Canvas Magazine | Business Innovation Tip for Printers

supporting print sales & Marketing executives

october 2011

Business Innovation Tips for Printers Cash Flow Survival in S

ales

Give to Get

Esse Pearlized Opal

Esse Pearlized Cocoa

Esse Pearlized White

Esse® Pearlized Colors: the unique digital finish will give any direct mail piece the attention it deserves.

Order your samples today.

neenah digital papers universal digital finish

For more information check us out at: www.neenahpaper.com/digital ® Registered Trademarks of Neenah Paper, Inc.

© 2011 NPI. All rights reserved.

Publisher mark potter > mark@thecanvasmag.com

marketing manager brandon clark > brandon@thecanvasmag.com

sales manager

“ As a business leader, you are concerned that you’re going to be netflixed.”

kayla rowan > kayla@thecanvasmag.com

MANAGING EDITOR lorrie bryan

ART DIRECTOR

– Saul Kaplan, chief catalyst at the Business Innovation Factory

brent cashman

CONTRIBUTORS

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

Editorial board keith bax Research Data chris petro GlobalSoft tom moe Daily Printing dean petrulakis Rider Dickerson david bennett Bennett Graphics tony narducci O’Neil Printing

www.thecanvasmag.com

P2

P16

Of Mice and Men

Telepress CEO Darren Loken Installed as New NAPL Chairman Nigel Worme Becomes Association Vice Chairman, Niels Winther Elected Secretary/Treasurer

Publisher’s Thoughts P4

5 Tips for Standing Out From the Competition P5

Are You Dancing The Cold Calling “Two Step”?

P6

The Corner Office Tech Corner: Adding Value and Inkjet Printing Dominant at GRAPH EXPO 2011 Print in the Mix Fast Facts: Customers Say They Prefer Direct Mail and Email Marketing CMO Council

@TheCANVASMag http://www.linkedin.com/ groups?gid=1797952 CANVAS magazine for more information: 678.473.6131, 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, Georgia 30097 CANVAS, Volume 5, Issue 4. copyright 2011 CANVAS, All rights reserved. CANVAS is published bi-monthly for $39.00 per year by Conduit, Inc., 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, Georgia 30097 Periodicals postage pending at Duluth, GA and additional mailings offices. Periodical Publication 25493. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CANVAS, 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, Georgia 30097. Please note: The acceptance of advertising or products mentioned by contributing authors does not constitute endorsement by the publisher. Publisher cannot accept responsibility for the correctness of an opinion expressed by contributing authors.

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

October 2011

DEPARTMENTS

People News

Master Print Group Awarded “The Benny” in International Print Competition WINBROOK ACQUIRES MAGICOMM LLC Innovators join forces to bring clients comprehensive integrated marketing communication solutions that reduce costs and boost revenues

P18

Product Spotlight FUJIFILM Digital Inkjet J Press 720 Double Thick Impact Cards Sappi’s Printers of the Year Online Resource

Marketing Insights Facebook Brand Fans More Likely to Recommend, Buy Products

New Envelope Yields Tear-ific™ Results - Western States

Communicating Which way to go?

Book Recommendation

P48

The 50th Law

P14

Out of the Box Packaging & the Environment

FEATURES P20

P34

Business Innovation Tips for Printers

Why Decision Making Skills are Critical to Success

P26

P42

You can market your company, push your sales team and generate sales. But can you manage your money? See why some call this the ‘missing link’ when it comes to running a successful company. Here’s why you must understand how to do it now.

The Formula for Stealing Customers from Your Biggest Competitor

Innovate or Die – Don’t be Netflixed The Tao of Cash Flow

Survival in Sales

Give More to Get More

CANVAS P1

Of Mice and Men

U

Uncertainty abounds. All bets are off. A world that was dependent on the latest product innovation is on the decline. Innovation will come from the creative class and in the form of business models. And as we embark

on a new era, I promise you that innovation can only be born out of an in-depth understanding of a market.

I’ve thought a lot about what will happen with the economy over the next few years. I am willing to

guess that I am not alone. I have met countless people looking for answers and I have come to a conclusion. The future is what we make it.

Last month, I attended Graph Expo and was pleasantly surprised. Not only did the attendance

Publisher’s thoughts

increase from last year, but the caliber of people was of the highest quality. I had the feeling that the people there were engaged in a different way than in the past. They were there to explore new ideas and not just research the latest technology.

We tend to think that innovators are the ones who come up with dazzling new technologies. A closer look, however, suggests that innovation usually comes by thinking of new ways to help clients. Being an innovator has more to do with creating value than building some new mouse trap. In fact, what good is a mousetrap if there are no mice?

Our industry has experienced a disruption of great significance.

So, what will help us turn the corner? My guess is that guts and a commitment to become truly market based will play major roles. In other words, the ability to stand for others and let go of an antiquated product based strategy will create opportunities. But, don’t take my word for it. Read our cover article, Innovate or Die, and get the perspective from some true business innovators.

Our goal at Canvas has always been to create a new level of thinking that will spur innovation. Our industry has experienced a disruption of great significance. This kind of change is not a call for concern and worry. It is a call to innovate. It is a call to be better and think more strategically than you ever have.

And strategic thinking starts with the market.

Enjoy the October edition of Canvas, take a peek at our new site, www.thecanvasmag.com and see how we are trying to innovate ourselves. Our new resource guide, MSP, is just the next step in aiding our transformation and inspiring innovation.

Enjoy and all the best,

Mark Potter Publisher

P2

CANVAS October 2011

www.manroland.us.com www.manroland.ca

Meet the game-changer.

The world makeready champion, ROLAND 700 DirectDrive For zero-time plate changes, nothing out-performs the ROLAND 700 DirectDrive press. With directly driven plate cylinders, all plates can be changed simultaneously and easily during the same time the impression and blanket cylinders are being washed. For even more speed, QuickChange modules allow you to automatically pre-select all makeready steps, and print length correction on-the-fly allows you to correct while the press is in operation. The ROLAND 700 DirectDrive’s speed, quality, and efficiency make it the bridge between offset and digital for short-run printing. Truly, changing the game.

Mobile media 5 Tips for Standing Out From The Competition

John P. Foley, Jr. is the CEO and CMO of Grow Socially

By John Foley

When you take the plunge into transforming your business, you owe it to yourself to give it your all.

The transformation to a marketing services provider is not always easy. There have been a lot of printers who have started going down the path, but then changed course when things did not go as smoothly as they may have hoped.

(www.growsocially.com).

For more information call

In chapter 5 of my book, Business Transformation: A New Path to Profit for the Printing Industry,

John at 800-948-0113 or e-mail

I have outlined five simple steps to help you successfully make the transformation into a

him at support@growsocially.com.

marketing services provider.

As time goes on, you will need to offer more services.

You cannot exist on providing personalized URLs alone or QR Codes for that matter.

1. Stay well-read and educated.

3. Be aggressive.

There is a lot of material out there. New technologies are

Once you have made the transformation, your natural ambition

constantly being rolled out. The world of marketing is being

has to take over. Always be actively thinking about how you can

changed every day by mobile platforms, social networks, and

further your business. Constantly find ways to attract new clients.

more – look at how quickly the tablet is changing our daily

Be determined to continually find new ways to impress customers

activities! While you may not think new technology will have an

with your service. With your entire staff on board, the transforma-

impact on your business, it’s worth it to at least have a handle

tion will certainly go a lot smoother.

on these things. For example, your customers will perhaps think of you as more than a printer when they start discussing

4. Be prepared.

those channels and technologies with you. Being able to have a

I mention in the book that “you need to prepare for the day

knowledgeable conversation across a variety of marketing and

when you truly become a one-stop marketing services shop.”

technological topics with your customers will bring benefits.

In order for this to happen, you need to be prepared. As time goes on, you will need to offer more services. You cannot exist

2. Be forward-thinking.

on providing personalized URLs alone or QR Codes for that

It’s one thing to read about the latest trends. It’s another to apply

matter. In a sense, you are preparing for a necessary expansion.

what you learn. You should constantly be thinking about how to incorporate new findings into your business. When consuming new

5. “Walk the talk.”

information, aggressively take notes. Mark down what you think is

You need to be willing to bring your very best Sales skills to get

interesting or potentially useful. Mark down topics that you do not

clients on board with your new venture. Promising quality service

understand! Having an open mind can lead to the spark of innova-

and helpful products is part of the game, but you need to make

tion that will lead your company to greater success.

sure that your service and products really are as good as you say.

Also, you should be able to prove that the marketing channels you are selling have worked for you and your company. Not only will that help you to sell your expanded services, but it should also make it easier for your staff to implement them for clients.

P4

CANVAS October 2011

A c t i o n

Are You Dancing The Cold Calling “Two Step”?

By Paul Castain

I have noticed a bit of a trend lately – after leaving a voicemail for a prospect, an immediate email is then sent referencing the previous call.

That might just irritate the prospect in more ways than one. But the question is… Why?

Paul Castain is the vice

I’ve spoken with sales people about this and I’m told the feeling is that execs don’t check

president of Jedi Mastery

their voicemail. Truthfully, this isn’t always the case. And just to satisfy my inner wise guy .

at Castain Training Systems.

. . if you truly believe that, why not skip the phone call altogether and just send the email?

Paul’s career spans more than

Other sales professionals tell me that this is part of being “persistent” and executives dig

25 years, during which he

persistence. Is it possible, that just maybe, we could be confusing persistence with being a pain

has trained more than 3,000

in the neck?

sales and sales leadership professionals.

Antidote For Annoying Stop thinking just in terms of the cold calling “two step”. In addition think time phase and multiple touches.

You might have the greatest solution to a prospect’s biggest challenge.

If you serve it up with a side order of “pest”, everybody loses and you get sent into the wonderful world of “delete”.

Truth be told, I love the idea of changing it up and contacting a prospect via email after a phone attempt. I even like the idea of a call, then mailing something or reaching out on LinkedIn etc. That’s smart! Everyone has his or her preferred avenue of communication and we should never limit ourselves by only embracing one.

