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SAPAToday our association newsletter
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SAPATodayWhat has PaperChain®
done lately?
The Bi-Monthly Newsletter for the Free Paper Industry May & June|2008
In this Issue:
visit us at www.sapatoday.com
by Dan Holme s , P r e s id ent o f PaperChain
On March 14th 18 members of the PaperChain Committee met in Chicago, IL for a one-day Strategic Planning session with facilitator Andy Hoh. In January the chairmanship of PaperChain passed from Loren Colburn to Dan Holmes, and when the leadership transition occurs we often schedule a strategic planning session to set the course for the next two years.
Participants at this session made a clear directive: it is time for PaperChain to get back to the business of marketing the Free Paper industry. � is is evident in the slight change made to the PaperChain Mission statement. It has changed from “PaperChain enhances the profitability of its members by coordinating unifi ed education, marketing and sales programs” to “PaperChain enhances the value of the
members and the free paper industry by coordinating unified standards, education and marketing.”
This simple change turns our PRIMARY emphasis towards the mission of education and marketing. We will continue to provide the industry with the Link & Learn educational tool on a monthly schedule. We will also strive to renew our marketing of the industry. Since we hit a home run associating with SRDS, we have focused on direct sales vs. general marketing. � e success we have enjoyed from our relationship with SRDS and the advertising
Southeastern Adver t i s ing Publ i shers Associat ion (800) 334-0649 (888) 334-0649 fax
page 2SAPA Board of Directors & CAN Corner
page 3Look Beyond The Obvious
page 5Iron Brotherhood & Chesterfield Shopper Soldpage 8Sales Lessons You Have To Learnpage 10Calendar of Events & If I Ran the Post Office
Southeastern Advertising Publishers Association
continued on page 4
To advance the free paper industry by providing resources for success and venues for sharing ideas.
2 SAPAToday 11 SAPAToday
SAPA Board of Directors
Past PresidentMike WoodardTuscaloosa Shopper
& ReporterNorthport, AL205-333-7525
PresidentBill Bowman
Up & Coming Weekly
Fayetteville, NC 910-484-6200
Vice PresidentRussell
QuattlebaumSoutheast Sun
Enterprise, AL 334-393-2969
TreasurerTony Onellion
Bargains PlusSlidell, LA
985-649-9515
Past PresidentGreg LedfordShelby Shopper &
InfoShelby, NC
704-484-1047
Board MemberJW Owens
Savannah Pennysaver
Savannah, GA 912-238-2040
Board MemberGarth Hawken
Flashes Shopping Guide
Stuart, FL772-287-0650
SecretaryAlan Lingerfelt
The Piedmont Shopper
Danville, VA434-822-1800
Past PresidentGary Benton
Peddler ADvantageParis, TN
731-644-9595
Past PresidentBrenda Finchum
Coffee County Shopper
Manchester, TN931-728-3273
Past PresidentSecretary
Past President Past President
CornerIn each issue of SAPAToday we’ll look at one of the membership benefi ts you receive from the Classifi ed Ad Network (CAN).
We are working on a private website for members of SAPA that gives up-to-date information and a location to store photos, eConferences, and videos. If you’d like to view this work in progress, simply point your web browser at www.sapa-asap.com
Speaking of eConferences, if you would like to sign up for these ground-breaking training sessions go to www.sapa-asap.com and click on the “Sign up for our Free eNewsletter SAPA-asap.” Enter your information and you’ll receive times and dates for Sales, Graphics, Administrative, Audit Training, and Classifieds. If you haven’t participated in an eConference give Douglas Fry, the SAPA Guy a call at 1-800-334-0649.
use it or not. � e only reason the USPS can aff ord to keep carriers coming to each door six days a week is the volume of mail sent and paid for by businesses and advertisers.
Do you like magazines? How about the newsletters sent by your church, club, school, or business association? Magazines and educational materials are delivered by the Postal Service “for cost.” � at means that other mailers, including advertising mailers, are supporting the Postal Service’s overhead. What do you think would happen to subscription costs if the Postal Service lost mail volumes? Magazine publishers would have to either charge consumers a lot more for their magazines, or add a lot more pages of print advertising to each issue, to cover the costs of delivery.
