Canvas Magazine | The Plot Thickens!

People to Watch Printing 3.0 supporting print sales & Marketing executives

Six Print on demand Solutions to Sell LinkedIn or Linked Out

June 2011

THE PLOT THICKENS! New Opportunities for Books on Demand

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June 2011

Publisher mark potter

People to Watch pg.26

MANAGING EDITOR lorrie bryan

ART DIRECTOR brent cashman

CONTRIBUTORS linda bishop, paul castain, howie fenton, john foley, jr., mike pallerino, ryan sauers, brian sullivan

Editorial board

“ The future is challenging and very bright. We don’t want to be the commodity player; we are the value leader. Mail Print continues to move forward. We continue to innovate and make great strides for our clients and our community.”

keith bax Research Data mike kyle Pace Litho chris petro GlobalSoft tom moe Daily Printing

– Gina Danner, CEO of Mail Print

DEPARTMENTS

dean petrulakis Rider Dickerson

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david bennett Bennett Graphics

Character

Brown Printing Receives Eight Star of Excellence Awards from the Printing Industry Midwest

tony narducci O’Neil Printing

Publisher’s Thoughts

People News

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Beyond the QR Code Basics

Sir Speedy Scottsdale Hires Two Industry Experts

4 Tips for Doing it Right

P5 information: 678.473.6131,

Sales Development on a Shoestring!

2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400,

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CANVAS magazine for more

Duluth, Georgia 30097

CANVAS, Volume 5, Issue 3. 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

Tech Corner: Money-Back Guarantee for Direct Mail Ads CMO Council Fast Facts Print in the Mix Fast Facts: Nielsen: The U.S. Media Universe

Out of the Box

Be More Than an Order-Taker

the correctness of an opinion expressed by contributing authors.

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The Plot Thickens!

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Packaging Solutions

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…Before You Hit Send 9 Things You Should Consider First

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Vision Graphics Inc. Takes Home Six Prestigious PIAMS Industry Awards

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Book Recommendation

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New Opportunities for Books on Demand

Six Print on Demand Solutions to Sell

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People to Watch P34

Printing 3.0

LinkedIn or Linked Out Make Your Keyboard Your Best Prospecting Tool

Why today’s marketing services provider is yesterday’s printer, and what it means for your business CANVAS P1

Character “ Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

M

– Abraham Lincoln

Many of us have endured trying times, and are much better men and women for it. Adversity teaches us to never give up and allows us to grow in a variety of ways. We learn new things, meet new people,

Publisher’s thoughts

and expand our horizons. Adversity is one of life’s great teachers.

Adversity, however, does not necessarily show character. It has been said that, “Adversity does not

build character; it reveals it.” Contrary to that idea, I believe that when our backs are against the wall,

we have very few choices. Character or not, we can choose to either push forward or perish. Fortunately, most of us choose to push ahead and find new ways to live and grow. When limited alternatives exist, adversity most certainly does not reveal character. It forces us to build character.

The time to reveal true character is not in the face of adversity. True character is revealed when things are good, and you have a certain degree of power. The kind of person you truly are will become pretty obvious when you have the world by the tail.

Too often, we have seen people in powerful positions—CEOs, celebrities, high-earning salespeople — reveal character that is unattractive. We have seen CEOs steal from the very companies that gave them their high perch, we have seen athletes defile the sport that made them idols, and we have seen countless managers ridicule the very people that they depend on.

When we are able to endure tough times, we may feel like we have shown some character. However, what happens when things are good? Are we supporting others like we wished people had supported us when we were down? If we hold leadership positions, are we incubating the future of the company and its employees?

Or are we just squeezing whatever dollars out of the company that we can get?

You see, true character is a leadership quality. People who give back to others, invest in new and exciting ideas, and genuinely inspire are demonstrating character. And, on cue… we have the privilege of profiling eight character-laden individuals in this issue of CANVAS. The People to Watch are courageous and energizing. They make the people around them better, and we are proud to provide a glimpse into the way they handle themselves.

As our industry continues to transform, CANVAS continues to lead in the exploration of new ideas and concepts. We are eager to motivate our readership and provide the support needed to make change. Our cover story, The Plot Thickens!, provides a look into an exciting new revenue stream books on demand offers. In addition, Printing 3.0 offers a glimpse into your transformation and some clues on how to get there. Just remember, though, that true character can be revealed when you are raking it in.

Be positive, uplift the people around you and lead.

Best

Mark Potter Publisher

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CANVAS June 2011

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Mobile media Beyond the QR Code Basics 4 Tips for Doing it Right

T

By John Foley

here are still many things that need to be addressed in a QR Code campaign. Shortening the URL, tracking the campaign, and applying an alias to your URL are all things that will help your QR Code campaign succeed. I have to admit, after years of touting QR Code capability in the United States, it is great to see its rise in use. With that said, we now need

to focus on doing it right. Not because I said so, but because by doing it right you give your company the best opportunity for success with a QR Code campaign. When you use QR Codes properly, you have a greater chance of reaching your goals and objec-

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.

tives. Here are four tips to maximize your QR Code campaigns.

1. Generate QR Codes that are trackable.

If you can’t measure it, don’t do it. That’s my marketing motto. Make sure your QR Code generator tool has tracking and reporting capabilities.

2. Avoid generating QR Codes from long URLs. Example: http://www.gotomywebpage.com/fun/8785gu866090/gyugyhhgihihi/...

This creates a dense code which is not as easy to scan as a shortened code, e.g., http://ilnk.me/Demo or http://ilnk.me/8247.

The mobile experience is different, and it is no fun for the mobile user to navigate a webpage that was designed to be viewed on a laptop.

3. Personalize your QR Codes.

Did you know you can take a Personalized URL and generate a personalized QR Code?

When the QR code is generated, that QR Code will go to the PURL, and the recipient will see their personalized page.

4. O ptimize the place you drive users to for the mobile experience!

The mobile experience is different, and it is no fun for the mobile user to navigate a webpage that was designed to be viewed on a laptop. The user will be stuck scrolling around in their mobile browser, trying to read your website that probably has more text than an IRS document. You get the message?

You need to think Mobile Content. Check out http://www.iflymobi.com for a great tool that can help you create the mobile experience.

QR Codes are a great way to reach the mobile audience for your business. Doing it right gets you better results. Follow me over the next year as I continue the journey of best practices and ideas using mobile media for marketing.

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CANVAS June 2011

A c t i o n

Sales Development on a Shoestring!

By Paul Castain

A

ccording to ASTD’s (American Society for Training and Development) State of Industry Report, the average working person in the United States participates in just one day of career skills training each year. I bet you that there are quite a few people reading this right now thinking, “That’s one more day than I received!”

There are lots of reasons for this, and we certainly can’t address them all here. But if lack of

funds is one of your reasons, perhaps these tips will be timely.

The first thing you should do is take full advantage of the incredible amount of free content

Paul Castain is the vice

that’s available for sales professionals. If you would like to peruse a virtual magazine rack of

president of Jedi Mastery

free sales blogs, check out http://sales.alltop.com/. Websites such as salesopedia.com, selling-

at Castain Training Systems.

power.com, successmagazine.com and eyesonsales.com have lots of free articles and podcasts.

Paul’s career spans more than

Want to get better with your phone skills? Check out

25 years, during which he

the free tips on http://businessbyphone.com. And just because I, too, am a big advocate of free, I’ve even put together a page of free (no strings attached) sales E-Books if you go to http://yoursalesplaybook.com/ free-stuff-from-uncle-paul/.

The next thing I would suggest is for each sales rep on your team to commit to investing in him/herself by buying one sales book per month. We could have a lengthy discussion over who should be paying for that book, but we lose valuable training time by entering that debate. Here’s another way of looking at it. Do you own stocks? Do you have a 401K? Well if you do, then you are investing in others. Perhaps it’s time to invest in yourself.

You can do some cool things with a team Book-a-

has trained more than 3,000

You can do some cool things with a team Book-aMonth Club.

You can maximize your efforts by swapping books.

sales and sales leadership professionals.

Month Club. You can maximize your efforts by swapping books. Example: If six of you do the book-a-month thing for only two months, then that gives everyone a year of books if you continually trade them. Perhaps you could take turns doing a book presentation once per month in your team meetings? The person presenting has to truly own the content because they are responsible for teaching to the team. He or she will strengthen their public speaking muscles, and the team also benefits from the knowledge shared and discussion opportunities.

And speaking of sales meetings… adding an educational component to them costs you nothing. Use this opportunity to role play, discuss what went well or not so well since the last meeting. Share lessons learned. How about videotaping each member of the team demonstrating how they present the company? You could even have each teammate go to the front of the room and have them field typical objections from the rest of the team.

How about a discussion centered on all the awesome ideas you read in CANVAS Magazine?

What other free educational components can you add to your team meetings?

Last, but not least, don’t ever let lack of funds, company policy, the economy or anything ever stand in the way of your professional growth. It’s up to you to take charge!

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Co Th Of rn e fic er e

Tech Corner

Money-Back Guarantee for Direct Mail Ads

By Howie Fenton

I

n a bold move, the United States Postal Service is launching a program encouraging more direct mail advertising by offering refunds to companies if their sales are not successful. If you are looking for a new growth opportunity, this may be a good time to consider direct mail. When done right, direct mail still has growth potential.

According to the Winterberry Group report, “Outlook 2011: What

Why are the offer, timing, and relevance of the

to Expect in Direct & Digital Marketing,” direct and digital advertis-

message important? It always helps to have a great

ing expenditures in the U.S. will increase by 6.2 percent this year to

offer. Even fundraisers and non-profits make offers.

