Serving Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming
January 27, 2016
Final Award Notice

The deadline to enter your best print pieces in the Print Excellence Awards competition is just around the corner.  You know you have them - outstanding examples of ink on paper and other substrates, projects that wowed your customers that you are proud of, campaigns that differentiated you in the marketplace.

This year's Print Excellence competition is once again a regional competition with printers from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming all competing to be the best of the best.  Winners of WSPA's Print Excellence Awards are also automatically entered in PIA's Premier Print Awards Competition, the largest in the world.

Call for entries have been mailed and are also available by visiting WSPA's Website.  The rest is up to you!  Deadline for entries is January 31, 2015.

Award ceremonies will be held on April 7, 2016 in Phoenix (Rustler's Rooste) and April 28, 2016 in Denver (Embassy Suites Downtown).  Mark your calendars!
Special Day Long Sales Clinic In Denver - Shake Up Your Sales Force!

Program Overview

How long has it been since your salespeople improved their skills?  How much difference would it make to your top line and your bottom line if they improved each of the following skills by even 10 percent:

Prospecting skills: How to get face-to-face with the people who buy what you sell.

Questioning skills: How to probe for wants and needs and pain and problems.

Convincing skills: How to build real credibility as the relief for their pain or the solution to their problems.

Negotiation skills: How to put price in its place and keep it there

Time management/organizational skills:How to make the time and get organized to get to the next level.

Customer maximization skills: How to get all of the value from each customer relationship.

The Printing Sales Skills Clinic covers all of these kills, plus the underlying attitudes that lead to greater success.  It's a full day of learning, including a bonus segment on How To Talk Marketing with Your Customers and Prospects.

The Sales Clinic leader is Dave Fellman,  author of Sell More Printing and Listen To The Dinosaur, which Selling Power magazine listed as one of its 10 Best Books in 2010.

He has presented seminars and keynotes at industry events across the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia.

Date: Thursday, February 11, 2016
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: Comfort Suites Westminster (12085 Delaware Street, Westminster, CO 80234)
Special WSPA Price: $169 for members

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

Paper Beats Digital In Many Ways According To Neuroscience

There's good news for printers and paper companies. Despite the enormous migration to electronic media, neuroscience research shows that paper-based content and ads offer special advantages in connection with our brains. Rather than an all-digital world, it appears that a multi-channel approach that leverages the unique benefits of paper with the convenience and accessibility of digital will perform best.

Read more in this article on Forbes.com.
Change One Light To Green To Support Veterans

America's veterans are some of our nation's bravest, hardest-working men and women. However, it's hard to show them the appreciation they deserve when, back home and out of uniform, they're more camouflaged than ever.

Greenlight A Vet is a campaign to establish visible national support for our veterans by changing one light to green in a visible location -- on your porch, in your home, or at your office -- and keep it glowing every day as a symbol of appreciation and support for our veterans. Then, share your support by taking a picture of your green light and posting it using the hashtag #greenlightavet on Facebook or other social media.  For more information, CLICK HERE.
Save On Credit Card Processing Fees

Did you realize you could save hundreds if not thousands of dollars  a year in credit card processing fees?

CardConnect offers an exclusive WSPA benefit that provides up to 40% savings off of current processing fees! WSPA members have access to wholesale pricing, an online gateway & next-day funding.  To find out if you're paying too much for processing, contact Rachel Lewis at rachel@cardconnect.com or call 913-953-5352 or fax
a recent merchant statement to 913-953-5354.  For more information, CLICK HERE.

To see what other discount programs are available to you as a WSPA member, visit our
Seven Myths About Floor Care

According to the National Safety Council, the annual cost of slip and fall injuries is a staggering $70 billion with an average cost per injury exceeding $12,000.  Safety experts have long recognized the link between the frequency and severity of slips and falls and inadequate floor care.  Many costly injuries could be prevented by dispelling some common myths about floor care.

1. Some floors are just naturally slippery.  Some flooring material is more slippery than others but there are traction treatments available that can add needed friction to a floor's surface.  So rather than the expense of replacing a slippery floor, building managers can invest as little as 25 cents per square foot to easily apply these treatments every three to five years.

2. As long as the floor looks clean it should be safe.  It may look clean, but the soap that dries on floors may be absorbed into the floor (depending on the floor material) and decreases friction over time.  A general rule of thumb is that any cleaning product used on a floor should be removed with a good rinse before it dries..