� ousands of small businesses depend upon locally targeted mail advertising vehicles, like free papers, shared mail and coupon envelope programs, to reach consumers. � e local pizza shop, dry cleaner, home improvement and service business rely upon locally
produced and delivered print advertising to get customers and stay in business.
� e USPS has some 37,000 post offi ces. In many communities, the post offi ce is a valued business and social gathering center. Many of these postal centers lose money. � e post offi ce already struggles to support them. Reduce mail volume and the Postal Service would be compelled to close facilities.
� ose are just the arguments I would make off the top of my head. I’m sure if I was made Chief Image Offi cer for a day or two, I would come up with a lot more, including the Postal Service’s trusted position as the deliverer of offi cial notices, government announcements, the only provider of aff ordable delivery and package services in some remote or rural areas, and the last truly universal communications link to every American household and business. For now, I will keep exhorting the Postal Service and members of SMC to fi ght for the franchise and to promote a positive image for the mail, paper and print.
If I Ran The Postal ServiceContinued
Q:A:
How do you increase your circulation without the
printing and distribution costs?
With a Page-Flip Digital Edition
by JB Multimedia
What do we mean?
For the first time ever, CVC® is officially including readership of your JB Multimedia-produced Digital Edition in your next circulation audit. All of your online readers will now count–imagine what that will do for your numbers!
If you want to increase your readership and circulation, don’t spend money on printing and distributing more copies...just call us to start putting your paper online with one of our interactive, page-flip solutions, and we’ll help you expand your readership on the web...instantly!
For all the details, call Justin Gerena:1-888-592-3212 x710
The Pioneers in Page-Flip Technology - www.jbmultimedia.net
By John Foust, Raleigh, NC
It’s no secret that children are curious. � ey are like sponges, constantly asking questions, soaking up all the information they can. I recently heard that the typical child asks half a million questions by the age of six. (No doubt, there are many parents who feel their sons or daughters ask that many on a single Saturday.)
Good sales people have an almost-childlike sense of curiosity. � is serves them well, because the fi rst step in helping clients make buying decisions is to learn as much as possible about their businesses, their goals, and their products and services. � ere’s a lot of truth in the old saying,
“Knowledge is power.”
� e word “question” begins with “quest,” which can be defined as “search.” That’s not a bad description of the questioning process. It ’s a search for information. To find the right information, we have to search in the right places
- with the right kinds of questions. Here are a few points to keep in mind:
1. Mix closed and open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions call for short answers, while open-ended questions require longer answers. For example, “When did you start your business?” is a closed question. “What is your marketing approach?” is open, and invites a more detailed answer.
� e most common closed questions are those which can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” It is easy to see that short answers don’t provide much information. As a result, you may want to use a closed question to introduce a topic (“Is your business open on weekends?”), then follow it with an open question which asks for elaboration (“How has that aff ected your traffi c?”)
2. Rephrase the other person’s statement as a question. Let’s say your client declares, “My last ad didn’t work.” Instead of arguing (which is always a bad tactic), simply probe for more information by rephrasing his or her statement as a question. Ask, “It didn’t work?” and wait for a response.
3. Use non-verbal questions. By raising your eyebrows and tilting your head, you can show that you are particularly interested in something the other person is saying. � is may encourage your client to provide more detail, without being asked.
4. Ask for help. As a conversation progresses, it is inevitable that there will be certain points you would like clarifi ed. To add a little variety to the interview, you may want to say, “� at sounds interesting. Help me understand what that means in terms of your marketing strategy.” When they explain it to your satisfaction, smile and say, “� at makes a lot of sense. � ank you for taking a couple of extra minutes to help me get in step.”
5. Show sincere interest. Don’t be a fake. Your questions should spring from a genuine interest in your clients. Listen carefully as they express their ideas, opinions and marketing goals. Show them that the more you know about their businesses, the better you will be able to serve them.
After all, service is what it’s all about.
(c) Copyright 2008 by John Foust. All rights reserved. E-mail John Foust for information about his training videos for ad departments: [email protected]
3 SAPAToday
by Donna HanberySaturation Mailers Coalition
One of the advantages of writing a regular column is you get to climb on a soap box from time to time. Well, today is my time.