$163.9 billion. Of that total, direct mail spending will grow 5.8 percent,

Sending a message at the best time is called trigger

to $47.8 billion. The report projects growth in all categories including

marketing. If you know that I buy a new car every

direct mail (5.8 percent) and direct-response print (2 percent).

four years, then start sending me messages three

To increase your likelihood of success, master the basics. In football,

months before I start looking. If you know my son

it’s called blocking and tackling—in direct mail, it’s about targeting,

is graduating from high school, send me recruiting

preferences, the offer, timing, relevance, standing out, and, of course,

information after the SATs. This is database market-

measurement. What is targeting? A targeted message is one that it is

ing, so the more you know the better. Again, there are lists and tools that can help you

What is preference marketing?

That means sending a message in a way that the recipient prefers to receive it.

For me, that means no text messaging. I want text messages only from my family.

gather more details and send a more relevant message.

A feature that is going through a renaissance in direct mail is texture and finishing. There are several digital presses that can coat or create texture to make something shine or change the touch of the paper, such as making a picture of a golf ball feel like it has dimples.

not sent to everyone, but only to people who are good candidates. For

Why measure? The advantage of direct response

example, don’t send me an offer for a Dell computer because I only buy

is the analytics it offers, and the ability to calculate lift

Macintosh computers. I have brand loyalty and buy only those products.

and an ROI. If you want to sell your value proposition,

What is preference marketing? That means sending a message in

you need to be able to talk about its effectiveness by

a way that the recipient prefers to receive it. For me, that means no

discussing measurements. You can measure success

text messaging. I want text messages only from my family. If you

with BRCs, PURLs, QR Codes, or phone numbers.

send me a text message, I will hunt you down until I find you, and

The USPS “Mail Works Guarantee” could last up

then I will yell at you and never listen to anything you send me. To be

to two years. Contact the Postal Service to find out

most effective, learn how different people want you to communicate

if you qualify. If you can combine your blocking and

with them. Two tools that can help are PURLs or QR Codes that drive

tackling with variable-data printing, you will have a

users to short surveys.

compelling offer for your customers.

Howie Fenton is an NAPL consultant who focuses on resolving production concerns, providing sales training, 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 June 2011

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CMO Council

Fast Facts Twenty-four percent of e-mail users check e-mail constantly from a home computer, and another 63 percent check e-mail once a day from a home computer.

SEMPO and Econsultancy estimate that the North American search engine marketing industry will grow by 16 percent in 2011 to a value of $19.3 billion, up from $16.6 billion in 2010.

By 2015, eMarketer estimates about 80 percent of the U.S. population will be online and more than half will have mobile Web access, providing local marketers with an unmatched opportunity to influence potential customers before they even reach their storefronts.

The total value of all CPG coupons distributed in the U.S. last year equaled $485 billion, up 13.9 percent from $426 billion the prior year, according to other study results. Since 2006, when total value equaled $329 billion, the figure has increased 47.4 percent, with year-overyear increases in every individual year.

Of the 12.3 percent of CPG coupons distributed in 2010 by media other than FSIs, in-store handouts represented 5.2 percent, followed by direct mail (2.4 percent), magazine (2.2 percent), other (including all digital formats – 2 percent), and in/on-pack and cross-ruff (1.1 percent).

Print in the Mix Fast Facts Nielsen: The U.S. Media Universe

Nielsen’s State of the Media 2010 provides a quick overview of the United States device usage and audiences—from mobile phones to television.

Select facts: • Average Number of TVs per U.S. Household: 2.5 • Percentage of Americans with 4 or more TVs: 31 percent •N umber of Mobile Phone Users (13 and older): 228 million •P ercentage of U.S. Mobile Subscribers with smartphones: 31 percent • Number of mobile phone Web users: 83.2 million

For additional information go to www.printinthemix.com.

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CANVAS June 2011

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Communicating

…Before You Hit Send 9 Things You Should Consider First

By Ryan T. Sauers

M

ore and more of our communications occur through offline avenues—“non personal” mediums like social media, e-mail and text messaging. This means there are no tone-of-voice, facial expressions or nonverbal clues to pick up on. The best we might get is: LOL, or some other abbreviation or icon that helps us to know what another person may be thinking.

We all live in this rapidly changing world that will continue to move faster and faster. So, there are some important things to consider. It is easier than ever to send something out or write something that might be better suited for a personal discussion. Therefore, I have created the top nine things leaders should consider before writing an e-mail, sending a text message or posting something through social media networks: 1. Could you accomplish this communication better in person or with a phone call? If so, do it.

5. Have you carefully considered the emotional or physical state you are in before pressing the send button? If you haven’t, you should think about it.

2. Have you considered that this written communication message has a life of its own and can never be erased?

Think twice before pressing send.

6. Is there anything in your message you would not want your employer, the media, or attorneys to see? Think twice before hitting send.

3. Have you carefully checked who you are sending the message to— to ensure you have selected the correct

7. Are you angry when writing a message? Wait at least

person? (e.g., multiple “Johns” in your address book?)

three hours before sending the message and then revisit it. You may well want to change the tone.

4. A re you writing something in your message that you would not say to someone in person? Some people tend to say things in e-mails, texts or social media

8. Are you in a hurry? Slow down and make an extra effort to ensure accuracy. Remember rule #2.

that they would never say in person. If so, you 9. Have you considered the reaction you seek from the

should reconsider.

person that you are sending your message to? Always begin with the message’s end result in mind.

These are the top nine things I think all leaders should take time to consider when communicating through such mediums in our rapidly moving world. If you take time to contemplate these nine suggestions, it may well prevent you from enduring future headaches LOL,

!

Ryan T. Sauers is president of Sauers Consulting Strategies with nearly 20 years experience leading printed communications companies. He has a Masters degree in Organizational Leadership; is a Certified Meyers Briggs Practitioner; and is a Certified Marketing Executive. Sauers Consulting Strategies is in the business of growing small business. For more information, please visit www.sauersconsulting.com.

P10 CANVAS June 2011

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Packaging solutions

By Steve Kazanjian

In a cluttered market or kitchen, innovative packaging solutions allow brands to connect with consumers and build lasting relationships—all in a matter of seconds.

I

n today’s fragmented media climate, brands are having a

consumer electronics category. To that end, the

harder time getting eyes on their ads. This should come as

substrate is the foundation and front door for the

no shock to most of us. As traditional marketing secedes to

brand experience. Treat it as such.

targeted online ads and social networks, consumer prod-

However, packaging doesn’t just sell in the

ucts companies have been looking

store. In the food and beverage categories,

for any angle to connect their brands to

successful packaging will also drive consump-

consumers. While this blitzkrieg of brand

tion in the home. Statistics show that packag-

messaging has created some of the most

ing is a key factor in product selection for more

memorable brand experiences of the past

than four out of five consumers when planning

decade, it often omits one of the most

dinner. Consumers are literally shopping their

relevant, powerful, and essential commu-

fridges, freezers, and pantries to see what

nication touch points—packaging.

looks appetizing. A tight cohesion between

Think of it this way: 100 percent of a brand’s purchasers interact with the packaging. No other form of marketing communication can boast this claim. How consumers touch the packaging, view it, hold it, open it, store it and dispose of it are all opportunities to create a memorable brand impression.

Furthermore, research shows that packag-

Graphic designers, structural engineers and printers need to holistically look at packaging as a tight integration between brand, structure, and substrate.

ing helps almost two-thirds of consumers make their purchasing decisions. To put it bluntly, packaging sells.

Problematically, how does a product manage to stand out amongst the glut of choices, options, and variations? Graphic

graphic design and structural packaging thus becomes essential to drive product selection and consumption.

designers, structural engineers and printers need to holistically

What’s the bottom line? Packaging will continue

look at packaging as a tight integration between brand, struc-

to become a more important component in brand

ture, and substrate. Truly brilliant packaging employs a perfect

owners’ marketing strategies as they aspire to

synchronicity of all three to power successful results.

connect more tightly with consumers. Printers can

For example, product claims about sustainability features

grow their businesses by pairing their technical

fall upon deaf ears when they’re sold in clamshell packaging.

core competencies with the creative muscle from

The authenticity of the product claim quickly loses believability.

agencies, design studios, and packaging engi-

Conversely, advanced fiber-based substrates such as paperboard,

neers—ultimately creating a unified integration

pulp, and bio-based materials have become very successful for the

between brand, structure and substrate.

Steve Kazanjian is VP-global creative for MWV, which works with leading brands to create cuttingedge product packaging. Steve has 15-plus years experience developing brand strategies for global consumer products and entertainment brands. He’s former Vice-Chairman of Promax (Promotions and Marketing Association) and former Chairman of BDA (Broadcast Design Association).

P12 CANVAS June 2011

La·bel - noun: 1: archaic: BAND, FILLET; specifically : one attached to a document to hold an appended seal 2: a heraldic charge that consists of a narrow horizontal band with usually three pendants 3: a slip (as of paper or cloth) inscribed and affixed to something for identification or description

What is the function of a label to packaging?

next three to five years. With that said, I still see

The label is everything . . . well, almost everything. If you are walk-

the opportunity for growth in just about all of

ing down the grocery store aisle, your eyes will likely focus on the

the market segments within the packaging indus-

most attractive label in a particular section. The competition is

try. Just look around when you are in any retail store

intense, especially in retail. The next time you go to a wine store,

today. Custom packaging and very elaborate POP/

count the number of Cabernets on the shelves. How important is

POS displays are everywhere, and are made from a variety of materials, too: plastic, metal, foam board

that outstanding wine label now?

The purpose of the label in packaging is, first and foremost, to compel the customer to purchase the product.

Does Appearance Reflect Quality?

The functionality of the label to provide information is secondary. The relative importance of these depends on the product. When you look at a complex product in a box, maybe something you would be putting together, the label should indi-

Canvas interviewed 189 people via Facebook and LinkedIn to get some insights on the importance packaging plays on the purchasing decision of a customer.

