Canvas Magazine | Full Service

P10 Keep ’em coming back for more

CANVAS SUPPORTING THE PRINT SALES & MARKETING PROFESSIONAL

P24 Why I’m Loyal P30 What’s In a Name?

P36 Gold Medal Selling

JUNE 2009

Sponsored by

See page 16

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JUNE 2009

Publisher’s Thoughts A Blank Slate

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The Importance of Analytics P5

The NAPL’s Mike Philie answers your print sales questions P6

E-Publishing and Page-Turning Software P7

Reduced advertising during recession negatively impacts consumer perception P8

People News Graphic Imagery purchases HP Indigo 5500 digital press Sauers earns Certified Marketing Executive® Designation Rider Dickerson promotes Petrulakis to senior VP, business development Dome Printing expands

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Keep’em coming back for more Seeking out new clients is great, but here’s how to hang on to the ones you’ve already got

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Full Service Success stories of print providers and products that deliver more than just the printed page to customers

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Product Spotlight Finch HP

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Why I’m Loyal PUBLISHER

EDITORIAL BOARD

mark potter

lisa arsenault McArdle Printing Co.

MANAGING EDITOR

gary cone Litho Craft, Inc.

graham garrison

peter douglas Lake County Press

ART DIRECTOR brent cashman

aaron grohs Consolidated Graphics, Inc.

CONTRIBUTORS

ron lanio Geographics, Inc.

Linda Bishop, Gina Deschamps, Colleen Oakley and Brian Sullivan

randy parkes Lithographix, Inc.

Conversations with print buyers on why they retain vendors

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What’s in a Name?

Starting over isn’t so bad. As long as you value the one thing you’ll ever truly own.

P36

Gold Medal Selling How the formula for beating the 1980 Soviet hockey team can help you beat your biggest competitor

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War in the Boardroom

CANVAS magazine for more information: 678.473.6131, 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, Georgia 30097 CANVAS, Volume 3, Issue 3. Published bi-monthly, copyright 2009 CANVAS, All rights reserved. Subscriptions: $29.00 per year for individuals.

If you would like to subscribe or notify us of address changes, please contact us at 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, Georgia 30097.

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. Periodicals Postage Paid at Greenville, SC. Pending periodical #32 CANVAS magazine is dedicated to environmentally and socially responsible operations. We are proud to print this magazine on Sappi Opus® Dull Cover 80lb/216gsm and Opus Dull Text 80lb/118gsm, an industry leading environmentally responsible paper. Opus contains 10% post consumer waste and FSC chain of custody certification.

CANVAS

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A Blank Slate

A

A friend recently mentioned that she has been in a funk for a few months. This coming from one of the most positive people I know. She said that her business has fallen off a cliff and her belief was waning.

CANVAS

I struggled to find the right words. Then it struck me.

“Get in line because everybody is going through it,” I said bluntly.

Maybe she was expecting a Rah Rah speech. But the world has been kicked in the teeth and many

people won’t make it because they won’t accept it. I continued by letting her know the beauty of our situation. The landscape has been flattened and the opportunities abound for those that want to per-

PUBLISHER’S THOUGHTS

severe and not merely survive.

I hate the word survive. It’s like playing not to lose. What fun is that? “Oh yeah, I am so excited because I survived the last round of cuts my company made.” Or, “if we can just survive this downturn, we will be fine.”

Is the goal really just to survive? Or are we being challenged to think differently and behave differently?

Print is absolutely, positively, the most intimate way to connect with a market.

Last month, we put out CANVAS Digital and the feedback was extraordinary. Most everyone appreciated the fact that we are putting out more fabulous content and demonstrating new ways for printers to make money. However, I did receive a couple responses that chastised us for using an electronic vehicle. One person mentioned that he simply does not agree with a magazine that champions itself as a print supporter publishing material digitally. He promptly unsubscribed.

Make no mistake – we love print and the people who generate demand for it. But, we are not product focused and don’t believe you should be either. If you are spending 100 percent of your time evangelizing print, then that “whoosh” sound you just heard was the world passing you by. Print is absolutely, positively, the most intimate way to connect with a market. Our six printed issues are the flagship of our cause. However, you can sell more than print.

We have all heard that sales professionals who can sell solutions using a consultative approach are the best positioned for success. Well, the solutions of today are total solutions. They include print, but are not married to it entirely. The success factors that got you where you are today will not provide sustainable success in the digital world. Subsequently, direct marketing technologies are available, accessible, and moving toward optimization. The horse has left the barn and opportunities exist for wellpositioned print providers who have productized their offerings and can express their value-add.

There is no funk. The CANVAS is blank and you are the artist. Print is just one of the many colors you can use as you create your masterpiece. So buck up little campers. Survival is not in your vocabulary.

Words like “perseverance”, “determination”, and “creativity” will be the norm. These are the words of a new day filled with possibilities. Embrace it!

Mark Potter Publisher

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CANVAS JUNE 2009

X-Ray Vision

The Importance of Analytics

by Cyndie Shaffstall

M

Marketing and sales messages are important, but analyzing your messaging is where the smart money is.

I have a blog (http:cshaffstall.spidertrainersblog.com) where I try to help small com-

panies learn to play in the big field of SEO and SMO. A recent topic was how to use Google® Analytics to measure the success of a campaign and then to modify future campaigns based on the results. It’s a lesson everyone in sales and marketing could benefit from.

Email messaging to customers doesn’t always fall in the category of marketing.

Sometimes it’s just messaging: a new product, a store opening, an invitation, a posted report. The common thread is that you are sending an electronic message. Electronic messages can include an easy-to-use click-thru link that lands the customer squarely on Cyndie Shaffstall has worked in

a custom (measured and analyzed) Web page.

the marketing and publishing industries for more than three

Analyzing your message

decades. She is director of

Consider a customer message to impart; perhaps an invitation to attend a Webcast.

QuarkAlliance at Quark, Inc.,

There are lots of great opportunities in this email message, so don’t forget to use

and in her spare time she

personalization for the salutation and, if possible, more personalization in the body to

is editor and publisher of

speak to the customer.

X-Ray Magazine, managing

Now that you have the event and the message, plan ahead so that you get the best

member and inventor at

analytics possible. Divide your email list randomly. Don’t, for instance, divide them by

StrappyArt, LLC, SEO/SMO

state or gender. To really get a feel for how your customers are responding, it’s impera-

advisor at Spider Trainers,

tive that you don’t segment them in a manner that might skew your results. It may be

LLC, and the founder of

that people who work at a particular type of job find your topic interesting and that the

ThePowerXChange, LLC.

people who hold this job are more often men than women. Segmenting by gender will assuredly return artificial results.

