Business Management - Marketing/Sales

Key content creation markets employment is up compared to 2005. The latest The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports show these changes in the number of employees for June 2006 compared to last year. Graphic design employees, +3.8% Graphic design, production employees only, +7.9% Advertising agencies employees, +2.6% Public relations employees, +5.9% What does this mean? While print’s summer is traditionally slow, the season’s dog days are usually quite busy for design and advertising shops as they work on communication programs for the Fall, especially for retailers. The recent increase in current dollar commercial printing shipments for May and June correspond with these rises, as they usually do. This

Brings Commitment to Advancement of Printing and Print Communications Media WASHINGTON, DC—August 23, 2006—Japs-Olson, one of the country’s largest commercial printing and direct mail production companies, has joined The Print Council, bringing its support to the industry coalition that is dedicated to expanding the utilization of print media for communications. Robert E. Murphy, chairman of the St. Louis Park, MN, printing company, said, “Japs-Olson is pleased to join the growing list of companies supporting this important effort to coordinate activities promoting the value of print to the nation’s economy and its value to advertising and the entire communications stream.” Now entering its 100th year

A KEY element to successfully marketing your business is your ability to craft the right messages to reach the intended audience. These days, that intended audience is more likely to be marketing professionals rather than the purchasing professionals. They own the budgets that purchase our products and they are increasingly likely to be the ones who are making the decisions to purchase those products and services. If you are not calling on them, you certainly should be. And what are they really looking for? I recently came across an interesting survey of Chief Marketing Officers. While the title Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) can

THE PHRASE “Great sales reps are born, not made,” is not true. Show me any individual who has achieved excellence in their professional endeavors, and I’ll show you a person who has worked relentlessly to develop their skill sets for achievement, while also accessing supporting resources. However, what often isn’t seen on the surface are the systemic, contributing factors to that individual’s development and performance achievements. These usually include a coach or mentor, a wide array of support personnel, a supportive culture that includes relentless education and training, and systematic (including constructive and positive) feedback. Turning to the future, organizations should be developing

THIS COLUMN is gonna get you. It will creep into your room while you sleep. It will crawl in your head and begin to control your dreams.

Don’t even think it! It’s too late.

No! Don’t do it! Don’t try stomping the magazine on the floor.

You can’t destroy it in your shredder and burning it in the parking lot won’t work, either. You may as well keep reading. It’s just too late. Your brain is already corrupted and the Mañana Stalker only waits for darkness to come a callin’. Think of your best-ever dream. The night stalker will make it better tenfold.

Remember the dream

THE ECONOMY is irration-ally exuberant. Consumers are borrowing and spending in advance of expected higher prices, and businesses are robustly investing in both productivity (read “down-sizing”) and market development. This year is on track for nominal GDP growth of 6.5 percent, with printing sales up more than 5 percent. As economic power concentrates, nearly half the power of print will coalesce into finance, publishing, health and technology (nine of the top 25 demand sectors). Salespeople: focus below and cash in. Banking and Insurance ($2.9T in revenues; with over $15B to print, +8 percent) is the biggest buyer and beneficiary of print. Sub-prime

CHUCK NASON admits he wasn’t fully prepared for the effects of global competition as it accelerated in 2001. The president and CEO of Worzalla Publishing, a Stevens Point, WI-based book manufacturer, watched as a significant portion of the company’s four-color children’s book work went to China. “Global competition has affected us in a major way,” Nason contends. “It caused us to suffer a five-year slide in annual sales from just over $62 million to $44.4 million a year ago. This has meant little or no wage increases for our employees and a freeze on capital equipment purchases for four years.” Nason points out what

YOU ONLY get it here folks. “It” is the inside stuff on selling printing. “It” is the revelation of facts about some dumb owners who park their Porsches out front, nap during a short workday in huge offices, and chase the gals in Accounting and the Bindery. “It” is the assemblage and explanation of the secrets that lead to success in print sales. “It” is the destruction of the myths about the printing industry. If you’re reading this, you are so lucky! Every month, BAM, BAM, BAM! I try to make your life better. “BAM?” Can Emeril sue me for using “BAM?” Here comes some

THE OBJECTIVE of marketing your business is two-fold: to build market awareness about your products and services and to generate qualified leads. Both are important elements of the customer acquisition process. Building market awareness makes the sales process easier. Prospective customers are more likely to talk with a firm that has a recognized name. And lead generation, if done correctly, provides you with information about qualified prospects that are likely to purchase your products or services, reducing the amount of time your sales force must spend on expensive, and often unproductive, cold calling. In previous columns, I have shared ideas about how to build market

FAR BE it for me to categorize people. I’m not one of those pompous jerks that tosses people in baskets shouting out, “Here comes another loser.” “I’m tossing this pervert in the weirdo box.” “Look out you introverts, I’ve found another nerd and I’m droppin’ him in your box.” “Happy days you holy rollers, I’ve found another snake dancin’ poison drinkin’ convert to toss in your barrel!” I’m not one to stereotype people. No sireee! Laying the Ground Work Everyone is different, physically and mentally. We are supposed to appreciate the individual beauty of each person. There are millions and