Does the look of a product’s overall package impact your perception of the product’s quality?

cate just how complicated the product is, or isn’t.

It still needs those captivating graphics to attract you in the first place.

What are some things printers can do with labeling to offer their clients a competitive advantage?

and cardboard—to name just a few—all cleverly

YES (89 percent) NO (10 percent SOMETIMES (< 2 percent)

designed with full-color graphics.

The package offset printing companies need to stay on the leading edge with the tools they use to provide their services.

The management team must constantly be on the search for new products and equipment that will provide them with timesaving production steps, software and equipment to increase

speed in processing the finished piece or a special

Your competitive advantage is being thorough about making sure

lower cost material as well. These innovative and time-

your client’s label performs as desired over its entire lifecycle. Ask a

saving products are in the market now as we speak.

lot of questions about a label’s use. Some of those questions address

– David Robinson, Digital Graphic Systems

the application method, application environment, post-application

(www.dgs-usa.com)

environment, texture and make-up of the product‘s surface, and graphics needed to meet the product’s lifecycle. When it comes to giving their clients a competitive advantage, printers can explore unique substrates and features as well as special shapes that would differentiate the client’s product from their competition’s. Also, printers can offer design capabilities in most cases, and show the client some creative differences from their rivals.

– Steve Brocker, VP Sales and Marketing Western States Envelope and Label (http://www.westernstatesenvelope.com/)

CANVAS asked our readers what are some hot packaging trends they will see in 2011?

• Interactivity allows customers maximum involvement with a product prior to purchasing.

• Quick Response (QR) Codes that direct customers to offers, promotions and more information on the product.

• Sustainability will still be a major player

In what industries do you see high growth in packaging?

in the next few years. Customers will be

Right now I see the Food /Medical/Pharmaceutical and Electron-

that is attention-grabbing and made from

ics packaging having the most success or growth potential over the

primarily sustainable materials.

P14 CANVAS June 2011

concerned with creating low-cost packaging

Be More Than an Order-Taker

By Kaylor Hildenbrand

P

ackaging must convey a message to consumers. It is the billboard for the product. When a company contracts with a vendor for materials or services, they are essentially putting their name on your work, so establishing trust and reliability is key. They will want you to demonstrate an understanding of their brand, their consumers, relevant strategic challenges, and ultimately they will expect you to be there to back up what you put out. While form and function are critical elements in packaging, printing is also a piece of the equation. As a professional

in the printing industry, let your customers (and potential customers) know that you can offer what they need, but additionally you should bring the full depth of your experience and expertise to the table, and be proactive in thinking through various situations and scenarios.

• Companies will likely look for versatility in

• Sustainability is clearly an ongoing topic of

terms of your being able to print on a variety

conversation. Companies want to be able to tell a

of materials and surfaces so that they do

good story—that they are making efforts in that

not have to parcel out short-runs for special

direction. However, consumers are not always willing

promotions, or for situations when they are

to pay for the more sustainable materials or process,

forced to use different materials due to supply

and many are not ready to make sacrifices in terms of

issues. Can you print the same quality of image

quality packaging. Do your research. Can you offer

on a carton as on a plastic reusable container

companies a “greener” option that meets their current

they will use for a special promo? Can you

expectations for quality at the same cost? Can you offer

recommend an alternate material that you know

suggestions for managing the process (how you time

will enhance your print quality and perhaps be

the runs, how you position the runs) that could help to

more cost-effective for the company?

reduce or offset associated costs?

As a professional in the printing industry, let your customers (and potential customers) know that you can offer what they need, but additionally you should bring the full depth of your experience and expertise to the table.

• To appropriately convey the brand

• Differentiation in the marketplace is an important

message, companies will look to their

element in attracting the consumer’s eye among a sea

printer partners to provide consistency in

of competitors. The quality of print in terms of vibrancy,

color matching and durability. How does

sheen, and texture can add to shelf pop and make your

your work hold up over time, in transport,

customer’s package stand out. How can you tweak your

in the home? Does it fade? Does it easily

formulas, or what new technology can you offer as an

rub off, making the packaging appear old?

element of design?

To stand out in today’s competitive environment, be more than an order-taker. Be proactive and truly partner with your customers.

Kaylor can be reached directly by e-mail at Kaylor@PARKresearch.com.

Additional information can be found on www.PARKresearch.com.

CANVAS P15

People News Brown Printing Receives Eight Star of Excellence Awards from the Printing Industry Midwest Brown Printing Company recently received eight Star of Excellence Awards, including Best of Class, in the annual awards hosted by the Printing Industry Midwest.

The Star of Excellence Awards recognizes those responsible for the creation and production of printed communications in the Midwest. The competition promotes excellence in print communications and rewards companies and individuals who produce the best in print media. Brown received Best of Class Awards for Hearst’s Esquire: Big Black Book, M Music Media’s Music & Musicians, and International Artists Publishing’s American Art Collector. They also received certificates of merit for Lafayette 148, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Food Network Magazine, Dwell, and AFAR. This was a very close competition with a very impressive standard of entries,” explains David Radziej, PIM president. “The judging process was very challenging. Brown should be proud of their company’s achievements and the excellent work done by their employees.”

“It is an honor to be recognized by the industry as a company that produces top quality, award winning material,” says Volker Petersen, president and CEO. “These awards are also a testament to our clients’ commitment to excellence, and we are proud to partner with such outstanding companies.”

For more information about Brown Printing Company, please visit their website at www.bpc.com.

Sir Speedy Scottsdale Hires Two Industry Experts Sheri Bercaw, owner of Sir Speedy Scottsdale, is pleased to announce that she has hired industry expert Mike Caruso as sales engineer director and entrepreneur Brad Silver as sales and marketing director.

Mike Caruso was previously employed by Sir Speedy Scottsdale as a senior IT director. He left the company to take a position with Online Print Solutions (OPS), a global leader in Web to print and cross-media marketing technologies. While with OPS, he held various positions in development, support, sales, marketing and customer service. He maintains a Web to print blog that focuses on workflow automation and speaks at industry events on Web to Print and cross-media marketing. Caruso will support the Sir Speedy Scottsdale sales team with Web to Print sales, cross-media marketing and customer integration, in addition to customer acquisition and retention.

Brad Silver has more than 30 years experience in graphics and printing sales, marketing, publishing

Brad Silver

and advertising. Most recently he owned and operated a high-end design and marketing company in the greater Phoenix area creating national advertising campaigns, catalogs and sales collateral from concept through list acquisition and fulfillment. Prior to this, Silver held regional and national sales management positions in the color separation and film segments of the industry before leading CMYK Digital to become one of the first and most successful digital production companies in the Valley of the Sun. Silver will direct the sales team at Sir Speedy Scottsdale with a continued focus on increasing sales revenues.

Mike Caruso

“Mike and Brad are great additions to our sales and marketing teams bringing a wealth of expertise and knowledge to our organization,” says Bercaw. “Together they will create and implement aggressive and inno-

vative marketing programs to vault Sir Speedy Scottsdale into a prominent position promoting integrated marketing within the Arizona marketplace.”

For more information about Sir Speedy, please visit their website at www.sirspeedyscottsdale.com.

Rider Dickerson’s President elected Chairman and Rider wins 5 Pinnacle awards The 2011 Pinnacle Award Show and Printing Industry of Illinois/Indiana Association Annual Meeting took place at Café La Cave on May 17, 2011. The dinner was filled with some of the industry’s most talented and well known associations who were being recognized for many exceptional pieces. This year, 27 companies entered a total of 220 printed pieces. Rider Dickerson was honored to win 5 Pinnacle Awards for the following pieces; Product Bill Barta President

Catalogs: Journal 2010, Magazines: Dominican Magazine, Point of Purchase Materials: Kenmore/LG, Customized/ Personalized/Variable Data Digital Printing: Passport Move In, and Media Kits: High School Counselors Kit. To see Rider Dickerson’s 2011 Pinnacle Award Winners click here. http://ow.ly/4XmmM Throughout the night, the new Board of the Printing Industry of Illinois/Indiana Association was announced.

For the upcoming year, Rider Dickerson’s President, Bill Barta has been named Chairman of the Board.

P16 CANVAS June 2011

Vision Graphics Inc. Takes Home Six Prestigious PIAMS Industry Awards Vision Graphics Inc., a leading provider of integrated marketing communications and print solutions, received top honors at the recent Printing Industries of America Mountain States (PIAMS) Best in the West Print Showdown Gala in Denver, Colo.

The Best in the West Print Awards recognize companies in the western region who demonstrate outstanding craftsmanship in the production of print communications.

“It is an honor to be recognized

judges, a group of professionals

by Printing Industries of America

from both the printing and creative

~ Mountain States,” says Mark

sides of the printing industry, were

Steputis, Vision Graphics Inc. pres-

from Portland, Ore., and followed

ident and chief executive officer.

criteria that included color, compo-

“We take tremendous pride in our

sition, substrates, technical diffi-

work, from the paper it is printed

culty and overall excellence of the

on to finishing and bindery - it is important that we produce a

finished piece. Award winning entries are automatically entered

product that our clients are proud to showcase. To be recog-

into the Premier Print Awards national competition.

nized not only by our clients, who return year after year, but by our peers as well is a double honor.”

“There is a misconception that you must go to the bigger cities to produce high quality print,” states Sandi Neuman,

Vision Graphics Inc. received six awards including the 2010

Printing Industries of Colorado president. “The western region

Gold Award for the Magpul Eleven catalog and the Sierra Designs

has some of the top printers in the nation and Vision Graphics

Apparel brochure. The entries were judged based on the impact

Inc. certainly sets the printing bar for our industry, the work

of the piece, degree of difficulty and technical excellence. The

they produce continues to move that bar higher.”