I like paper. Maybe it’s because I’m old, but I would rather throw a paperback, magazine, or notebook in my purse or carry-on than run to the beach or business trip with a laptop.
I like and value the mail and the Postal Service as one of my favorite forms of communication. Now, as anyone in my offi ce can tell you, I am a big user of email. It is a tremendous timesaver. You can communicate with hundreds, thousands, or millions of people at once in an effi cient manner. But when I want to send and say the very best, I prefer paper and print.
I am also a worrier. I wonder and worry that the good old fashioned Postal Service that I have come to depend upon won’t be around in years or decades to come. Why? I am afraid that a lot of the “do-gooders” out there will either push for state or federal do-not-mail laws or restrictions or will promote so much anti-mail or anti-print and paper sentiment that the Postal Service will lose the business and volume it needs to survive. One of the reasons I fear this could happen is that the Postal Service is too timid to stand up and fi ght for its franchise. If I ran the Postal Service, I would have a person, or department, responsible for fi ghting back when the mail is attacked as “junk,” “unwanted,” as a destroyer of forests, or a leading source of identity theft.
I think the Postal Service has a great story to tell about its value to the American economy, consumers who look in their mailbox for shopping content and savings, small businesses that would have no other ways to reach customers, and its trusted and reliable work force. Here are some of the messages I wish the Postal Service would get out to the American public about the value of the mail and the Postal Service as an institution before it is too late.
Do-not-mail laws, or even individual consumers’
eff orts to limit the mail in their mailbox, will result in the Postal Service needing to cut back on universal service. If you reduce mail volume, the Postal Service will need to reduce service, close post offi ces, and increase costs.
� e Postal Service is the only free service or utility supported completely by users rather than recipients. Each year the Postal Service adds approximately 1.8 million stops to its delivery network. � is business growth is supported completely by volume and the postage paid by mailers. Compare this to any other utility. If you want access to phones, Internet, cable, water, sewer, electricity or gas, you pay plenty to get hooked up. Chances are you will also see a signifi cant monthly bill for “access” or “service” – whether you
Calendar of Events
10 SAPAToday
The Power OfQuestions
If I Ran The Postal Service
SAPA Conference 2008: We contracted the Renaissance Hotel in refreshing Asheville, NC on August 22 & 23, 2008 for our Fall Conference. Mark your calendars today. And please give us a call at 1-800-334-0649 or email: [email protected] if you would like more information.
IFPA Conference 2008: Seattle, Washington is the site for the Fall Conference for IFPA, September 24 - 27, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency in nearby Bellevue. A trip to the Space Needle and dinner there promise a great time.
SAPA Conference 2009: In 2009 we’ll be in Louisville, Kentucky at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. � e hotel is located across the street from 4th Street Live so there will be plenty to do. Mark your calendars now for August 28 & 29, 2009 in Louisville. Please give us a call at 1-800-334-0649 or email: [email protected] if you would like more information.
continued on page 11
some of our members have received as a direct result of that relationship verifi es the importance of a marketing strategy. During our attempt to create a working database for use in national advertising sales eff orts we backed away from the marketing function that has been the foundation of PaperChain’s existence. � is was a strategic decision to avoid any overlap and lack of consistency with the efforts contracted with Gemstone Media . O ur success with Gemstone and the data collection process has been limited due to a variety of reasons and due to shortcomings on both sides of the relationship. We have decided to wait no longer in our effort to educate the advertising buyers of the importance of the Free Publication piece of the overall Media package.
Our data collection will continue in concert with Circulation Verification C o u n c i l ( C VC ) . T i m Bingaman at CVC has expanded his data collection process to inc lude the c o m p i l a t i o n o f r a t e information. All audited p u b l i c a t i o n s p r o v i d e
demographic and circulation information to CVC on a quarterly schedule and Tim will secure rate information on this same schedule, information that he will share securely with PaperChain and our internal database. Based on the success of this process we will continue to pursue direct sales in addition to our emphasis on marketing our industry and our products. We hope you will provide your rate information based on the faith and comfort you have with CVC, a long-time provider of audit services for our industry.
