Canvas Magazine | Take a Look at Us Now

supporting print sales & Marketing executives

February 2011

Ink on Paper Like You’ve Never Seen it Before Savvy Social Media The Sales Funnel 30 Minutes to Change Your Life The Art of Non-Conformity

premium uncoated digital papers for all digital technologies C

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neenah digital papers universal digital finish Digital | Press Certified Numerous Colors, Finishes, Wts. Precision Cut Sizes Environmentally Certified Options Matching Envelopes Available WRITING, TEXT AND COVER

For more information check us out at: www.neenahpaper.com/digital Š 2011 NPI. All rights reserved.

February 2011

Publisher mark potter

Marketing Manager caroline farley

MANAGING EDITOR lorrie bryan

ART DIRECTOR brent cashman

CONTRIBUTORS Linda Bishop, Graham Garrison, Ryan Sauers, Brian Sullivan

This break-through cover design uses a dried electrochromatic ink film and a 1.5 volt printed battery attached to the carrier material to overtly accomplish what traditional highquality printing has done for centuries—engage the reader with a multi-sensory experience.

Editorial board keith bax Research Data mike kyle Pace Litho chris petro GlobalSoft

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dean petrulakis Rider Dickerson

Judge a Book by the Cover

Web Industries Powers CANVAS Cover

david bennett Bennett Graphics

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Top Ten Social Media Tools for Marketing Services Providers

Sappi Fine Paper North America Announces 2011 Printers of the Year Call for Entries

tom moe Daily Printing

tony narducci O’Neill Printing

Publisher’s Thoughts

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Product Spotlight

DuPont Teijin Films— CANVAS Cover Electronics

10 Ways to Conquer Call Reluctance!

FUJIFILM Digital Inkjet J Press 720

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Savvy Social Media

2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400,

The Corner Office

The Sales Pro’s Guide

Duluth, Georgia 30097

Tech Corner: Working with an iPAD

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CANVAS, Volume 5, Issue 1. copyright 2011 CANVAS, All rights reserved. CANVAS is published bi-monthly for $39.00 per year by Conduit, Inc., 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, Georgia 30097 Periodicals postage pending at Duluth, GA and additional mailings offices. Periodical Publication 25493.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CANVAS, 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, Georgia 30097. Please note: The acceptance of advertising or products mentioned by contributing authors does not constitute endorsement by the publisher.

Publisher cannot accept responsibility for the correctness of an opinion expressed by contributing authors.

CMO Facts

Ink on Paper Like You’ve Never Seen it Before

CANVAS magazine for more information: 678.473.6131,

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.

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Take a Look at Us Now

Print in the Mix Fast Facts Blind Spot

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The Sales Funnel

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Best practices for attracting, then moving, clients through the sales process

Packaging Insights

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Out of the Box Packaging—A Treasure Chest of Opportunities for Printers

30 Minutes to Change Your Life

Packaging Solutions

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The Art of Non-Conformity

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People News RiverCity Print Honored as Print Shop of the Year Hopkins Printing Earns 12 International Gallery Awards Renu Mobile Celebrates “Most Innovative Company of the Year” Award for 2010 JP Graphics Takes CIP4 First Prize Contributing companies that helped make our CANVAS cover possible

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CANVAS P1

Judge a Book by the Cover

H

Have you ever judged a person by the way they look? How about by the business card they handed you or by the name of their company? My guess is that we have all predetermined what somebody was like or what their motivations were based on what we see on the outside.

How frustrating is it when people typecast us into a version of what we truly are? I would submit to

you that we have no reason to get frustrated at all. We tend to act like there are labels tattooed to our foreheads that indicate what we do.

Publisher’s thoughts

Whether we internalize our labels, brand them on our buildings, or print them on our business cards,

we are judged by our cover. The greatest marketing minds of our time have stated that “perception is reality.” In other words, what people think you are is what you are. And to overcome or change that

perception takes a lot of effort.

Do you believe you are more than your label? Can you talk to a myriad of business people? Can your company source more than just print? Can you be part of the creative process and offer new concepts?

If so, then pin a new label to your lapel and let everyone know.

We believe that you can tell a lot about us by looking at our covers. They are designed to show respect to our readers.

Your mindset has everything to do with who you are, what you will become, and the level of success you will reach. Your mindset is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You will become what you think. So, if your mindset is fixed on what you do today, then I fear you will be challenged over the long term. If you are eager to become more, then you have the mindset of growth and will progress nicely.

Success, going forward, will be defined so much differently than it has been the past 20 years. Shortterm financial goals are great, but true success comes through growth. Learning comes from pushing yourself and redefining the cover of your book. So if you don’t want to be perceived as just a printer, redesign a cover that speaks to who you stand for rather than what you produce.

In our inaugural printed issue of 2011, we have taken the concept of “judging a book by the cover” literally. We believe that you can tell a lot about us by looking at our covers. They are designed to show respect to our readers. We tell you exactly who we stand for. And we demonstrate the possibilities that exist for all of you. Printed electronics, QR codes, campaign management—you name it, and you guys can source it.

This issue is dedicated to you. Take some time to interact with the cover and learn how we did it with the help of Cal Poly State University and Ricoh. Dive into our cover article and take note of all that you can be. In turn, read up on the sales funnel and learn how to engage your clients at different points of the process.

I am so proud of everyone who worked on this issue, and I want to wish you all a prosperous 2011. We have had a lot of success in a changing climate, and we owe it to a readership that judges us by our covers.

Warmest regards,

Mark Potter Publisher

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CANVAS february 2011

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Social

Getting

Top Ten Social Media Tools for Marketing Services Providers

By John Foley

using this Web site because it will take away a lot of the stress of your event’s online marketing efforts. Eventbrite empowers you with simple yet powerful tools to manage, promote and sell out your event online.

4. Yelp: This tool is a user and review-based, geo-location Web site. If you have a restaurant, recreational facility, or any business that brings in the general public, put your business up on this site. People would be able to give your business a review that will be published to the public, which could result in great publicity for you. It is also a John P. Foley, Jr. is the CEO and CMO of Grow Socially (www.growsocially.com).

For more information call John at 800-948-0113 or e-mail him at support@growsocially.com.

great tool for monitoring customer satisfaction.

Other geo-location sites you can use are FourSquare, Facebook Places, and GoWalla.

These are great sites for people to exchange information about your business. Also, if your business is not on Google Places, register it now. Once your business’s address is registered with Google Places, its address will automatically pop up on a Google Map when it comes up in online searches. This will make it easy for people to find your business if they are unfamiliar with its location.

5. Slideshare: Do you have a great Powerpoint presentation that you would like to share with your online audience? Slideshare can help you do this. You simply upload

1. HootSuite: If you are over-

your presentations into this application, and then you are able to embed your slide-

whelmed with keeping up with your

shows into your blog, social media profiles, and more!

tweets, LinkedIn statuses, and Facebook posts, then worry no more! Hoot-

6. iLink.me: iLink.me tracks shortened URL’s in all social media outlets including

Suite gives you the ability to schedule

Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter. Unable to create tweets because of the lengthy URL

as many posts as you want for all three

address of the link you want to share? Use this site then! iLink.me not only shortens the

of these social media sites. You can

link in order to give you more available characters to write a message with, but it also

even have multiple users logged in

tracks how many times that link was clicked on. Now you can create the tweets you

at the same time. This free program

want and also see how many people clicked on your link.

also allows you to monitor when people mention your Twitter name in

7. RSS Feeds: If you are a fan of particular blogs and want to keep track of all of them

posts, your direct messages, and your

on a daily basis, subscribe to the blog’s RSS feed. It will keep the blog bookmarked,

re-tweets. It also gives you the ability

and can give you the headlines of all of its recent blog posts. It’s a great shortcut when

to create customized search feeds if

you are looking for blog posts on a subject that you are particularly interested in.

you wanted to keep track of specific keywords, such as a company name.

8. Google Alerts: Wondering when your company or colleagues are mentioned in the Internet news? Set up Google Alerts then. This free application alerts you whenever specified

2. SocialOomph: Similar to Hoot-

keywords and phrases are published on the Internet. This is great when you want to search for

suite, this application gives you the abil-

articles, blog posts, and press releases that mention your company’s or colleagues’ names.

ity to manage Twitter, Facebook, and blog accounts. It also keeps track of and

9. Google Analytics: Want to track the traffic coming to your Web site, and from where?

measures online activities, and includes

Google Analytics is a great way to set up and track basic statistics on any of your Web sites.

advanced follower searches to help you find exactly who you are looking for.

10. Human Resource Services: Can’t keep up with the constant updates and trends of social media? Not quite sure what a social media strategy is? Perhaps you should

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3. Eventbrite: Do you have an

consider hiring a social media specialist to help you in this area. There are many marketing

upcoming event but have no idea how

firms that specialize in social media marketing, and they can keep your social sites active

to promote it? You should consider

on a daily basis.

CANVAS february 2011

A c t i o n

10 Ways to Conquer Call Reluctance!

A

By Paul Castain

According to Behavioral Sciences Research Press (BSRP), our fear of the phone is responsible for more failures in sales than any other single factor.

According to BSRP the average salesperson sells only 1.5 hours per day and doesn’t make a

call until 11a.m. One way of looking at this is to acknowledge that the printing business is full of deadlines, and we simply don’t have the time to get on the phone before 11 a.m.

Or perhaps we’re all guilty of avoiding something that makes us uncomfortable?

So, how do we lose that fear, stop procrastinating and get on the phone?