Just give your messaging a chance to breathe!

Please don’t take this as an invitation not to have urgency – just take notice when you might need to “take it down a notch”.

You might have the greatest solution to a prospect’s biggest challenge. If you serve it up with a side order of “pest”, everybody loses and you get sent into the wonderful world of “delete”.

CANVAS P5

Co Th Of rn e fic er e

Tech Corner

Adding Value and Inkjet Printing Dominant at GRAPH EXPO 2011

By Howie Fenton, NAPL Senior Consultant

W

hen you go to GRAPH EXPO, you see and

Production Inkjet System. It prints 500 ft. per minute,

hear what is going on the industry, both the

or 2,180 pages per minute in the tandem engine

opportunities and the issues. Between pre-

configuration. Xerox says it is the “world’s only high-

and post-show events this year, I spent a

speed waterless inkjet device” because it is based

total of six days on the road and came away

on the Tektronix solid ink, phase-change technology

with three key messages: • Inkjet production technology continues to evolve • The need to build more value-added services is increasing in importance

that you may remember from the old days, when you loaded wax sticks into a desktop printer.

A group of 18 analysts drove 4.5 hours down to the beta site in Mt. Pleas-

ant, Iowa, to learn how the technology lue a v is offering more marketing services has matured. We had the chance to ore d m talk to dmh Marketing Partner CTO ing sse During various presentations at this year’s Randy Seberg, who has been the Add s discu at the a e w show, many of our NAPL staff members talked champion of this project for nine her the w y r about our most recent research, published in months. We learned quickly ve rom nars f e , NAPL’s Strategic Perspective 2011 report, which that Randy is quite passionate how t semi d s included the issue of declining profitability. Our about the new press as we an lan research panel was very clear about the profitabildebated inkjet issues. in-p e IMPA hics. h p t a ity squeeze that is occurring as manufacturing costs A major motivation for to nt Gr a go up and pricing pressure remains intact. dmh to test the press was its ability to -pl n I This further emphasizes the importance of streamuse standard offset papers. The CiPress does • The one strategy that everyone is talking about,

lining your workflow and adding more value-added

not require paper with special coating (mean-

services, which are not as dependent on raw materials.

ing it costs less to operate) and allows dmh to

Adding more value was discussed everywhere at the show,

standardize its paper stock across its toner print-

from the in-plant seminars to the IMPA and In-plant Graphics. It was

ers and offset presses. The other reason dmh

often described in slightly different words, such as how the in-plant

chose Xerox was that it wanted a true partner-

facilities are struggling to remain relevant and increase their value.

ship, in which changes and improvements could

The prevalence of presentations on adding marketing services

be made, and Randy felt that Xerox was the only

was nearly inescapable. You could not walk for more than 10 minutes

company that offered that.

in any direction on the show floor without hearing a presentation

The technology has evolved significantly; the

from interlinkONE, MindFire, or one of the many digital press manu-

press lays down only about half the amount of

facturers discussing social, mobile, or cross media marketing.

ink then the Tektronix, the ink does not rub off,

Not to be left out, in my two GRAPH EXPO 2011 presentations

and even though the ink is heated to 240º and

I also outlined a step-by-step strategy to transition from printing

the paper to 100º, there was none of that old

services to marketing services. If you’re interested in a copy of the

Tektronix melting smell. Most importantly, it has

handout, simply email me at hfenton@napl.org and write in the

monitors and auto correcting controls that result

subject line “PSP to MSP handout.”

in uniform image quality, and the pages are not wavy or curling, so they can go through the bind-

Xerox Introduces New Inkjet Press

ery effortlessly. Despite the length of the trip,

At the show, Xerox exhibited its newest entry into the inkjet produc-

the analysts agreed that it was an interesting and

tion press competition, which the company calls the CiPress 500

worthwhile excursion.

Howie Fenton is a Senior Consultant with The National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL), focusing on new technology opportunities, production issues, and helping companies sell more value-added digital services. For more information call (800) 642-6275, Ext. 6328, or email hfenton@napl.org.

P6

CANVAS October 2011

Learn more at gobizhubPRESS.com/print

INNOVATION MEETS RELIABILITY MEETS

HOLY COW

“

THAT LOOKS AMAZING.”

It started with one revolutionary machine. And now there’s a whole suite of bizhub® PRESS digital presses. Suddenly, so much is possible: Incredible color accuracy and consistency.

Eye-popping resolution. Powerful in-line finishing. Blazing speed. Durable performance.

Advanced workflow. For a digital press that will help you meet the toughest demands for turnaround, quality and affordability, count on Konica Minolta.

C70hc / C6000 / C7000 / C7000P / C8000

©2011 KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, U.S.A., INC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Konica Minolta is a trademark of KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC. bizhub is a registered trademark of KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Co Th Of rn e fic er e

Print in the Mix Fast Facts For additional information go to www.printinthemix.com.

Customers Say They Prefer Direct Mail and Email Marketing (http://printinthemix.com/Fastfacts/Show/473) According to a study of consumers’ use of technology and preferences for how brands communicate with them:

Three in four people

Email is similarly popu-

Newer types of

Just 4% of customers

Consumers are using

(71%) welcome receiv-

lar among existing

marketing were not so

approve of contact

technology to control

ing direct mail from

customers, – 78% say

popular: Less than one

through social media;

their relationships

organizations they are

they willingly accept

in 10 (9%) of existing

Just 6% of prospects

with brands and

already customers of.

this form of contact;

customers feel that

would be happy to

filter out unwanted

Additionally, some

the figure dropped to

receiving marketing text

receive marketing via

communications.

57% of those surveyed

52% for prospective

messages is appropri-

social media.

feel direct mail contact

customers.

ate; Just 4% feel it is

was appropriate for

acceptable for market-

prospective customers.

ers to contact prospective customers via SMS.

CMO Council As of August 2011, marketers were spending an average of 7.1% of their marketing budgets on social media and planned to increase that to 10.1% in the next 12 months.

Total US advertising expenditures in the first six months of 2011 increased 3.2% from a year ago and finished the period at $71.5

Within five years, marketers expect social media to account for

billion, according to data released in September 2011 by Kantar Media. Spending growth eased slightly during the second quarter and was up 2.8% compared to last year.

Internet media accounted for more

17.5%

of marketing budgets.

than one-half of the dollar gain in total ad expenditures during the first six months of the year (see more about digital advertising at MarketingVox). Within the internet media category, display spending jumped 12.9% and search investments rose 8.6%, as Kantar analysis indicates each benefited from a surge of money from the travel, local service and insurance categories.

P8

CANVAS October 2011

Tango Advantage ®

STURDIER PAPER DRIVES SALES Paper selection matters.

It’s true. Research shows that consumers prefer promotional items printed on sturdier cover stock. It conveys a higher level of quality. And it can actually increase purchase intent for the advertised product – your client’s product.* Tango Advantage is 80% sturdier at the same weight.

Tango 12 pt/100# is more than 80% sturdier than competitive 100# coated covers – without adding a pound of weight!** So how do you deliver greater value to your customers to keep them coming back to you? By making them aware that by simply switching to Tango they can enhance their brand image and their sales results.

Need proof? Visit tangoadvantage.com/canvas and get a free demonstration kit so you can feel the difference for yourself – and then demonstrate the difference for your customers.

Tango Advantage C1S Cover Tango Advantage C2S Cover Tango Advantage Digital C1S Cover Tango Advantage Digital C2S Cover Tango Blanks C1S

*Source: MWV proprietary research, April 2010. Reflects 18% from total sample group that said the strength and sturdiness of their preferred unmarked sample (Tango Advantage) would Definitely or Probably impact their likelihood to purchase the product advertised. Advertised lift could be higher or lower depending on the category advertised.

**Sturdiness based on comparison of cross direction Taber stiffness testing of Tango Advantage 12 pt/100# cover vs. competitive 100# covers. ©2011 MeadWestvaco Corporation.

All rights reserved worldwide.

Co Th Of rn e fic er e

Marketing Insights

Facebook Brand Fans More Likely to Recommend, Buy Products (http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2011/5953/facebook-brand-fans-more-likely-to-recommend-buy-products)

Nearly six in ten (56%) Facebook users who

PERCENTAGE OF FANS LIKELY TO recommend brand to friends, after becoming fans

8%

“like” brands on the social networking site

Yes, for many brands

say they are more likely to recommend a brand to friends after becoming a fan,

Yes, for a few brands

compared with one-third (36%) of brand

No

fans who say they’re not likely to do so, according to a study by Constant Contact

Buying Behaviors of Fans More than one-half of brand fans say they’re more likely to buy products for many of the brands (16%) or a few of the brands (35%)

36% 40%

Don’t Know

and Chadwick Martin Bailey.

PERCENTAGE OF FANS LIKELY TO BUY FROM BRAND, AFTER BECOMING FANS

9%

16%

Yes, for many brands

they “like” on Facebook, compared with

Yes, for a few brands

41% who say they’re not likely to do so.

Interestingly, brand fans age 50+ are more likely than adults overall to buy more prod-

41%

No

35%

Don’t Know

ucts for at least a few brands (44% vs. 35%).

Reasons for “Liking” Brands Most (58%) brand fans say they “like” a

16%

TOP FIVE REASONS FOR FANNING BRANDS ON FACEBOOK

brand on the social site because they are

Gain Access to exclusive content

a customer and nearly an equal proportion (57%) become a fan to receive discounts

I am a customer of the company

and promos.

Exclusivity is key for many people: 31% of brand fans “like” brands to gain access to exclusive content, while 31% do so to be the first to receive information about the brand.

Other key findings: • Only 15% of brand fans say they have “unliked” a brand, whereas 76% have

To be the first to know information about the brand

31%

58%

31%

never done so with fans under age 35 the most likely to “unlike” a brand, according to the study.

