so bold of saying recession, or this slowdown economic environment,” he says. “Our business is right at the beginning of a significant transformation of what it is that our business does. That transition is moving from being a manufacturing business, to being a marketing services business.”

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An industry-specific publication developing high achievement in print sales.

An exciting new foray into the realities of today’s printing industry, CANVAS is the first publication that focuses on what is truly relevant to the world of the graphic arts sales professional. It investigates the challenges of an industry that is decidedly global, while at the same time, intimate and local. This new, sophisticated endeavor explores intelligent sales techniques, marketing models and best practices. By delivering the insights of industry leaders and innovators, CANVAS supports the printing and graphic arts industry and the sales professional’s role within it.

Now Offering Marketing/Consultation Services s

!NALYSIS OF CURRENT SITUATION

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0OSITIONING EXPERTISE

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CANVAS offers its insight for creative solutions to your marketing needs

For more information on how CANVAS can work for you email: marketing@thecanvasmag.com

¾¾ Product Spotlight SAPPI Opus Everybody wants something different from a paper. Designers want a go-to quality sheet. Printers want a true workhorse.

And corporate marketers are focused on sustainability. That’s the beauty of Opus. It’s the one paper that can be all things to all people. Opus offers a broad range of weights and finishes and uncompromising print quality — boasting superior brightness and enhanced vivid colors.

It’s also optically engineered to reproduce a wider range of colors, making it easier to match press sheets to color proofs. Yet, at its core, Opus was envisioned, developed, tested and engineered for the printer. So you’ve got a paper whose reliability and durability are second to none. Indeed, Opus was built to hold its own under the toughest press and bindery conditions. And when it comes to environmental responsibility, this is a paper that is leading the way. Because every roll, every sheet, every pound of Opus is FSC-certified.

Of course, this is all well and good, but you still need to be able to get the paper when you need it. Fortunately, availability is never an issue since Opus is supported by dedicated merchants across the country and Sappi’s regional distribution centers. That means over 90 percent of printers can get Opus with nextday delivery. So yes, Opus is truly the do-it-all-paper. Opus is a paper you can always turn to as much for its performance on press as its environmental leadership. www.sappi.com

Kodak “Grow Your Biz” Blog Kodak invites anyone who is interested in the growth and prosperity of the printing industry to visit its new blog for the graphic communications industry, GrowYourBiz.kodak.com.

Print Service Providers (PSPs) and those who sell print are challenged every day by their customers to know all there is to know about the graphic communications industry. From environmental sustainability to personalization and Web-to-print solutions, customers expect your knowledge to be second to none.

That’s why industry leaders such as Kodak are using blogs to help keep you informed about the latest and greatest, and what’s hot and what’s not, in the industry.

GrowYourBiz.kodak.com is a place where industry experts openly share their insights on products, services, programs, technologies and business trends – information that helps customers grow their businesses.

Professionally, we have a lot to gain from following corporate blogs and learning more about how companies like Kodak are using them. One difference from traditional business communications?

Social media writers are very willing to share what they know. All you have to do is ask.

GrowYourBiz.kodak.com

CANVAS

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

,?Q 7?;LbM #PIFONCIH Top industry personnel talk about New Year’s resolutions past, present and future — and reveal the secrets for making your goals for the year ahead stick.

By Ryan McNally

E

ach winter, as the end of the calendar year approaches, people across the country think of New Year’s resolutions for the year to come — things they’ll do differently, smarter or better to make the year ahead more fulfilling. Some are personal, others family-focused, and still more are business-related.

Print salespeople are no different.

CANVAS asked five industry leaders to share their personal and professional New Year’s resolutions for 2009, along with previous resolutions that worked — and some that didn’t. You’ll find their answers insightful, inspiring and occasionally humorous.

CANVAS

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New Year’s Evolution

Rachel Rush, communications specialist at Eastwood Litho Inc.