1. Prepare better. Have a compelling reason for the call. Reference something relevant to

Paul Castain is the vice

their business, their industry. Having a compelling reason and a compelling message can help

president of Sales Development

reduce your fear big time! While you’re preparing, make sure you mentally prepare by visual-

for Consolidated Graphics and

izing your success!

is responsible for creating and

Warning: Be careful of over-preparing. It can really be a clever disguise for fear.

delivering sales training content as well as mentoring the CGX

2. Give yourself a pep talk. Take inventory of the success you have experienced in your life. You did it before; you know you can do it again.

Sales force. Paul’s career spans more than 25 years, during which he has trained more

3. Review your goals. Keep a collage of the things you want in your life. Look at those pictures before, during and after your calls. It’s important that we continually remind ourselves

than 3,000 sales and sales leadership professionals.

what we’re working for.

4. Laugh. Listen to some comedy before hitting the phones. It’s really hard to be nervous when you just finished a good healthy laugh.

5. Music. There is nothing like listening to your favorite tunes to get your foot tapping and get you in your zone. How about a playlist just for this on your iPod? 6. Use The “30 Minute Rule.” Phone expert Gary Stauble suggests you get on the phone within 30 minutes of arriving at the office. He compares it to getting into the pool by just jumping in. I like it because we’re less likely to get caught up in other, non-money activities if we hit the phones quickly.

7. Move! Get a headset or long phone cord, get out of your seat and move! Motion creates emotion, and you get to burn off that nervous energy.

8. Hold a ceramic cup of warm water. The warmth from the cup travels through the nervous system and has a calming effect.

9. Breathe. Whenever our nerves kick in, it triggers our adrenaline. Adrenaline throws off our breathing which, in turn, makes us more nervous. Focus on the word breathe so you remember and simultaneously take your attention off of your nervousness. Consider keeping the word breathe by your phone.

10. Keep learning and improving your technique. The better you get, the more your confidence will improve.

CANVAS P5

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Tech Corner

Working with an iPAD

By Howie Fenton

I

n the weeks before Christmas, as snow fell in Denver and Apple advertised its iPad on every TV channel, every day, I began to wonder if the device would be the 2010 version of the 1983 Cabbage Patch doll—stores in short supply and shopping resembling a no-holds-barred NBA rebound fight with elbows and knees flying. Fearing this, I broke down and bought an iPad before any frenzy set in and began trying to figure out the pros, cons, and excuses required to use it for work activities. At this early point in my iPad orientation, I can say it has things I love, things I hate, silly and great

games (Angry birds), and holds out the promise of being a light and useful tool.

I love the consumption of media, and hate trying to figure out how I

Most of all, I hate the new file strategies required.

can use the iPad like my laptop. I love the Web experiences, including

It may be one of these, “Don’t try to use the iPad

Web browsing, streaming movies with NetFlix, and e-mailing and inter-

like you used your computer” arguments, but I

acting with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. The app store,

would like file-saving options or file-folder strate-

like the Kindle store, is too easy to use—I just got my first bill and found

gies. The only available save options are an “auto

I spent more on apps than on the tripod case or stand-alone keyboard

save” from some apps, and the recommended file

(both of which I recommend if you’re

transfer strategies that include iTunes,

going to try to type with your iPad).

e-mailing files to yourself, iWorks, and

I like the Kindle app that gives

saving files to the cloud (online storage

me access to my Kindle books, but

site). Apps often discussed include iDisk,

I’m disappointed because I can’t

Dropbox, Goodreader, and MobileMe. At this point I am not sure yet if this

According to ChangeWave, the iPad is already the most popular tablet for business users.

is a “must-have” tool in your sales kit, but I think it will be one day. According to ChangeWave, the iPad is already the most popular tablet for business users, and a study by Good Technology shows that among the early adopter companies are those providing financial, technology, and healthcare services.

But the real advantage of the iPad may be the new sales and distribution model for software. The list of these apps is

access my Kindle newspaper and

growing everyday, and they are offered

blog subscriptions (USA Today,

online at a fraction of what comparable

Mashable). But there is hope. Amazon support says that it is working

computer software costs.

on a subscription app, and there are already two apps—InstaPaper and

Since there are rumors of next versions with video

Read It Later—that are plug-ins to Safari and allow you to save Web

cameras, I could see sitting with a customer one day

pages for reading while not online.

chatting about a job, shooting some pictures of a

Admittedly I am an iPad newbie, but there are two things I hate. The

board mockup or a video of a Web page design,

first is the lack of arrow keys on the screen keyboard, which makes it

creating an estimate for the print and cross-channel

tough to correct a typo, especially if you have big fat fingers like me.

marketing, getting the customer to sign the quote

Some people say to use the zoom function, and I respond: “Have you

on the screen, and submitting everything electroni-

seen my fingers?” Thankfully, the separate keyboard has arrow keys.

cally. Now that would be a cool workflow.

Howie Fenton is a consultant with NAPL focusing on resolving production concerns and issues between sales and production staff, and helping companies sell more value-added digital services. To contact Howie, call 800- 642-6275, Ext. 6328, or e-mail hfenton@napl.org.

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CANVAS february 2011

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Impress your Customer ROLAND InlineColorPilot – gives you fast and reliable color measurement and color register in the press. Measuring takes only three sheets. You very quickly get the first good sheet. It will bring you less waste, less customer claims and more profit. And it helps save the planet.

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The ROLAND 700 DirectDrive is a way out of this problem. Realize up to a 60% reduction of your makeready time; by the world’s state of the art technology:

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DirectDrive 10,000

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30,000

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22,000 110,000 440,000 4,400,000

Co Th Of rn e fic er e

CMO Council

Fast Facts According to an August 2010 study conducted by Edge Research for social sign-on provider Gigya, the most important benefits online retailers and media-entertainment publishers found in social sign-on were an increase in engagement (84 percent) and access to more profile data for targeting and customization (80 percent).

(Source: Edge Research | Publication: eMarketer)

The study found that 31 percent of publishers and 18 percent of e-commerce outlets studied had fully implemented a social sign-on solution, while the rest were working on or planning implementations of their own.

Just 15 percent of media-entertainment publishers had no plans for the service, a number that rose to 31 percent among e-commerce sites.

(Source: Edge Research | Publication: eMarketer)

(Source: Edge Research | Publication: eMarketer)

According to Shannon Smith and Judith Borreson Caruso for the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 62.7 percent of US undergraduates surveyed had an Internet-capable handheld device.

(Source: “ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology” by Shannon D. Smith and Judith Borreson | Publication: eMarketer)

Ownership of Internet-enabled handheld devices increased by more than 11 percentage points between 2009 and spring 2010, with the number of students planning to purchase such a device in the next year holding steady.

(Source: “ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology” by Shannon D. Smith and Judith Borreson | Publication: eMarketer)

Print in the Mix Fast Facts Branded Content Use on the Rise Spending as Part of the Media Mix:

Reason for Using Branded Content and Its Effectiveness:

• Twenty-nine percent of the average overall marketing,

•S ixty-six percent of marketers surveyed think branded

advertising and communications budget funds

content is superior to direct mail, and 63 percent think it is

were dedicated to branded content. This is the

superior to public relations.

second highest percentage ever (first was 32 percent in 2009).

•T he primary reason to deploy branded content initiatives is to educate customers, according to 54 percent of the companies

•T his year’s study shows that content spending is the

surveyed, followed by customer retention (23 percent).

second highest ever, at $1,366,605 per company.

Print represented 43 percent of the total spending,

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•T he leading secondary reasons were customer reten-

while electronic and other accounted for 35 and

tion (35 percent) and educating customers (27 percent),

12 percent respectively.

though brand loyalty factored in at 26 percent.

CANVAS february 2011

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Co Th Of rn e fic er e

Blind Spot

Beware Of The Blind Spot!

By Ryan T. Sauers

T

here is no better time than now to work on improv-

Case in point: if you take a leadership course, will

ing our leadership skills. One terrific way to do this

you become a better leader? If you take a volun-

is by determining your blind spot. The model below

teer leadership role in the community, will you

is known as the Johari Window and is a great tool

become a better speaker? You get the idea. Thus,

to use when reviewing leadership. The key to figur-

this area of the window is referred to as Unknown,

ing out your blind spot is to understand the distinct color-coded

because only the future will reveal the answer.

quadrants. Let’s take a look at each.

And finally, the one you have all been waiting for, is the top right (red) category. This is referred to as the Blind Spot. The blind

Johari Window

spot defines something that is known

Known to self

to or seen by others but not known to

Not known to self

or seen by you. This quadrant of the window provides a huge growth oppor-

Known to others

tunity for all levels of leaders. Moreover, any leader who is unaware of his/

Public

Not known to others

Blind Spot

her blind spot is truly operating in the dark. Here are a couple of examples that may help. Say that you view your leadership style as too passive. However, others see it as pushy and obnoxious.

Private

Unknown

What if you think of yourself as a person who is great at delegating things, but others view you as a person who wants to micromanage every part of a project?

The top-left (blue) quadrant of the window deals with things that are

These are examples of blind spots. A blind spot

Public in nature. This means both you and others would agree on the

in our leadership style is no different than the

type of leader you are. For instance, you are a vocal and passionate

blind spot we cannot see when backing up our

leader who openly expresses opinions. If both you and others are aware

car. Something is there but we cannot see it.

of this truth, then it is public knowledge and not a surprise to anyone.

In short, this is what the blind spot is all about.