41%

57%

• 78% of people who “like” brands on Facebook “like” fewer than 10 brands with roughly 33% liking 1-2 brands.

To show others that I like/support this brand Source: Constant Contact and Chadwick Martin Bailey

P10 CANVAS October 2011

To receive discounts and promotions

Ricoh’s new color This is big. Our powerful and affordable new color production system delivers

endurance and speed. Plus, you’ll marvel at all its best-in-class features.

Like razor-sharp text and graphics at up to 65 or 75 ppm, customer-replaceable

units that are easily installed by you for maximum uptime performance,

production printing system and too many stock and finishing options to list. And perhaps best of all,

Ricoh’s Business Booster Program gives you the tools and advice you need to

help turn your print shop into a profitable marketing communications company.

Call 1-800-63-RICOH, or visit www.ricoh-usa.com/RPP

is a born runner.

The RICOH Pro C751

Co Th Of rn e fic er e

Communicating

Which way to go?

I

By Ryan T. Sauers

t seems that everyone I speak to in the printing/graphic communications industry is facing the same concerns, questions and fears. Here are some of the questions I hear.

How do we increase our sales? How do we keep from cutting our prices? What do we make of the post office and internet and how will they affect our future? What is social media all about and what does it mean to us? Should we focus on what we do best or diversify? What is it that we do best? What type of staff do we need to meet the needs of today’s buyers? How do we differentiate ourselves? How do we communicate our message in this rapidly moving world? How do we bring about change or even know if we need to?

I have heard such questions many times and truly understand.

changes to occur? Who is going to hold you/it

It is tough to navigate through times of great uncertainty and

accountable? Without support from people and

change. However, this is a leadership column and I want to provide

systems – such changes will not occur. At best,

you with some concepts to consider. Tough times call for creative,

they will begin and then “fizzle out” as common

well planned, and confident strategies. Such questions, as the ones

thinking is such that “long range” stuff is not a

above, can be addressed through three components known as

pressing priority. Your focus instead is on (short-

assessment, challenge and support.

term) stuff such as: broken machines, slow paying

First, your current situation must be assessed. A number of “how

clients, and employee/ customer issues etc. My

and what” questions are listed above and should be considered in

belief is that both the short and long term play key

your assessment. So, reflect on where you are as an organization.

roles in your overall success.

What is it that you do really well? What areas need improvement?

Unless you are 100% dedicated to bringing

What tools can be used to measure where you are today? So, this

about the desired change then do not spend

assessment is a snapshot (taking all things into consideration) of

time on the three components listed above—as

where you are right now. So, let me encourage you to: take a time-

the change will not succeed. On the other hand, if

out, a deep breath and assess everything – internally and exter-

you are 100% on board and desire to bring about

nally – to determine where you’ve been, where you are, and where

meaningful and sustainable change I applaud

you seek to go.

you. And, know this decision marks a new day,

The second component is known as a challenge. This means

clear direction, and viable future for your orga-

you purposely determine what “gaps” exist. Gaps are the differ-

nization. There is no such thing as “staying the

ence in where you are and where you desire to be. Such gaps are

same” in the printing/graphics industry. It is

determined from the assessment area. Your focus will be on areas

quite simple – you are either moving forward or

you want to improve. For example, if you want to diversify beyond

going backward. Nothing more and nothing less.

printing than you will identify this as a “challenge” area. Your goal

I hope that you will take time to assess your situ-

is to look at any area of your organization that needs improve-

ation, create challenges of gaps that need to be

ment and then develop a plan to reduce the gap. In this challenge

narrowed, and put the proper support in place to

component, be specific about what you are going to do and how

allow these change to occur. We understand the

you are going to do it.

nuances of the printing industry and specialize

The third aspect is support. Who is going to “champion” these initiatives? What support mechanisms must be in place to allow the

in helping companies in the industry figure out which way to go.

Ryan T. Sauers is President/CMO of Sauers Consulting Strategies whose business is in growing your business. Ryan founded the independent consulting firm after 17 years of leading printing/visual communications companies. Sauers is working on his Doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership and has a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. He is both a Certified Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) practitioner; and Certified Marketing Executive (CME). Ryan’s book Everyone’s In Sales comes out later this year. www.sauersconsulting.com

P12 CANVAS October 2011

SUBSTANCE STYLE

A new future in commercial printing.

No over-hyped promotional campaigns needed.

Fujifilm Digital Inkjet | Substance over Style

Scan the QR code with your smartphone (free QR readers are available from the app store) or visit www.jpress720.com

Packaging & the Environment What is the packaging industry doing to reduce its environmental impact?

INCPEN was formed in 1974 for the express reason of assessing the environmental and social impacts of packaging, at a time when such concerns were not on most people’s agenda. It is important to remember that the main purpose of packaging is to protect goods, and ensure that the goods inside are not wasted because of damage. Typically ten times more resources go into the contents than the packaging.

In 2008, for the first time, more than half the world’s population lived in an urban environment. Urban populations rely on the food and other goods they need being grown or made outside towns and villages and then transported into the urban areas.

Without packaging, the environmental impact of doing this would be far greater.

As an industry the packaging sector has achieved enormous reductions in the amount of material needed to pack a unit of goods, and the ongoing innovations in packaging help to conserve resources.

Add chart about reducing milk bottle weights, cans or similar.

Are there laws about the environmental impact of packaging?

Given the lack of recycling facilities for plastic why are so many products packaged in plastic?

Yes. The cost of packaging is a strong driver for

Because of their light weight and protection properties, plastics can

manufacturers to reduce it to a minimum but

have advantages over other materials in some circumstances. And

in the UK there are also two laws that require

while the packaging industry fully supports recycling, whether a pack-

manufacturers to design packaging systems to

age is recyclable or not is not the main basis for choosing it. Packaging

minimize their environmental impact. There are

is chosen to be appropriate for the needs of the individual product,

also Codes of Practice and a rapidly increasing

and by ensuring that the contents of the pack are not wasted, and

number of companies operating general envi-

that the minimum amount of material is used to perform that function,

ronmental management systems that improve

packaging has done its job for the environment. Whether it subse-

the environmental profile of all their whole busi-

quently goes to be recycled, or is used to generate energy, is of less

ness, including packaging.

importance than the overall efficient use of resources. Some materials can reduce their overall burden by being recycled; others (such as

How much of our used packaging can be recycled or composted?

What should happen to the rest?

light weight mixed material packs) allow goods to be distributed with

All of it can technically be recycled but it would

we use less than 4% of that fuel for plastics and by doing so often save

not make environmental sense to try to do so.

on transport energy. In effect, we can get double the value out of the

Materials like cardboard, plastic and glass bottles

oil used for plastics packaging by using it first to protect goods and

and metal cans can be recycled if they are kept

then by recovering energy from it at the end of its useful life.

far fewer lorries but may then not be worth recycling. We burn over 90% of fossil fuel energy directly for transport or to heat our homes -

separate from other waste.

However it makes no sense to try and recycle packaging that is contaminated by food, such as cheese wrappers, the plastic film and trays for raw meat, yogurt pots or cardboard boxes from pizzas. The contamination could spoil the

How much of my bin is used packaging?

Average dustbin contents by weight:

23% Paper and board (newsprint, magazines, mail, tissues) 25% P ackaging (glass and plastic bottles, metal cans,

rest of the recycled materials in a batch plus

plastics film, paper wrapping, boxes)

using energy to collect, sort, clean and transport

32% Kitchen and garden waste 20% Other (shoes, plant pots, drinking glasses, coat

such materials to re-processors risks using more resources than are saved by recycling. In those cases it is better to recover energy.

hangers, furnishings, DIY waste)

Does recycling packaging makes a significant contribution to climate change reduction?

No. Carbon embedded in packaging is equivalent to around 2% of the total annual emissions, and in most food and drink supply chains the packaging element consumes less than 10% of the energy used in the chain [sources: EU Commission, J M Kooijman]. http://www.incpen.org/displayarticle.asp?a=70&c=3

P14 CANVAS October 2011

People News Telepress CEO Darren Loken Installed as New NAPL Chairman Nigel Worme Becomes Association Vice Chairman, Niels Winther Elected Secretary/Treasurer East Rutherford, N.J. (September 21,

company executives who are willing

2011) — Darren Loken, President and

to volunteer their time and dedicate

Manager of Cenveo’s Seattle, Wash.,

Chief Executive Officer of Telepress,

their considerable talents to serve the

facility. He is currently President and

Seattle, Wash., was installed as Chair-

association and its industry education

Chief Executive Officer of Telepress,

man of the Board of the National Asso-

efforts. This year is clearly no exception,

a 33-year-old printing company that

ciation for Printing Leadership (NAPL)

and NAPL and its members will benefit

provides corporate identity products

during the association’s Annual Meet-

greatly from the leadership skills of

to companies in the Fortune 1000.

ing on Sept. 11, 2011, in Chicago, Ill.

Darren, Nigel, and Niels, as well as the

Nigel Worme is Managing Director

to Cenveo, and then became General

Joining him as new NAPL officers are

insights of our newest Board members,”

and Chairman of COT Printery, flagship

former NAPL Secretary/Treasurer Nigel

said NAPL President and Chief Execu-

of the five-company COT Media Group,

Worme, Managing Director & Chairman

tive Officer Joseph P. Truncale, Ph.D.

which was founded in 1975 and currently

of COT Printery, Christ Church, Barbados,

“I am honored to become NAPL

provides a complete communications

who has become Vice Chairman, and Niels

Chairman and follow in the leader-

solution to clients, utilizing innovation

Winther, Chairman and Co-Owner, Think

ship footsteps of Keith Kemp, who has

in print, design, music distribution,

Patented, Dayton, Ohio, elected Secre-

done such an outstanding job during

publishing, and marketing effectiveness

tary/Treasurer. Keith Kemp, President,

a time of difficult economic condi-

technologies and services.

