 Phoenix Golf Outing Huge Success WSPA's Phoenix golf outing was a HUGE success at the amazing Arizona Grand Golf Course on September 19, 2015. More than 100 golfers assembled on a gorgeous day to hit the links, spend time with industry colleagues and raise funds for GCEF scholarships. More than $1400 was raised for students at the event. Special thanks to golf committee chairman Gary Matchinsky (BCT), along with committee members Richard Erickson (Panoramic Press), Brad Smith (D & L Press) and Dustin Donovan (Kelly Paper) along with our phenomenal sponsors, recognized below. Visit WSPA's website to see more pics and if you missed, make sure you come out next year!
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 Welcome new member Vision Graphics! WSPA is thrilled to welcome its newest member - Vision Graphics of Phoenix. Vision Graphics produces 1-6 color + aqueous coated print projects on any type of stock in its nationally acclaimed Visiccato™ printing process, otherwise known as the HDTV of the print world. The company offers targeted cross media marketing campaigns and utilizes micros sites to track campaign results. It also provides web-based ordering, real time Inventory management and fulfillment, trade show follow up programs, database management, information and product protection, and consolidated shipping procedures. For more information, CLICK HERE.
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 Want To Improve Sales? New Program At PIA Can Help
Printing Industries of America has announced a new Power Selling Program. This eight-week turnkey training program features a unique combination of online training, weekly student projects, and live coaching sessions with sales coach superstar Leslie Groene. Through the new program, printing firms have the opportunity to enhance their sales revenue by improving the effectiveness of the sales team. The program kicks off on October 12, 2015, and because there are private coaching sessions, participation is limited. For more information on the Power Selling Program or to register, visit www.printing.org/powerselling. |
 Tips To Improve Profitability
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 2015 PIA 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:
1. 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 2. 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 3. 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 Source: Printing Industries of America |
5 LinkedIn Mistakes and How To Avoid Them
LinkedIn is one of the most powerful social media tools around with hundreds of millions of business users.
Used correctly, it can take your business to the next level. But used incorrectly or not at all, it can hurt your business.
Here are the top 5 LinkIn mistakes.
1) Not Using It! This is a free opportunity for you to demonstrate your expertise to a larger audience. Who doesn't like free?
2) Not Including A Paragraph About You & Your Company At The End. If you're offering pure, no strings attached value via a LinkedIn Publishing post, then you should never feel bad about including a simple paragraph at the end with additional contact info. Think of it this way, if you've done a good job delivering something valuable to the reader, why would you deprive them of an opportunity to get more great stuff from you?
3) Not Responding To Your Comments. When you ignore your comments, you're sending a message that you don't care about your readers. It's also not a real social way to behave considering this is a SOCIAL network. No one is saying that you have to respond to EVERY comment, but you should respond. One last thing, when you fail to respond to those who comment, you're conditioning them NOT to comment again.
4) Not Understanding That You Don't Own The Platform. You obviously don't own the LinkedIn platform and you are subject to THEIR rules and sudden changes to the availability of the platform. This opportunity via the publishing platform could disappear without notice tomorrow or (more likely) they might suddenly decide to charge you now that they have you hooked on it. On the other hand, you own your website, your blog etc. In a way, this point is joined at the hip with point #2. LinkedIn Publishing should serve as one of your outposts to gently guide people by the hand over to YOUR home base.
5) Misusing The Platform. LinkedIn is a platform to be helpful to our audience while demonstrating our own expertise. The best relationships are the ones where while we enjoyed the interaction, we eagerly anticipate the next one. In other words . . .Don't wear out your welcome! It should not be used to post birthday pics or other personal information.
Source: Paul Castain
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Boost Your Website Content And Drive Print At The Same Time
With Choose Print
Did you know you could use the videos from the Choose Print campaign on your website to make your messages more dramatic and effective?
Choose from 20 videos available at ChoosePrintTV and start adding them to your website today.
There are a host of additional resources you can utilize such as casestudies and talking prints at www.chooseprint.org.
Choose Print is officially endorsed by the Western States Printing Alliance (WSPA), Printing Industries of America and all of its other affiliates across the United States and Canada.
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Four Reasons To Write Job Descriptions
If you don't want to take the time to write detailed job descriptions for each position on your team, perhaps these benefits will change your mind: 1. Discover the skills you really need. The process of drafting a thorough job description forces you to analyze your team, and pinpoint the skills and qualities you need in a particular position. 2. Draft job ads more quickly. A well-written job description will often translate pretty quickly to a job ad because you have determined the exact skills, experience behaviors and abilities you want in a candidate. 3. Create tailored interview questions. You can forget some of the old generic questions and ask only those that tell you if a candidate possesses the qualities you are looking for. 4. Use the job description to improve on-boarding. You will have an outline that tells you how to prioritize and customize employee training.
Source: Adapted from "6 Benefits of Writing Job Descriptions for Your Business," Doug and Polly White
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 What's Hot In Fire Prevention? Equipment Maintenance. Fires continue to ravage businesses across the country. Spontaneous combustion, heating and electrical systems, smoking, poor housekeeping, storing flammables-all common causes of industrial fires. But, they are certainly not the only risks needing attention.
Fires Don't Discriminate
A number of fires related to mechanical equipment can be blamed on poor maintenance or improper use, and many could have been prevented with regular upkeep and appropriate employee training. To help prevent fires, all machines, from hand-held power tools to complicated equipment, require closely monitored maintenance, and operating procedures that don't deviate from the manufacturer's instructions and recommendations. Fires from mechanical failure can sometimes be predictable. Other fires may be harder to anticipate. Some commonplace situations can become surprising sources of fire, such as: - Production machines-attended and unattended
- Overheated light fixtures
- Pinched wiring exposed to flammables, which heat up and ignite
- Exhaust systems and fans
- Forklifts catching fire hours after being shut off
- Overloaded electrical panels
It is important to understand the fire potential that may be present from the equipment your business uses. You can help identify many fire hazards, both in and outside of your premises, through regularly completing fire prevention checklists. When hazards are discovered, you can monitor and help control them with a preventive maintenance plan. Proper setup, scheduled maintenance, and following the manufacturer's use specifications are vital to keeping equipment in safe working condition and preventing mechanical fires. The second week of October is National Fire Prevention Week. It's an excellent opportunity to reinforce fire prevention at your business as part of a solid risk management program. Source: Federated Insurance |
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.
Getting a leg up isn't always safe!
If you come across a funny safety pic you think should be featured, email Michael Makin at mmakin@wsprint.org.
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 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.
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Quote For The Week
"You are remembered for the rules you break."
Douglas MacArthur
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