If you have a very large list, start with just a few names (about 100 names per group) and create a separate landing page for each group’s registration. Each group’s invitation should be worded slightly different — the same invitation, just try appealing to their interest with different approaches.

The landing pages should include a form where your customer can register for the event. When a Web form is completed, it is either collected in a database or emailed to a pre-defined recipient; maybe that’s you.

Though Google Analytics makes it simple to track how many people click on the landing-page link and even how much time they spent on the landing page, it’s not critical. If you are managing your own list and the completed registration forms are forwarded to you, it will be easy enough to match up which of your groups is responding best. This tells you something about your message. Adapt and resend.

Don’t forget to create a new landing page. You want to know whether or not you experience the same rate of success with this group as with the test group.

It’s easy to analyze once and then get stuck in a rut. Just because one message type does well once, it doesn’t mean it will work every time. Try sending HTML messages compared to plain text. Try including graphics in some and not in others. No matter the variables of the test, every message campaign should start with one. It’s an easy first step, but it can keep you from sending an ineffective message; or worse.

Everyone wants to ensure effective messaging, and with today’s electronic ankle bracelets attached, you stand to create successively progressive results. It makes the gamble of messaging a whole lot less risky.

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CANVAS JUNE 2009

NAPL The NAPL’s Mike Philie answers your print sales questions In the long run Dear Mike, My company just bought a digital press to add to our sheet fed offering. We’ve got talented people in our pre-press area who are now in charge of this device. As a sales rep, I really don’t want to be out there selling $200 jobs – there’s not enough hours in the day for me to make money with this. The owner insists that we now start bringing in digital work as well. How should I handle this?

Digital Dan Mike Philie Mike: Dear Digital Dan, Look for opportunities to sell once, print often. What I mean are clients that use short run digital, static or variable to support their business every week or month. Try to establish a program where the files or orders come in via a Web-2-print or other e-commerce site without your having to re-sell and handle every order.

Through the cracks?

Dear Mike,

Have a Question?

Send it to DearMike@napl.org

I really do want to sell and build my business, but it seems like I’m always following up on my CSR and details in the plant. I can’t get out of the office! What can I do to get more time to sell?

Assistant Goalie

About the Author Mike Philie is a vice

Mike: Dear Assistant Goalie,

president and consultant

You were hired to sell, and the CSR was hired to handle the work inside the plant. Let your

with NAPL (www.napl.org).

manager know if things are falling through the cracks with the CSR as you are working to build

With 28 years of sales,

your business and need to be in front of customers. Don’t turn into a “drop and run” sales rep,

management and

continue to do your part of the sale and don’t forget to leave your sales hat on when you walk

executive leadership in

through the front door of the shop. Good luck!

the printing industry, he helps companies

Searching for the right course

optimize their business

Dear Mike,

and increase shareholder

My company is struggling. I hear through the grapevine that we’re having trouble buying paper. I’m

value. He advises clients

not sure if I should stay and support my company or should I look for another company to work for

on market and business

that is more financially stable. I don’t want to spook my customers but what should I do?

strategy, sales and business development,

Frantic Frank

sales and executive coaching, leading

Mike: Dear Frantic Frank,

organizational change,

Tough call and an issue that I hear often these days. I would have a heart-to-heart talk with your

business turnarounds, and

manager or the owner of the company about the situation. These usually turn into emotional

providing interim C-level

decisions but can be best made thinking objectively. If you’re like most reps, the company

management services.

stood by you when you got started and now they may need your help more than ever. There’s

He can be reached at

no right answer here. Get the facts, weigh your options and make the best decision you can

mphilie@napl.org or at

based on the information you have.

(410) 489-7188.

CANVAS

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Technology Corner

E-Publishing and Page-Turning Software

W

With the latest trend of going digital underway, print sales reps are left with a sense of unknown about the future. Can the digital trend actually enhance print? The digital movement has the opportunity to “piggy-back” print according to Jeff Kalman, president of iPaper. If the industry embraces digital while still respecting print, digital could enhance print rather than defeat it.

Page-turning software arose five years ago to enable printed material to be offered on the Internet. This can become a huge opportunity for print reps to offer their customers more options and better service.

Danish wisdom Page-turning software (also referred to as e-publishing) was created by two young Danish men exploring options to simplify the reading ability of a catalogue. The most viable option was to offer brochures, catalogues, and other printed material on the Internet. But, the presentation of the material on the Internet was not enough.

They were convinced that technologies such as page turning, zooming, animation, and more were in demand. The reasoning behind their curiosity was to present the content in a much more pleasant manner and make it easier for readers to find their way around the material. The demand

The real question is whether or not the digital sprawl with page-turning technology is going to hurt print.

for page-turning software grew, and numerous organizations such as iPaper and zmags offer the easy software to the public.

E-publishing opens the door for technologies that were never foreseen for the Internet. Readers can view the document with simple navigation, page scrolling, and zoom functions. Also, the document can be downloaded in PDF and printed or emailed to friends.

The list goes on and on with keyword search and the capability to publish in

different languages. There are many different modules also to choose from depending on the type of publication being transformed. Contact any page turning company to help determine which one fits best for you.

The real question is whether or not the digital sprawl with page-turning technology is going to hurt print. Indications are no. In fact, it seems to be functioning as quite a complement. If print sales reps are going to lose print, at least let them lose it to themselves. Don’t just let the sale fall through the floor, instead expect the cut with print and offer the digital option as a backup. Kalman, speaking on the issue of falling print sales, says: “the hardest thing to do for print reps is to break out of the print-only paradigm and think about a media service provider.” In other words, don’t solely rely on print nor abandon it, find a happy medium by combining digital and print.

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CANVAS JUNE 2009

Reduced advertising during recession negatively impacts consumer perception In the 2009 Advertising’s Impact in a Soft Economy, Ad-ology Research studied adults’ perceptions about companies that continue to advertise or do not advertise during a recession. The findings are particularly valuable for printing companies and their sales representatives as well as their customers.

More than 48 percent of U.S. adults believe that a lack of advertising by a retail store, bank or auto dealership during a recession indicates the business must be struggling.

Likewise, a vast majority perceive businesses that continue to advertise as being competitive or committed to doing business.

The study finds that advertising appears to play a key role in consumers’ views of how a busi-

To read Print in the Mix

ness is doing, and by not advertising, businesses may be sending a warning signal to current

print market research

and potential customers.

studies, go to www.printinthemix.rit.edu.

Other key findings:

Print in the Mix is a free

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and easily accessible

an ad within the last 30 days that led them to take action.

clearinghouse of

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research on print media

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effectiveness, published

than they were a year ago.

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by the Printing Industry Center at RIT and made possible by a grant from The Print Council (www.theprintcouncil.org).