Xerographic Digital Printing, Orlando,

tions in our industry,” said Loken. “I

Chairman and Co-Owner of Think

Fla., now serves as Immediate Past Chair-

look forward to working with my fellow

Patented, Niels Winther has held posi-

man. Each officer is scheduled to serve a

officers, members of the NAPL Board,

tions as President or Chief Executive

two-year term in his new position.

our association staff, and our members

Officer in several major firms, includ-

Three NAPL members were also

to continue the tradition of industry

ing Heidelberg USA Inc., Baumfolder,

installed as new Directors at the Annual

service that has been an NAPL hallmark

and the East Asiatic Company, and has

Meeting: Andrew Field, Chief Executive

for more than 75 years.”

been a Board member in dozens of

Officer, PrintingForLess.com, Livings-

A graduate of Seattle Pacific Univer-

other companies throughout his career.

ton, Mont.; Ann Porster, President/

sity, Darren Loken began his career in

He holds an Honorary Doctorate of

Chief Financial Officer, Grand River

print sales. In 1992 he founded a mail-

Business and Industry from Ferris State

Printing & Imaging, Belleville, Mich.;

ing service company, which was sold in

University, a B.A. in Business Adminis-

and Tom Saggiomo, Chief Executive

1997, and then joined Valco Graphics to

tration from EAC’s Commercial School,

Officer, DG3, Jersey City, N.J.

start its mailing and fulfillment division.

and a Commercial Degree from the

“NAPL has been fortunate over the

He was President and Chief Execu-

Commercial and Merchant School of

years to be able to call upon leading

tive Officer of Valco when it was sold

Denmark in Copenhagen.

For more information, contact Truncale at (800) 642-6275, Ext. 6310, or jtruncale@napl.org; or NAPL Senior Vice President/Marketing Cindy Woods at (678) 594-0048, Ext. 102, or cwoods@napl.org.

Master Print Group of Jonesboro, Arkansas was awarded a Benny, the

Master Print Group Awarded “The Benny” in International Print Competition

highest honor in the International 2011 Premier Print Awards, for their entry “Hairdreams Product Catalog”.

The Premier Print Awards, the graphic arts industry’s largest and most prestigious worldwide printing competition recognizes outstanding achievement in print production. Master Print Group received their “Benny” for Product Catalog.

The Premier Print Awards are the printing industry’s oldest and largest worldwide graphic arts competition, hosted by Printing Industries of America. In its 62nd year, the annual contest recognizes those responsible for the creation and production of superior print communications. The event promotes excellence in print communications and rewards companies and individuals who produce the very best in print media.

This year, more than 3,200 entries were received from printing and graphic arts firms from around the world, and judges awarded the Benny

P16 CANVAS October 2011

WINBROOK ACQUIRES MAGICOMM LLC

Innovators join forces to bring clients comprehensive integrated marketing communication solutions that reduce costs and boost revenues Billerica, MA – September 20, 2011 –

advantage of Web 2.0 technologies. “By

revenues inspired by smarter strategies

Winbrook, Inc. announces the acqui-

joining forces with Winbrook, we can

and flawless execution.”

sition of Magicomm LLC, a thriving

bring new advances and efficiency to

Both Lattanzio and Littrell emphasize

integrated marketing company that

the entire communication workflow—

the complementary capabilities of their

brings complementary strengths to

print, promotions, online, and beyond,”

companies. “We’re a natural match,”

Winbrook—a

document

says Rick Littrell, president and CMO of

concludes Lattanzio. “We’re both focused

management and fulfillment provider

full-service

Magicomm and a 30-year communica-

on thinking creatively about solving

that combines personal attention with

tion veteran. “We’re excited to be part

communications challenges. We’ve both

global reach. “Print and online commu-

of Winbrook and look forward to explor-

proven our value to our customers, project

nications are changing rapidly, with

ing the opportunities together, reaching

after project, year after year. And now that

a new focus on strategic, integrated

new markets and serving new clients.”

we’re together, we can do even more—

marketing,” says Scott Lattanzio, presi-

The key capabilities offered by the

offering innovative thinking, in-house inte-

dent of Winbrook. “Our acquisition of

expanded Winbrook organization will

gration, and a level of responsiveness our

Magicomm lets us provide advanced,

include strategy, creative, production,

clients won’t find elsewhere.”

end-to-end

solu-

distribution, and analysis of its clients’

Under the terms of the acquisition,

tions to our clients—crossing all media

communications workflows and tech-

Magicomm will become a division of

and

measur-

nologies. “We’ll be able to help clients

Winbrook, which will be located in

able results. We’re proud to welcome

communicate clearly and powerfully

Winbrook’s Billerica, MA headquar-

Magicomm’s expertise to our stable of

to internal and external audiences,”

ters. Magicomm will continue to serve

award-winning services.”

says Littrell. “Ultimately, our work leads

its current client base, which includes

communications

achieving

impressive,

Since 2004, Magicomm has earned

to two key benefits—reduced costs

Canon USA, Xerox, Agfa Corporation,

a reputation for innovative cross-media

thanks to great efficiency and more

iProspect, Whittier Health Network,

communications solutions that take full

effective communications and higher

TeamEPS, and other top clients.

About Winbrook, Inc. Winbrook is a leading document management organization with a strong focus on print, fulfillment and promotions. Winbrook serves as a single-source provider of a wide-range of communication solutions — from document management to supply chain analysis to procurement and fulfillment. Offerings include a full range of print-on-demand services, promotional products, kitting, and pick-and-pack for corporate initiatives. For more than 45 years, Winbrook has served as a trusted communications partner for an ever-expanding roster of top-tier clients in financial services, pharmaceutical, healthcare, retail, and other industries About Magicomm LLC Magicomm provides breakthrough integrated marketing communications solutions and strategic consulting services. Deep expertise in the evolving document and communication workflow enables Magicomm to deliver innovative solutions that are targeted, efficient and cost-effective. And Magicomm’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technology enables its customers to leverage the latest innovations across all media—maximizing results.

For more information, contact: Rick Littrell CMO, Winbrook, Inc. President/CMO, Magicomm, a division of Winbrook, Inc., +1.978.964.1851, +1.800.252.4744, press 3, rick@magicomm.biz

to the top entry in each category. “Knowing that hundreds of

customer’s expectations by holding our team to a higher standard

companies throughout the world enter this competition makes

that will afford us an opportunity to prove our ability.”

winning a Benny very special,” said Jon Wilbanks, president of

Michael Makin, president and CEO of Printing industries

Master Print Group. “The quality of print today is really quite

of America, agrees. “The Benny winners represent the best

amazing. To have won such a prestigious award for print qual-

our industry has to offer. This year’s entries were outstand-

ity is exciting for us. The entire team at Master Print Group

ing. There were entries from companies in 13 countries.

works on every project as if it were an award-winning piece. To

Despite the fierce competition, Master Print Group, through

actually win a Benny is just the icing on the cake! It’s an honor

hard work and dedicated craftsmanship, produced a piece

to be recognized by the industry as a company that produces

worthy of the Benny.”

award-winning print.”

Master Print Group received their Benny at The Premier

Comments from the judges about the catalog submitted by

Print Awards Gala, which honored all the companies that

Master Print Group included: “Perfect Printing.” “Perfect Margins.”

had the top award conferred upon them. The 2011 Gala

“Exceptional Flesh Tones.” “Perfectly Matched Crossovers.”

was held Sunday, September 11, 2011 at the Chicago

According to Wilbanks, “This is what we strive for, to exceed the

Marriott Downtown, Magnificent Mile, Chicago, IL.

CANVAS P17

»» Product Spotlight FUJIFILM Digital Inkjet J Press 720 The new Fujifilm Digital Inkjet J Press 720 is indicative of

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

where our industry is headed—the coexistence of offset and

color and quality never previously seen from an inkjet device.

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

With it, we’re able to dramatically improve the quality of small

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

point text and vector graphics and enhance fine details in

for an area of the market where most printers struggle to

color images such as product photos, fabrics, and skin tones.

compete and where a majority of print jobs reside.

The integrated controller incorporates an advanced color management system and color calibration capabilities that maximize color consistency without requiring excessive intervention or expertise from the press operator.

The device’s high level of print quality is achieved by utilizing Fujifilm’s Dimatix SAMBA™ singlepass, piezo drop-on-demand inkjet head technology, along with Fujifilm-manufactured inks. The wide

The development of the J Press 720 represents a supe-

720mm print head incorporates high-density, long-life piezo-

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

electric element arrays with high precision and can print high-

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

resolution images using single-pass inkjet technology at 2,700

single high-performance system.

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

Thanks to the latest developments in Fujifilm inkjet printing technology, including true 1200 x 1200 dpi print resolution

www.fujifilmusa.com/graphics

Double Thick Impact Cards Double Thick Impact Cards get noticed! Twice the thick-

Direct Mail is an essential part of any effective multichan-

ness of a typical “thick” postcard, they catch the eye and

nel marketing campaign. A well designed mail campaign

the fingers of your prospects and dramatically increase

can work on it’s own, or in conjunction with email market-

response rates.

ing, personalized URLs, mobile marketing and QR codes

24 point Double Thick

to dramatically increase

Impact cards were designed

response rates.

to run through standard digital

presses.

Postcards

Perfect

are

one

of the simplest, least

for short run and variable

expensive

data jobs!

effective forms of direct

and

most

Each 12x18-1/2 inch press

mail and thicker post-

sheet is 12 points thick with

cards stand out more and

cohesives on the back and

have

a score down the center.

rates than thinner cards.

You print both sides of your

However,

postcard on the front of the

personalized postcard on

sheet. When folded at the

a thick, 24 point stock has

score, the front and back

been difficult in the past

higher

response

producing

a

of the postcard seal together to create an impressive 24 pt

because the the digital presses required for short run or vari-

card. The sheet prints easily in most digital presses and can

able data printing do not work well with such a heavy stock.

be folded with a typical bindery folder.

After printing, the sheets can be UV coated to add gloss and protection, or you could add a thin lamination layer to

24 point Double Thick Impact cards were designed to run through standard digital presses. Perfect for short run and variable data

make the card even thicker. Use Double Thick Impact Cards to get big results!