Tom Stanley, president of Elk Grove Graphics

For 2009, Rush has a lofty goal in mind: Increase

uct, they forget to stop and listen to the client. That’s why Stanley is

her print sales 95 percent. She’s starting at a new

placing an emphasis on listening better — and more — in ’09. It’s

company and is setting the bar high. “I need to

part of his goal to never take customers for granted, taking a pro-

prove myself,” says Rush. “It’s not about the mon-

active approach to resolving issues that arise — even minor ones.

ey, but when you’re in sales, the numbers are the way you’re evaluated and how the score is kept.”

Some print salespeople get so excited about their company’s prod-

To complement this objective, Stanley has made keeping a positive outlook another personal resolution for 2009. “You have to

As part of her goal of increasing sales but fo-

believe your team will win every game,” says Stanley. “Too many

cusing on more than just dollars, Rush has also

people (media) focus on bad news. I try to find a positive story or

vowed to be a better relationship person: em-

event each day to share with people who need a lift.”

ployee, salesperson, mom and friend. “To me,

With technologies evolving at a breakneck pace, Stanley is also

relationships are the thread that keep each of us

aiming at keeping abreast of new industry trends. He’s set a goal

healthy all the way around,” says Rush. “Not to

of reading trade publications, visiting vendor Web sites, attending

mention, they just create a better place for each

trade association and vendor Webinars, and signing up for com-

of us to live.”

pany newsletters to help him stay up to speed.

For Rush, the key to achieving her ambitious

According to Stanley, one of his most successful previous New

slate of New Year’s resolutions is using author

Year’s resolutions was to always be prospecting. At the time, he

and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar’s formula for

had fallen into a rut in which he didn’t set aside time each week to

“It’s easy to forget about a goal if it isn’t in writing and you’re not keeping a tally every day,” says Rush. “Each of my days is spelled out in advance with a task to complete for each goal.”

— Rachel Rush, Eastwood Litho Inc.

success. According to Rush, the formula starts

make cold calls. “I got myself back on track by remembering what

with identifying goals and listing each goal’s

a mentor had taught me,” says Stanley. “He was the most success-

benefits. From there she lists the obstacles to

ful print salesperson I’ve ever met, and he made a lot of cold calls

each goal, the knowledge she’ll need to obtain

daily. I asked why he did this, and he told me his future success

the goal, and the people and organizations that

would be determined by the calls he was making today. Now I plan

can help her achieve the goal. Finally, she writes

ahead and have weekly and monthly goals I set for myself.”

out her plan of action — including step-by-step

Whatever his goals for the year, Stanley’s mantra is that there’s

bullets for each — and, most importantly, lists

no such thing as bad resolutions. “If you’re making the effort to

the completion date along with some estimated

come up with resolutions, you’re making the effort to improve,”

dates for intermediate steps.

says Stanley. “The only bad outcome is not following through on

The strategy helped Rush achieve her 2008 resolution of getting healthier. In the last 10 months, Rush has lost 50 pounds, giving her increased energy and confidence. She had tried without success to lose weight in the past, and found the key to achieving her goal was to have a plan. “It’s easy to forget about a goal if it isn’t in writing and you’re not keeping a tally every day,” says Rush.

“Each of my days is spelled out in advance with a task to complete for each goal.”

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

a resolution.”

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New Year’s Evolution

Bob Trevis, printing sales consultant at Ideal Printers Inc. When you’re immersed in making a sale, it’s easy to lose perspective on how a single transaction fits into the grand scheme of work and personal life. Bob Trevis has made adopting the acronym IAWI — “It ain’t worth it”— his resolution for 2009. “My health, sanity and life perspective are more important than a lost sale,” says Trevis. “IAWI is also my reminder to focus on existing customers and viable prospects.”

Back in 2000, Trevis resolved to call each of his 300-plus prospects at least three times a year.