CANVAS

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People News Graphic Imagery purchases HP Indigo 5500 digital press San Francisco, Calif.-based Graphic Imagery, Inc. recently purchased an HP Indigo 5500 digital press to help better serve its customers.

The company, which already has three offset lithographic presses, a letterpress and comprehensive prepress and bindery equipment, can now offer in-house digital printing and variable-data capabilities to clients. The HP In-

Rider Dickerson, Inc. announced that

digo 5500 allows Graphic Imagery to produce quality digitally-printed material with

Dean Petrulakis has been promoted to

great flexibility in terms of quantity, turnaround time, workflow and personalization.

senior VP, business development. In his

“The addition of the Indigo to our existing stable of equipment essentially

expanded role, Petrulakis will lead key

rounds out the printing services we offer at the quarter-size – or 20-inch – sheet

new business initiatives as Rider Dick-

format,” said Stuart Imison, president of Graphic Imagery (pictured). “We are

erson continues to expand its printing

focused on anticipating and meeting the evolving needs of our customers in that

and marketing services capabilities.

particular space – including the need to work with tighter budgets. We think we are better positioned to do that with a digital press.”

“We are excited about this new opportunity for Dean,” said President Bill

Imison added, “We know that brokers, designers and print buyers have plenty of options

Barta. “He has been a key member of our

when it comes to buying print. We are a relatively small shop and by being focused

sales team for eight years. We are looking

we believe we can differentiate ourselves based on service, knowledge and pricing.”

to him to continue growing his business

Earlier in the year Graphic Imagery moved to larger premises that can accom-

with existing and new customers while

modate the new digital press. “We are looking forward with optimism and be-

taking on more company-wide initiatives

lieve that even in the current economic environment, smart investments that are

that will poise Rider Dickerson for growth

focused on customer needs make good business sense,” said Imison

in the years ahead.”

Sauers earns Certified Marketing Executive® Designation nounced that Ryan Sauers, President/CMO of Sauers

Dome Printing expands

Communications, LLC, Stone Mountain, Ga., has earned

Sacramento, Calif.-based Dome Print-

the designation of Certified Marketing Executive (CME®).

ing opened its Dome Direct, digital

Sales and Marketing Executives International (SMEI) an-

®

The CME distinction is conferred on individuals who

print, direct mail and fulfillment center.

pass an examination covering fundamental professional

The new 40,000 square foot facility will

sales and marketing competencies, as identified by se-

create a total of 135,000 square feet of

nior professionals in sales and marketing. The certification

manufacturing for the company. Dome

exam is administered by the Certified Marketing & Sales

mails about 6 million pieces each

Professionals Association, while SMEI bestows the recognition of the award.

“SMEI commends Ryan Sauers for achieving this professional distinction,” said ®

month, according to the company.

“When we made this investment we

Willis Turner, CAE, CSE, President & CEO of SMEI. “Receiving the CME desig-

researched and purchased the new-

nation is an exhaustive process, but its fruits are realized in the professional op-

est technology available,” said Andy

portunities and recognition available to those who achieve it.”

Poole, partner. “We created a com-

As part of the process toward certification, Ryan Sauers passed a rigid examination and studied hundreds of mini case examples illustrating what leading companies are doing to meet the challenges of the constantly changing sales and marketing environment.

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Rider Dickerson promotes Petrulakis to senior VP, business development

prehensive facility that will meet the needs of our customers.”

“Dome Printing is committed to being more to our clients,” said Tim Poole,

“SMEI acts as an international clearinghouse for content and information that

partner. “We are a solution provider,

members can use to assist with solving problems for their clients and compa-

offering services that will allow clients

nies,” Turner said. “Because it offers shared experience and knowledge from

to gain the most from their marketing

industry leaders around the world, SMEI is an intelligent alternative for many

dollars. This is even more important

individuals who desire to enhance their professional standing.”

now with the struggling economy.”

CANVAS JUNE 2009

Keep ’em coming

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CANVAS JUNE 2009

back

for more Seeking out new clients is great, but here’s how to hang on to the ones you’ve already got

By Colleen Oakley

What do the Coca Colas, McDonalds and Macys of this world have in common? Customer loyalty. It’s easy for them – they’ve spent years establishing a huge national brand, recognizable even by children. And they have marketing gurus working round the clock to make sure it stays that way, because they know keeping customers – not just acquiring new ones – is the formula to a recession-proof company.

The good news? You don’t have to be a multi-billion dollar organization to create devoted customers.

CANVAS spoke with printing reps to learn some tricks of the trade in keeping good clients coming back year after year. They offered the following:

CANVAS

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Keep’em coming back for more

Create a schedule “At the beginning of each year we sit down with the top 20 percent of our clients and make a schedule of dates for all the products they need that year – when the files need to be sent, and the products need to be finished,” says Tony Rife, vice president of sales and marketing at Caskey Printing, Inc. “We hold each other accountable. They rest assured that we’re staying on top of their needs, adhering to the calendar, and we know that they’ll stick with us throughout the year.”

Be competitive “In this economy, even your best customers are under intense pressure to get the lowest price,” says Tim Bryant, vice president of sales and marketing at Daniels Graphics. “You may have to make cost cuts from within to get down to their price, but if it’s feasible, it’s worth it to let that client know you’re doing everything you can to work within their budget.”

“If every November you know that a customer starts working on a yearly project, go to them first and say we know what you need and what the deadlines are. Nine times out of ten, they won’t put a bid out for the project because you’re already in front of them, ready to go.”

– Tony Rife, Caskey Printing, Inc.

Get something in return When you are able to come down on price, “try and get something in return, like an extension on the contract,” says David Pilcher, vice president of sales and marketing at Freeport Press Inc. Monopolize on opportunities in a recession so that it’s a winwin for everyone.

Do your research “Keep up-to-date with your customers’ industries and help them look good,” says Bryant. “In this market, people are sometimes doing the job of what normally would be two or three people, and don’t necessarily have time to keep up with everything. I’ll send an email two or three times a week with information that is helpful to them to their job. That way, the correspondence between us isn’t simply me looking for a print order or giving them a quote on a project.” An easy way to keep up with other industries is to create Google Alerts that will scour the Web for you and send news items on specific topics to your email every day.

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CANVAS JUNE 2009

Keep’em coming back for more

Keep up with your own industry “We belong to PODI (Print On Demand Initiative),” says Rife. “If our customers are trying to decide what’s best for a specific project, we can throw out case studies and say this is what’s worked in other parts of the country.” Customers can tell when you’ve done your homework – and they want to stick with the printers that have.

