Serving Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming
August 5, 2015
Step Up Your Profit Game   

How's your company ranking on the profitability playing field? If you're looking to boost your firm's bottom line and gain competitive advantage, sales, cost, and pricing have the biggest impact on performance and profitability.  

 

The 2014 Ratios survey showed a major financial performance gap between profit leaders and the industry average. For you, this indicates there are many opportunities for increasing profits!

 

So how do you bridge the gap from the "have-nots" to the "haves"? Step up your three key functions: sales, cost, and pricing. Here is some helpful advice you can apply to your firm:

 

Increase sales: Add to your top line
- Specialize by focusing on particular segments
- Diversify by providing more value-added services
- Gain process advantage using hybrid printing-its growing at a fast rate!
- Offer ancillary services along with print, like Web-to-print and fulfillment

 

Lower Your Costs: Benchmark  
- Benchmark costs with industry metrics
- Shift fixed to variable costs by reducing overhead and using part-time and temporary employees
- Substitute capital for labor by investing in employee development

 

 Improve Your Pricing: Compete for price, not on price
- Specialize to reduce competition and allow pricing leverage
- Develop strong branding and target customer awareness
- Follow demand-driven rather than cost driven pricing
- Provide sales comp incentives 

5 Tips For Motivating Your Sales Team To Learn New Skills

Having to learn a new way of doing things can be stressful.  If your sales team is stuck in a rut of outdated selling techniques, interlinkONE CEO John Foley offers the following tips to encourage them to update their skills:

1. Make The Benefits Clear.  It's a basic fact of human nature: we want to know what's in it for us.  If you're encouraging your team to learn new selling methods, you need to be clear about why these methods are important.

2. Involve The Team In Choosing Training Methods. Some people learn better by attending a class, while others find independent study and written or video tutorials more effective.  Before deciding how you'll update you team's skills, have a meeting with them to see which learning methods they prefer.  By using their feedback, you can come up with a training mix - live seminars, books, webinars, etc. - that will provide the most effective learning environment for your sale staff.

3. Set Clear Goals. In order to measure your team's progress, you'll need to set goals and milestones for them.  Some good goals to include in your skills update include:
  • Attendance at a conference or training seminar on how to sell using new media
  • Landing a new client using the new skills
  • Completing a study course on social media, conversational selling, or another key skill.

4. Create Skills-Based Incentives.  Along with your goals, you can come up with an incentive program that rewards your sales team for going through the learning process.  You could offer an incentive for getting a certain score in a study course, bringing back the best sales technique from a conference or other milestones.

 

5. Appoint Mentors.  Got a team member or two who really "gets" how to sell in the digital age, and has a knack for selling this way?  A great way to bring the rest of your team up to date is to have your stars act as mentors.  Whether it's teaching their team members how to use a new social platform or just providing pointers after a sales call, these mentors can cut down the time it takes to train your team.

HR Tips   

When giving feedback or reviewing employee work, managers often praise employee efforts to solve difficult problems.  That's valid, but try a different tack from time to time by asking, "what aspects of your job come easily to you?"

The answer will give you a better sense of the employee's abilities and how the job engages them.  You may be able to redesign the employee's current tasks to take advantage of his or her best skills, or even find a more compatible position for the person.  Doing so may mean fewer frustrations and more successes.

Networking Resources  

As a member of WSPA you have a number of HR resources at your fingertips through Printing Industries of America.  These include:

HR Networking Listserve - This email networking forum has been around since 2001 and has almost 300 participants from Hawaii to Maine.  To enroll, simply send an email with your contact information to Jim Kyger at jkyger@printing.org.

LinkedIn Group: Printing Industries/HR: This group also allows members to network on HR issues of the day.  You need a LinkedIn account to join.  Search for Printing Industries/HR for Groups and click "join."
PIA Hires New Vice President of Business Development 

 

Harris Floyd has joined Printing Industries of America as Vice President of Business Development.  

 

A graduate in business administration from the University of Richmond, she brings considerable business acumen to the job, including 15 years of collaborative selling, sponsorship development  and sales management. 

 

Ms. Floyd joins PIA from the National Homebuilders Association, where she significantly enhanced non-dues revenue and developed lasting partnerships.  She is a direct report to CEO Michael Makin. 

 

Monitoring Postal Policy

Printing Industries of America and its allies in the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service recently sent a letter to the Senate urging opposition to an amendment that would mandate that USPS revert to its overnight delivery service standards of 2012.  

 

While declining service standards are a major problem for printers, the solution proposed by Congressional appropriators - though well intentioned - would force USPS to reopen facilities it has closed or sold, reconfigure routes, and (according to a Congressional Budget Office estimate) incur operational compliance costs in excess of $1 billion in the first year alone. Given the red ink facing USPS currently, PIA is urging Congress to reject this "hammer"  approach and consider more strategic ways to urge USPS to improve delivery service standards as part of an overall postal bill.  