To learn more about Vision Graphics Inc. please visit www.visiongraphics-inc.com.

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New Envelope Yields Tear-ific™ Results

HP’s Graphic Arts Experience Center Housed in a newly renovated space at HP’s Alpharetta, Ga., campus in metro Atlanta, the Graphic Arts Experience Center is a sales hub and world-

At Western States Envelope & Label, they

class training facility for graphic arts customers and prospects throughout

know that nothing increases direct mail

the Americas region.

response better than pieces that are inviting

Visitors can see their challenging jobs completed using solutions from HP

and easy to open. That’s just what customers

and members of the HP Graphics Solutions Partner program in the Experi-

will get with their new Tear-ific™ envelopes.

ence Center’s real-world production-floor environment.

Tear-ific™ envelopes are a USPS approved mailing solution that eliminates the need for a letter opener. The envelope has a unique perforated design that delivers a direct mail message more conveniently and effectively.

This product increases response by enticing and engaging recipients with a new way to open their envelope.

“Direct mail studies show that customers can increase ROI if just one more order is generated from every 1,000 pieces mailed.

Achieving this is easy with a medium like

Tear-ific™ envelopes,” notes Steve Brocker, VP Sales and Marketing for Western States Envelope & Label.

In business since 1908, Western States is an envelope and label manufacturer that currently operates five plants throughout

the

26,000

Midwest

serving

more

customers—primarily

than

printers.

The company is known for its expansive product offerings, innovative manufacturing techniques, and its commitment to environmental initiatives. In fact, Western States Envelope & Label is FSC and SFI CoC certified, and a Climate Leaders program partner.

For more about the Tear-ific™ envelopes,

Information on visiting the HP Graphic Arts Experience Center is available

call customer service at 800-558-0514 or go

at www.hp.com/go/graphicartsexperience. Industry groups and associa-

to www.westernstatesenvelope.com.

tions interested in booking meetings can call +1 866-312-8943.

CANVAS P19

New Opportunities for Books on Demand

By Lorrie Bryan

The

I

n recent months, the story of the book publishing industry reads like a pageturning adventure novel. E-book technology is mounting an attack on the staid ivory tower that has dominated

the book publishing domain for more than a century, long-time brick and mortar bookstores are crumbling, and self-publishing is gaining momentum, becoming a force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile and perhaps more importantly, the financial implications of digital printing have altered the entire book publishing value chain. Consider the following news items:

P20 CANVAS June 2011

“The future of entertainment is in the millions of niche markets at the shallow end of the bitstream.”

– Wired Magazine, referring to the Long Tail theory.

Thickens!

• The popularity of the e-book is surging. The Association

• With widely available digital technology, anyone who can

of American Publishers reports that in February e-books

write a book can publish it, detouring around the financial

represented 20.4 percent of total book sales. Amazon

parameters that created and empowered the elitist publishing

recently announced that it is now selling more Kindle

industry. Numerous self-published books are making their

books than paperback books. Since the beginning of the

way to the esteemed New York Times Best Seller List,

year, for every 100 paperback books Amazon has sold,

perennially dominated by the major publishing houses. And

the company has sold 115 Kindle books. Additionally,

conversely authors who once dominated the New York Times

during this same time period the company has sold three

Best Seller List are leaving the major publishing houses to self

times as many Kindle books as hardcover books.

publish for a bigger piece of the pie.

• The bankruptcy of Borders, a longtime brick and mortar

• The number of books printed digitally is growing by 29

store considered vital to the health of publishers, is

percent annually. According to Francis McMahon, vice

playing out with more than a third of its 600 stores

president of Marketing at Océ North America, a leader in

closed or in the final stages of liquidation. Meanwhile,

the digital book printing industry, half of the top 20 book

other major booksellers and the independents are

publishers are utilizing digital printing. About 4 percent

reconfiguring their stores to emphasize the availability of

of published books are currently printed digitally and that

digital devices and non-book paraphernalia and gifts.

number is expected to increase to 15 percent by 2015.

Sponsored by

CANVAS P21

The Plot Thickens!

The Prologue

market demand. Unit costs go up, but digital printing capability

Despite the competition from readily available

enables them to eliminate waste and actually save money while

entertainment options like Internet and video

ensuring that market demand is met.”

games, the power of books to inform, enlighten, educate and entertain remains strong—books

New Chapter in Book Printing

aren’t going away. But the book printing and

In this transformed setting, obsolete shelf inventory, costly over-

publishing supply chain is undergoing a nail-

runs and returns are no longer obstacles with a significant impact

biting transformation. And this is likely just the

on financial decisions. Book printers and publishers are free to

prologue to a new era of publishing.

expand market opportunity, gain a competitive edge and improve

Historically the challenge for book publishers has

profit margins by reducing all lifecycle costs associated with distri-

been determining how many books to print. They

bution, warehousing and reprints. These financial benefits change

had to print long runs to keep unit prices down.

the game.

But if they printed too many, warehouses filled with

In the emerging book publishing model, books become digital

pallets of unsold books. These were ultimately sent

files comparable to digital music files that are always accessible. In

back up the supply chain to be destroyed or sold

theory, no book would ever be out-of-print because they could be

as remainders. Digital production techniques make

printed one-off (or downloaded as an e-book) indefinitely.

Small independents and self publishers can get books into print that likely would not make it through the arduous gauntlet posed by traditional publishing houses. it possible to publish books in quantities of one

McMahon says that although industry experts are predicting that

or a few hundred. The new digital model replaces

the volume of printed pages will decrease from a high of 668 billion

costly, time-consuming techniques with automated

in 2010 to 505 billion in 2015, the number of pages printed digitally is

processes that minimize risk by printing shorter

expected to increase from 29 billion to 96 billion in that same span.

runs or on demand.

“Publishers can expand the breadth of available titles, reprint on

“It’s not just a different way of printing and

short notice and reduce the high cost of returns. And it takes publish-

binding books,” explains McMahon. “It is an

ing out of the ivory tower and into mainstream—essentially anyone

approach that alters the entire book publish-

who wants to write a book and publish it can,” adds McMahon.

ing value chain. It enables better book lifecycle

The New York Times reported that “According to a recent

management—book printers can customize the

survey, 81 percent of people feel that they have a book in them…

printing plan based on a title’s lifecycle. They can

and should write it.” If you do the math, that represents over 200

alternate runs between offset and digital to meet

million people in the United States who want to write a book in

P22 CANVAS June 2011

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www.thecanvasmag.com

The Plot Thickens!

“Binding periodicals for libraries comprised about 70 percent of our business. Today that market has disappeared, but our library binding experience prepared us for the print on demand market.”

– Bruce Jacobsen, executive vice president, Bridgeport National Bindery

their lifetime. Small independents and self

experience prepared us for the print on demand market. We’re not

publishers can get books into print that likely

a large company, but we can compete fairly well with larger orga-

would not make it through the arduous gaunt-

nizations. We have a long-standing reputation for our high stan-

let posed by traditional publishing houses. For

dards and quality service. About 60 percent of our business today

consumers, this means a richer, more diverse

is digital printing, and our clients range from trade publishers and

selection of titles. For digital printers, this means

self publishers to one-off photo book publishers. One of our selling

more business.

points is that we’ll print any size book, not just your basic 1-inch thick, 6 by 9 inch paperback. We’ll print a book that’s 4 inches thick and we

The Subplot: Targeting the Long Tail

can do it quickly—within two or three days.”

While the giant book publishers are adding digital

since 1972, is also finding opportunity in Long Tail markets. They

technology to their arsenal of weapons to bolster

got their start producing books for university presses that needed

their profits, their attention is focused primarily

high quality, low-count print services and added religious and

on protecting their stronghold, the bestseller

trade book business through the 80s and 90s. “We’d do short-runs

Thomson-Shore, a manufacturer of hard and soft cover books

lists, from the encroaching e-book

on offset with sometimes as few as 200 copies,”

assault. Meanwhile some smaller

explains Kevin Spall, president and CEO. “A

companies and savvy printers are

couple of years ago, we assembled a team to

discovering other business oppor-

investigate digital printing options and build a

tunities in the emerging niches of

process that would enable us to make money on

this shifting landscape. They are

single-copy books—it was a service we wanted

filling their coffers by avoiding the

to be able to offer our clients. We have now

battle for the high ground and

expanded our manufacturing platform with fully

targeting the Long Tail instead,

integrated digital technology so we can provide

offering small volumes of a large

customers with high quality book printing and

number of products.

binding services whether they order one book or 50,000.”

For more than 50 years, Bridgeport National

Spall says that working with Océ has given them a competi-

Bindery’s main source of revenue was binding

tive advantage. “Selecting the assets that you buy is the easiest

periodicals for libraries. But Bruce Jacobsen,

part. The challenge and complexity is in managing the brains that

the executive vice president, says that about ten

drive the assets. We needed help streamlining our process so that

years ago they started looking for additional reve-

it was hands-off from the beginning through the final shipping.

nue sources as the demand for bound periodi-

That’s where the real difference in suppliers became evident,” he

cals diminished. The Agawam, Mass., company

explains. “We now have the workflow advantages and resources

purchased their first digital press in 2004, and

we need to expand market opportunities.”

by 2007 they had to add a 15,000-square-foot

Consequently, Thomson-Shore is one of the few printers who

addition to house their growing printing opera-

has refined manufacturing methods to provide high quality work

tions. They currently provide printing and bind-

with a variety of options on any quantity of books, and do it cost

ing services for more than 1,000 customers in the

effectively. “That has ensured our survival as the market continues

New England area and throughout the country.

to change,” Spall adds.