The bottom-left (yellow) category deals with leadership skills that

Understanding and improving your blind spot

are Private in nature; known only to you and unknown by others. An

is a great way to upgrade your overall leader-

example could be that your strongest desire is to not serve as a

ship skills. After all, leaders must first be able to

volunteer leader anymore because you have come to realize that

lead themselves before they can successfully lead

you simply do not enjoy it. However, others would never think this

others. In closing, do you know what your blind

could be true because you are a person (to them) who seemingly

spot is? If not, there is no better time than now

thrives on and loves serving as a volunteer leader. So in this case,

to find out. Ask other leaders around you about

we have information that is known to you but unknown to others.

it, and be open to hearing what they have to say.

The bottom-right (green) quadrant is referred to as Unknown.

These are things we all speculate about but don’t have the answers.

After all, those who improve their blind spot today will become better leaders tomorrow.

Ryan Sauers is President/CMO of Sauers Consulting Strategies. He has a Masters degree in Organizational Leadership and is both a Certified Meyers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and a Certified Marketing Executive (CME). Sauers Consulting Strategies is focused on providing its clients with bottom line results through unique strategies to achieve new levels of success. For more information visit www.sauersconsulting.com

P10 CANVAS february 2011

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Packaging insights Market Probe: CANVAS asked our readers about packaging and the opportunities in 2011: Where are the growth areas in packaging?

We have seen a spike in sustainable packaging innovations over the last three years that we believe will continue into 2011 such as replacements for plastic packaging, eco-friendly shipping pallets compiled from recycled newspapers, vegetable inks, and the list goes on. The market’s demand for sustainable packaging has driven package printers, paper manufactures and other raw material producers across the globe to come up with new ways to provide increased quality in renewable ways.

–Dusty McGuire, Cenveo Is there an opportunity for print reps in packaging?

The printing and packaging go hand in hand. It is likely that the same people purchasing the printing will be buying the packaging as well, so why not cut just one PO to make it easy on the end user?

–Jerry Bridges, Vulcan Information Packaging

What questions should a printer ask customers to gain packaging jobs?

Who is handling the binders/boxes, how is the printing going to be presented, what other items are going to be a part of the package? Can we have a sample of all the items so we can help design the packaging?

–Jerry Bridges, Vulcan Information Packaging

How does the package sale

other wine bottles. Our creative graphics department and the

compare to a commercial print sale?

use of our “Bling” printing processes can make that happen. Our

I would approach the packaging sales by pushing the “eye grab-

Glitter process, chrome process, color shifting ink, spot raised

ber.” How can we make your label/package stand out among all

textured varnish, cold foil stamping or soft touch (which feels like

the rest on the shelf? Our “Bling” printing processes or an Imme-

suede) will all attract the eye of a consumer scanning the shelves.

diately Redeemable clean-release coupon will do just that.

Or attach an IRC. “Immediately Redeemable Coupons” attract attention and push sales. A well placed, well designed clean-

For example: A wine label will need to stand out and “pop”

release coupon attached to the product will peak interest and

when sitting on a shelf among hundreds, if not thousands, of

help drive sales.

My commercial sales approach is very similar. No matter what, you want the client’s product to stand out from the clutter.

Whether its direct mail, marketing material, discount cards, labels or packaging, standing out in the crowd and attracting attention is imperative!

–Lee Misiak, Packaging Print Specialists What should printers keep in mind when engaging in the packaging sphere?

1. Is my selling organization able to change and adapt? Am I, as the owner, willing to change myself to lead the organization

3. How do my capabilities match up? a. Packaging design capabilities. If you only do the print, then have you just taken another commercial print job?

in this new direction? Do I need to bring in an expert to help

b. Equipment

drive this change? Do I have the resources necessary to drive

c. Sources for substrates—are my current suppliers able to

the change? Don’t fall into the trap of just hiring a sales rep from a packaging company thinking the business will come.

2. Do I understand what is driving change in the packaging business is today? a. Need for cost savings b. Sustainability/environmental issues

provide what I will need? d. D o I have trade partners to fill my capability gaps? e. D o I have commercial print customers today that have packaging needs?

4. Am I willing to do the hard work in building the business plan?

c. Technology

a. Understand the 8 Ps and be able to employ all of them.

d. Damage control

b. Assess your project management capabilities

e. Wal-Mart Scorecard Being committed to truly changing your company is a completely different level of commitment than a “side project” or “experiment.”

–Robert Hutchins, Unisource World Wide

P12 CANVAS february 2011

Packaging—A Treasure Chest of Opportunities for Printers To fully appreciate the scope of packaging, the Pack Expo Web site

By Al Bagociuos

There are many packaging vendors you can use

is a good place to start:

that market themselves through distribution chan-

http://www.packexpo.com/pei2010/public/enter.aspx.

nels with exceedingly great pricing that allows for attractive profit margins. These vendors are

The world of packaging and serving your printing customers’ pack-

always looking for new distributors like you. But

aging needs fall into three main categories:

first... learn product lines and applications specific

Creative Packaging- Packaging literature, product, and/or media

to your customers, and choose vendors that will

for marketplace distribution or to be used as sales tools. I have

support you in your efforts to serve them well.

I have been very fortunate to have acquired a

been writing extensively on this subject in my blog at http://albagocius.wordpress.com.

team of outstanding vendors over the years that have provided seamless products and applica-

Commercial Packaging- Shipping and handling supplies that

tions for my customers from the front office to

include boxes and packaging tapes. One of the largest distributors of

their loading docks.

shipping supplies is Uline Inc. (www.uline.com) with distribution sites nationwide.

Industrial Packaging- Supplies, products and equipment that relate to the manufacturing and containment processes. A vendor with world presence in this arena is Greif at www.greif.com.

Necessity is the Mother of (Re)Invention

Having a good reputation with corporate office customers goes a long way to serve their colleagues throughout all the “brick and mortar.”

Having been in the packaging business for 30 years, I have seen

Morphing from Printer to Packager

markets, technology and customers change with time and have

When asked what I do relative to a printer, my

had to adapt to the ever changing business climate.

response is that I create the “wrapper” for my customers’ printing. Ring binders, boxes, cases and a

Case in point: when my creative “front door, executive office”

myriad of other creative products are used to “pack-

type packaging began to be challenged by economic pressures,

age your customer’s message.” Many of my custom-

I explored opportunities to serve my customers’ needs through

ers are printers and print brokers. In this day and age

their back door. Having a good reputation with corporate office

of branding capabilities, many packaging vendors will

customers goes a long way to serve their colleagues throughout all

support your own brand identity with their product

the “brick and mortar.”

line including custom catalogs and Web site links.

Here’s an exercise to do with your current customers: Learn

Final Note

more about what they do, take a tour of their facility, become

Having more arrows in your quiver to hit the target

involved in understanding their entire operation and become a

of your printing customers’ needs will make you a

more valuable team player!

more valuable printer to your customers.

Al Bagocius is available on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/albagocius and can be contacted at 904-367-9322 and at bagociusar@aol.com.

P14 CANVAS february 2011

Packaging Solutions TOP Trends

» Sustainability » Unique Designs » VDP and personalization

T

here are a variety of sales avenues for packaging solutions. It is critical to realize the different roles each department plays and align your sales process with their respective goals.

Marketing is concerned with the overall brand

identity and has an intimate understanding of the customers’ needs. Therefore, when selling to marketing personnel, keep in mind their alliance is with improving consumer identity and attention-grabbing graphics.

Packaging Facts: • $10 billion – the size of the US paperboard packaging industry. (http://www.ppcnet.org/)

Who to Call On?

• Paperboard packaging was first developed in 1839. ( http://www.ppcnet.org/) • Seventy-five percent of consumer buyer

58% 42%

decisions are made at the point of sale in less than 10 seconds. (http://www.ppcnet.org/) • Forty-two percent of executives say green practices help edge out the competitors.

Purchasing

Marketing

(http://www.oxo-biodegradablestretchfilm.com/ green_statistics.php) The purchasing team is interested in more logistical matters • Based on responses from 630 packaging

such as quality, competitive price, damage control and timely

professionals, an annual survey from Packaging

delivery. They are less involved in the daily activity and monitoring

Digest found that sustainability has become an

of customer behavior, but more concerned with reliability of the

important factor in decision-making among nearly

supplier and budget.

two-thirds of packaging companies. Sixty-one

Both departments are equally important and are just proof that

percent of respondents also said that sustainability

when selling packaging, make sure you are prepared for two very

has become a priority among their customers.

different conversations.

• The most popular sustainability guidelines involve: energy consumption (62 percent); recycled content specifications (54 percent); packaging design (49 percent); and bans or limits on certain materials usage (43 percent).

• Pike Research estimates that eco-friendly packaging will nearly double in revenues between 2009 and 2014, rising from $88 to $170 billion.

61%

of respondents said that sustainability has become a priority among their customers.

CANVAS P15

People News RiverCity Print Honored as Print Shop of the Year Scott and Jane Levine, RiverCity Print & Imaging, Little Rock,

“RiverCity Print & Imaging is focusing on principles and prac-

Arkansas, have been honored by their peers in CPrint Inter-

tices geared to exceptional customer service,” said Nuckols.

®

national for having an exceptional business. Their print shop was voted Print Shop of the Year at the annual CPrint ® Production Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio.

According to Todd Nuckols, CPrint® president, RiverCity Print & Imaging is among an elite group of companies who have a beautiful shop that is designed with production in mind.

“The shop is laid out so production can be done with minimum problems, thus getting jobs out on time and keeping within high quality standards.”

– Todd Nuckols, CPrint® president

CPrint ® International is an organization of independently owned family-based strive

for

businesses

professionalism

that and

performance among small business that commonly lack highly developed systems and leadership. Companies from throughout North America participate in the program.