P18 CANVAS October 2011

www.ConvertibleSolutions.com

Product Spotlight ««

Sappi’s Printers of the Year Online Resource

New Envelope Yields Tear-ific™ Results - Western States

Sappi connects print buyers to the best printers

At Western States Envelope & Label, they know that nothing

in the country with the Printers of the Year online

increases direct mail response better than pieces that are inviting

resource. If a print buyer needs a printer in New

and easy to open. That’s just what customers will get with their new

England who has an 8-color offset press and can

Tear-ific™ envelopes. Tear-ific™ envelopes are a USPS approved

print variable data; an FSC certified shop on the

mailing solution that eliminates the need for a letter opener. The

West Coast who prints stochastic and UV; or a web

envelope has a unique perforated design that delivers a direct mail

printer who specializes in catalogues with ware-

message more conveniently and effectively.

house and fulfillment services—it can be found in the Printers of the Year Online Resource.

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

Available to all Printers of the Year Winners this online

serving more than 26,000 custom-

tool provides a secure admin area to upload and manage

ers—primarily printers. The company

content including photos of recent work and the plant,

is known for its expansive product

equipment lists, certifications, and special printing tech-

offerings, innovative manufacturing

niques. For database searches criteria include: Location,

techniques, and its commitment

Printing Process, Capabilities, Specialty and Features

to environmental initiatives. In fact,

which make it easy for print buyers to find the best print-

Western States Envelope & Label

ers for their needs. Users can conduct a narrow search

is FSC and SFI CoC certified, and a

based on select criteria, or cast a wider net by choos-

Climate Leaders program partner.

ing more criteria in the five key categories. Each search

This product increases response by enticing and engaging recipi-

provides results based on relevance, and a graphic

ents with a new way to open their envelope. “Direct mail studies

snapshot of each printer’s past Gold, Silver, Bronze and

show that customers can increase ROI if just one more order is

International Awards. 2012 deadline for entry into Sappi

generated from every 1,000 pieces mailed. Achieving this is easy

Printers of the Year is January 31, 2012.

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

www.na.sappi.com/education/ printers-of-the-year/find-a-printer

www.westernstatesenvelope.com

P20 CANVAS October 2011

Bu

Do n Ne ’t b tfli e xe d

sin e

ss

Inn ova tio n by Lo

rrie

Tip s fo an rP rin te

Bry

rs

I

n the mid 1980s, movie rental store Blockbuster began aggressively competing with other retail outlets for the movie

rental market, and for more than a decade Blockbuster reigned as the top purveyor of at-home movie entertainment. For many households, Friday nights frequently included a stop at the local Blockbuster to peruse the thousands of titles and hundreds of new releases and snatch up the best videos before someone else did.

CANVAS P21

Innovate or Die

“ It’s easy to come up with new ideas; the hard part is letting go of what worked for you two years ago, but will soon be out of date.”

– Roger von Oech, author of a classic book about innovation, A Whack on the Side of the Head.

Today, however, Blockbuster is struggling to

Netflixed?

be a viable option. Instead of driving to one of

“Netflix has become a verb now,” affirms Saul Kaplan, chief catalyst

the few remaining Blockbuster retail outlets,

at the Business Innovation Factory. “As a business leader, you are

many movie watchers are picking up movies at

concerned that you’re going to be netflixed. But it isn’t as if Block-

one of the nearly 29,000 conveniently located

buster didn’t see the technology coming. It isn’t as if they didn’t

Redbox kiosks, getting their rentals in the mail

have the opportunity to distribute movies in a different way than

or increasingly, they are simply streaming at

the way they had been doing it—with bricks and mortar and video

home with their Netflix account. After filing for

cassette recorders. Clearly they had a lot of smart people that saw

Chapter 11 protection a year ago, Blockbuster

the emerging technology for DVDs. The problem wasn’t that they

has taken steps to transform their business

didn’t see it coming. The problem was that they couldn’t mobilize

model to compete with Redbox and Netflix,

fast enough to do it, because they were stuck in their current busi-

rolling out kiosks and a Total Access package

ness model. And everybody in the organization was pedaling the

to accommodate America’s changing media

bicycle in the current business model as hard as they could. So they

habits. But few think that Blockbuster will ever

had no capacity for trying to design and test a new business model

dominate the home entertainment industry like

in the real world.”

it once did, and many think they will become as obsolete as VCRs.

Kaplan emphasizes that all businesses need the capability to test new business models. “The half-life of a business model, the

Meanwhile Netflix is the little engine that

length of time it will last in the market, is shortening. In the 21st

could, the David to Blockbuster’s Goliath, the

century, a leader will probably have to change their business model

disruptive innovation that is changing the way

in significant ways several times over the course of their career. And

Americans watch movies.

they don’t teach you how to do that in business school. As technology has changed, the opportunities for new business models have accelerated…I’m not sure we’ve seen the full acceleration yet.”

Can Netflix Be Netflixed?

Netflix rivals have been growing in number with a host of companies ramping up their online content delivery services including: Walmart’s Vudu, Blockbuster, HBO Go, Amazon and Hulu, owned by News Corp. (which also owns The Post), Disney and Providence Equity.

Accordingly, Netflix has made some strategic but questionable moves lately—raising rates and creating a separate business (Qwikster) for their DVD rental service, and planning to expand its warehouse of 20,000 titles, giving customers even more streaming choices. But is this going to ensure ongoing success? Not necessarily.

“Netflix split to avoid being netflixed—it’s a good business model innovation move,” Kaplan tweeted when the news broke. “But all companies are vulnerable to disruptive innovation,” he insists. “So

P22 CANVAS October 2011

they have to be proactive and commit part of the organization’s resources to developing ideas and prototypes— test them in the real world, give personnel freedom and autonomy.

That’s the biggest challenge for most

“ As a business leader, you are concerned that you’re going to be netflixed.”

large companies that I talk with.

They do a lot in innovation space,

– Saul Kaplan, chief catalyst at the Business Innovation Factory

but most of it is focused on how to make their current business model more effective—which is important—but a small part of your effort needs to be focused on potentially transformative new business models. And you need to make sure the resources are carved out to support those types of experiments as well.”

Kaplan says this is the key piece of work that never gets done. “It’s almost always about incremental improvement in today’s business model, and almost never about discovering what the new business model is—even if it might disrupt us. I want to know, understand, be in a position to be proactive and potentially migrate from the current business model to a new one.”

Keith Bax, vice president of sales and marketing for Research Data Inc., a marketing and IT

Blockbuster Printers

services provider, notes that the printing busi-

In the print industry today, there are still a lot of businesses with a

ness is being squeezed from two different direc-

Blockbuster mindset—pedaling the bicycle in the current business

tions. “First of all, electronic communications

model as hard as they can with no capacity for exploring potential

have put tremendous pressure on print. The total

new business models.

number of printed pages produced by printing

Innovate or Die

companies will continue to decline. Secondly, as an industry, print has not made the technological investments required to achieve maximum efficiency. I’m not just talking about faster presses, even though that has something to do with it. A vast majority of printing establishments are privately-held companies. Many owners elected to draw profits out of the business at the expense of reinvesting in technologies that would make their manufacturing and business processes more efficient. When the economy flattened, access to financing became difficult, and the investments required to stay ahead of the technology curve became very expensive.

There is now a huge barrier to entry into things like data centers, highly-skilled technology workers, and specialized software that are needed to stay competitive.”

Invention or Innovation Bax notes that business innovation needs to accompany technological innovation for companies to succeed. “When Apple introduced the iPod, it was a technical innovation within their product offerings. But tying the iPod to iTunes and completely changing the music business was a business innovation.”

“ Video won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.”

– Daryl F. Zanuck, 20th Century Fox, commenting on television in 1946

“A lot of people confuse innovation with invention, and think that they just need new technology to solve a problem. But an innovation is not the same as an invention,” Kaplan stresses.

“Inventions are important, and it’s nice to have new technology, but frankly we have more new technology that we can use.

We’re not short on new technology, but we are short on the ability to use new technologies to solve problems and deliver value to customers.”

Kaplan says that to him, an innovation is a better way to deliver value. “It is not an innovation until it solves a problem that a customer is having—it delivers value in the real world, solves a problem and helps get a job done that a customer is trying to do.”

Print Industry Innovation How do you solve customers’ problems? You should look at things from your customer’s perspective and try to understand what their priorities and objectives are. Perhaps Blockbuster should have considered whether movie fans prefer to spend Friday evenings

P24 CANVAS October 2011

“We’re not short on new technology, but we are short on the ability to use new technologies to solve problems and deliver value to customers.”

– Saul Kaplan, founder and chief catalyst at Business Innovation Factory

racing to a crowded store hoping to snag a new release movie

“Several years ago, we looked hard at our capabil-

before they are all gone…and racing back to return the movie

ities and at emerging opportunities based on some

before late fees are levied.

pretty good data. We determined that marketers

Kaplan says it is increasingly important for printers to put them-

were reshifting their strategies from mass market-

selves in their customers’ shoes. “Look through their lens,” Kaplan

ing to highly relevant personalized communica-

suggest. “Develop new ways to deliver value that borrow from

tions delivered through multiple channels utilizing

your current business model but also introduce new capabilities

a new set of tools. So we studied the technology

and technology. Most importantly, create a segment of your orga-

and figured out how we could fit it all together—tie

nization that has the capacity to experiment with different business

the channels together with triggers—and deliver

models—ways to create, capture and deliver value.”

value to our customers,” explains Radzis.