“Binding periodicals for libraries comprised

And change, it will. Books may be in print indefinitely now, but

about 70 percent of our business. Today that

most things are increasingly ephemeral in the e-epic tale unfolding

market has disappeared, but our library binding

around us.

Download the InfoTrends whitepaper, “Digital vs. Print: A Tipping Point for the Publishing Industry?” at www.OceWow.com.

P24 CANVAS June 2011

What are the best VDP and cross-media resources?

We asked the experts...

The greatest white paper ever written is...

The most valuable event is....

The best website is....

The most helpful video is....

The most credible book is...

As the printing industry moves swiftly into VDP and cross-media services, the wealth of resources available to help market and sell cutting-edge campaigns and applications continues to grow. But with countless books, websites, videos, white papers, and other media developed on the subject, how do you know which are the most valuable?

The most knowledgeable industry analysts told us their favorites, and we've put them all together for you in one convenient guide at absolutely no cost or obligation!

Scan this QR code, or visit www.xmpie.com/canvas/free-guide.html, to register to receive your FREE Analyst's Guide to the Best Resources for Selling VDP and Cross-Media Campaigns.

Regardless of where you are today, or where you want to go tomorrow, you need this guide to help you market and sell more of these high-value campaigns.

This guide is intended as strictly an educational resource, brought to you by XMPie, the leader in 1:1 communications. For more information, visit www.xmpie.com, www.facebook.com/xmpie or www.twitter.com/xmpie.

Š 2011 XMPie, A Xerox Company. All rights reserved.

PEOPLE TO WATCH Profiling Leaders in the Industry

P26 CANVAS June 2011

Aspiring for Greatness David Bailey Jr. began his print career working the night shift in the press room for two years at his father’s commercial printer, Lithographics, after completing high school. He then attended Middle Tennessee State University. Upon completing his college degree, Bailey entered the sales department at Lithographics and began carrying on the traditions of his father, David Bailey Sr., which included a commitment to exceed customer expectations for quality and service. In 2000, Bailey started transitioning into management, and took over the reins in 2007 when his father retired.

Bailey and his wife, Tara, enjoy spending time with their three beautiful daughters; Emma, Ella and Eva. When not working or with his family, Bailey enjoys golf and the outdoors.

David Bailey Jr., President of Lithographics Inc.

What have been the keys to your success?

I definitely fit the mold of the individual who believes that to be successful, you must surround yourself with good people. That’s exactly what I/we have done here at Lithographics—not only internally with great coworkers, but externally with great vendors and suppliers. Ultimately, we are successful because our everyday goal is to make each of our customer’s print experience be the best it can be, because they have entrusted us to help maximize the effectiveness of their project.

What keeps you up at night?

What keeps me up at night is being the leader of an organization that hasn’t achieved its full potential, and trying to figure out how to make that happen as quickly and efficiently as possible. Jim Collins’ book, “Good to Great,” resonated with me in a number of ways. Good is the enemy of great. I want this organization to be great throughout.

What does the future hold?

The future holds a sea of opportunity. My contention is that, if we can continue to learn and understand how people want to be communicated to, this industry can be much better and much stronger than “how it used to be (cringe!)”. Not only our industry, but our entire commerce system is moving at a very fast pace. We better be ready to do some sprinting!

What are the top three rock bands of all time?

What a tough one—to funnel all of that greatness down to three? I’ll go with The Beatles, the Eagles, and U2. All with staying power. That’s greatness!

Not Afraid to Grow David Pitts began his exploration of printing as a high school junior via a vocational program in Bowling Green, Ky. After high school, Pitts continued his education in printing and took a job as a press operator. A few years later, he enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to pursue a Civil Engineering degree. To pay for his education, he turned to the industry that he knew best, and took a job with a printing company as a press operator. It couldn’t have been better timing. Pitts developed a strong relationship with a friend and coworker, Bill Gardner, who shared his passion for printing. Pitts and Gardner formed a partnership, and the pair borrowed $15,000 from their families and established Classic Graphics in 1983.

Pitts is a past chairman of The Printing Industry of the Carolinas, and he has served as an advisor to the Central Piedmont Community College Graphics Program and to the Graphic Arts Imaging and Technology Program at Appalachian State University. He currently serves on the board of directors for NAPL. Pitts lives with his wife in Charlotte, N.C. His interests include photography, skeet shooting, and billiards.

David Pitts, Co-Owner of Classic Graphics

What have been the keys to your success?

The key to Classic Graphics’ success (my success is only that I am lucky enough to be part of CG) has been most of all, flexibility.

Starting in the 80s when quality was much rarer than today, we embraced quality. The customer was the sole arbiter of what was good enough, and we stood by our work, often at great expense.

In the 80s and 90s quick turnaround was one week or more for commercial printing, so we embraced speed. We decided to lead rather than follow that trend. Today flexibility has morphed us into a company with a much broader product offering, including print, data, mail, fulfillment and grand format. We can manage an entire campaign for customers that need it all.

Classic is a great place to work—we attract and keep good people, and this attracts more good people.

What keeps you up at night?

What does the future hold?

New business development; finding entirely new opportunities with companies that have never heard of us and converting those opportunities into significant new relationships is the hardest task in business.

More mergers, more company failures, fewer printers, more digital…Scale will matter more and more. Commercial printers will dominate large format inkjet in 10 years (or less).

What are the top three rock bands of all time?

Like any politician worth his salt, I will answer the question I wanted you to ask: Who are the top 3 songwriter/ performers of all time? Warren Zevon (he goes first because he is dead), John Prine and Randy Newman.

CANVAS P27

People to Watch Giving Back

Tony Narducci, President of O’Neil Printing

Tony Narducci has served as president of O’Neil Printing, a premier print services firm located in Phoenix, Ariz., since 2007. His 30-plus years of management and sales experience in the printing industry have helped him lead this 100-year-old, employee-owned company into the next century. Prior to joining O’Neil Printing, he served as vice president and regional sales manager of Arcata Graphics in San Francisco, Calif. Additionally, Narducci served on the board of Printing Industries of Arizona from 2005 to 2006.

Outside of O’Neil Printing, Narducci has served as the vice president and chairman of a non-profit that serves at-risk teens, Solid Rock, since 2006. A graduate of the University of Arizona, he supports organizations with special interest in serving children and teens, such as the Boy Scouts- Grand Canyon Council, Juvenile Diabetes, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Arizonan’s for Children and Life in Abundance.

He is also active in ministry at The Grove Bible Church, in Chandler, Ariz.

He and his wife, Patty, will celebrate their 33rd wedding anniversary this summer and have three children and two grandchildren.

What have been the keys to your success?

I look at each day as an opportunity for us to serve our clients in a new and meaningful way. At O’Neil, we have been blessed with a great team of smart, talented people who care greatly about our clients’ success. We have a 103-year history that has afforded us a wonderful tradition and platform for us to continue to create innovative, relevant print communication.

What keeps you up at night?

What does the future hold?

I really try to work on the things I can control and have a strong faith that if we continue to do the right things and treat our partners (internal and external) with honesty and respect we will be in good stead for the future.

We will continue to develop products and services that will help our clients differentiate their marketing messages and continue to improve our internal processes to work more effectively and efficiently.

What are the top three rock bands of all time?

I have to go with Alice Cooper (I serve with Coop at Solid Rock).

And, of course, The Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

Solid to the Core

Gina Danner, CEO of Mail Print

Gina Danner is CEO and co-owner of Mail Print along with her brother, Eric Danner. Mail Print is a leading provider of direct, data driven marketing solutions. Danner directs sales efforts, marketing and new product development.

A graduate of the University of Missouri at Columbia, she currently sits on the board of the Entrepreneurial Exchange, and is an entrepreneurial mentor for the Kansas Pipeline Program, the leading innovator development program in the country. She also serves on the board of the Kansas City Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

Gina is active in charitable endeavors for: Operation Breakthrough, WIN for KC (the Women’s Intersport Network), The Bishop Sullivan Center, Assists Foundation, Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation, American Heart Association, and The Challenge Your Fashion fundraiser.

What have been the keys to your success?

Success is really a mix of things: core values, hard work, and forward thinking. First and foremost, a successful person has a set of core values—things that you don’t knowingly compromise on. At Mail Print our core values include: working hard, doing what’s right, giving to one another and to our community, building a sustainable organization and never being satisfied. Those same values relate personally as well.

Whether personal or professional, success is about achieving goals. By setting and achieving a goal, you allow yourself to move forward, to get better. Anything I want starts with a 21-day plan—you can make a big impact in just 21 days.

What keeps you up at night?

I sleep very well. Mail Print has an amazing team of people. I know if I got hit by a beer truck (or won the lottery) Mail Print would continue on.

What does the future hold?

The future is challenging and very bright. Over the last 23 years my partner (and brother) Eric, and our entire team at Mail Print have worked hard to differentiate our company. We don’t want to be the commodity player; we are the value leader. Mail Print continues to move forward. We continue to innovate and make great strides for our clients and our community.

What are the top three rock bands of all time?

I am a child who came of age in the 80s so…the Eagles, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and The Police.

P28 CANVAS June 2011

People to Watch

Embracing Change Together

Stacy Peluso-Slaney, Vice President of Shawmut Printing

As vice president, Stacy Peluso-Slaney is responsible for developing new clientele and for marketing communications in support of the sales department. A graduate of Endicott College, Peluso-Slaney volunteers her time and resources to The Walk to Remember, a non-profit organization that remembers babies who die each year due to pregnancy loss, stillbirth, and early infant death.

Stacy is also an author and illustrator of three children’s books. She is married to Stephen, lives in Lynnfield, Mass., and has three wonderful children; Jake, Riley, and Luke.

What have been the keys to your success?