Know what your customer is going to order before they order it If you have a client that prints a big yearly project, don’t wait for them to come to you with the order. “Successful reps know their clients in and out – including the history of their orders,” says Rife. “If every November you know that a customer starts working on a yearly project, go to them first and say we know what you need and what the deadlines are. Nine times out of ten, they won’t put a bid out for the project because you’re already in front of them, ready to go.”

Maintain regular contact “Customers are like friends,” says Pilcher. “The more you listen to them, share ideas on what’s going on with your business, and develop real relationships, the more loyal they are likely to be. The economy is tough and lower prices from other companies can be tempting, but change is difficult and it’s harder to leave someone you consider a friend.”

When you offer added services, besides printing, you become a larger part of how your customers do business, making it difficult for them to just pick up and go.

Find creative excuses to stay in front of your customers “Every month we come up with an educational topic to send out with our bill insert in the mail,” says Rife. “This month we’re talking about the FSC and we put information on our Web site about it as well. That way our reps have something to discuss with our customers, whether orders are coming in or not. It keeps us in front of the customer, retaining the base.”

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CANVAS JUNE 2009

Stay focused “These are unusual times. You have to continue to believe you are one of the printers that will stay on top with effort, quality, service and pricing¸ and make sure your reps believe it too,” says Pilcher. “Salespeople can make or break a print organization. Each salesperson must have clear goals and those goals must be congruent with the company’s goals.”

Make it hard for them to leave When you offer added services, besides printing, you become a larger part of how your customers do business, making it difficult for them to just pick up and go. “We have postal accounts online where customers can just dump money into them and we take care of the rest,” says Rife. “It’s simple, but they do it every quarter, so we know they’re in for at least one more quarter with us.”

Make sure your customers are printing the right pieces It can’t be said enough – printers can’t just print anymore. “We study the pieces customers give us and make sure it’s the right solution for their business. In other words, will it give them a return on their investment?” says Rife. “Reps aren’t just order takers. The best ones understand that they are solution providers.”

Campaign for a Cause One printing company found a way to retain customers and help the community. Now that’s good business.

It started out as a funny gimmick. “The economy’s tough

Daniels Graphics donated cans of food and dry goods

and we wanted to give our customers a laugh,” says

for every print order they received during the month of

Tim Bryant, vice president of sales and marketing at

May. In addition, their employees participated by bring-

Daniels Graphics. So they took a picture of each em-

ing in food to donate. For every five cans they brought

ployee at Daniels holding up a cardboard sign that said

in they were entered in a drawing to win a paid day off

“Will Print For Food.”

and $50 in cash.

“Originally we had planned to send out the pictures on a

“Our customers also started getting involved by

card thanking our customers for their business and includ-

donating food,” says Bryant. “Several allowed us to place

ing the new print samples,” says Bryant.

55-gallon drums in their facilities so their employees

But the idea snowballed. “As we thought more about it, we realized it was the perfect opportunity to try and give back and help our community,” he says.

could participate.”

Bryant acknowledges that it’s been a great way to brand the company and have a good cause associated with the

They formed a partnership with MANNA Food Bank,

Daniels name, but he says it’s about more than that. “All you

a local non-profit in Asheville, N.C., and the “Will Print

hear is negative news these days,” he says. “Everyone is so

for Food” campaign was born. During the month of May,

down. We say let’s take the time to give back instead.”

For more information on the campaign, go to www.danielsgraphics.com.

CANVAS

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CANVAS JUNE 2009

Success stories of print providers and products that deliver more than just the printed page to customers

Word gets around.

And for print providers looking to position themselves as marketing service providers, that is deďŹ nitely a good thing. The following are success stories of print providers and products that have delivered their clients ROI, faster turnaround times and new possibilities when it comes to cultivating customer relationships.

By Graham Garrison

This article is sponsored by

CANVAS

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Full Service

Fast Turnarounds Embrace the inevitable. George Fry, managing director of Convertible Solutions, says the days of “Hope and Quote” in the print industry are gone.

With competition from other print providers and new media, commercial printers have to get savvy

Success Story – Same Day Benchmark

or else become merely a commodity. They have to start looking at themselves as a full service print

The following is what the “100 percent mail out” looked

provider. Fry sees it as an opportunity to redefine.

like to a number of different customers:

“Traditional print has an opportunity as a print

“You’re a print provider, say Ace Printing,” Fry

provider to add value in the relationships they

explains. “You have a customer that you do work for on

have with their customers,” he says. “What we’re

a weekly basis – R&R Manufacturer. The manufacturer

seeing is the final acceptance of the commercial

calls Ace Printing and says ‘I need 2,500 ‘008s’ printed

printer that’s turned into the print provider in embracing a marketing mentality.”

Convertible Solutions has positioned itself in the marketing service segment with pre-converted

up ASAP. I will have files coming to you by 11 a.m.’ Ace Printing has an ftp site where those files are sent to him.

He extrapolates all of that information. He already has paper in stock, all his inventory. He sets up a production time and at 1 p.m. he is on the press. He’s producing

“What we’re seeing is the final acceptance of the commercial printer that’s turned into the print provider in embracing a marketing mentality.”

2,500 of these pieces. It has to be in the mail by 6 p.m.

He would like to be. He could mail it next day, but his goal is to provide something that no one else does – what his competitors cannot do. By 3 p.m., he’s done printing. By 4 p.m., he has finished trim, folding and sealing the product. By 5:30-6 p.m. he is at the post office with this in the mail that same day.”

Success Story – Coupons Convertible Solutions products include envelopes, CD/ DVD mailers and coupons. A recent customer who owned a start-up business needed some exposure, so he sent out a mailing of 25,000 redeemable coupons.

Each coupon had an individual’s name and code

– George Fry, Convertible Solutions

number, so when they redid the program the following month, they’d know the individual that came in to

products that allow print providers to deliver “100 percent mail out to the public for their customer,”

“That’s an important part in all of this – how you tie in

says Fry. Traditionally, if a print provider has a run

the data and marketing through these pieces,” says Fry.

of a few thousand personalized pieces, there’d be a

Within a few days, his response rate was 23 percent.

void created by waste in the process at the bindery and finishing houses. That costs time. Convertible Solutions’ products are designed to make up that shortfall instantaneously, at the print provider. The template-based program can be purchased directly or through some approved resellers. A customization program gives print providers the ability to design their own pieces to run on digital presses.

P18

redeem the coupon.

CANVAS JUNE 2009

By the 10th day, it was only down to 9 percent.

Reeling in Responses For Classic Graphics, marketing services is an integration of a wide range of capabilities to one point of contact, says Bill Nanny, director of Marketing Technology. “While capabilities include printing, printing is frequently not the cornerstone. Strategic selling is the base for creating this business.”