For some print service providers, innovation won’t happen soon enough. “Larger companies have more institutional inertia than smaller companies, and they typically have a hard time adjusting their processes and culture quickly enough to stay abreast of changing environments. It’s like the old saying ‘it takes a long time to turn an aircraft

“Working with Océ has provided us insight

carrier,’” Bax explains. “The second impediment to innova-

into how connecting and coordinating responses

tion in large companies is the belief that new ideas are inher-

of multiple channels can nurture leads,” he adds.

ently risky, expensive to bring to market, and less profitable—

“We can also see how important it is to have track-

at least for a while—than established lines of business. And

ing and report tools that support marketing efforts

some smaller innovative companies also tend to lack access to

as we help our clients execute all aspects of their

sources of capital. Unless they can find a way to sustain them-

marketing campaigns—print, web and mobile.”

selves until their disruptive idea becomes profitable, many of

“In the end, printers who are out experiment-

them will either disappear, or operate in the backwaters of

ing with new ways to deliver value, investing in

the marketplace.”

those that are working and integrating those with

However, for print industry leaders, innovation has become a

existing elements—or changing business models

continuous process—as it should be. Bob Radzis, chief customer

completely—are the ones that will win,” Kaplan

officer at RT Associates, says that his company started out as a

affirms. “The ones that lose are the ones like Block-

typesetting firm 29 years ago, and since then they have gone

buster that think they can just take their existing model,

through seven business transformations. Today they are a leading

pedal harder and remain viable in the 21st century

marketing logistics provider.

where new business models will become the norm.”

For more information on the Canon imagePRESS Series, visit www.OceWow.com

CANVAS P25

f o

P26 CANVAS October 2011

You can market your company, push your sales team and generate sales. But can you manage your money? See why some call this the ‘missing link’ when it comes to running a successful company.

Here’s why you must understand how to do it now.

By Michael J. Pallerino

“ The fact is that one of the earliest lessons I learned in business was that the balance sheets and income statements are fiction – cash flow is reality.”

– Chris Chocola

D

ave Bennett saw it coming. He was one of the lucky ones. As the economy started to collapse at the seams in the last quarter of 2009, he made a strategic decision to make his company lean. Among other things, he asked his staff to take pay cuts.

The strategy was to have everybody take a little pain instead of having to lay people off later if things turned for the worse.

With 60 families depending on his ability to make good

decisions, the strategy employed by Bennett Graphics was a simple one – even if it wasn’t an easy one. Bennett, president of the 40-plus year old Tucker, Ga., printer, says the decision – and every one he has made since the economic slide – centered on watching and managing the numbers.

CANVAS P27

The Tao of Cash Flow

Cash flow. There’s no financial discipline more important – or more misunderstood and overlooked – than cash management. The experts say small business owners should think about managing their cash flow from Day One. “Unlike their larger counterparts, small businesses rarely have the resources to monitor and take corrective action for every trend and issue,” says Gregory Gould, center director and business counselor for SBA’s Small Business Development Center at AVCOG in Auburn, Maine. “Even owners who have weathered numerous business cycles may be faced with new circumstances that confound their otherwise successful instincts and knowledge. One of the biggest challenges that remain for small business owners is that they don’t have enough customers to help pump cash flow.”

The challenge with small businesses such as

don’t last forever. Rough economies can be followed by an even

printers is that some tend to ignore the fine line

rougher economy. It’s not always going to be good after it was

between net profit and cash flow. Simply put:

bad. A mentor of mine once told me that you should always plan

having positive and consistent cash flow is criti-

for the next recession.”

cal to staying in business.

The business strategy is simple: make sure you have enough

“A lot of small businesses are getting pinched

money flowing in to handle key items such as payroll, bills, the

by this economic slowdown,” says Chris Tierney,

lease, etc. But sometimes, simple doesn’t happen. For example,

managing director at Hays Financial Consult-

there still are printers that wait too long to invoice a job after it

ing in Atlanta. “Everyone is afraid about what

has been completed. And in the digital age, where you can prac-

tomorrow will bring. Cash flow is a major issue

tically tweet your invoice to a customer as the job goes out the

right now for any small business. You have to

door, that’s a risky business practice. “Because payroll is paid

manage

your

business

and

weekly or bi-monthly, printers exist on

be looking ahead. [Right now]

almost a cash basis,” Bennitt says. “If

we plan for today and not for

you don’t have lots of capital sitting

tomorrow. Until this mentality

around, or a rich uncle somewhere, you

changes, it will be a long road

may be in trouble. Entrepreneurs tend

to recovery.”

to focus on what they’re passionate

Bob Bennitt couldn’t agree

about. But what we have to realize is

more. Over the past two years,

that we need to be as passionate about

he has seen more than two print-

running a business.”

ers a week close their doors in

The experts say today’s business

the struggling Southern Cali-

climate calls for innovative, astute and

fornia market. “We have to find

focused cash management practices. So

a way to make it work,” says

how can you do a better job of managing

Bennitt, owner and CEO of Pace

your cash flow? Following are some tips

Lithographers in City of Indus-

and analysis from industry insiders and

try, Calif. “A difficult economy

financial experts alike.

forces waste out of a business system in a hurry.”

Have a plan

Bennitt says many companies

If you’re going to succeed at managing

deceive themselves when times

and maximizing cash flow, it starts with a

get tough and operate with

plan. “If you’re not meeting that plan, you

a “business as usual” mental-

have to make adjustments,” Bob Bennitt

ity. “It’s always a good idea to

says. “The key is to have goals in mind and

run lean, value expertise and

to find ways to not only meet them, but to

innovation, and run your busi-

improve upon them. We have found that

ness like a business. Trees don’t

whatever we measure – improves. It is as

grow to the sky and good times

simple and as hard as that.”

P28 CANVAS October 2011

How to use the SBA as an ally?

If you’re planning to expand your business, the Small Business Administration (SBA) can help. SBA participates in a number of loan programs designed for business owners who may have trouble qualifying for a traditional bank loan. To start the process, visit a local bank or lending institution that participates in SBA programs. SBA loan applications are structured to meet SBA requirements, so that the loan is eligible for an SBA guarantee. This guarantee represents the portion of the loan that SBA will repay to the lender if you default on your loan payments. SBA’s main loan page is: http://www.sba.gov/content/sba-loans

Following are loan programs offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration: 7(a) Loans – These are eligible for starting, acquiring and expanding a small business. This loan is the most basic and most used within SBA’s business loan programs. It provides growing businesses with long-term, fixed-rate financing for major fixed assets, such as land and buildings. You must apply through a participating lender institution.

Certified Development Company (CDC) 504 Loan Program – These are available for start-up, newly established or growing small business concerns. SBA makes funds available to nonprofit community based lenders, which, in turn, loan money to eligible borrowers in amounts up to a maximum of $35,000. Applications are submitted to the local intermediary and all credit decisions are made on the local level.

Microloans Program – This provides small, short-term loans to small business concerns. The SBA makes funds available to specially designated intermediary lenders, which are nonprofit community-based organizations with experience in lending as well as management and technical assistance. These intermediaries make loans to eligible borrowers.

The Right Tools Are Essential To Your Success Learn the tips and tricks to ensure sales success from long-time commercial printing industry veteran and sales expert Linda Bishop.

These three no-fluff, practical guides are guaranteed to help you achieve sales success!

Selling in Tough Times – Discover new ways to hit your sales goals in a down economy 101 Cold Call Tips – Find out how to take your cold-calling skills to the next level The Sales Pro’s Guide to Using LinkedIn ® – Learn to use LinkedIn® as a business building tool Order your copies today by visiting ttbooks.biz/shop.

For free, daily sales tips read Linda’s blog, www.salesisnotforsissies.com, and follow her on Twitter, @Linda_Bishop.

The Tao of Cash Flow

Manage your cash flow daily

Check out the practice of factoring

Set up a target budget and an accounts receiv-

If you’re looking for a quick infusion of cash, try factoring –

able spreadsheet and watch it closely. “I manage

companies that will buy your receivables and will give you up

my numbers on a daily basis,” Dave Bennett says.

to 60 to 70 cents on the dollar (depending on the company).

“We don’t make decisions on what we think it

These companies pay immediately and assume the responsibil-

should be, but what we need it to be.”

ity of collecting the money from your customer. “In a cash crisis, sometimes a fast dime is better than a slow quarter,” SBA’s

Micro-manage your receivables

lem is you cannot control their

Make sure your accounts receiv-

collection methods, and if you

able collections match your

have generally good customers

accounts payable payments.

who are having a difficult time at

“Review old accounts receiv-

the moment, you run the risk of

able and see if some of these

alienating them.”

Gregory Gould says. “The prob-

customers would pay cash now if their balance were

Make smart decisions

discounted,” Hays Financial

This sounds like a no-brainer, but

Consulting’s Chris Tierney says.

you’d be surprised at how many

“They get a better deal and

companies

you get the cash you need.”

financial capabilities. “Stay lean

over-extend

their

If you generally offer terms of 30 days, offer a

and nimble,” says Kent Laber, managing director of international

3 percent discount for payment within 10 days.

consulting firm Conway MacKenzie Inc. in Dallas. “Don’t take on high amounts of debt. Find ways to reduce costs and improve

Pre-qualify your customers

efficiencies without significant investments in new capital equip-

At the end of the day, you want (need) customers

ment. While customers are more focused on low prices, you can

who pay. Dave Bennett recommends finding qual-

win and keep business by maintaining high levels of customer

ity customers. Before you accept a job, make sure

service. You don’t want to have to replace current customers.

your client has a strong credit history. “Sometimes,

Make it difficult for them to switch. And keep an eye on what your

that means making hard decisions,” Bennett says.

competitors are doing.”

How to survive the cash flow crunch Making your money last a little longer means being creative.

Just ask Bob Gemmell, director, Herman J. Russell Sr. International Center for Entrepreneurship at Georgia State University. The entrepreneur-turned-educator spent 30 years in the technology industry as a chip designer, senior marketing/business development manager, general manager and technology transfer consultant. Most recently he was chairman and CEO of the wireless technology firm Cirronet Inc., until its acquisition in 2006. We asked Gemmell to share some of the ways he managed his cash flow.