Some of the keys to our successes have been being cognizant that our industry is changing and recognizing how these changes can bring measurable profits to our company. Shawmut has been a leader in embracing the metamorphous of our industry. A perfect example is the birth of our sister company, u-connect. u-connect offers affordable off-the-shelf programs that include various cross-media tools aimed at producing effective results. These new tools and tactics are not going away… e-mailing, texting, mobile messaging and drip campaigns are part of what we do in addition to putting ink on paper. In fact, you need all of these tools to make a campaign successful.

What keeps you up at night?

What does the future hold?

Consistently focusing on and keeping our eyes and ears open for new trends and technologies, and making sure that we are informing our clients of them.

For us the future is exciting… Not since the invention of moveable type has our industry seen such change. I look forward to being part of the future and the changes that are ahead.

Michael Peluso, Vice President of Shawmut Printing

What are the top three rock bands of all time?

Well since I am more of an R&B fan, I am going to have to support the girls on this one: Joan Jett, the Go-Go’s and Pat Benatar.

Michael Peluso graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1986. He has been an important force of Shawmut’s sales and marketing for more than 25 years.

Peluso has been married to Michele for 24 years and is involved with the soccer program in North Reading, Mass. They have two children, Justin and Isabella.

What have been the keys to your success?

There are two major factors that have contributed to our success. The first is adapting to changes in the marketplace from a management perspective. Having a company that can refine its focus at the senior staff level keeps you successful in the ever changing print world. Secondly, our employees’ willingness to embrace these new ideas and the challenges they present help with the implementation of the new strategies. When everyone is in sync, success will follow!

What keeps you up at night?

What does the future hold?

Understanding the new trends in the marketplace and being able to educate your staff so everyone will be on the same page. We are moving forward into new areas of marketing where printing, sometimes, is just one component of the overall campaign.

Having the knowledge of how all media interact with each other is highly beneficial. So you need to educate yourself as well as your staff.

The future is looking clearer every day. As I look forward, the printing industry will continue to be strong, but the successful companies will be the ones that integrate other tactics into their clients’ campaigns.

The companies that adapt will add much more value assisting the client’s marketing team, which enables them to become a true strategic partner.

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What are the top three rock bands of all time?

Aerosmith, AC/DC, Ozzie Osborne.

People to Watch

Being Relevant

Randy Bice, Vice President of Digital Solutions at Taylor Corporation

Randy Bice is the vice president of Digital Solutions for Taylor Corporation. Bice joined Taylor Corporation in 2005 as the director of research and development. He is responsible for leading the digital growth and transformation of Taylor. He sits on HP advisory boards for their Indigo and inkjet technologies, as well as numerous industry associations for Taylor and is on the Dscoop board of directors.

Bice received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical systems engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y., and his MBA from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He is a 16-year member and Commander in the United States Naval Reserve. He resides near North Mankato, Minn. with his wife, Tabitha, and his two daughters.

What have been the keys to your success?

I believe it is the passion with which we pursue our career, family and life’s aspirations that determines our success in life. My past experience of becoming one of the World’s foremost experts on the design vocational trucks and severe duty equipment have provided the perspective of what it means to be an “expert.” Combining this passion with an employer, supplier partners and industry associations that enable access to compelling technology is a recipe for success.

What keeps you up at night?

The failure of companies to take the time to understand what is relevant to their audience has created significant chaff in the communications space. Few companies are leveraging the power of digital to provide highly targeted, valuable information and services, choosing rather to opt for the supply chain efficiencies. The graphic communications industry seems to be exceptionally adept at commoditizing itself, yet often blames the technology instead of the content creators or service providers who are the origin of such abuse.

What does the future hold?

As a practitioner of lean principles, I believe there are certain universal trends that are borrowed and applied differently and don’t represent pure innovation, but rather cross-pollination of innovation or migratory innovation. I think we will continue to see innovation migrate from other industries to improve manufacturing efficiencies.

However, I think one of the biggest shifts has already taken place in a societal movement from push communications to pull communications. We will continue to use our social networks to filter content. It has and will continue to evolve with mobile communications into the “digital water-cooler” of the future.

What are the top three rock bands of all time?

Pink Floyd, U2 (I saw the opening concert in Chicago during Graph Expo—simply amazing) and Led Zeppelin

Head On

Keith R. Bax, Vice President of Marketing for Research Data Inc.

Keith Bax joined Research Data Inc. in July of 2006, and is responsible for building and developing RDI’s sales and marketing initiatives, from both a strategic and operational perspective. Bax comes to Research Data after an 11-year career with Xerox Corporation.

Prior to Xerox, Bax held a variety of management positions within the Graphic Arts industry, including vice president of Graphic Innovations Inc., a graphic design and consulting business that he co-founded in 1988.

He graduated from the University of Richmond in 1986 with a BS in Chemistry, and was a member of the University of Richmond varsity soccer team. He likes to spend time with his wife, Leslie, and his son, Axel. Keith enjoys music, outdoor sports, and is an avid long-distance road cyclist.

What have been the keys to your success?

Two of the keys to whatever success I have would probably be adaptability and persistence. I’ve also never been one to avoid confrontation, and I think that has served me well. I see so many people who expend huge amounts of energy and time avoiding uncomfortable situations they could take head-on and solve relatively quickly.

What keeps you up at night?

What does the future hold?

The fear that I might be “falling behind”—whether in my understanding of technology, or some other new concept. I would imagine a lot of folks my age are somewhat fearful of becoming irrelevant. I’m also struggling with the idea that at some point recently, I went from being bright to being wise.

That’s a great question—it’s almost like a “Jeopardy” category called The Universe!

I think technology will connect all of us even more closely than we are today, and with that there will be an even more vexing question of where we draw the privacy line. I also predict companion robots will become commonplace in my lifetime.

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What are the top three rock bands of all time?

That’s easy…The Who, The Clash, and U2. The Rolling Stones merit a mention on longevity alone (it’s amazing they are all still alive, much less still performing).

A Man of the People With more than 20 years of printing industry experience, Petro leads GlobalSoft Digital Solutions and GlobalSoft International Inc in new product offering, strategic initiatives and financial direction. Within the digital print industry, Petro has served on the HP Digital Advisory Board. In addition, Petro has held the positions of Chairman and Conference Chair for Dscoop.

He holds a BS degree in International Business Administration from William Paterson University. Petro has a wife and three daughters, and enjoys coaching soccer and basketball.

Christopher M. Petro, President and CEO of Globalsoft Digital Solutions

What have been the keys to your success?

For our companies, it has basically been three things that drive our success. First, is people; my chief goal is to have the right people in the right places on our team and that’s no easy task. Our success has been mostly because of the high quality of team members in our organization. Next, is leading-edge technology. We have always tried to stay ahead of the marketplace in our industry with early adoption of technology. Whether it is a new output technology or workflow or web engagement…we continually are looking for ways to streamline our workflow and add value for our clients. And finally, listening to our clients has always been a key to our success.

What keeps you up at night?

Our people; to me the single most important resource we have are our people. They are the key to our success, or the lack of it. So at night I often worry about our team leaders and if am I doing enough to make them an integral part of our success with clients and each other.

What does the future hold?

The future in our industry is so very exciting for those who embrace change and whose minds are open to what could be. I see PSPs offering broader services beyond just print—blended solutions with electronic/digital communications coupled with print management and fulfillment. We need to have a vested stake in our clients’ programs and work together to ensure success. That’s what makes our future so exciting. Now and in the future…printers are more than suppliers but rather partners in marketing and operations. I also think that on the output side…inkjet technology will cause a huge paradigm shift in how companies consume print.

What are the top three rock bands of all time?

Ha-ha….That’s easy… The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and RUSH.

Printing

“There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction.”

– Winston Churchill

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Why today’s marketing services provider is yesterday’s printer, and what it means for your business

By Michael J. Pallerino

T

om Moe didn’t need to think about his answer for long. In an industry that continues to reinvent itself in the face of ever-changing technology and evolving customer needs, the question, after all, really wasn’t that unusual.

We’re talking about epiphany moments. When did the 60-year-old company sit back, survey the changing dynamics of the printing landscape and say, “We have to make a change, and we have to make it now?”

Moe, the vice president of Sales and Marketing for Daily Printing, pauses for a minute, laughs and then tries

to recall if there was indeed an “ah ha” moment for the Plymouth, Minn.-based company. As a long-time leader in its marketplace, Daily Printing had aptly served its clients by offering everything from conventional sheet fed printing, full pre-press and post press services to kitting and fulfillment. But when its clients started changing the way they marketed and communicated to their customer bases, Daily Printing took notice.

“We knew five years ago we needed to get into digital printing,” Moe says, “so we jumped into it then. I won’t say we were on the

“ Transformation literally means going beyond your form.”

– Wayne Dyer

leading edge or that it was ‘if we don’t hurry up and do this, the ship will sail’ scenario, but being a marketing services provider was a natural evolution for us. I really can’t say there was an epiphany

Jeff Parr, director of cross-media and marketing

moment. Change came about from knowing our market. We knew

for the Arbor Oakland Group, can’t pinpoint, what

these types of changes weren’t going to go away. We didn’t want

he calls, that cataclysmic event that helped trans-

to be one of those companies that say, ‘Hey, prove to us that this is

form the Royal Oak, Mich., company from print

really going to be the direction we have to take.’ You have to make a decision, be confident in that decision and do it.”

So Daily Printing—an exemplary traditional printer—moved headlong into the marketing services provider (MSP) age. Today, it offers a diverse selection of digital solutions including variable print, web-to-print and cross media marketing services to the greater Minneapolis area and beyond.

As printers continue to ask, “to be an MSP or not to be an MSP,” many companies are diversifying their offerings. Look around and you’ll see printers who have made the transition, those who are making the transition, those who are thinking about making the transition and those who still just don’t get it.

services provider (PSP) to MSP. What he knows is that the printing industry continues to be about helping clients meet their marketing and communications goals—just in additional ways.