Classic Graphics has used the strategic selling approach to distance itself from an order-taker mentality. According to Nanny, the print provider tries to discover what its customers’ goals are, what

Success Story – Feedback Epocrates sends doctors updates called “doc-alerts” with online news content

the obstacles may be in a project idea, and then offer the best ap-

tailored toward their specific field on a

proach, often with multiple services.

regular basis. That’s their readership.

“Results have to be measured, analyzed and refined to achieve those goals,” he says.

Talk of measurement always leads to ROI, and Nanny says he only sees the demand for ROI in marketing services increasing. In a recent “Marketer’s Top 10 Priorities for 2009” article that ranked the top 10 priorities, Nanny says that ROI jumped from sixth to third this year. The influx of new technology means print providers have more ways of delivering higher ROIs, but it also means a change in the way they do business.

“Increasingly, graphics companies will diversify their services to

Their customers/advertisers are pharmaceutical companies looking to get their brand noticed by the doctors.

Epocrates sought the help of Classic Graphics in a direct mail/PURL campaign to better understand the needs of pharmaceutical brands managers. The managers received a mailed piece (mailed to about 1,500 people) with variable data

provide single source communications from concept to (precise)

and a “call-to-action” PURL to get more

distribution,” he says.

information and register for a contest put on by Epocrates. The PURL provided

Success Story – Santa, Here We Come!

What’s better than making a Christmas wish come true? Classic Graphics was selected by Soubriet Byrne & Associates, representing Finnair, Finland’s national airline, for a direct mail/PURL campaign in the New York area promoting special fares to Finland, with a visit to Rovaniemi, where Santa Claus actually lives. Finnair holds the title of “Official Airline for Santa Claus.” The mailing was to a select group of 11,000 high-net worth households with children (ages 5 to 10) residing in Manhattan, Nassau and Westchester counties.

“Finnair has daily flights in and out of Kennedy Airport so logistics and proximity played a major role in this promo,” says Nanny.

Classic Graphics digitally printed a self-mailer with variable data points within the text and four call-toactions for the recipient to login to a personalized Web site (hosted by Classic Graphics) so they could complete the story from the self mailer and view travel packages to Finland. The landing page for the promotion made use of existing videos for Finnair (www.visitsantaland. net/johnsample) The campaign got an unprecedented response.

“Finnair received a 600 percent increase in traffic over the previous year’s campaign to promote tourist travel to Finland (visit Santa) in December,” says Nanny.

three questions and an opportunity for the brand managers to voice their concerns/ specific questions on how to get doctors to see their products. Epocrates used the information compiled to follow-up with the brand managers and see how their product could best serve them in a sale. The campaign led to new clients for Epocrates and a ton of interest overall.

“It was a home run,” Nanny says.

The influx of new technology means print providers have more ways of delivering higher ROIs, but it also means a change in the way they do business.

CANVAS

P19

Full Service

Piece of the ROI Pie Connie Hill, president of TFC, sees no reason for companies to expect a low return on investment for marketing campaigns. TFC defines itself as a marketing automation company that is built upon technology and process. “It’s the combination of those two that delivers efficiency and effectiveness,” Hill says. TFC’s products and services allow customers to aggregate their customer data

Success Story – Data Mart & Analyzer Delivering improved ROI varies by customer but the ability to analyze data helps target specific messages

to analyze their customers, execute programs in

that improve campaign performance and increases

a multi-channel environment (online and offline),

ROI. For example, the use of an on-demand customer

and measure success practically in real-time.

data mart and analyzer application allows Costco to

Hill spoke in March at the NAPL Conference about how quickly communication is changing.

“Customers are interacting with companies in various communication channels,” she says.

“Marketers are challenged with tracking, managing and understanding the customer as they connect in what marketers call multiple touch

analyze campaign results and propensity behaviors quickly. According to Database Marketing Manager Robert Csonaki, Costco is equipped to make faster decisions, better target up-sell opportunities and can “breathe life into more conceptual ideas that have been shelved for months.”

points. A consumer can use the Web to gather information, perhaps download a coupon and then walk into a store to buy something. If that’s now the consumer’s decision-making mode, how do marketers tap into that and create programs

Success Story – Triggers

that deliver a measurable ROI?” Customers are getting more sophisticated.

COIT, a national franchising organization, uses

Segmentation is more granular and marketers

the data mart and customer analyzer to better

are getting close to being able to communica-

understand their customers. COIT also uses the MarketplatformTM multi-channel execution tool to

Success Story – Contact Preferences

manage the communications sent to their customers.

By creating triggers, campaigns can be executed in email or in postcard format automatically. This level of automation provides productivity savings, and improves campaign ROI – because the right message has been sent to the right customer, at the right time

One of TFC’s clients, a national insurance

in the right channel ... automatically.

agency, is capitalizing on customer data that cites preferences on how they respond to local branches. The agency is using the data to support a direct marketing campaign, Hill says, by trying to reach customers where they show the propensity to interact via direct mail, and have no propensity to interact through an office or

tion with their customers one to one. Hill says that with the complexity and challenge comes opportunity but the opportunity involves more than just traditional channels. For instance, direct mail may still play a role in a company’s marketing mix, but it could be to a much narrower audience (See the success story on Contact Preferences).

“Printers might want to take a look at this,” she says. “Because

branch. “Now they’re able to do greater

if you are printing direct mail or catalogs as a major part of your

targeting and mail less, be more specific

business, that’s going to be shrinking and what will printers do to

and add more personalization to make the

fill that gap?”

campaign more targeted and effective,” she says. “They got immediate insight when they implemented the technology.”

HP is proud to sponsor CANVAS and wants to help you provide “Full Service” to your clients. We invite you to visit the HP Digital Printing Resource Center to download white papers, view on-demand press demos, webinars and more.

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CANVAS JUNE 2009

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CANVAS

P23

Loyal Why I’m

P24

CANVAS JUNE 2009

Conversations with print buyers on why they retain vendors

By Linda Bishop

G

reg was having lunch with his best

watch out for me. That’s why I want you to know this decision

client, Susan. Susan was usually en-

has nothing to do with the service you provide.”

thusiastic about trying new restau-

Greg’s stomach lurched as he listened.

rants and that’s why he’d chosen

“The company had a rough quarter. We’re not losing money,

this place with its trendy, over-the-

but were not making much either. My boss decided to make

top décor and exotic mix of French-Asian cuisine. But

changes and he has contracted with a sourcing company to do

she’d been unusually quiet when he picked her up at

all that print buying.”

her office, and seemed distracted as she picked at the ahi tuna on its bed of organic greens.

Greg regarded Susan as a friend as well as a client, so he asked, “Is everything okay?”