RiverCity Print & Imaging is located at 11511 Huron Lane, Little Rock. For more information about the company, call 501-227-5000, e-mail scott@rcpionline.com, or visit the company’s Web site at www.rcpionline.com.

Hopkins Printing Earns 12 International Gallery Awards printed by Hopkins Printing at the 36th International Gallery of

Renu Mobile Celebrates “Most Innovative Company of the Year” Award for 2010

Excellence. This annual printing and graphic arts competition is

And the winner is........ Renu Mobile. Carol Glennon,

held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and supported by the IAPHC, The

CEO, sends a heartfelt thank-you to all who helped

Graphic Professionals Resource Network.

Renu Mobile come away with the highly contested

Eight golds, three silvers, and one bronze would be quite a feat at an Olympic Games, but it is also the accomplishment of 12 pieces

In 2010, entries originating in Australia, Britain, China, Hong Kong,

Most Innovative Company of the Year award

Korea, India, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Singapore

presented at the prestigious Stevie awards in New

and South Africa joined hundreds of other entrants from around North

York recently. The “Stevie” awards are one of the

America for this competition. Participants vied for awards honoring world-

world’s premier business awards that recognize busi-

wide distinction in the arts and sciences of graphic expression. Submissions were evaluated by a panel of international printing experts who considered overall visual appearance, quality and difficulty of the graphic arts processes used, as well as effectiveness of communication.

Hopkins Printing received awards for a variety of their customers’ pieces consisting

of

programs,

ness leaders worldwide who are making a differ-

“ A great piece starts with the design, and that design starts with our customers.”

– Michelle Waterhouse, Hopkins Printing

catalogs,

ence. Other 2010 “Stevie” award winners included Accenture, AOL, Citrix, and Salesforce.com.

What was Renu’s recipe for success? According Carol Glennon

to Carol Glennon, “You take a large measure of

bulletins, thank-you cards, pocket folders, and brochures. “The fact

passion and add two gigantic heaps of crisp stra-

that companies from all over the world enter this contest shows that

tegic thinking. Then stir in a collaborative effort

the words on the page are not the main focus—it’s the design and

from an experienced staff that’s one of the most

print quality. A great piece starts with the design, and that design

talented mobile development teams on the planet.

starts with our customers,” said Michelle Waterhouse who selects

Let simmer for a short time, then gently reduce to

print contests entries for Hopkins Printing.

the essence of powerful concepts. Simultaneously,

Hopkins Printing is a leading high quality sheet-fed commercial

keep an eye on the back burner for anything that

printer in Central Ohio. Hopkins Printing is a 100 percent employee-

could possibly go wrong in the highly fragmented,

owned company that has been in business for more than 35 years.

rapidly changing mobile world. Now present to

Hopkins has been named Best Workplace in America by Printing

really great clients who have the vision and cour-

Industry of America and has received the Better Business Bureau

age it takes to lead their industry. Top off with

Integrity Award.

superb execution.”

P16 CANVAS february 2011

JP Graphics Takes CIP4 First Prize The International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes

progressive printer, is extremely committed to automation

in Prepress, Press, and Postpress Organization or “CIP4” has

and has worked very hard to achieve this goal. Their custom-

announced JP Graphics Inc., won a top CIP4 Prize for print

ers will benefit immensely from JP Graphics commitment and

automation and integration success in 2010. The company

focus. They are truly a model of automation for print.”

won first place for Best Process Implementation in North America for their streamlined implementation of HIFLEX Webshop, Web2Print System and HIFLEX MIS replacing their legacy EFI System.

James

Harvey,

executive

director

of CIP4, responsible for CIP4 Globally comments: “The JP Graphics case study was quite impressive and was well documented. It explains not only how well

JP Graphics is a commercial printer

“We are pleased and proud to have JP Graphics win the award and very deservedly.”

– HIFLEX North American President and CEO Gary E. Marron

automated and integrated their internal

headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin. In its 41-year history, the company has grown from a small family-owned, local printer to a mid-sized regional printer with a national customer base, still privately owned. Through technology and commitment to service, the company has been recognized as a leader in the industry.

The International Cooperation for the

operations are but also how their Web2Print System uses JDF to

Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press, and Postpress

integrate into their factory providing automation that extends

Organization or “CIP4” is a not-for-profit standards asso-

directly to their customers for estimating and ordering which

ciation, whose mission is to foster the adoption of process

was particularly impressive and interesting. JP Graphics is a

automation in the printing industry. A global organization

model of JDF integration, and the judges were quite impressed

with representatives from 34 countries, CIP4’s membership

with their work.”

is organizational and boasts a diverse membership that

“We are pleased and proud to have JP Graphics win the

includes printers, prepress companies, publishers, vendors

award and very deservedly,” HIFLEX North American Presi-

of graphic arts systems and software, integrators, distribu-

dent and CEO Gary E. Marron said. “JP Graphics is a very

tors, consultants and educators.

»» Product Spotlight Web Industries Powers CANVAS Cover Web Industries’ contract manufacturing and development services extend to emerging technologies such as photovoltaics, life sciences, display technologies, membranes, OLEDs and thin-film batteries, along with other emerging technologies utilizing flexible materials.

DuPont Teijin Films— CANVAS Cover Electronics Our partners count on us for technical capa-

As an ISO 9001 and 14001 certified company, some of the manufacturing

bility. But our knowledge goes beyond

services we provide for emerging markets include slitting, sheeting, spooling,

science. We understand our customers’

printing, coating, laminating, traverse winding, die-cutting, and assembly.

markets. Whether your business is construc-

Over the years, converting services have proven to be an effective means

tion, photovoltaics, electronics, health care,

of producing high-volume flexible materials efficiently and reliably. The types

packaging or virtually any other industry, we

of materials, range of services, and market applications have expanded

speak your language. And with R&D centers

greatly as equipment and know-how have evolved. Novel applications in

worldwide, we offer the kind of global

emerging technologies require exacting process controls and creative prob-

reach our customers expect and today’s

lem solving. And the markets demand you introduce products quickly.

marketplace demands.

Thin films and functional coatings products continue to advance to address needs like hydrophobicity, absorption, reflectivity, conductivity, and reactivity in various product applications. Web Industries is continually advancing our manufacturing capabilities to keep up. We invite you to leverage our experience to design and develop processes and establish a best-in-class manufacturing process for high-volume production as you prepare for commercial launch.

We welcome the new manufacturing challenges that developing technologies and emerging markets bring. Call us to learn how we can reduce your time to market and maximize your emerging technologies product success.

Sappi Fine Paper North America Announces 2011 Printers of the Year Call for Entries Sappi Fine Paper North America opened the call for entries for its North American Printers of the Year awards for 2011, a competition that recognizes print excellence and innovation in 10 categories for work produced

DuPont Teijin Films is a global leader in the production of polyester films.

on Sappi papers.

Through the awards, printers have the opportunity to win up to $20,000

In the fast developing area of flexible elec-

in support of their marketing and brand initiatives and to be featured

tronics and displays, DuPont Teijin Films has

in Sappi’s new searchable online database for designers, printer buyers

created new polyester substrates to match

and corporations. This award recognizes the fine art of print production

the unique needs of customers and OEM’s.

and the ability of an elite group of printers to achieve perfection within

High clarity, high temperature dimensional

a complex manufacturing and production environment. Printers of the

stability, UV protection, and ultra smooth

Year judges review dot fidelity, cross-overs, binding, color consistency

surfaces are just some of the features these

across forms, and overall print integrity within 10 categories. All entries

new substrates offer.

for Sappi’s 2011 North American Printers of the Year must be received by the February 28, 2011, deadline.

DuPont Teijin Films is a global leader in the production of polyester films. Since

Entering this competition is easy — printers can enter any existing work

its development by DuPont in 1952, poly-

printed between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010, that uses Sappi

ester film has become a part of our lives.

paper as the dominant stock and is printed on a Sappi paper in the U.S. or

We have built on this heritage through

Canada. For each entry, six copies of the printed piece must be submitted by

research, expertise - and true collaboration

mail along with one copy of the entry form. An online version of the entry form

with our customers. Through this spirit of

and downloadable pdf entry form are available online.

teamwork, we’ve pushed the boundaries of

For more details and the entry form, visit: www.sappi.com/na/poy or contact us at 1-800-882-4332.

P18 CANVAS february 2011

science and helped our partners achieve remarkable success.

FUJIFILM Digital Inkjet J Press 720 The new Fugifilm Digital Inkjet J Press 720 is indicative of

inkjet device. With it, we’re able to dramatically improve the

where our industry is headed—the coexistence of offset and

quality of small point text and vector graphics and enhance

digital inkjet printing—and it’s poised to revolutionize the

fine details in color images such as product photos, fabrics,

business of short-run printing. The device creates a solution

and skin tones. The integrated controller incorporates an

for an area of the market where most printers struggle to

advanced color management system and color calibration

compete and where a majority of print jobs reside.

capabilities that maximize color consistency without requiring

Printers and print buyers alike are looking for more efficient production options and value added services for a wider range of applications. Fujifilm’s J Press 720 was designed to meet these needs and delivers superior, realistic and impressive image quality while also providing personalized print runs.