3. Floor care equipment is expensive. Purchasing an extractor that removes the soap layer on a floor may cost $3,000 to $5,000.  However, that investment is just a quarter of the cost of one slip and fall injury.

4. Cleaning floors does not require any special training.  Improper cleaning of floor can lead to slips and falls.  Too much concentration of soap can result in residue  buildup.  Not rinsing the floor thoroughly after applying soap can also lead to slip and fall accidents.  To eliminate these and other problems, train workers on proper floor care procedures and provide them with the right equipment for the job.

5. All floors are the same.  Each type of floor surface requires special treatments to keep it safe.  For example, special cleaning products have been developed for ceramic tile and stone, and the use of oil on wood flooring is not recommended.  Refer to the manufacturer's recommendations to ensure the safety of your floors.

6. A clean floor is an aesthetic issue.  True, having clean floors improves the appearance of any facility.  But having a properly cleaned and maintained floor is really a loss control issue.  By taking the time and effort to provide a safe walking surface for employees and visitors, you'll reduce the frequency and severity of costly slip and fall injuries.

7. There are no standards for walking surface safety.  OSHA's  Walking and Working Surface (29 CFR Part 1910) creates industry standards for employers to follow that "protect employees from slips, falls, and trips."  The rules were developed in the 1980s, but were somewhat vague and not comprehensive.  In recent years, ASTM International and the American National Standards Institute/National Floor Safety Institute have developed a series of consensus voluntary standards that many engineers follow when evaluating floor safety.

Source: Larry Readout, Senior Engineer, EMC Insurance Companies. 
Sales Tips From Leslie

Sales guru Leslie Groene offers the following sales tips.

1. Be reachable to customers.  Always provide readily available and consistent contact information.  This includes leaving a signature on your emails so customers don't have to look for how to reach you.

2. Return phone calls promptly.  Sales people have to be super responsive in this competitive marketplace.

3. Don't oversell.  Don't oversell by hyping your business and being too pushy; there is a fine line between being persistent and a pest - you must know the difference.

4. Never be late to meetings or presentations.  Turning in proposals late is also a no-no.  We can be disqualified for not respecting timelines.
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 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 onboarding.  You will have an outline that tells you how to prioritize and customize employee training.

Adapted from "The Benefits of Writing a Job Description for Your Business" by Doug and Polly White.
Presidents Conference Early Bird Deadline Expires Friday

The Presidents Conference of Printing Industries of America is the premier event for business leaders, top managers, and owners of companies that offer printing services.  Join us March 6-9 at the stunning J.W. Marriott Palm Desert as we help enforce leadership skills and provide essential information on the latest industry trends and technologies through high profile speakers and three enticing tracks.

Enjoy unparalleled networking opportunities with industry peers at one of America's finest resorts.  If you register by Friday, you save $100.

CLICK HERE to visit the conference website for more details.
Employee Recognition Awards

We all know that our people are our greatest assets yet how often do we let them know just how valuable they are - particularly in front of their peers?
 
Once again, this year's Print Excellence Awards events will also feature the WSPA Employee Recognition Awards where member companies can single out exceptional performance by team members.  These awards were a huge hit last year and for good reason - everyone likes a pat on the back in front of their peers.


Why not recognize someone who has made a difference in your shop and nominate them for a WSPA Employee Recognition Award?  The awards are only $50 each with recipients receiving a beautiful certificate at the Print Excellence Awards ceremonies to be held in Phoenix (April 7 - Rustler's Rooste) and Denver (April 28 - Embassy Suites Downtown).

You can download nomination forms HERE.

Deadline for nominations is March 15, 2016
Weekly Photo Feature: Are you Kidding Me?!

Each week, E-Connects shares 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.

Pictured: A little too close to the edge...

If you come across a funny safety pic you think should be featured, email Michael Makin at mmakin@wsprint.org.
Toll-Free Hotline

Don't forget that as a member of Western States Printing Alliance (WSPA) you have free access to the Technical Hotline of Printing Industries of America. 

The hotline fields more than 1,500 calls a year from members seeking assistance.  We are just a phone call away at 1-800-910-4283!

The hotline can also be used for your questions relating to HR or EHS issues.
Quote For The Week

"It's not enough we do our best.  Sometimes we have to do what is required."

Sir Winston Churchill
WSPA | 844-237-1550 | wsprint.org