With a sigh, she put down her fork and looked directly at him, unhappiness on her face. “You know I

Greg was stunned. Susan had never said a word about this before now. All these years they had worked together, all that he had done to make sure her jobs went smooth — didn’t that mean anything?

Shock turned to anger. She should have said something.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” he demanded.

think you’re the best printer in town and I love work-

Susan lifted drooping hands, a helpless gesture. “I couldn’t.

ing with you.” Susan’s tone was serious. “You always

My boss told me to keep it confidential while the negotiations were in progress.” She reached across the table and patted Greg on the arm. “Don’t worry. I made the sourcing company promise to bid you on every job. I’m sure you’ll still get most of the work,” she said but the words lacked conviction.

CANVAS

P25

Why I’m Loyal

Defending loyalty More than once, I stood in Greg’s shoes. Loyal clients made changes and I lost business as a result. I learned a painful lesson. People can be loyal but companies never are.

Loyalty is an emotion. It’s faithfulness, an allegiance where consistent, steadfast support is offered by the loyal parties.

Yet no organization feels emotion, and many are corporate entities organized for one purpose — to make a profit. All organizations seek dependable partners to help them succeed in their pursuit to achieve goals and meet objectives.

Individual employees within organizations are permitted to be loyal to vendors as long as the organization is successful. When targets are missed, loyalty is questioned and buyers must defend their choices with logical reasons for loyalty like: UÊ Ý«iÀÌ Ãi UÊ µÕ « i Ì UÊ/ÕÀ >À Õ `ÊÌ ià UÊ i«i `>L ÌÞ°

“I know we’re all being stretched, but when I ask for something just tell me yes or no. Don’t complain.

Recognize that I am being pushed to produce jobs faster-quicker-cheaper, so help me meet my goals.

Give me ideas and suggestions. That’s what makes you a collaborator and a partner, not just a printer.”

— Tammy Ryan, senior production manager, Young & Rubicam

By nature, some buyers are more loyal than others. Loyal buyers value personal relationships and connect well with people. They discern and appreciate intangible factors relating to servicing experiences, and don’t believe print is a commodity.

Peter Witt, production manager at Chicago, Ill.-based Lighthouse Marketing, Inc., deals with a small and select group of vendors and feels loyal to the group. “I have to trust them. Trust is everything,” Witt said.

When he gets a quote he reviews the specs and decides who can best produce the project. Sometimes he gets bids, but often he calls the vendor who he believes provides the optimum mix of quality, price and delivery schedule. Ê>à i`Ê7 ÌÌ]ʺ7 >ÌÊÃÌ «ÃÊÞ ÕÊvÀ ÊLi }Ê Þ> ¶Ê7 >ÌÊ¼Õ Ãi Ã½Ê a printer?”

“Broken promises, discrepancies in price, and missing important details. The first question I ask is whether or not the vendor can do the job and do it right. If you can’t do it right, then your price doesn’t matter.”

“Do you ever ask preferred vendors to match or reduce their price?” I said.

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CANVAS JUNE 2009

“Sometimes I have to because I’ve been handed a budget, but I still need the job done right. My best vendors often cut prices without me asking. They find a better way to do the job and pass the savings on to me. Those are the vendors I will go to bat for.”

Vendor appreciation Tammy Ryan, senior production manager at San Francisco, Calif.based Young & Rubicam, had this to say about loyalty. “To me, relationships are critically important. They’re everything. I expect my partners to act with integrity because I have to trust them.”

“What makes you appreciate a vendor?” I asked.

“I know we’re all being stretched, but when I ask for something just tell me yes or no. Don’t complain. Recognize that I am being pushed to produce jobs faster-quicker-cheaper, so help me meet my goals. Give me ideas and suggestions. That’s what makes you a collaborator and a partner, not just a printer.”

“Are you getting a lot of calls from printers looking for work?”

“I probably get three calls a day. Before I ever add a printer I ask myself how hard they will work for me. If I sense that the salesperson is only interested in jobs that are easy to produce, I know that’s not the right person for the agency.”

“Can you share a tip for printers who want to know how to make a buyer like you loyal?”

It’s still important to recognize buyer loyalty is not carved in stone.

“I want my printer/partners to help me think of solutions — if we had issues in the past, let’s not go there again,” says Ryan. “I don’t want to hear who is to blame. I need to hear solutions to issues we may run up against, based on past experiences. And, if you don’t

CANVAS

P27

Why I’m Loyal

have the answer right away, I can trust that my

needed to run 500 cards on his digital press and Fed Ex them out

printer/partner will look into it and get back to

that night. He got it done without a big rush charge. When you get

me in a timely manner. “

service like that, you remember it.”

“What else are you looking for?” I said.

Beware complacency

“Show me my business is important to your company. I may

John was the third buyer I spoke to. He works for

not be your biggest account, but when I have a problem, I

a large entertainment company.

want to be able to count on you to do whatever it takes to

“We have printed with one vendor for 25 years.

solve it.”

He’s complacent and there’s a definite feeling of entitlement, as if the owner of the company be-

What about your customers? Are they loyal?

lieves the situation will never change,” John told

Are you the first person customers call when they have an oppor-

me. “We have a contract in place, but that con-

tunity? Do they allow you to quote on every job that fits your shop?

tract will end one day.”

Do they give you information and guidance on pricing so you have

“Does that printer get everything?”

a real shot at getting the job?

“No,” John says. “I send as much work as I

Perhaps they’re doing all of that, but it’s still important to recog-

can to another printer I brought in. He’s glad to

nize buyer loyalty is not carved in stone. In the opening story, shift-

do whatever it takes to make us happy. Just last

ing circumstances forced Susan’s company to reexamine choices and

week, I called him in the afternoon and told him I

make changes. It’s likely that something similar is happening inside

When dealing with any customer, satisfied or loyal, fix annoyances before they turn into pain. Customers are annoyed when salespeople don’t return phone calls quickly. They hate it when you don’t listen to instructions, and your pricing is incorrect as a result. one of your good accounts. When that’s the case, follow the advice I share in my book, “Selling in Tough Times.”

During tough times internal pressures test loyal buyers.

The buyer hears from the boss and the boss says, “Why are you buying from Sue? We could get it cheaper from someone else.”

Be sensitive to forces at work in your customer’s world. Loyal customers won’t always come right out and say, “If you don’t cut your price, I’ll have to look for another supplier.”

More often, they hint. Your loyal customer may tell you about the last staff meeting where the boss demanded the team work to slash costs. Or they mention they’re concerned about company-wide budget cuts or layoffs.