“This was a very natural extension for our business,” Parr says. “As more commercial printers got into digital printing, the real potential wasn’t that you could make yourself a glorified copier.

The real potential was that you could integrate data and customize every piece coming out of job. By doing that, you increase your value to your client. I can tell you there were clients out there asking for solutions that weren’t available.

Nobody can say whether the myriad of printers that have fallen by

We were able to help. By playing the role of MSP,

the wayside would have been better served by diversifying their busi-

we were able to better serve our clients. It made

ness to meet the needs of an increasingly varied and complex media

our business stronger.”

landscape. What is known is that today’s marketers are being pressed

Today, the Arbor Oakland Group, which has been

to show more of a return on their investments. As an MSP, you can help

in business since 1972, provides a variety of offerings,

them communicate more effectively in this ever-changing landscape.

including marketing services using traditional media

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Print 3.0

such as commercial printing and offset services, as

Let’s face it: The transition from PSP to MSP can be challenging. It

well as digital print and cross media. Its arsenal of

requires more consultative sales, more automated production and

cutting edge services include Web development

tracking, and a broader scope of new and old media from manage-

for landing pages and personalized URLs (PURLs),

ment. The challenge is in the execution. The best advice: Survey

e-mail and text/SMS messaging, Web storefront

the landscape. Scour trade shows and seminars for information.

(Web-To-Print) solutions, direct mail, variable data

Seek user groups. Hire a consultant. Find a partner.

print, FSC & SFI Certified traditional and on-demand

XMPie®, A Xerox Company, is one such partner. Founded to

print, project management and reporting, ware-

integrate the world of print and electronic media, the New York-

housing and fulfillment, and kitting services.

based company provides software for variable data publishing

“Some people are going to say, ‘I am a printer

and cross-media communications that unites customer databases

and that’s all I want to be; I’m going to be the

and creative content. This helps print service providers, marketing

best printer out there.’ And they may thrive,” Parr

service firms, and small-to-medium sized businesses and enter-

says. “But the problem is that the space of indus-

prises leverage customer data and create personalized, multiphase

try available is too crowded. There is only going

campaigns through print, Web, e-mail and mobile.

to be one of 100 that can offer only printing,

XMPie believes printers should seek help from vendors when

whereas the other 99 are either going to have to

making the transition. For example, XMPie’s Customer 1to1

adapt or fail. It’s sad. There have been too many

Business Development Program provides technical, sales and

companies that have gone out of business.”

marketing information that customers can immediately use to

So, why isn’t everybody diversifying? “It’s a

accelerate XMPie campaign development, and help sell and

major, fundamental change of how you do busi-

market variable data print, personalized Web-to-Print and

ness,” Parr says. “You are not extending your

cross-media marketing.

hand with your palm up and asking for a print

Jacob Aizikowitz, president of XMPie, says that printers must

order. You are extending a handshake and saying,

change the way they engage their customers because of how today’s businesses are revamping the way they communicate. “There is no question the industry is

“ As more commercial printers got into digital printing, the real potential wasn’t that you could make yourself a glorified copier, the real potential was that you could integrate data and customize every piece coming out of job.”

changing. And it has nothing to do with the printers

– Jeff Parr, director of Cross-media and Marketing for the Arbor Oakland Group

to discuss, engage and drive this new business philoso-

themselves. But to stay relevant, sophisticated and interactive, you have to do something. You must stay relevant. A PSP that is afraid to make the leap to MSP can easily get started on the low end and slowly add capabilities as their business grows, without sacrificing their previous work, investments and know-how.”

Aizikowitz says that before embarking on the journey, you must make sure you have the right resources and skills for transformation. He offers three succinct ways: do it yourself, acquire a company or find a partner. “The main thing is to make sure that the people within your organization have the resources they need phy (think data, Web design, Web programming, etc.).

The change can be very costly, very risky, but it is the type of change you need.”

‘I’m going to work with you to build a successful marketing experience.’ That’s a big difference. It does take a great amount of resources to do that.

“The key to change ... is to let go of fear.”

– Rosanne Cash

We consider all forms of output, print included, as just one tool in our toolbox as an MSP.”

Perhaps no company better exemplifies the successful transformation from PSP to MSP than Rider Dickerson Inc., which for more than

“ First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.”

– Napoleon Hill

100 years has served the Chicago area’s printing needs. Several years ago, Bill Barta, president and CEO, saw a dynamic shift in how print was being used in everyday marketing and communications.

So he teamed with Service Communications + Solutions (SCS) to create printforum, a mutual equity partnership that enables Rider Dickerson to respond to a constantly evolving business climate by combining business intelligence with a unique offering of print capabilities and services. The platform includes a website (printforum.info),

P36 CANVAS June 2011

“ Change came about from knowing our market. We knew these types of changes weren’t going to go away. We didn’t want to be one of those companies that say, ‘Hey, prove to us that this is really going to be the direction we have to take.’”

– Tom Moe, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Daily Printing

an annual conference and a bi-monthly digital marketing magazine.

“It’s about having the right conversations with

Each provides educational and innovative print solutions through a

your customers. Sit down with them and talk

collection of educational articles and publications, and seminars.

about their challenges, find out what their market-

Ahead of the curve? Yes. But an MSP? Barta still has trouble

ing objectives are and what they are seeing in

with the term. “What our industry had was a number of new tech-

the marketplace. If you understand those things

nologies that took off, and if you offered them, you automatically

better, you’ll know what to offer. You don’t want

became an MSP. I’m not sure I even know what that term means. I

to start rattling off all these services you offer

believe success comes from offering value to your customers more

to a client who might not even understand what

than it does from calling yourself an MSP.”

they all are. They want help with their initiatives.

Rider Dickerson certainly has the offerings of an MSP, including

“I’ve been in this industry a long time. Typi-

sheetfed, Web, digital and large format print capabilities; sophisti-

cally, investment in new things is driven by

cated multi-channel direct marketing; Web-to-Print; trackable digi-

a specific customer’s needs. This isn’t much

tal page-turning documents and comprehensive bindery, mailing

different. See what your core customers need

and fulfillment offerings. As FSC and SFI certified organizations, it

and go from there. It all comes down to knowing

also offers environmentally friendly processes.

your customer.”

6

Print on demand Solutions to Sell

P38 CANVAS June 2011

By Linda Bishop

C

arol caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked up and saw Brenda from accounting smiling in her doorway. Brenda stepped into Carol’s office and

held out a thick envelope. Brenda grinned and said, “Here’s your commission statement and I think you’re going to be happy.”

Carol took the envelope, ripped it open and pulled out the folded report. Her eyes landed on her earnings for the month, and she let out a hoot of joy.

Brenda’s grin expanded another half inch.

“Congratulations,” she said.

There was a knock on the door. Both women turned, and Neil, another account executive, stepped inside. “Can I interrupt?” He looked at Carol and added, “I’m planning a call and wondered if you had any samples of direct mail postcards I could use.”

“Sure.” As Carol spun to open a drawer in the file cabinet at her side, Brenda sorted through the envelopes she was holding, pulled out one for Neil and handed it to him.

He grimaced. “Ugh. I don’t even know if I want to look at this. Every year this month, my sales have gone down instead of up.”

“You’re not alone,” Brenda said. “But knowing that doesn’t make it any better, I’m sure.”

“No.” Neil threw up his hands. “It’s frustrating.

I’m working harder than ever and have less and less to show for it.”

“That’s the situation I was in last year. There were some significant changes in my client base and business dried up faster than water in the desert. I had to completely rethink my approach and replace four clients. It wasn’t easy, but this year it’s better,” Carol said.

“A lot better; last month was the biggest month you ever had,” Brenda said.

“How did you do it?” Neil asked.

“I did a lot of sales soul-searching, beginning with pondering my clients’ current problems.

Once I was clear on the problems, I thought about everything we had to offer today and realized there was a big opportunity to sell print on demand solutions.

“Like what?” Neil said.

Carol picked up her commission report, flipped to the third page, and held it up so Neil could see. “ABC Manufacturing was my biggest customer for years. I produced their catalog until they eliminated it in 2009. I had given up on selling them more than an occasional mailer, but when I re-thought my sales plan, I realized they participated in over 25 tradeshows a year.

CANVAS P39

Six Print on Demand Solutions to Sell

Print on demand also allows marketers to make materials more relevant to the audience by customizing copy and images. For example, Carol’s manufacturing client wants to produce specific materials for each tradeshow including: • Invitations to attendees to stop by the booth.

• Customized brochures listing tradeshows specials.

• A series of three follow-up mailers that will be sent later to the booth’s visitors.

Print on demand orders can be small, but they have the potential to add up and create significant income for you, just as they did for Carol with her franchise group.

To spot opportunities in your own account base, here are six areas where print on demand are a perfect fit for the customer’s needs.

• Tradeshows and events • Training • Local area marketing • Welcome kits • Loyalty programs • “We want you back” programs To sell it, you need to know the following: • Who is the decision-maker?

• What problem does print on demand solve?

• What obstacles must you overcome to sell the solution?

Tradeshows and Events Many organizations spend a significant portion of their budget on tradeshows or other events. Often, larger organizations have a marketer on staff responsible for managing and executing these projects. This decision-maker is extremely busy. Purchasing That meant there was a big opportunity to sell

printed materials is important, but it is still a small part of their

them a print on demand solution for their

entire job. Tradeshow and Event managers are looking for reliable

tradeshow materials.”

partners who produce materials correctly and quickly. On-time

Neil looked intrigued. “That’s a good idea. I can already think of two clients who might be interested in buying something like that.”

delivery is critical.

Print on demand solutions tied into online ordering systems are a good fit because the customer can order 24/7 from any computer.