The development of the J Press 720 represents a supe-

excessive intervention or expertise from the press operator.

rior design where all of the elements – including pre-coating,

The device’s high level of print quality is achieved by utiliz-

imaging, drying, print head technology, and ink—fit into a

ing Fujifilm’s Dimatix SAMBA™ single-pass, piezo drop-on-

single high-performance system.

demand inkjet head technology. The wide 720mm print head

Thanks to the latest developments in Fujifilm inkjet print-

incorporates high-density, long-life piezoelectric element

ing technology, including true 1200 x 1200 dpi print reso-

arrays with high precision and can print high-resolution

lution and four-level gray scale capability, the J Press 720

images using single-pass inkjet technology at approximately

boasts color and quality never previously seen from a digital

2,700 half-size (20” x 29”) sheets per hour.

FormStore Digital Power both Kodak NexPress FormStore Digital Power withwith both Kodak NexPress and Xerox digital press capabilities: and Xerox iGeniGen colorcolor digital press capabilities: Dimensional Digital Printing technology Dimensional Digital Printing technology Red Fluorescing Clear Red Fluorescing Clear Ink Ink & POD VDP VDP & POD E-commerce Storefronts E-commerce Storefronts Look to FormStore for high-quality digital printing!

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S

y

v a S v

D

A I L C O DI A E M

ave Jones, VP of Sales at BestCo, looked around the conference room at his sales team. They were gathered for their weekly meeting.

The coffee had been served and they had finished munching on

By Linda Bishop their favorite bagels. Dave called the meeting to order and said, “Today, we’re going to talk about social media.”

P20 CANVAS february 2011

Danielle, the newest sales person, straightened in her chair, her face alight with interest. Bob, a 20-year veteran, rolled his eyes.

The Sales Pro’s Guide

Dave asked, “Who uses LinkedIn?” He nodded when more than half the hands in the room went up. “Who connects with their customers on Facebook?” Several hands stayed in the air.

Bob smirked at the show of hands— his stayed glued to the table.

“Who can point to business that came directly as a result from using social media tools?” Dave asked.

he ave te h e w can pes go th i str r way? othe

Use this QR code to watch "Luscious" on your mobile device right now.

To watch other episodes, just go to Youtube, Vimeo, Funnyordie and type in Off Register.

Or you can view them at sappi.com/na.

P.S. Share your own ou trageous printing sto ry for a fu ture episod of Off Regis e ter. Submit your ideas to offregist er sappi.c om.

sd -of-cast_on-white.p

22%

Watch the ink hit the fan!

The Flo Channel… creators of “How Cyan Is My Valley?” and “Stet, The millennium Musical” proudly bring you the most anticipated video series of the year.

Introducing Off Register… an unvarnished, uncoated look at the world of print production. Based on the real life stories of printers, Off Register is one, non-stop, hilarious look at the PMS and B.S. printers have to deal with every day. Clients who bring their labradors to press checks.

Designers who want to hear what an accordion fold sounds like. It’s all here. And it’s all true. So log on and watch the ink really hit the fan.

hourly

minuteu-te by-min

Savvy Social Media

“I can,” Danielle said. “At my last job, I worked

“Most of the time, they say yes. I read that as a buying signal. If

with a guy named Tony. He’s one of my LinkedIn

they brush me off, I know I need to work harder to build rapport.”

contacts. About two months ago, he got a job

Scott said.

in the marketing department at one of my best

“Maybe there is something to this social media stuff after all,”

prospects. When I got an alert telling me he had

Bob admitted reluctantly. “But I’m already busy. If I’m going to get

switched positions, I sent him a note congratulat-

involved in this, I need to figure out what works so I don’t waste

ing him. I followed up after a couple of weeks to

any time.”

see how everything was going. When I found out

Dave grinned. “That’s my feeling too, and the reason for this

it was going great, I picked up the phone and

meeting today. Let’s discuss how to put together an effective social

told Tony his new employer was on my prospect

media strategy that helps us grow our sales.”

list and asked if he could share any insights. He volunteered to introduce me to the marketing VP.

Some people claim social media is a powerful selling tool to find

It was a great meeting and got us the opportu-

prospects and get opportunities, while others say it’s a mammoth

nity to quote on a big direct mail project. This

time-waster resulting in little or no new business for participants.

week, I found out we were awarded the job.”

My own experience has taught me:

Bob looked at her. “I bet your friend, Tony, would have given you a referral even if you

1. Social media is a useful business-building tool because it helps establish your personal brand.

2. If I want new revenue today, social media is not the most

weren’t linked.”

“Sure,” Danielle said. “But Tony isn’t a close friend. Months could have passed before I discovered he had a new job. Instead, LinkedIn

efficient way to make that happen.

3. The best way to learn about social media is to jump into the pool and start swimming.

made it easy for me to keep track of Tony and of his changed work status.”

“Tony’s status update prompted you to reach out to him. You asked for help, and he willingly gave it,” Dave said.

“And I converted a prospect into a customer much quicker.” Danielle flashed Bob a cheeky grin. “Thank you, social media.”

Sue spoke up. “I’m connected to several clients on Facebook. They use

“ Because these buyers are in their 20s, and Facebook is a normal way of communicating for them. By letting their preferences guide communication, I build stronger relationships.”

the instant messaging tool to ask me for quotes.”

Bob snorted. “Why don’t they just use e-mail?”

Social media isn’t going away and continues to evolve. Chat

Sue rolled her eyes. “Because these buyers

rooms have been replaced by Facebook. The primary audience

are in their 20s, and Facebook is a normal way

using Twitter shifted from teenagers to adults. Blogging is now

of communicating for them. By letting their

something major corporations do.

preferences guide communication, I build stronger relationships.”

Social media matters, but we’re still learning how it works.

In December of 2010, the Harvard Business Review devoted a

“I use LinkedIn as well.” Scott was the senior

cover and most of the articles inside to this topic. In the article

member of the team and the top performer. “It’s

titled, “Branding in the Digital Age,” David C. Edelman said,

a great tool for researching. Whenever I am going

“The changes buffeting marketers in the digital era are not

to meet someone new, I look them up. LinkedIn

incremental—they are fundamental.”

tells me all about their expertise, education, and

The same can be said of sales professionals. Everyone knows

career paths. Sometimes, I get lucky and uncover

it is tougher to get a meeting. Customers have plenty of prob-

a mutual acquaintance. In the meeting, I mention I

lems, but usually they have little to do with ink on paper products

viewed their profile on LinkedIn. At the end of the

in boxes. As organizations downsize, reorganize and grow, buyers

meeting, I ask if I can send an invitation to link.”

move around more and they’re extremely busy.

Bob finally looked intrigued. “Do they agree to connect?”

P22 CANVAS february 2011

Social media helps you win in this challenging environment. To use it optimally, build a strategy incorporating these tips.

Subscribe today online for a year of CANVAS @ www.thecanvasmag.com supporting print sales & Marketing Executives

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• Six high-end printed editions • Six digital editions • The popular weekly e-letter CANVAS Notes • Our new sales forum: CANVAS REFLECTIONS

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Savvy Social Media

Tip 3: Set up information blocks when appropriate.

Tip 2: Tip 1: Have a goal.

Time is money. If you don’t have a clear goal in mind, social media can

Everybody doesn’t have to see

Recognize you’re living in a glass house.

everything in your social media accounts. Set up controls to block

In the social media universe, you

access to information by manag-

define who you are by what you say.

ing your profile. Making conscious

Beware of over-sharing.

choices now prevents regrets later.

occupy a lot of time without generating revenue. Set goals that are specific and measurable such as: • Connect with customers currently using LinkedIn.

Tip 4:

• Find one viable new prospect every week using social media tools.

• Follow customers on Twit-

Decide if you want to link to your competitors.

ter, and comment on tweets

Sooner or later, a friendly competitor will ask

when appropriate.

you if you want to be linked or want to friend you on Facebook. If you’re using these tools for business, think long and hard before you accept invitations because something you reveal in casual “conversation” could be information you don’t want the competitor to know.

The only real way to avoid this possibility is by excluding competitors from your network.

Tip 5: Potential customers use social media sites to research you.

Imagine this. You call a prospect and get a meeting. As soon as you hang up, your new potential customer searches for you on LinkedIn. They want to learn more about your expertise and see who has recommended you. They’re interested in knowing if you have any common contacts. If you can’t be found, you missed an opportunity to offer proof of your expertise without having to brag face-to-face. If marketers are your custom-

Tip 6: Decide how much time to allocate daily.

The hours from eight to five are the golden

ers, it’s even more important to be savvy about social media because they are spending money on this platform.

Tip 7:

hours of selling. This is the best time to talk to clients and prospects, schedule meetings and close deals. All of these activities are more effective for generating revenue than social media. If you choose to access social media during business hours, set a limit on your time and stick to it.

Spend 30 minutes a week reaching out to people in your network.

Many of the relationships in your social media network are weak ties. This term comes from research done by sociologist, Dr. Mark Granonvetter in the 1980s when he released a paper titled “The Strength of Weak Ties: A Network Theory Revisited.”

P24 CANVAS february 2011

Weak ties are bridges between social networks. These links

Another video that caught my eye was posted

benefit you by providing access to knowledge and resources

by a second company, RT Associates in Chicago.

beyond those available in your own social circle.

They are experts in variable data and print on

Relationships are based on mutual interaction. Will you want

demand solutions. Bob Radzis, company presi-

a favor from someone in your network someday? Start earning it

dent, co-stars in the video along with one of their

now by building online friendships. Invest thirty minutes a week reaching out to people, finding out what’s new and learning about their goals.

Look for ways to offer help and support.

Last Thoughts Video is another social media tool. Two smart companies are using it to create online presence and build buzz. The first is FormStore

clients. Katarina Pantelic-Orb, Direc-

Social media

is here to stay.