We have much to do and th rough the S t r a t eg i c Planning process conducted in Chicago we have created a structure to accomplish our goals. Three primary initiatives were created at the
meeting and leaders have been chosen for each initiative. In the next month our action steps will be developed and PaperChain will announce our specifi c direction at the AFCP meeting on April 24th in Palm Springs. If you are attending the AFCP annual conference, join us at 3:45 on � ursday as we spell out our plans. � e national, regional and state associations will provide updates at your upcoming conferences as well. In the meantime, we are interested in your thoughts and your participation. If you have an interest in working on any of our acting committees please let me know and we will gladly put your enthusiasm and talents to work for the benefi t of the industry.
9 SAPAToday4 SAPAToday
What Has PaperChain® Done Lately?Continued
Your habits and their eff ects(a) You Start With Habits In � inking. Do not fool yourself. You mold your own life with the eff orts of your own mind. It is neither heredity nor environment that settles your fate. Every unfavorable condition may be overcome by your methods of thinking. You possess the power to create habits of “right thinking.” You think courage, and your fear is gone. When fi lled with optimism, you do not despair. If you are determined, you are never indiff erent. � inking along honest lines, you cannot be dishonest. Insist on perfection, and you will fail to see imperfection. Success starts in your thinking; failure comes when you think that you can’t succeed. It’s the negatives that fail. “� ere’s nothing either good or bad, but that thinking makes it so.”
(b) From Your Habits of � inking, You Go To Habits of Acting. � e world judges you by what you do. Your acts are the windows to your inner life. Your action-habits are only the refl ection of your thinking-habits. You can mount up to success in action only after you have thought out the ways to get success. “As you think in your heart—so are you in your work.”
(c) Learn How To Create Good Habits At Will. Good habits are the only ones worthwhile. � ese bring success; bad habits bring failure. Criticize yourself. Find out your own faults. For wrong habits of thought, substitute the positive, right habits of thought. Desire the best, and you will absorb it from
everywhere. Correct your thinking fi rst, and your reaction-habits will correct themselves.
(d) You Can Break Bad Habits At Will. You break bad habits, not by trying to break them, but by trying to make good habits. Breaking undesirable habits of thinking, followed by undesirable actions, is accomplished only by living in an improved atmosphere of thought. You can never eliminate fear, for example, until you are fi lled with courage. You will be fi lled with courage when you think courage all the time. � is way, the habit of fearing is broken.
(e) Your Destiny Is � e Final Product Of Your Habits. � e whole outcome of life is simply the sum total of our habits of action. We grow into greater usefulness to ourselves, and others, or else make our failures, through habit-making. We have the power to choose to be successful, or to be failures.
� e original cores of these lessons were fi rst espoused by Basil Smith in 1912. Current version © Copyright 2007 by Richard Clark -- Classifi ed Development.
Richard Clark off ers great low-cost online ad-taking solutions, as well as sales and management training that pay for themselves, guaranteed. Find out more and see the demo at www.classifi eddevelopment.com.
5 SAPAToday8 SAPAToday
Sales Lessons You Have to Learn Sometime: #2 of 112
SAPAToday
Greg Ledford, past president and board member of SAPA, recently went to San Ignacio,
H o n d u r a s t o a s s i s t i n t h e construction of a new roof and other improvements at a local mission center.
Pictured to the r ight are four members of the Iron Brotherhood
- Greg Ledford , Tim Oliver , Don Peeler and Richard Prow along with children that attend First Baptist Church of San Ignacio, Honduras.
The four went on the trip (March 3-10) with 12 other men from several different
churches throughout Cleveland County.
The team’s main objections were to build a second story roof system and run electrical for both floors for a new mission center being built by the church. � e center will be used to house the pastor of the church, his wife and daughter during the 5 days a week that they are in the village. It will also house youth and mission groups going to the area.
There will also be training held there for pastors from smaller villages that are usually located 2 hours deeper into the country. Some of those pastors often walk 6 to 8 hours to preach.
As for the Iron Brotherhood,
it usually consists of 8 to 10 friends meeting for a Bible study, fellowship and sometimes breakfast on Sunday mornings at 9:30. � ey have met at the Shelby Shopper & Info offi ce for over 2 years .