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CANVAS JUNE 2009

Don’t ignore hints. Don’t assume your champion can withstand

Talk to your regular customers. Find out what

internal pressures. Don’t assume past loyalty is an accurate predic-

makes them loyal and what irritates them. Use the

tor of future behavior.

information to add value to their buying experience,

Ask questions. Find out what your customer is thinking right now.

strengthen relationships and create loyalty.

Find out what you need to do right now.

When dealing with any customer, satisfied or loyal, fix annoyances before they turn into pain. Customers are annoyed when salespeople don’t return phone calls quickly. They hate it when you don’t listen to instructions, and your pricing is incorrect as a result.

They don’t like it when accounting calls to tell them your invoice is wrong — again!

Are any of these crimes enough to get you fired as a supplier?

In tough tim es, pressures intensify. Bosses demand results. Tight staffing leads people to feel overworked. Buyers worry more. They have less patience for the mistakes by salespeople.

When the buyer complains, fix the problem even when it strikes you as trivial. Smart salespeople know it’s always easier to continue to sell to current customers than it is to find new ones.

By design Buyer loyalty is never a lucky accident. You earn it day in, day out with your actions. Loyal customers pay a premium because you

When the buyer complains, fix the problem even when it strikes you as trivial.

proved you’re worth a higher price. They give you more opportunities and help you work out problems when they arise.

Linda Bishop has spent over 20 years in sales and marketing. She was previously vice president of marketing for IPD printing, presently owned by RR Donnelly. In 2005, she started Thought Transformation, a national firm dedicated to helping clients add sales dollars by developing an educated and professional sales force.

CANVAS

P29

What’s in a Name?

Starting over isn’t so bad. As long as you value the one thing you’ll ever trulyy own. y

P30

CANVAS JUNE 2009

I

f someone had told me that I would be working as a print sales rep five years ago, I would have said “no way – absolutely not!” You see, I was very happily working on the other side – the paper industry. In

fact, I grew up at one of the most respected merchants in New England, a place where you had to wait for someone to retire to get a job. I lucked out and was hired as one of the company’s first woman managers (and it wasn’t that long ago)! I spent 15 years there working in a number of different jobs and was fortunate enough to work with some legendary sales reps. I was also mentored by people who were truly the best.

From there, I went to work for a major coated paper manufacturer as a regional manager, a dream job that lasted almost four years. But the paper industry was changing in an enormous way and middle managers were about to become a thing of the past (at least for me).

CANVAS

P31

What’s In a Name?

It is so important to care for it that when your name is spoken, people immediately conjure up a mental image of who you are.

Pink slip This is where you have to reach into your soul to understand what you are made of. I would be lying if I said that being laid off was not devastating – it was. I took that pink slip as a judgment of my ability and my work ethic – something that had never happened before.

I was told not to take it personally, but when you define yourself by what you do, by working as hard as you can and being proud enough to put your name all over everything that you do, it’s very difficult not to take it personally.

So, after spending a couple of months attempting to find a suitable job in the paper industry and having no luck, my husband suggested that I work at his printing company. I have to admit that while I wasn’t thrilled, it did seem like a good solution. The only thing is that I had never worked as a commissioned salesperson before. So the idea of starting all over again was nothing short of terrifying.

Yet being laid-off was the best thing that ever happened to me. The whole experience made me a better person and a better professional. It reminded me that what is truly important is who you are as a person. It reminded me of one very important lesson that my grandfather taught me as a child – it’s all about your name.

P32

CANVAS JUNE 2009

My grandfather taught me that the only thing you own in your lifetime is your name, so you best take very good care of it. You enter the world with it and you leave the world with it. In fact, it is so important to care for it that when your name is spoken, people immediately conjure up a mental image of who you are. Are you dependable, a good person, or funny? So, it’s a little ironic that I now work for a company

If you don’t care how you are perceived, then your success is most likely going to be short-lived. that has my last name on the front door. With it comes more responsibility, but I also get to decide how my clients think of our company – in large part, I am in control of whether or not they want to do business with us. It’s a very exciting place to be. Even in these challenging times, there is still a lot of opportunity.

CANVAS

P33

What’s In a Name?

From scratch to millions Five years later, I am now selling several million dollars of printing. People ask me all the time, how did you do that? How did you go from absolutely zero to where you are right now? While fear of failing spurred me on, at first I couldn’t answer them.

But then I realized that it all goes back to that little lesson that my grandfather taught me – it’s all about your name. If you don’t care how you are perceived, then your success is most likely going to be short-lived. For me, it has been the commitment to provide the very best service possible. I am going to be a resource to my clients. I am going to do what I said I would do. And when something goes wrong – which it sometimes does, I am going to make it right. I put my name on everything that I do so my clients are glad that they got me involved. In short, I work as hard as I can so that at the end of the day, I know I did everything I could.

But, I also want to learn to be better at what I do. It’s critical to truly help clients be better at what they do.

Ironically, I actually call on the same people that I have always called on, I just happen to be selling something different. My

My clients have come to trust me over the years; it’s about recognizing that I am only as good as the people who allow me through the front door based upon my reputation and that of the company of people that help me do what I do every day.

clients have come to trust me over the years; it’s about recognizing that I am only as good as the people who allow me through the front door based upon my reputation and that of the company of people that help me do what I do every day. It’s about really caring about the outcome of every printing project that I have the privilege of handling every day.

So what’s in it for you? Your name. As a printing sales professional, your name is everything – and taking care of it could just be the single most important thing that you do.

Gina Deschamps has been working in the graphic arts industry for twenty-five years and is currently co-owner of Deschamps Printing Company, Inc. located in Salem, MA. Actively involved in several industry organizations, she is also finishing work on a Doctorate in Business Administration

P34

CANVAS JUNE 2009

Gold Medal Selling P36

CANVAS JUNE 2009

How the formula for beating the 1980 Soviet hockey team can help you beat your biggest competitor

“

D

o you believe in miracles? Yes!” were the words play-by-play man Al Michaels shouted as the U.S. Olympic Hockey team defeated the “unbeatable” Soviets at the 1980 Winter Olympics. If you are

old enough to remember that game, you are old enough to remember the exhilaration and pride that all Americans felt as a band of college and amateur players took on an opponent that

By Brian Sullivan

was bigger, more talented, more skilled and a whole lot faster.

CANVAS

P37

Gold Medal Selling

The lesson learned was that talent alone does

Enjoy every moment of preparation as much as you enjoy the victory

not create winners. Recently, I had the opportu-

This one isn’t easy. Playing the game is a lot more fun than prac-

nity to interview Rob McClanahan on my weekly

ticing, isn’t it? But enjoying prep and practice time is a choice,

radio show. McClanahan was one of the key play-

and one that has a direct impact on business “game day.” For

ers on that Gold Medal team, and everything he

instance, are you somebody who dreads attending the sales

said applied to business. The following were his

meeting because you won’t get anything out of it? Or are you the

lessons from that victory over the Soviets on the

type who looks forward to getting new ideas from peers, lead-

way to the gold:

ers and partners? Are you the type that would rather jump off a bridge than “role play” a sales or leadership coaching scenario?