Unless you plan to retire in 2011, make it your goal to use it more intelligently in the year ahead.

in St. Louis. They manufacture ID cards and

tor of Marketing & Strategic Planning at RT Associates wrote the script, and did a masterful job of wrapping humor around a targeted message. Check the video out at http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=XhCRbvMiEJc. Bob told me, “My main concern was that our video wasn’t corny or unprofessional, and I must admit I was skeptical

magnet products and provide digital print for distributors and

at first. But it’s worked well, helping to position us

to the trade. Check out their videos at http://www.youtube.com/

as we migrate into the role of a marketing solu-

user/FormStoreTube.

tion provider. It also helped the sales team with

Paul Edwards, president of FormStore said, “Social media is part of a larger marketing puzzle and we use videos two ways. Some

their talk track by giving them an easy way to show prospects and customers how we can help.”

videos are for mass viewing, but we’re also taking a rifle approach

Social media is here to stay. Unless you plan

and creating videos for private viewing. The audience for those is

to retire in 2011, make it your goal to use it more

small—maybe only 25 to 75 people at one of our major custom-

intelligently in the year ahead. Try new things,

ers—with information that is highly relevant to the group.” Paul’s

assess business-building results and look for

approach strikes me as smart because relevancy sells.

ways to improve. I’ll see you in cyberspace!

Linda Bishop has spent more than 20 years in sales and marketing. In 2005, she started Thought Transformation, a national firm dedicated to helping clients add sales dollars by developing an educated and professional sales force

Take a LOOK atUs Now

P26 CANVAS february 2011

Ink on Paper Like You’ve Never Seen it Before

By Lorrie Bryan

I

n our world of ever-evolving complex technology, the electrochromatic cover on this issue of CANVAS is simple—the printed materials change color when an electronic current is applied via a printed battery. And though this isn’t aeronautical engineering, this creative print application is akin to that first flight at Kitty Hawk when the Wright brothers took flight and caused the imaginations of the earthbound to soar.

“We’ve seen some very interesting things related to

the carrier material to overtly accomplish what traditional

the use of conductive and functional inks in recent years.

high-quality printing has done for centuries—engage

I believe this will open a whole new frontier of creative

the reader with a multi-sensory experience. Instead of

print applications,” affirms Dr. Malcolm Keif, the Graphic

titillating the senses with vibrant colors and soft-touch

Communication professor at Cal Poly State University-

varnishes, this cover uses “coins” which reveal additional

San Luis Obispo who spearheaded the six-month cover

information when triggered by the reader’s touch.

project. “The idea of motion on paper was a dream

Across the country, the print industry continues to

only a few years ago. But we are very close to produc-

counter ongoing economic pressures by finding new

ing addressable displays on a flexible media. It may be

ways to engage readers with multi-sensory technology

awhile before these are massed produced but they are

and multi-channel marketing campaigns in which print

coming. When movement comes to printing, the pieces

remains an integral component. As Keif is quick to point

become much more engaging. While this magazine’s

out, technology alone can’t engage the reader. “There

cover may seem novel or simplistic, it really is the begin-

are plenty of high-tech tools—VDP, PURLs, QR Codes,

ning of a whole new breed of printing.”

etc.—but the key is offering these compelling appli-

This break-through cover design uses a dried electrochromatic ink film and a 1.5 volt printed battery attached to

cations in forms that truly engage the reader. What’s required is a merger of technology and creativity.”

CANVAS P27

Take a Look at Us Now

Ultimately, the factor driving the creativity is

objectives are—who their target audience is—how they are plan-

the customer’s objective. Mike Peluso, presi-

ning on using this campaign. Our clients are coming to us asking

dent and owner at Shawmut Inc., a 60-year-old

for our help. You have to have the mindset of the person sitting

print company that now promotes itself as a

across the table and understand what their challenges are. Ulti-

“Cross Media Marketing Company,” points out

mately, we want to be able to offer them the tools they need

that in today’s marketplace printers are increas-

to meet their objectives more efficiently. Frequently that means

ingly becoming communication experts and

utilizing print as an integral element of a multi-channel campaign

solution providers. “Who we are talking with

along with PURLs, QR Codes and e-mail—providing strategic

and the conversations we are having with our

thinking and back-end support.”

customers has changed drastically in recent

Peluso cites an innovative program that Shawmut recently

years. We used to just ask a buyer how many

created for a medical device company. “They were sending out

and what paper stock. “Now we are talking

self-mailers, first class, and getting a really low response rate for

with marketing people instead, and the ques-

getting attendees to their conferences. Response rates were so

tions have changed. We want to know what their

low that three events were cancelled. For the same cost as their

“Ultimately, we want to be able to offer them the tools they need to meet their objectives more efficiently. Frequently that means utilizing print as an integral element of a multi-channel campaign along with PURLs, QR Codes and e-mail—providing strategic thinking and back-end support.”

– Mike Peluso, vice president, Shawmut Inc.

direct mail campaign, we suggested a multi-touch campaign.

The first hit was a save-the-date postcard that drove them to a PURL, followed by an e-mail reminder, another postcard with a PURL, and another e-mail. Their response rates not only increased attendance but gave them valuable information that was used in future campaigns.”

Not only do multi-touch campaigns prove to be more effective, they have the potential to increase efficiency and significantly reduce marketing spending. The ability to track responses and refine databases when utilizing micro sites or landing pages frequently results in savings to customers. Kevin Cassis, CEO of TWG Plus (Formerly Whitley Printing), says they routinely save their clients, mostly colleges and universities, money by creating personalized postcards (using variable data printing) to engage potential applicants and send them to a URL where they enter a personal pin to access and enter personalized information. “When the potential applicant is engaged at

P28 CANVAS february 2011

their personalized site, it not only enriches their experience, it

they want to buy. We focus on the needs of the

enriches the client’s database by identifying those prospective

clients and then figure out how to best meet

students who are likely to respond, apply and attend the college

those needs.”

or university. Based on their input, subsequent messages to a

Ferrellgas, a leader in the propane industry

potential student will be personalized to be even more rele-

with more than a million customers, came to Mail

vant and more engaging. The process also qualifies applicants,

Print to tighten up their fragmented marketing

thereby eliminating the expense of communicating with those

program. With more than 900 locations, local-

who do not qualify.”

ized marketing is a foundation for Ferrellgas’

PURLs and QR Codes are basically ink on paper, but Stacy Peluso-

continued growth. Customizing text, images,

Slaney, vice president of Shawmut, describes these tools as “print

pricing and offers for location-specific market-

with intelligence built in…You use PURLs and QR Codes to identify

ing communications is an everyday necessity.

the hand-raises and then you take the hand-raisers down the sales

However, their distributed marketing coordina-

funnel to a whole other level while the rest of the prospects are

tors were without a centralized system for manag-

targeted with a different, more appropriate drip campaign.”

ing their marketing assets and performing these

Often the campaign is fully automated—postcards and e-mails are personalized and sent based on predetermined parameters. Mail Print of Kansas City, Missouri, was a leader 22 years ago in the print and mail industry and is today an innovator in database marketing and marketing automation.

“We see ourselves as providers of marketing tactics,” Gina Danner, CEO of Mail Print, explains. “We don’t offer a list of services and then ask our clients which of these

For innovators like Mail Print, the future of print directly correlates with the future needs of their clients.

Take a Look at Us Now

routine tasks. “Without a centralized marketing

For innovators like Mail Print, the future of print directly corre-

portal, each location-specific marketing touch

lates with the future needs of their clients. “Print will remain an

required their designers to create a new graphics

integral part of what we do, but ink on paper is just part of

file, their accounting team to manage a separate

what we do. As we continue to be a resource to our clients, we

order and payment, and a marketing coordina-

anticipate becoming more of a software management company

tor to shepherd the order through the produc-

as we explore growing opportunities for personalized direct

tion process,” explains Danner. “The process was

marketing, variable data printing, automated marketing and

taking 10 days, which is crucial when the price

printing automation.”

of propane fluctuates constantly. The pricing on

Meanwhile, at Cal Poly’s premier Graphics Communication Department, students and faculty will continue to explore new

direct mail pieces was frequently outdated.”

Mail Print solved the problem with a Market-

frontiers and push the boundaries of ink on paper. Keif says they

ing Communications Portal. Ferrellgas’ marketing

are putting renewed energy into printed electronics, smart packag-

assets were loaded to an online portal and utilized

ing, and security printing. “While much research still needs to be

throughout various templates. This system allowed

done, these areas offer attractive growth potential for printers. Smart

for fast and easy customization of text and photo

packaging, the notion of building intelligence into the package,

“The bottom line is the transition to using Mail Print’s marketing management solution is saving Ferrellgas more than $80,000 per year, while improving the usage and effectiveness of direct marketing by their field locations.”

– Gina Danner, CEO, Mail Print

elements on all of their advertising. The portal also

is desperately needed not only for marketing at the point of sale

enabled connections with Ferrellgas’ existing data-

but also for increasing product shelf life. From a global perspec-

base, targeting tools and e-mail provider, further

tive, as food shortages are predicted with population growth, new

streamlining their marketing processes.

printing treatments will allow the package producer to add greater

“Mail Print’s integrated print automation and

oxygen barriers and scavengers to maintain product freshness.

direct mail marketing delivery services also

Product shelf life must improve, and packaging printers can play a

reduced the production and mail prep time for

role in that transformation.”