• Ask employees to take temporary pay cuts in exchange for equity/stock options • Temporarily suspend bonuses to senior executives and managers • Convert assets into cash – “With our tech company we typically licensed our technology to generate immediate cash, forgoing the exclusive use of the technology. You also could do a sell/lease-back arrangement on a building or piece of equipment.”

• Push inventory to suppliers and distributors – this reduces inventory on your balance sheet and delays payables • Accelerate receivables by either collecting more aggressively and/or offering incentives for earlier payments • Accelerate receivables by asking a key longstanding strategic customer for prepayment on a major order • Renegotiate payment terms with vendors • Raise equity by selling stock to an angel investor

P30 CANVAS October 2011

“ Companies with strong balance sheets can grow in a tough economy by continuing to invest prudently in programs that lead to new products and new customers.”

– Bob Gemmell, Georgia State

Seek alternative revenue sources

growth areas will come from offering a great

Today’s small companies have little choice but to take strong

suite of solutions and being able to advise your

measures to reduce cash burn and find other sources of capital.

clients about what’s best for their businesses.

“Small companies have taken a double hit – reduced cash flow

“There will be less success from the transac-

from operations due to the recession and reduced access to oper-

tional sales approach and more success for the

ating capital from banks,” says Bob Gemmell, director, Herman J.

business-to-business partnership approach,”

Russell Sr. International Center for Entrepreneurship at Georgia

Bob Bennitt says. “I would add ‘consultative

State University. “Lines of credit are being renegotiated with small

expertise’ to our growth list. Rather than merely

businesses if not outright pulled. Terms are much tighter now and

being producers, we should view ourselves as

banks have curtailed available financing by reducing the percent-

consultants. Clients need help, especially now

age of inventory, receivables (or other assets) that can be used

that technology is so powerful.”

as collateral. You must micro-manage cash burn and attain more permanent equity financing or find other sources of cash-flow.”

Increase your sales output “While taking market share is not easy, it’s the

Seek alternative revenue sources II

best way to improve cash flow and competitive

As printers continue to evolve into areas such as marketing service

position”, says Georgia State’s Bob Gemmell.

providers, the quest to find new revenue streams continues. New

“Companies with strong balance sheets can

The Tao of Cash Flow

“ Generally speaking, borrowing money to purchase something that will allow your business to generate more profits (hopefully more than the loan’s monthly payment) will be met favorably by your banker.”

– Gregory Gould, center director and business counselor for SBA’s Small Business Development Center at AVCOG

grow in a tough economy by

in its current form. It’s expected that

continuing to invest prudently

proceeds from sales will provide enough

in programs that lead to new

cash to replenish inventory and pay oper-

products

custom-

ating expenses. There’s a saying in the

ers. But you have to be careful

banking industry, “If you can’t pay your

to reduce spending strategically

bills, more debt won’t help.”

and

new

by first removing yourself from cash with little or no growth

Revitalize your business model

prospects. Cash cow segments

To look more attractive to financial insti-

should be sustained but put on

tutions or potential suitors, consider revi-

a strict cash diet.”

talizing your business model. Your local

parts of the business that drain

SBA Small Business Development Center

Tell a good story

(www.sba.gov/content/small-business-

If you are seeking a line of

development-centers-sbdcs) or SCORE

credit, loan or help from groups

(www.sba.gov/content/score) counselors

such as the Small Business

are two no-cost options.

Administration (SBA), have a good story tell. For businesses

Talk it out

that are capital strapped, build-

Have an honest conversation with your

ing up your cash account will

customers and suppliers. “Communica-

put you in a better position

tion can cure many ills,” Tierney says.

to show a lender you oper-

“Everyone knows how difficult times are.

ate a strong business and can

Everyone wants to retain good custom-

repay debt. SBA’s Gould says,

ers, so sharing your pain can help uncover

“Generally speaking, borrowing

solutions to problems without sharing

money to purchase something

secrets in the market.”

that will allow your business to generate more profits (hopefully more than the loan’s monthly payment) will be met favorably by

Apply for a loan

your banker.”

“For small businesses that can demonstrate the ability and willingness to move current revenues to the bottom line and improve

Consolidate your expenses

cash flow, there are opportunities with traditional lenders”, says

If you have existing loans, consider consolidating

Mark A. Edwards, senior vice president, CCA senior loan admin-

them into one monthly payment. “Consolidation

istrator for BB&T in Winston-Salem, N.C. “We’re always going to

can often save hundreds of dollars each month,

look at commercial lending opportunities first. But we’re always

but the bank will need sufficient collateral,” Gould

going to make sure we can get repayment on our loan and still give

says. “Borrowing money to pay overdue bills,

a company the opportunity to succeed. So if you can show equity

consolidate credit card debt or replenish inventory

and show that you manage your expenses diligently, you can get

are all signs that the business is not sustainable

a loan.”

P32 CANVAS October 2011

Survival in Sales

by Linda Bishop

P34 CANVAS October 2011

F

Fran, the Vice President of Sales at NCPrint looked around the conference room at her team gathered together for the monthly sales meeting. With a stern face, she said, “For the past two months, billings have dropped. We need to fix that.”

Mort, one of the senior salespeople, spoke first. “I’ll admit my sales

are down, but I don’t know what I could be doing differently. I’m in at seven and work hard all day.”

Perry chimed in. “It’s a tough

market. Prospects are too busy

to see us. Budgets are tight, so price is always a big issue. And customers aren’t as loyal as they used to be, so you could lose one like that.” He snapped his fingers.

Fran said, “I know everyone is working hard, but that’s

Why Decision Making Skills are Critical to Success

not all there is to it.” She turned to Tom, sitting to her right. “Tom, your sales are up 20%. By all measures, you’re having a great year. What are you doing to drive revenue?”

Tom put down his pen and addressed the group. “In 2009 and 2010, I watched my sales shrink by a significant amount. To survive, I knew had to do something different.

I decided to keep track of my time for two weeks so I could find ways to improve. That exercise showed me that I spent 95% of my time servicing and 5% of my time selling. The data told me I needed to make some adjustments so I spent more time in front of customers.”

CANVAS P35

Survival in Sales

Successful salespeople are practical optimists who recognize attitude matters and know their intelligence can create a competitive advantage. While they’re focused on the upside, they don’t underestimate risk factors.

Mort, across the table from Tom, leaned

minutes in the day. There are an infinite number of choices we can

forward, his faced marked by a frown. “Servicing

make about using that time. Usually, we don’t think a lot about

is important,” he insisted. “If you don’t give your

decisions. We make choices on autopilot, relying on what worked

clients great service, you’ll lose them.”

well in the past.”

Tom nodded. “That’s true, but taking the time to document my actions made me realize I spent a

“The problem with autopilot decisions is that the past is no longer an accurate reflection of today’s business climate,” Fran said.

disproportionate amount of time servicing smaller

Tom nodded. “Once I recognized that, I also knew I had to

clients where there was no real opportunity for

manage time differently because my hard work was never going to

growth. And doing an endless list of small tasks

pay off now the same way it had done in the past.”

with little payoff was a lot

Jenny asked, “What did you do?”

like running on a hamster

“My goal was to sell more.” Tom

wheel. No matter how much

leaned back in his chair. “In the past,

energy you expend, you

prospecting was a hit or miss activity.

never get anywhere.”

I decided that had to change and set

Jenny had only been sell-

aside time every day to make calls.”

ing for year, but it was easy

He grinned.” It’s paid off. Just this

to see that Tom’s words

week, I got a nice order from a brand-

had an impact on her.

new customer with big potential.”

“I know what you mean.

Mort looked skeptical. “You’re making

Everyone wants everything

it sound way too easy.”

right now. My whole day

“Changing habits is never easy.”

goes by doing little stuff.

Tom admitted with a shrug. “But it’s

Five o’clock rolls around

not as hard as I thought it would be,

and I realize I haven’t made

either. I started with small changes.

a single call to find new

Every day, I scheduled 10 minutes

business. I go home, stressed out and pledging

before 10 AM to call new customers. And, I don’t allow myself

to do better tomorrow, but it never happens.”

to weasel out of my commitment to myself. That simple choice

She looked Tom in the eye and said, “Tell me your

has paid off again and again this year, and my sales have grown

secret. I’m ready to change because I want to grow

as a result.”

my business.”

Fran put her hands palms down on the table in front of her,

“The secret to more sales is simple. You have to

and leaned forward in her chair. “Daily decisions drive reve-

make better decisions regarding time manage-

nue growth. Let’s talk about how we can make better choices

ment,” Tom said. “There are a finite number of

starting today.”

P36 CANVAS October 2011

Have you moved or changed jobs?

Not getting your Canvas subscription?

Go online @ thecanvasmag.com and update your subscription address information to get Canvas routed to you.

Update your subscription information today online

www.thecanvasmag.com

Survival in Sales

Checking items off the to-do list creates satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment. Often the tasks we choose to do are easier then cold calling strangers to get meetings, drumming up opportunities for new business, and closing deals.

Every day we make thousands of choices. On food choices alone, we make an average of 221 food-related choices every day according to a study conducted by Cornell University and most decisions are made without much thought involved.

The same is true for decisions at work. These choices fall in three basic categories.

Whether Decisions – many decisions are about choosing

Most daily decisions relate to servicing, not selling. Small tasks can be tyrants, screaming for attention and demanding action.

They enslave you and stop you from reaching your goals when you mindlessly react. To break the chains of a default decisionmaking pattern, take one or two minutes—no more—to consider the following: • What’s your goal?

alternatives. Whether you should do this or that. “Should I check my e-mail or phone a prospect?” Yes/

• What were you planning to do?

• What other options do you have?

No decisions fit in this category.

• Are any options better than your original choice?

Which Decisions – in these decisions, you define a set of possibilities and determined the best alternative. “Should I focus on current clients, call my current prospects or look for better prospects?”

If you get stuck on generating alternatives, consider the situation from different angles.

• How much time will the task take?

• Can you reduce the amount of time required?

• Who could you delegate to?

• What are the risks of not taking immediate action?