However, he discovered he was spending too much time entering data and not enough time selling. Plus, when customers called and required his

“I personally invested in a PDA outside of the company’s furnished cell phone system. I worked with our MIS department so I could receive e-mails as well as calls when I was on the road. It cost me a few hundred dollars, but it was well worth it.”

assistance, contacting prospects tended to slide to the next day — and so on. So, Trevis altered his

— Bob Trevis, Ideal Printers Inc.

strategy accordingly. “Now I’m making one or two calls a year to 200 viable prospects,” says Trevis.

“There also seems to be a better payoff calling dor-

Frank Drolet, salesperson at Color Graphics Inc.

mant customers.” Even though he didn’t reach his

While some might approach sales more conservatively given the

original goal, Trevis was able to amend his resolu-

current economic climate, Drolet sees opportunity for growth. “My

tion and achieve improved results in the process.

New Year’s resolution is to increase sales by 20 percent for 2009 by

Several years ago, Trevis resolved to make him-

identifying which companies are strong financially and in a growth

self more available to customers and prospects.

period,” says Drolet. “Believe it or not, they’re always out there —

In this case, putting some of his own money to-

even in a bad economy.”

ward purchasing the right equipment was key to

Previously, Drolet resolved to identify potential clients that had

achieving his goal. “I personally invested in a PDA

to market through print to sell their products profitably. Then, he

outside of the company’s furnished cell phone

put together a sales plan that would identify his company as one

system,” says Trevis. “I worked with our MIS de-

that was in tune with their needs. Drolet’s goal-oriented strategy

partment so I could receive e-mails as well as calls

resulted in increased sales.

when I was on the road. It cost me a few hundred dollars, but it was well worth it.”

Whatever Trevis’ resolution for the year ahead, he gains confidence knowing that he conquered one of the toughest of goals: quitting smoking.

Trevis stopped smoking in 1984, combining sheer willpower with the help of his family, and he’s still smoke-free nearly 25 years later.

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

On the flip side, Drolet has found that complacency is a resolution killer. “I learned early that sitting on your butt and basking in recent or past glories only means less sales,” says Drolet. “Buyers will soon forget you if you don’t constantly market them.”

Josephine Pope, vice president of business development at POMCO

it’s always madness from Monday to Friday,” says

As every print salesperson knows, time management is a key suc-

spare time enjoying simple activities — such as

cess component. For Pope, her biggest challenge — and most im-

hiking and spending time with family — that take

portant resolution for ’09 — is to be more organized. “It’s difficult

your mind away from the details and deadlines of

in this business because part of being a consultant is being able to

the workplace.”

react and turn on a dime,” says Pope. “I’d like to set up a specific time to focus on marketing.”

Pope. “In the year ahead, I hope to spend my

Whether your 2009 New Year’s resolutions involve hiking the great outdoors or building stronger rela-

As Pope has found out previously, setting general goals can lead

tionships, keeping a positive outlook or maintaining

to these objectives being pushed to the wayside in favor of more

the right perspective, setting goals is the first step

deadline-intensive tasks. Her prior attempts to get better orga-

toward making the upcoming year your best one

nized and spend more time on marketing failed when other re-

yet. So what are you waiting for?

sponsibilities arose and thwarted her best intentions.

This year, Pope has vowed to set aside specific time periods for marketing. “My New Year’s resolution is to commit an hour a day for prospecting or marketing focus,” says Pope. “I’m going to stay flexible on what part of the day I block out for that hour, so that achieving my goal will be as realistic as possible.”

Looking back on past New Year’s resolutions that were successful, Pope cites her goal of getting out more in the industry to learn about the marketing challenges facing clients. Another resolution she plans on repeating in ’09 is taking time on a monthly basis to learn about the industry — new paper products, innovative digital technology, or just watching the pressman performing intricate processes such as embossing and engraving.