You control your ability

Or are you the type that, despite the pain, knows the only way

Ability comes in two ways. You are either born

you can become great at selling is by practicing selling. You see,

with it, or you acquire it. The great thing is, you

it’s a choice. And by choosing to enjoy learning and practice time,

can be born with less ability than somebody else,

rather than loath it, you will be more apt to do it. And by out-prac-

but choose to work harder to acquire more. The

ticing your sometimes-stronger competition, you will outperform

starting point may not be your choice, but the

them on game day.

ending point is. So what are the ways you can increase your ability? The best way is to dedicate

What you should practice

time each week to work on it.

Salespeople should craft then practice delivering the following: UÊÊ/ iÊ ÌÀ `ÕVÌ ÊÞ ÕÊÕÃiÊ Ê>ÊV `ÊV> ÊÌ >ÌÊÜ ÊVÀi>ÌiÊÀiëiVÌÊ and trust, then curiosity.

UÊÊ/ iÊëiV wVʵÕiÃÌ ÃÊÞ ÕÊ>à ÊÌ Êw `Ê ÕÌÊÜ >ÌÊÌ iÊ«À ëiVÌÊ likes and doesn’t like about their current supplier.

Dream Big Things: Herb Brooks, coach of the 1980 Gold Medal team, said it well when he said:

“We should be dreaming.

We grew up as kids having dreams, but now we’re too sophisticated as adults, as a nation. We stopped dreaming. We should always have dreams.”

UÊÊ/ iÊÕ `iÀÊÓxÊÃiV `ʺi iÛ>Ì ÀÊ« ÌV »ÊÞ ÕÊÕÃiÊÜ i Ê>Ê«À ëiVÌÊ asks, “Who are you and what makes you so much better than the competition?”

UÊÊ ÊÀië ÃiÃÊÌ ÊV Ê L iVÌ ÃÊ i]ʺ9 ÕÀÊV «iÌ tion is cheaper. I want to think about it. I never did business with your company.”

UÊÊ/ iÊiÝ>VÌÊÜ À` }ÊÌ ÊÕÃiÊÜ i ÊÌÀÞ }ÊÌ ÊÕ«ÊÃi Ê ÀÊVÀ ÃÃÊÃi Ê>Ê prospect. For example, “Before I go, would you be interested in hearing about a product that is helping other clients … (add benefit).

Managers and leaders should prepare and practice the following: UÊ+ÕiÃÌ ÃÊÌ >ÌÊÜ ÊLiÊÕÃi`ÊÌ ÊVÀi>ÌiÊÌÀÕÃÌÊ Ê>ÊV >V }ÊÃiÃÃ ° UÊ+ÕiÃÌ ÃÊÌ >ÌÊÜ Ê}iÌÊÌ iÊi « ÞiiÊÌ Ê «i ÊÕ«Ê> `ÊLiÊ iÃÌ°

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CANVAS JUNE 2009

UÊÊ,ië ÃiÃÊÌ ÊLiÊÕÃi`Ê vÊ> Êi « ÞiiÊLÀ }ÃÊÕ«Ê>ʵÕiÃÌ Ê or concern.

UÊÊ Ý>VÌ ÞÊÜ >ÌÊÌ ÊÃ>ÞÊÌ ÊV ÃiÊ>ÊV >V }ÊÃiÃÃ Ê ÀÊ iiÌ }ÊÌ >ÌÊ will create action.

Prepare the above and practice the delivery of each … and enjoy doing it! Watch how that enjoyment turns to confidence in front of your customer (either internal or external). That confidence will turn into more orders and commitments.

Second half dreams So what do you dream for yourself in the second half of 2009?

What does your business “miracle” look like? Perhaps it’s a dream about winning that impossible account? Maybe it’s standing at the awards podium at your next sales meeting as your company’s top performer? Maybe it’s imagining the elation you will feel when you, despite the odds, do something that even your peers never thought possible.

So this week, when somebody asks you if you believe in “miracles,” think of that day when a coach and a group of young Americans taught us that whether it’s sports, business or life, the answer to that question should be a resounding, “Yes!”

To listen to Brian’s radio interview with 1980 Hockey Gold Medalist Rob McClanahan, go to www.preciseselling.com/Radioaccess.htm.

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 learn more, go to www.preciseselling.com.

CANVAS

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Book Recommendation

War in the Boardroom Why Left-Brain Management and Right-Brain Marketing Don’t See Eye to Eye

By Al & Laura Ries

the use of well known brands like Coke, Starbucks, and GM. They eloquently point out that marketing and management are at war in today’s boardrooms. The reason for the war is that marketing and management don’t understand each other. The reason they don’t understand each other is that their brains are different. Management people tend to be left-brain thinkers: they are verbal, logical and analytical. Marketing people tend to be right-brain thinkers: they are visual intuitive and holistic.

This father and daughter combination explores the conflict between marketing and management and document how it is bad for companies. The purpose of this book is to get marketing and man-

W

hen

we

first

started

CANVAS, one of the books we read was Al Ries’ “22 Immutable Laws of Marketing”. It became a

fantastic reference guide for us and was easily

agement to better understand and appreciate each other’s roles

digestible. So when Al and Laura Ries came out

in helping brands to succeed. However, it also provides a fantastic

with “War in the Boardroom”, we just had to pick

template for anyone selling to corporations. In other words, it gives

it up. And we were not disappointed.

the seller insight into the type of person they may be calling on and

Some people expect us to promote books that teach sales or printing techniques. Although we

how that person thinks.

Selling a marketing program to top management can be ex-

appreciate some of the printing and sales litera-

tremely difficult. Left-brain management is not on the same wave-

ture available, we believe it is critical for you to

length as right-brain marketing. You will have a better understand-

deeply understand what makes marketers tick.

ing of marketers’ objectives when you realize that most right-brain

Therefore, diving into a book like “War in the

marketers answer to management. Therefore, to support marketers

Boardroom” can catapult your perspectives to

properly, you need to learn how to help them deal with left-brain

another level.

thinkers who are highly verbal, logical, and analytical. So, can you

Al and Laura perfectly explain the difference between management and marketing through

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You will have a better understanding of marketers’ objectives when you realize that most right-brain marketers answer to management.

CANVAS JUNE 2009

help the marketers win the war? Read “War in the Boardroom” and get started!

2180 SATELLITE BLVD., SUITE 400 DULUTH, GEORGIA 30097 THECANVASMAG.COM