Contingent Decisions – these decisions require some condition to be met. Until then, you’re on hold. “I will cold call when I have a free hour.” In sales, contingent decisions hold you back when required conditions are difficult or impossible to meet.

P38 CANVAS October 2011

• What are the rewards?

Survival in Sales

Take pride in past accomplishments.

You didn’t reach success by accident.

And be prepared to make adjustments to have greater success in the future.

There is another reason why we allow our days

Keep an open mind when deciding because it’s easy to get

to be ruled by small tasks and it can be summed

trapped by our attitudes. It also helps to “know your Achilles heel,”

up by two words: Immediate Gratification.

as Dr. Charles Foster puts it in his book, “What Do I Do Now—Dr.

Checking items off the to-do list creates satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment. Often the tasks we choose to do are easier then cold

Foster’s 30 Laws of Great Decision-Making.” Some of the shortfalls he lists include: • Biting off more than we can chew.

calling strangers to get meetings, drumming up opportunities for new business, and closing deals. When something makes people feel good,

• Detail mania, where you get bogged down by irrelevant information.

humans have the tendency to make it the default decision and act on autopilot.

• Fear, of making a mistake, of making other people mad at you, or something bad happening as a result

This robotic mindset causes problems when the

of a bad decision.

present differs from the past in critical ways. The world is changing, and changing quickly.

• What rules of thumb do you use to

• Keep on keeping on, where you keep trudging down the same path even if it’s not taking you where you want to go.

make decisions?

• Dithering where you stay undecided because you can’t • What is different in the business

see the perfect solution.

environment now?

• Taking the path of least resistance because it seems like too • How can those rules be improved for

much time and trouble to find a better path.

better outcomes in the current situation?

• Not believing that things can be better than they On any given day, solving problems based on

are right now.

past experience seldom leads to catastrophe.

But over time, ignoring shifts in the environment can lead to increased risk.

Successful salespeople are practical optimists who recognize attitude matters and know their intelligence can create a competitive advantage. While they’re focused on the upside, they don’t underestimate risk factors. They realize 10 to 20% of their business will vanish every year for reasons outside their control. They rely on experience to help them make decisions, but when something new and unfamiliar comes along, they don’t hesitate to talk to experts and discuss the situation with colleagues.

P40 CANVAS October 2011

The best salespeople take pride in performance. Pride drives a desire to excel, improve, and make better decisions.

Now the printing industry is in transition. We are all grappling with new responsibilities. Old routines

In Jon R. Katzenbach’s book, “Why Pride Matters More Then

don’t work so we need to rethink how we spend

Money,” he writes, “A powerful ‘closed loop of energy’ links

our time. It’s more important than ever to recognize

pride to workforce performance and business success. Each

some fundamental selling truths such as:

element in the loop feeds upon the previous one in a mutu-

• It pays to get out and talk to

ally reinforcing cycle that result in higher and higher levels of

prospects and customers.

business performance over time. It starts with anticipating that higher performance will feel ‘good.’ Anticipating that feeling generates both energy and an emotional commitment to deliver

•T here are plenty of potential customers who are unhappy with their current solution.

better results. As those results contribute to recognized business success, the recognition instills strong feeling of pride— and the cycle repeats.”

• Some of those people would be happy to buy from you, if you called on them.

Take pride in past accomplishments. You didn’t reach success by accident. And be prepared to make adjustments to have greater success in the future.

So how can you make better decisions to help you get more meetings, find more opportunities and close more deals? Decide today because today’s choices create tomorrow’s sales.

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.

(+) P42 CANVAS October 2011

(=)

T

The la for rs e t m s u o e t g m s g r Bi or Cu Fo t r i g t u n e i l p Yo m o m Stea o C fr he biggest mistake most “cold callers” make is they try to get something out of a prospect before giving anything. They often show up, or pick up the phone unannounced with the objective of introducing themselves and telling the customer just how great their company and product are. The natural tendency of the prospect is to put up the defenses and then dismiss the salesperson, telling him they will look at the information and get back if there is interest.

That same salesperson, after not hearing back from the prospect, assumes the customer is satisfied with their

current supplier, or that the product they were offering wasn’t a good fit. WRONG assumption! The reason the prospect didn’t give a positive response is the salesperson hasn’t proven himself worthy of anything more than a blow-off.

by Brian Sullivan

CANVAS P43

Give More to Get More

In short, on your first few calls, it doesn’t matter how low your prices are, how great your service is, or how fancy your corporate value statement is. You first have to prove that you are worthy of their trust, and that you plan to give more than you receive. You also have to prove that you are willing to keep giving. The only way to do that is by communicating/showing up, and each time you do, you leave the prospect better because of it.

So how many times do you need to reach out to a new prospect before they buy from you? Well, if you believe the National Advertising Association, the number is 21! Whether the number is 21, 15 or 7, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you understand that gaining new business doesn’t come quickly or easily. But you DO have some control over how quickly the trust is developed.

(Frankly, if it takes a salesperson 21 calls to show value and build trust, they probably have bigger issues).

Below are some tips to gain exposure with new prospects that will build the trust you will need to turn prospecting into purchase orders.

Call #1

Have a planned and rehearsed introduction that tells the prospect who you are, who you work with, and what you do to help existing clients. (If you don’t have an “introduction pitch,” email me at the address below and I will send you an article on how to create one.) Next, deliver information not directly related to your product that would be difficult for them to find, yet will provide value.

P44 CANVAS October 2011

Call #2

Deliver more information, perhaps in the form of a newsletter containing best practices from other clients or perhaps results from a survey of your customers.

Call #3

Deliver a sample that they can touch, feel and put to immediate use.

Call #4

Brighten their day with a thank you note or something creative that shows you are a person they would like to associate with. And don’t be surprised if the response you get is, “My current supplier never did that.”

Give More to Get More

Become the source of information that they do not have with their current supplier.

Call #5

Once trust is created and you have shown your eagerness to give, you have earned the right to sell. In fact, if you wait too long to offer your solution, they may wonder why the heck you keep showing up! At this point, don’t deliver your product presentation in the same way you delivered your free information.

Prepare then deliver a question that makes them curious to want to learn more.

“John, last week we were discussing that article from the Printing and Imaging Association and since then, I had an idea that I think may benefit your business.

Would you be interested in hearing how we may be able to (add your benefits)?

Call #6

Find the materials and support you need to deliver a presentation that shows you are THE resource regarding that solution. Once they see how good you are with that solution, they will turn to you for answers in others areas.

Call #7

Baby-sit your first deal like your own mother bought the product. This is the real proving ground with prospect turned customer. Remember, they have been burned before.

Too many salespeople make a habit of the “drop the box and run” technique and as result, is perhaps one reason some believe it now takes 21 calls to build trust.

Winning new accounts is not easy. But if you believe that the by-product of giving is that you will someday receive, then make plans to give more than ever. Become the source of information that they do not have with their current supplier.

Because once you become the repository of information that makes them smarter, you will have become the irreplaceable salesperson. Become that, and they will refer you to accounts whose trust may only take two calls to gain.

As President of Kansas City-based PRECISE Selling, Brian Sullivan, CSP delivers seminars and internet training programs on sales, customer service, leadership and presentation skills to companies of all sizes. He also hosts the radio talk show Entrepreneurial Moments, a show dedicated to personal and business development. To find out more, visit him at www. preciseselling.com or email Brian at bsullivan@preciseselling.com.

P46 CANVAS October 2011

Book Recommendation

The 50th Law »» By 50 Cent and Robert Greene

N

ot necessarily the most common person you think of when it comes to leadership, rapper 50 Cent has collaborated with Robert Greene on a

compelling and impactful new book. The 50th Law combines indelible lessons of success with

the real world life of a man who has not only risen from the streets, but did things on his own terms.

The central theme of the book is fearlessness. The back cover says nihil timendum est, meaning nothing is frightening. Each of the 10 chapters in the book explains a factor of fearlessness and begins by telling how 50 learned this Fearless Philosophy in Southside Queens. The key ideas in the book are: 1. Intense Realism - A very candid look at the value of seeing things as they are.

2. Self Reliance - A look at making everything your own and controlling yourself and your surroundings.

3. Opportunism - Finding the value in negative situations and making the best of every situation while turning it to your advantage.

4. K eep moving - Move with the chaos, don’t give others a chance to pin you down, change your appearance to fit the environment.

5. Aggression - Get over your fears of confronting people.

6. Authority - The person at the top sets the tone.

7. Connection - Think of the public first and their changing needs.

Begin with their demand and create the appropriate supply.

8. Mastery - Learn to master boredom, outlast your rivals, and endure the hours of practice and drudgery to build a proper growth foundation.

9. Self Belief – Your sense of who you are will determine your actions and what you get in life.

10. The Sublime - Confronting your mortality.

CANVAS loves this book because of the message and the unusual hero of the story. Greene’s collaboration with 50 Cent demonstrates how we can do just about anything we want, once we get over our fears. There is some nice theory intermingled with examples from 50’s rise to platinum entertainer and mogul. We don’t all grow up in the same neighborhoods but we do all have the common theme of fearing the worst, especially if we want to become more than we are today. If you are ambitious and are eager to make the transformation needed in our industry, then read this book.

Fear is the only thing holding you back and once you read what 50 went through and how he compartmentalizes fear, you will be completely energized.

P48 CANVAS October 2011

Show Tell Sell The Digital Design Center Sappi digital papers cover the entire spectrum of performance and versatility.

Engineered to perform on the most popular digital presses, each brand in our digital line-up matches up perfectly with its folio brand.

To support your selling efforts, Sappi introduces the Digital Design Center — a powerful web application that allows you to create custom, professional-grade marketing for your own digital printing capabilities. Get a wealth of tools and technology that is worth its stock and well worth your time.

It’s all for you. And it’s all here. www.sappi.com/na/digitaldc

2180 Satellite Blvd., SUITE 400 DULUTH, GEORGIA 30097 THECANVASMAG.COM