Ferrellgas’ direct mail marketing from 10 business

And though his focus will remain in the ink-on-paper realm, Keif

days to 24 hours, helping their locations reach

points out emphatically that the printer of tomorrow needs to

their audiences with timely, relevant messaging,”

offer solutions beyond just applying ink to paper. “They also need

adds Danner. “The bottom line is the transition to

to provide marketing solutions or functional solutions—and that

using Mail Print’s marketing management solu-

means greater expertise is needed. The printers of tomorrow must

tion is saving Ferrellgas more than $80,000 per

grow vertically, evolve creatively and become marketing profes-

year, while improving the usage and effective-

sionals or technology and applications specialists. There probably

ness of direct marketing by their field locations.”

won’t be much room for the average printer.”

P30 CANVAS february 2011

Take a Look at Us Now

How It Was Made

By Dr. Malcolm G. Keif, professor, Cal Poly State University- San Luis Obispo

I

t all started with a phone call from Carl Joachim, vice president of Marketing for Ricoh Americas Corporation: “Malcolm, we’d like you and the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo team of students and faculty to come up with a clever printed electronic cover for the February issue of CANVAS magazine.” Carl knew we were developing a Master’s Degree in Printed Electronics, and that phone call started this cover’s journey… one that took less than six months to complete thanks to a cooperative team of industry professionals.

Early on, we determined that electrochromic displays made the most sense for this application. Electrochromism is the property of materials temporarily changing color when an electrical charge is applied. This technology clearly has the power consumption requirements we needed at the budget we had to work with. We selected NTERA’s NanoChromics™ because of their proven technology and established network of printers in the United States.

Next we needed a design. We decided that one compelling aspect of electrochromism is “user interaction”—engaging the reader with the media. This is something that printed electronics can deliver over traditional print media. Like everything in print, we had to design within the limitations of the process. In this case, we needed one-color artwork (more a limitation of budget than of process) with relatively simple second color display features revealed after initiating one or more switches.

We knew the project would be screen-printed because the commercial availability of inks is largely limited to screen inks at this time. With the help of Cal Poly students Sterling Rose, Bryce Beatty, and Michael Shedd, we came up with the maze drawn into a journal. We knew that we needed a simple way to initiate the first maze solution (the dog-eared corner) and once the reader was engaged, we needed a couple of other switches to reveal additional information (coins).

P32 CANVAS february 2011

All printing projects are challenging, but working with complex materials, processes, and very tight tolerances, proved to be demanding.

We quickly realized we could not produce the volume of covers needed on Cal Poly’s one-color ATMA screen press. We needed a commercial screen-printer experienced with extremely tight register and process control for printing on a roll-to-roll press. We turned to SI-CAL in Westborough, Massachusetts, an experienced printer of the NTERA display system. They have some of the best equipment and processes for printing the electrochromic system.

We also needed a power source. We initially explored a printed photovoltaic cover but that was too ambitious for this project. We also looked at printing the battery inline. That is feasible but required much more research than we had time for. We turned to Blue Spark Technologies, producers of 1.5V printed batteries that were attached to the carrier material.

Starting in mid-October, we kicked-off the implementation phase of the project.

We had weekly meetings to plan the entire project. We then brought in other key players. Fujifilm Sericol provided the black and grey graphic inks. DuPont Teijin Films™ provided the heat-stable polyester. Spraylat provided the conductive silver ink. Finally, Web Industries, Baril Corporation, and Adhesives Research brought in their expertise with slitting, laminating and die-cutting, and conductive tapes respectively. David Hollstien, a Templeton, California, consultant, provided circuit design consulting. At Cal Poly, we designed the cover, built the digital file, sourced and managed the project, printed the initial prototypes, and of course, Cal Poly students did a lot of attaching batteries to carriers! Bennett Graphics of Atlanta tipped the polyester sheets onto the magazine.

This cover was screen printed with 10-colors. It was reverse printed (back side build) on DuPont Teijin Melinex™ ST505 polyester, a heat-stable clear film.

How It Was Made The “color” sequence was: Sequence Ink 1 – Sericol PolyScreen Black (with no carbon or iron oxide to minimize the risk of shorting the circuit)

1

2

4

5

2 – Sericol PolyScreen Grey (to match the display background) 3 – Spraylat Conductive Silver XCSD-006N 4 – PEDOT transparent conductive ink 5 – NTERA Passivator

3

6 – NTERA Chromaticized Segment (active electrode) 7 – NTERA Separator 8 – NTERA Common (counter electrode) 9 – NTERA Conductive Carbon 10 – NTERA Electrolyte The artwork was built entirely at Cal Poly in Adobe Illustrator, including the functional display layers and silver traces. Film positives and screens were made at Cal Poly for prototyping and also at Si-Cal for their production run. A special thanks goes to Professor Xiaoying Rong for her help with prototyping and Ricoh for supporting the project.

Sales Funnel The

Best practices for attracting, then moving, clients through the sales process

T

he old methods weren’t producing.

some changes, brought in new technology and

For Sacramento, California-based

ideas to its sales structure.

Dome Printing Partner Bob Poole

They’re not alone. In the never-ending battle

and his sales team, a lot of their

to win, then cultivate accounts, print sales reps

time spent prospecting—trying to

have revised and refined the inner-workings

fill the sales funnel with potential customers—

of their own respective sales funnel. Poole and

was drained into working for referrals, or tracking prospects through Outlook…or any number of tasks that Poole says proved cumbersome.

By Graham Garrison

other industry veterans shared their thoughts regarding best practices for the sales funnel; how to prospect (the top), how to develop a relation-

“We weren’t able to do proper follow-up, or

ship with those prospects (the middle), and how

make sure sales reps weren’t stepping on each

those relationships can then produce revenue

other’s toes,” he says. So Dome Printing made

(the bottom).

P34 CANVAS february 2011

The Sales Funnel

The top of the funnel Dome Printing’s solution to improve the top of its sales funnel was an investment in its sales staff.

Poole says he’s made a push in the last year to bring in new sales reps, which can be a challenge in the current economy. With things less fluid, qualified prospects may be leery of moving away from a stable job, especially making a move from a corporate position to a family-owned business, despite great profits and numbers from Dome Printing, Poole says. From a technology standpoint, in July, the printer began implementing a customer relationship management (CRM) system.

“Through CRM, we gain the analytics about the type of product we’re winning, the region we’re in and then hold the salespeople accountable to their day-to-day activities,” he says.

Dome Printing has also implemented a business development team. Poole says he discovered the idea through another company in a peer group who had used it with great success. Basi-

that is working out really well. We’re not wasting our time on unquali-

cally, the business development team has taken

fied prospects, which we’ve done in the past.”

prospecting duties off the sales reps’ plates,

Stacy Peluso-Slaney, vice president of Danvers, Massachusetts-

making the lion’s share of cold calls, qualifying

based Shawmut Inc., says she has a process in place in which she

prospects and discovering who the key decision-

evaluates a company and determines if they fit into Shawmut’s target

makers are with those prospects. So when the

market. She recommends that every print provider have concrete

sales reps do get a green light to call, it’s with a much “warmer” lead.

“My sales reps are not allowed to call any prospect without getting it qualified by business development first,” Poole says. “We find

criteria for its target market

“Basically you have to establish with the prospective customer that you are somebody valuable to them, and then they’ll come to you—that’s the best way to do business.”

– Mike Kyle, director of Marketing Services for Pace

in order to focus their sales and prospecting efforts. “Once they are qualified they go into our sales process,” she says.

“We touch them two times a week, one phone call and written or direct-mail touch for 90 days. Never be afraid of the no. Flushing those prospects that are not interested is just as important. It is the single most important thing a salesperson can do.”

Precision is important to Mike Kyle, director of Marketing Services for Pace (formerly Pace Lithographers), a Cali-

fornia-based, full-service, marketing-support services operation.

His company has technology that can cross-compare research data for prospects to deliver a list of fresh leads. “You have to be real clear and have an accurate understanding of who you’re about to call,” he says. “Research is critical.”

Still, CRMs and database systems vary from one print provider to the next. From an individual rep’s perspective, LinkedIn is a convenient start, if you’ve developed a fair amount of contacts in your market, and if approached the right way, Kyle says. LinkedIn allows you to not only see who you’re talking to, their profile and company information, but also who that prospect is talking to, their customers, groups and involvements.

P36 CANVAS february 2011

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The Sales Funnel

“You can no longer sell,” Kyle says. “We’re strong advocates that the sales process is changing. It used to be, you’d take a prospect to lunch to continue the sales relationship. That era is dead. It’s a matter of establishing trust, value proposition, and then creating a partnership.”

The middle Now that customers know of you, why should they want to do business with you? This entails the middle of the sales funnel—forming a relationship. Kyle says that there is a little bit of reverse psychology

“ Being an expert in all aspects of our industry and not just print is critical to offering the right solution to your potential clients.”

– Stacy Peluso-Slaney, vice president of Danvers, Massachusetts-based Shawmut Inc.

involved with this stage. “To establish a relationship, you can’t ask for the business—they won’t give it to you,” he says. “Basically you have to establish with the prospective customer that you are somebody valuable to them, and then they’ll come to you—that’s the best way to do business.”

Kyle suggests reps focus on positioning. Prospects may want to know that you have a toolbox full of print products, but they’re more interested in results and ideas. This involves becoming a thought leader in your market. “Speaking, networking, writing a blog, tweets; position yourself as somebody of value to the buyer,” says Kyle. “That’s going to make business happen.”

Tools to Facilitate the Sales Funnel Scripts

Personal touch

Research

Stacy Peluso-Slaney, vice president of Shawmut Inc., a cross media marketing company, emphasizes planning before contacting prospects or customers along any segment of the sales funnel— especially for the initial contact.