DOL Issues Independent Contractor Interpretation Letter     

The Department of Labor, IRS, and other federal and state agencies have made the proper classification of independent contractors a priority in recent years, motivated by tax  revenue.  

Since determining proper employee/independent contractor status is admittedly a fuzzy process, the DOL recently issued an interpretation letter on the subject.   If your company uses independent contractors, you should review the document and annually evaluate your  contractors.  For more information CLICK HERE.
Wage & Benefit Survey Survey Deadline Extended

How do the wages you pay your employees stack up against the competition? Are you potentially paying too much?   One participating WSPA member used the results from last year's Wage and Benefit Survey to lower its overall company compensation tab by a staggering 20 percent.
 

Are you leaving money on the table?

 

WSPA's Wage and Benefit Survey helps you negotiate your compensation and benefits package to ensure it is competitive in the marketplace. If you participate in the confidential survey, we will provide you the report FOR FREE! This is a $250 value ($1,000 for non-members).

By now you should have received your paper copy of the survey.  If you would like to participate electronically, CLICK HERE.

You should have received your personal password to complete the survey.  If you did not receive it, please contact

Jim Kyger at 1-800-910-4283 (ext. 503).  

 

Please take the time to participate and take advantage of the intelligence you will glean from the survey findings. The deadline to participate is August 14, 2015.

 

Questions? Contact Michael Makin toll-free at (844) 237-1550 (ext. 3)

Denver Golf Outing Next Month - Sign Up Before It Is Sold Out! 

The Denver golf outing is just eight weeks away - what are you waiting for?  It will be held Friday, August 28, 2015 at the Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Club.

Described by Golf Digest, as "one of the best places to play in Colorado," the Arthur Hills designed course is a links-style 18-hole championship course that makes use of dramatic elevation changes, native areas, panoramic views and wide, accommodating fairways to appeal to players of all levels.

Tickets are only $125 and include greens fee, golf cart and lunch.  Foursomes and individual tickets will sell out fast so be sure to sign up ASAP.  Don't golf?  Join us for lunch for just $25.
 Interested in sponsoring a hole at the tournament for only $275? CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR A HOLE.

For other sponsorship opportunities, contact Golf Committee Chair Sandi Neuman of Vision Graphics at 303-909-7410 or sandi.neuman@visiongraphics-inc.com.


Come Out and Play! 

WSPA's Phoenix Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2015 at the stunning Arizona Grand Golf Resort.

 

Join colleagues and friendly competitors from the industry for a day of fun on the links followed by the Par-Tee on the Green (sponsored by Kelly Paper and Spicers Paper), where bragging rights will be on display and awards presented.

 

Tickets are only $99 and include greens fee, golf cart, lunch and two drink tickets.  Foursomes and individual tickets will sell out fast so be sure to register as soon as possible!

 

Want to stay at The Grand Resort?  Take advantage of special WSPA rates by clicking HERE.

   

REGISTER HERE FOR GOLF


Sponsorship Opportunities

Interested in sponsoring the tournament? There are numerous opportunities still available including individual hole sponsorships - many helping to support future GCEF Scholarships.

 

Platinum Sponsorship ($3,000)  
  • 2 complimentary foursomes
  • Signage, choice of (pick which item you want your name on) gall balls, golf towels, water bottles
  • One hole sponsorship

Gold Sponsorship ($1,500)

  • 1 complimentary foursome
  • Hole sponsorship (pick one of the contest holes) Men's long drive, Women's long drive, Men's Closest to the Pin, Longest Putt
  • Combined lunch sponsorship with signage

Silver (Hole) Sponsorship ($300)

  • Signage at either the tee box or the green
All sponsorships include signage at the event plus recognition in program and on website.  Email current HIGH RES LOGO in jpg, eps or vector format.  In-kind raffle prize donations are also welcome.


For details contact tournament chairman Gary Matchinsky at 480-829-8890 or  garym@bctarizona.com



Weekly Photo Feature:  
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
 
Each week E-Connects will share incredible photos on just how lax individuals can be when it comes to safety. 

The goal - to keep a safe work environment front and center on the minds of all of your employees.

Where missing a spot could be deadly!

If you come across a funny safety pic you think should be featured, email Michael Makin at mmakin@wsprint.org.
Refer-A-Member Incentive
 
WSPA is only as strong as its membership base and wants to continually grow to service its members.  You can help by being an ambassador and referring potential members our way!

 

What's in it for you for spreading the word?  If you refer a member and they sign up, we will send you a $50 gift card.   

 

Send your leads toll free to Michael Makin at 1-844-237-1550 (ext. 3) or mmakin@wsprint.org. 


Quote For The Week 

"Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated.  You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps."

David Lloyd George