To balance out her print-related resolutions, Pope has drawn up some personal goals with an eye toward giving her mind a break from the hectic life of a print industry professional. “In this business,

CANVAS

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Printing Reps of North

America

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

Shooter’s

Guide

The Hunter of the Hunted A print buyer sits in her office. The telephone rings and it’s a sales call from another overly eager printing rep. It’s the 10th one she’s received this week and it’s only Tuesday. The rep’s approach may vary slightly, but like all the others, he has “exciting samples” that he would love to stop by and show her. She feels like a sitting duck during hunting season. As a truly differentiated sales representative, it is your job to protect your clients from predators such as this.

Open Season for Reps This Shooter’s Guide will help you identify seven of the most common sales offenders.

If you find yourself competing against any of them in the wild, proceed with caution.

They can be extremely dangerous to your customers. However, many environmentalists encourage a complete harvest of the species.

Won’t you please help?

CANVAS

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Shooter’s Guide

The Answer Man (Retortus infinitum)

A conversation with this fellow sounds like a round of “Jeopardy.”

Ask a question and he answers with some totally unrelated story.

He never listens to anything the customer says because he’s too busy firing off trivia like Gutenburg’s middle name or the PMS number of fresh broccoli.

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

The Bean Counter (Abacus frijole)

Numbers are her life. She can quote a job right down to the two cents the client puts in…figuratively. She would be hard pressed to explain the basics of dot gain or the causes of ghosting, but when it comes to job changes she knows the price of the last semi colon added. And you can bet it will show up on the customer’s final bill.

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Shooter’s Guide

The Glad Hander (Comedius obnoxia)

This Back Slapping Good-Time Charlie is always working the room, shaking hands too firmly (“Love ya babe. Don’t ever change.”) and firing off one-liners like a Henny Youngman record that skips. He knows every “Blonde joke” in the book, but he can’t remember the first thing about his client’s job.

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

The Invisible Man (Nowuseeim nowudon)

Before landing the business, this rep was never out of sight. He checked in so often, clients felt like his parole ofďŹ cer. Unfortunately, now that he is running their job, and there are questions to be answered, he has vanished. If only they had seen through the Invisible Man earlier.

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Shooter’s Guide

Nancy Network (Gladius tomeetya) This rep knows everyone in town. In fact, she shows up at more functions than a plate of Swedish meatballs. Once Nancy Network pumps you for contacts though, she’s off to someone else, spreading the latest scuttlebutt. Be warned: give her a job and your business will soon become everyone else’s business.

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

Mr. Clueless (Blankem brainia)

He was born to sell and has peddled everything from Tupperware to bunion pads. Unfortunately heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the dark when it comes to printing. Ask even the simplest questions, and his eyes glaze over like a dead carp. Ignorance, however, wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop him from selling your customers a bill of goods.

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Shooter’s Guide

The Smooth Operator (Narcissus memeus)

Mr. GQ here, talks a great game but he’s more interested in his appearance than his client’s job. If he asks to borrow your loop he’ll probably use it to check his manicure. It’s ironic that someone so absorbed with appearances and image can be so disinterested in how his oversights make you look.

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

The Hunter (You)

By eliminating the competition, our protagonist can continue his/her cause of supporting the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts and providing an unparalleled sales experience.

Listening, respect, collaboration, and imagination are a short list of traits exhibited by our hero. Simply put, clients feel safer in the hands of a CANVAS reader!

CANVAS would like to thank Bill Gillespie, Executive Vice President of Operations of Brown Industries in Dalton, Georgia.

The Shooterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide is a slightly revised version of a self promotion that Bill produced in 1992.

CANVAS

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The

Power of a

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

How to move an audience of any size.

Story S

everal months ago on the way home from the airport, I popped into a WafďŹ&#x201A;e House, sat down, and ordered lunch. As I turned to my right, I noticed a woman sitting alone with her head down in a booth.

Hoping to brighten her day I said hello.