Carol flipped to the last page and tapped the

Since many event managers travel a great deal, this is an important

column listing sales. “I sold another solution

benefit. With customizable design templates, the customer can

to Best Hair Care. They’re a national franchise

type in show names and dates, instantly view a proof, and place

with about 100 shops across the country. I make

their order.

over $1000 every month from that one account because print on demand is perfect for their local area marketing efforts.”

Neil went from intrigued to fired-up. “I want to hear more! Can you have lunch today?”

Carol grinned. “Sure, and since I just got my

To sell the solution you must: • Get at least three to five meetings with the busy event manager.

• Recognize budgets are tight and illustrate how this will save money overall.

• Demonstrate that they will save time.

biggest commission check ever, I’ll even buy.”

More and more customers are looking for print on

Training

demand solutions because they offer many impor-

When an organization has a fulltime trainer, there could be a print

tant benefits. While the price per printed piece is

on demand opportunity for you. Training materials tend to be black

often higher than on static items, producing only

and white or with limited color. Finishing requirements include

what is needed, when it is needed is a smart way to

collating and drilling for insertion into a binder, or saddle-stitching,

eliminate waste and reduce total costs.

or perfect binding.

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Six Print on Demand Solutions to Sell

If the print on demand solution requires the set up of an expensive online ordering system, don’t give away the system for free unless you’re a hundred percent sure you will see a payback.

For print on demand to be a money-maker for

Welcome Kits

you, you need an organization with:

If you’ve ever purchased a brand new car, or started a new bank-

• A large audience

ing relationship, you’ve probably received a welcome kit. This is a

• On-going demand for training

perfect fit for print on demand because the customer only prints

• The willingness to outsource

materials when they’re needed.

If a solution is already in place and the trainer is happy, then don’t spend a lot of time trying to

Storefronts can make ordering materials easy for clients by designing them to:

convince them they should fire their current provider

• Allow the customer to upload a list of new customers

and hire you. They probably won’t, unless the potential

• Select appropriate welcome kit components

customer is suffering from severe service problems.

• Mail all materials from your facility

Local Area Marketing

To sell this program, you must learn if the customer currently has a

Many businesses realize that different markets have

program. If they have a program, then who is in charge? The person

different needs. For example, let’s say you oper-

overseeing the program is probably the decision maker.

ate a chain of coffee shops. Hot chocolate may be popular in Minnesota in February, but not in Flor-

If there is a program, then what does it entail and how would they like to improve it?

ida. With print on demand tied to local area market-

If there is no program, then you need to go high up in market-

ing, the shops in Minnesota can order hot choco-

ing to identify the decision-maker. Does that customer think a

late counter cards, while the Florida locations order

welcome program has value? If they believe it does, then are

counter cards featuring strawberry smoothies.

they willing to allocate part of their budget to support it?

The decision-maker for a program like this tends to be high up in an organization—possibly

Loyalty Programs

the CMO or the VP of Marketing. This is a strate-

These programs are similar to welcome kit programs, but the

gic decision and designing the right program can

focus is on retaining current customers and building a strong

positively impact revenues.

base of company loyalists. Once more, it’s important to learn if there is already a program in place. If no program exists, you’ll

To sell a program like this, answer these questions: • Are there any geographic differences

have to talk to someone with authority and budget control to determine if they see a payoff from starting one.

that would affect selling messages or visuals?

• Do local markets have money to spend on targeted marketing?

• Will the main office allow local marketers to determine what is needed, or does the main office want to maintain control?

P42 CANVAS June 2011

To succeed in the sale: • Customer retention must generate ROI. • The dollar value of the next sale must be high enough to justify this strategy.

• The customer of retention must be lower than the cost of acquiring new customers.

“We Want You Back” Programs These programs are similar to loyalty programs, but they focus on customers who stop buying. The goal of the program is to encourage this targeted audience to make a purchase. Usually, there is an incentive tied to the program, such as a discount on a future purchase or an offer of something free.

These programs have great value for customers who: • Recognize it is expensive to find new customers.

• Operate in a market where there are many repeat purchasers.

• Have contact information for customers who purchased in the past.

Last thoughts Often, quick turn times are expected when you’re selling print on demand. With that in mind, be sure the end product

There are lots of opportunities out there

you help the customer design will execute flawlessly, day-in

for print on demand. The average value of a

and day-out.

sale is likely to be low, but lots of little orders

If the print on demand solution requires the set up of an expensive online ordering system, don’t give away the system for free unless you’re a hundred percent sure you will see a payback.

can add up quickly and create a new income stream for you.

Good selling!

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

P44 CANVAS June 2011

LinkedIn or Linked Out Make Your Keyboard Your Best Prospecting Tool

By Brian Sullivan

I

f you love cold calling, then you are a rare breed…or a liar! Face it; there is nothing glamorous about disturbing somebody in the middle of a busy day trying to get them to understand just how much they need you and your solution. If only there was a better way…

Good news—there is!

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LinkedIn or Linked Out

In today’s electronic environment, people are smart enough to identify many of their own prob-

• After searching, it returned a list of more than 100 CEOs and big-time decision-makers at some of the biggest

lems and then find their own answers online. And

companies in my area. By the way, I got these results

when they go searching for the answers, they can

because I have invested 10 minutes a day over the past

do it on their own time, when their mind is clear.

several months creating useful connections. After clicking

Distractions are limited, which means they are

on one of the prospects, I easily learned more about him

open to learning. The most important part of the

than I could ever dream of learning in a cold call.

equation is that they want your information.

So how do we get them to want our informa-

• Next, I notice from his information that he is LinkedIn with

tion? In a recent article, I talked about the value of

two of my industry friends. In addition, I found his website

Twitter in spreading your message. This month,

that contained his e-mail address. I now have the option of

let’s focus on LinkedIn.

sending him an e-mail as well as an invitation encouraging him to join my network.

Three months ago, I had no idea why I spent 20 minutes a day accepting LinkedIn invites. I now

When reaching out, make your message personal and one that

get it; when used correctly, LinkedIn can trans-

communicates the value you can bring, while not sounding like you

form cold prospects into warm meetings. It can

are starving for a commission check. Something like:

also give you “inside scoop” on your competition while keeping you informed

Joe, I am an associate of (common connection) in

of industry trends. Recently on my

the printing and marketing industry who special-

weekly radio show, I spoke with

izes in helping companies like yours more easily

LinkedIn author and expert Wayne

connect with new and current customers. Would

Breitbarth, and he shared his

love to connect with you!

LinkedIn “Gotta Do’s.” These tips helped me immediately, and they

From here, you can contact your mutual connection,

can help you too. Below is a list of

get more information about the prospect and even

things you need to do immediately

ask them for a personal introduction.

to increase your list of prospects.

• Gotta get a LinkedIn account and begin inviting friends, colleagues and current customers to join your network. The power of LinkedIn comes from having a ton of people with a bunch of relationships. Dedicate 10 minutes each day to doing this. It will pay off.

• Gotta use Advanced Search Functions by using keywords to search for names and titles of prospects. For example, I just logged into LinkedIn, went to ADVANCED SEARCH in the upper right corner of the screen, and accessed the search field options. I typed in CEO and directed LinkedIn to find me a list of CEOs within a 75-mile radius of my house.

Once you realize what a great sales tool it can be, you will have no problem dedicating at least 10 minutes a day.

• Gotta beef up your profile by including important keywords. This will help others find you instead of the competition.

• Gotta join LinkedIn Groups. This will allow you to learn from like-minded people as well as help expose you to new prospects. For example, I just typed in PRINT Sales in the GROUPS search field and found several I can ask to join. My favorite one on the list was the Canvas Print Sales and Marketing group! I asked to join and will now be connected to more than 932 other industry minds who can make me better.

• Gotta get in or get out! Stop dabbling.

Once you realize what a great sales tool it can be, you will have no problem dedicating at least 10 minutes a day. Remember, you owe it to your marketplace to spread your message, and now is the time to understand how to use LinkedIn better than your competitor.

To link up with sales coach Brian Sullivan, CSP, go to http://tinyurl.com/4z5bhar. And to make your next sales meeting your most educational and entertaining yet, go to www.preciseselling.com.

P46 CANVAS June 2011

Book Recommendation

Wild Courage A Journey of Transformation for You and Your Business

»» By Elle Harrison

A

s the printing industry endeavors to transform, it becomes clear that for an organization to change, individuals have to change first. The economic climate indicates that traditional practices may no longer work.

Elle Harrison’s book, “Wild Courage—A Journey of Transformation for You and Your Business,” consciously brings the worlds of business and spirituality together while providing some new concepts for transformation. Her fresh look at how to move forward, both individually and corporately, is unique, thought-provoking and timely.

“Wild Courage” challenges us to immerse ourselves in change and work up the courage to delve deeper into our souls.

If you find yourself or your company in need of change, then this book is for you. Harrison guides readers on a journey towards soulful leadership. “I wanted to share the creativity, insight and wisdom of these soul perspectives with the business world and help to bring more wisdom and integrity into business,” she affirms. This is an outstanding book which confidently crosses the line between management practice and personal discovery. “Wild Courage” challenges us to immerse ourselves in change and work up the courage to delve deeper into our souls. Harrison highlights six qualities (dying, stillness, intuition, wildness, vulnerability, surrender) that may run counter to tradition, but just might be the keys to your journey.

Beautifully written and engaging, “Wild Courage” borrows from the lessons of nature and the ancient world, together with her own personal experiences and those of successful business leaders, and gives insights about how we can remind ourselves of the resources we have within. Reading this book will offer CANVAS readers the chance to connect with something special. We highly recommend this book.

P48 CANVAS June 2011

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Learn more at www.hp.com/go/EVERYTHING Progressive Profitable Printing Š 2011 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.