The less variables there are, the more prepared you are. “Have your voicemail scripts written and memorized. Have e-mail templates, notes and letters written as well. Never wing it— you are asking for trouble!”

Peluso-Slaney says she has managed to open a lot of doors with a personalized touch— personal handwritten notes and packages. “If I haven’t gotten a response from a potential client, I send what I call the Cracker Jack Package,” she says. “This package explains how Shawmut is a “Cracker Jack” Company and includes a few boxes of Cracker Jacks for treats. Buyers remember this, and more often then not will give you an opportunity to present your company. Chances are, your competition is not doing this!”

Prospects are going to do some digging on you. Peluso-Slaney helps prospects research Shawmut by providing them with the tools to do so. “In this stage, we use our Whitepapers and Case Studies,” she says. “These are fantastic tools that allow the buyers to research one of our core competencies. In addition, it allows them to experience successes that we have had with other longstanding partners.”

P38 CANVAS february 2011

Kyle says customers are looking for a resource. “You need to be in places where they’re looking,” he says, such as social networks, and associations. If you’re at those places as a speaker or presenter, you’ve established yourself as a resource. “Those are opportunities for them to see that you know what you’re talking about and provide value,” he says.

Peluso-Slaney agrees. “Being an expert in all aspects of our industry and not just print is critical to offering the right solution to your potential clients,” she says. “Being viewed as a valued partner and not a vendor should be your ultimate goal.”

Buying zone Now that you’ve developed the relationship, you’re ready to sign some business. But how do you keep them there? For Poole, it involved freeing up his sales team so they could spend more time with their customers. Part of the problem in maintaining an effective buying zone for a customer base is that sales reps have too many steps, Poole says.

“We found out that the sales rep had 36 steps for a sales cycle.

They were spending too much time at their desk doing clerical work. We evaluated that, and in 2011 we’re doing cells. We’re going to have team selling.”

Poole says they’ve already seen success with this model working for one of their largest customers. In this model, a team for the account, consisting of a planner and estimator, moves into one room, handling all the steps involved in the project cycle. It frees up the sales rep from a lot of the hand-holding.

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The Sales Funnel

The Funnel

Top of the Funnel: The key here is to realize that prospects at the top of the funnel are not aware of who you are. They are at the farthest point from buying. Therefore, it makes no sense to use an expensive tool to engage them. Less costly tools like e-mail and social networks can be utilized to move them from being unaware to at least aware.

The Middle: As prospects become more aware of you (move down in the funnel), the goal becomes gaining their interest. In turn, the prospect is closer to the buying zone and more intricate tools are needed to wet their appetite. As you define who is interested, you will be engaging fewer people and need more investment.

Mechanisms like direct mail and speaking engagements cost more but allow you to get closer to the prospects.

The Bottom: When you determine that a prospect is ripe to become a client, it is time to unleash the most expensive yet most intimate tool. Salespeople are your most prized asset. Utilizing your account reps on people who are unaware of you is a waste of resources. Their efforts should be dedicated to the prospects with their checkbooks out. Clients at the bottom of the funnel are certainly aware of you and have shown interest by interacting with your “middle of the funnel� tools. Clients at this level have indicated a desire to buy and that demands your highest valued instrument.

Summary: The less aware a prospect is, the less expensive the tool used to engage them.

As interest grows, more valued resources are used.

unaware aware interest desire adoption

P40 CANVAS february 2011

“It will free up the sales rep to sell, which is what they do best,” says Poole. “I don’t want them strapped to their desk; I want them out selling. I even told the sales reps, ‘I might not even give you a desk. I want you on the road, I want the team to do the clerical work, and I want you in front of the client.’ They need the service.

If I have them doing 36 steps just to complete one project, there’s something wrong with that picture.”

Peluso-Slaney says showing results (ROI, lead generation) keeps customers in the buying zone. “It’s offering them solutions that will increase their return

on

investment,”

she

says. “For instance, if they have

The sales funnel involves steps, moving parts, and the development of relationships. Peluso-Slaney says reps should maintain a consistent focus and adherence to it for the best results.

a $10,000 budget, see if you can put them into a drip campaign (direct mail) that has multiple touches. The more success they experience, the more apt they will be to invest again in those successes.”

The sales funnel involves steps, moving parts, and the development of relationships. Peluso-Slaney says reps should maintain a consistent focus and adherence to it for the best results. “To be successful in sales in our industry, you have to be methodical about your sales process,” she says. “It’s imperative that you move potential customers through the funnel quickly, and always know exactly what your next action is.”

30 Minutes

to Change

Your Life

By Brian Sullivan

T

he year 2011 is here, and we continue to see some of the biggest changes that have ever occurred in the print industry. While you don’t control what happens in the marketplace you serve, you do have control over one thing‌you. But you should know that the way you serve customers cannot stay the same. While the print sales and the digital media marketplace are being overhauled, you, too, need to consider an overhaul. This isn’t to say that you are flawed; it just says that in business there is no stagnation. Individuals and companies are either improving or getting worse. Which do you choose?

P42 CANVAS february 2011

30 Minutes to Change Your Life

E G N A CH 11 20 Now there are two ways people look at change.

Top performers love it—they know that average or below-average competition can’t keep up. It is a barrier that separates them from the pack. So let’s look at the attitude that fuels each.

The below-average performer sees change in this way: • Change slows me down.

• Change lengthens my workday.

• Change creates useless work.

• Change is something others try to make me do.

• Change creates stress.

Grab your calendar, find a day in your office and mark your calendar with an appointment labeled CHANGE 2011.

Top performers view it this way: • Change makes me faster.

• Change will save me time.

• Change will make me more efficient and profitable.

• Change is something I will initiate.

• Change creates excitement.

Read that list again and ask yourself which list best describes you. If you chose the second list, congratulations! You are ready to make 2011 the year that you look back on as the one that made you famous in your company and industry.

P44 CANVAS february 2011

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30 Minutes to Change Your Life

Now that you have the right attitude, what can you do today to initiate change within your sales territory or company? Let’s start with the following exercise: 1. Grab your calendar, find a day in your office and mark your calendar with an appointment labeled CHANGE 2011.

2. Make the appointment 30

So all you need to do is decide to be a leader who finds something that needs to be changed…and go change it.

minutes long.

3. On appointment day, set an alarm for exactly 30 minutes.

4. Make two lists—a professional list and a personal list.

8. D ream big. Nothing should be left off the list.

9. Y our two lists should contain at least 25 changes each.

While writing, don’t stop to think about what you just wrote. Get out of your brain’s way and go as fast as you can. You will notice that the more you write, the wilder and more creative your ideas become.

Your next task is to walk away from your

computer or notepad for 30 minutes. When you come back, take a look at your two lists and pick five changes from each list that, if you make happen, will have a substantial impact on your life in 2011. Next, take your ten changes and put them on one sheet of

5. Start the timer, and take 15 minutes to

paper. Print that sheet out and post it somewhere in your office

write down everything you want to see

so you must view it everyday. Another idea is to use it as your

changed in your professional life. Keep

screen saver so every time you start up that computer, you will be

your mind positive. “I want to change my

reminded yet again.

freaking boss” is not a good one to put

One thing is sure; once you become proactively open to change,

on the list! Better examples might be: “I

and others see it, they will begin following you. Don’t believe it?

want to change what time I wake up in the

Think of history’s greatest leaders. They became famous because

morning. I want to change how much time I

they decided to change something. In addition, almost all of them

spend learning that new CRM my company

became famous when times were tough. Well here’s the good

invested in.”

6. Write down as many changes as you can for 15 minutes.

news…times are tough. So all you need to do is decide to be a leader who finds something that needs to be changed…and go change it.

7. Next, make your personal list. Again,

But remember, that change should start with 30 minutes, a

spend 15 minutes writing down as much

closed door, and a commitment to take the time to first change

as you can.

perhaps the only thing in life that you control. And that’s you!

Brian is author of the book, “20 Days to the Top-How the PRECISE Selling Formula Will Make You Your Company’s Top Sales Performer in 20 Days or Less.” To sign up for free sales training modules on getting to the top, go to www.precisesellingonline. com. Or drop Brian an e-mail at bsullivan@preciseselling.com.

P46 CANVAS february 2011

Book Recommendation

The Art of Non-Conformity »» By Chris Guillebeau

W

ith the changes that have occurred in our industry and our country, people seem to be searching for answers.

Chris Guillebeau offers an amazing perspective on how to find your way.

“The Art of Non-Conformity” doesn’t just challenge the status quo; it beats it up and leaves it for anyone not interested in truly living.

Guillebeau offers anyone who is open-minded, ready to challenge the status quo, hard-working, and personally responsible the chance to live a life of rare authenticity. He states, “The pathway to world domination, or whatever it is you want to do, begins with clearly understanding what you want to get out of life.”

Guillebeau’s book is refreshingly idealistic, and yet practical.

The book is divided into three sections. Part 1 delves into setting one’s own terms for living. This includes fear management and finding ways to “fight authority.” Part 2 provides advice on how to carve your own path without being permanently stuck in mind-numbing work that is simply meaningless.

Part 3 discusses finding a legacy in your work and letting go of things that weigh you down.

Guillebeau’s book is refreshingly idealistic, and yet practical.

If you haven’t awakened to the idea that short-term material gains are not the path to success, then you need to read “The Art of Non-Conformity.” If you are looking for meaning in what you do, then pick up a copy today. CANVAS highly recommends this book and encourages you to take your life back into your own hands.

P48 CANVAS february 2011

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