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The Power of a Story

She quickly perked up, smiled and shot me a, “What do you do for work?” After telling her I teach people how to sell and how I travel a lot for work she said to me, “Name’s Wilma. And Wilma says you get your butt home. And don’t forget what’s most important.

It’s your wife and kids. And on the way home, you get that wife some flowers at the Price Chopper. That’ll make her feel special.”

After chatting for a while with Wilma, I jumped in the car and drove home. As I pulled into the Price Chopper, I realized that while my aim was to help brighten Wilma’s day, it was Wilma who brightened mine by reminding me who my number one customers really are … my family.

“Stories have power. They delight, enchant, touch, teach, recall, inspire, motivate, challenge. They help us understand. They imprint a picture on our minds. Want to make a point or raise an issue? Tell a story.”

– Janet Litherland, Author

The power behind stories The story above is a condensed version of a real story I use in one of my presentations to illustrate how there are learning lessons all around us. I also sometimes use that story when I want to make a point about understanding who our number one customers are … family and friends. At other times, I use that story to discuss the importance of being a good listener.

Now let’s say I didn’t use a story to illustrate my point. Let’s say I just stood in front of an audience and said, ‘Okay everybody. You are all spending way too much time at work and not enough time with your loved ones. You need life balance!”

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CANVAS DECEMBER 2008

Do you think I would move my audience? (Probably, because they

So this week, think of a presentation or meet-

would be moving to the exits.) Instead, by telling a story, a point

ing that you will soon participate in. Then take

can be made that allows the audience to paint their own picture. In

a few minutes to think of a story that you can

that picture is the lesson. The story helps us understand.

add that will delight, enchant, touch, teach,

So, have you had to stand up in front of a group of people re-

recall, inspire, motivate and challenge. When

cently to deliver a presentation? Or perhaps it was just one or two

you’re done talking, be prepared for the story

people that you had to teach, persuade, or influence. How did you

to spread about what a great job you did mov-

do? If you weren’t 100 percent confident in your performance, then

ing your audience.

perhaps it’s time to add a little power to that presentation. The power will come from the stories that you will tell.

For example, if you are in print sales and personally witnessed your product doing something great for an end-user, tell the heartwarming story of how it increased the value of that marketing piece or direct mail campaign. If you are a sales manager who at one time blew a major sales call only to learn a lesson, open your next team meeting with a story that creates laughter. If you are a product manager who has to train your team on the use of your product, get rid of that bubble graph Power Point slide that can comatose a gallery and instead tell them a story about the first time that product truly excited you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brian Sullivan, CSP, is one of about 10 percent of speakers worldwide to have earned the Certified Speaking Professional Designation awarded by the National Speakers Association and the International Federation for Professional Speakers.

President of Kansas City-based PRECISE Selling, Sullivan delivers seminars and internet training programs on sales, customer service, leadership and presentation skills to companies of all sizes. To find out more, visit him at www.preciseselling.com or e-mail Brian at bsullivan@preciseselling.com.

Book Recommendation

Buying In The secret dialogue between what we buy and who we are.

By Rob Walker

A

s the demand on printing sales representatives to become more marketing oriented increases, it is important to immerse yourself in marketing speak.

One way to get a good start is to read Rob Walker’s “Buying In”.

Walker may not have written the greatest marketing book of

all time, but it certainly is a great way to familiarize yourself with marketing trends and condition your thinking to mirror your customer needs. “Buying In” is a good read and provides a deeper insight into some of the brand stories that may already be known by readers.

By using the stories of some familiar brands, “Buying In” is a fantastic way to condition the print sales rep for connecting with marketing executives.

Walker coins the phrase “Murketing” in describing the role of branding with respect to human desire and self definition. It is a well-written book and is recommended for both the seasoned professional and brand novice to glean something new and important. By using the stories of some familiar brands, “Buying In” is a fantastic way to condition the print sales rep for connecting with marketing executives. It is a much needed book in the oversaturated branding landscape, and is highly recommended for the CANVAS reader.

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