The Iron Brotherhood - Gives Back
San Ignacio, Honduras gets help
from the Iron
Brotherhood
Swartz Media has purchased � e Chesterfi eld County Shopper, a direct mail publication that has recently celebrated its Silver Anniversary.
Charles Watson and David Linton began � e Shopper in 1982 and it is the fi rst and oldest mailed Shopper in the state of South Carolina.
Swartz Media owns The News Journal in Florence, � e Hartsville News Journal and � e Marion County News Journal.
“We are excited to welcome � e Chesterfi eld County Shopper and its employees to our media
family. The addition of this fine publication expands Swartz Media’s coverage into the Greater Pee Dee area and off ers our advertisers a broader customer base of over 60,000 copies each week,” said Don Swartz, founder and owner of Swartz Media. “We look forward to this union, with more than 25 years of service to the entire county. � e Chesterfi eld County Shopper has proven itself as a valuable community publication,” Swartz said.
Swartz Media is independently and locally owned.
The Chesterfield County ShopperPurchased by Swartz Media
Display & Classified Ad Sales & BillingCirculation Direct Mail Payroll Accounting
Integrated Management Software designed by publishers for publishers
MERRIMAC SOFTWARE ASSOCIATES INC.TAMWORTH, NH 603 323 8811 WWW.MERRSOFT.COM
Will Parks(309) 797-0302
IPC CHARLIE HENCYE
800-243-7659 [email protected] FAX: 941-484-0828
140 Triple Diamond Blvd * Suite C * N. Venice, FL 34275www.ipcpoly.com
PRESIDENT
International Poly&
Promotions
Plastic BagsPromotional Items
Advertising Specialties
300 North DriveSuite 100
Melbourne, FL 32934
321.242.5000 x2214321.242.4074727.492.3562
phonefax
mobile
John Pourtlessdirector of sales - southeast
Display & Classified Ad Sales & BillingCirculation Direct Mail Payroll Accounting
Integrated Management Software designed by publishers for publishers
MERRIMAC SOFTWARE ASSOCIATES INC.TAMWORTH, NH 603 323 8811 WWW.MERRSOFT.COM
Will Parks(309) 797-0302
IPC CHARLIE HENCYE
800-243-7659 [email protected] FAX: 941-484-0828
140 Triple Diamond Blvd * Suite C * N. Venice, FL 34275www.ipcpoly.com
PRESIDENT
International Poly&
Promotions
Plastic BagsPromotional Items
Advertising Specialties
300 North DriveSuite 100
Melbourne, FL 32934
321.242.5000 x2214321.242.4074727.492.3562
phonefax
mobile
John Pourtlessdirector of sales - southeast
Your habits and their eff ects(a) You Start With Habits In � inking. Do not fool yourself. You mold your own life with the eff orts of your own mind. It is neither heredity nor environment that settles your fate. Every unfavorable condition may be overcome by your methods of thinking. You possess the power to create habits of “right thinking.” You think courage, and your fear is gone. When fi lled with optimism, you do not despair. If you are determined, you are never indiff erent. � inking along honest lines, you cannot be dishonest. Insist on perfection, and you will fail to see imperfection. Success starts in your thinking; failure comes when you think that you can’t succeed. It’s the negatives that fail. “� ere’s nothing either good or bad, but that thinking makes it so.”
(b) From Your Habits of � inking, You Go To Habits of Acting. � e world judges you by what you do. Your acts are the windows to your inner life. Your action-habits are only the refl ection of your thinking-habits. You can mount up to success in action only after you have thought out the ways to get success. “As you think in your heart—so are you in your work.”
(c) Learn How To Create Good Habits At Will. Good habits are the only ones worthwhile. � ese bring success; bad habits bring failure. Criticize yourself. Find out your own faults. For wrong habits of thought, substitute the positive, right habits of thought. Desire the best, and you will absorb it from
everywhere. Correct your thinking fi rst, and your reaction-habits will correct themselves.
(d) You Can Break Bad Habits At Will. You break bad habits, not by trying to break them, but by trying to make good habits. Breaking undesirable habits of thinking, followed by undesirable actions, is accomplished only by living in an improved atmosphere of thought. You can never eliminate fear, for example, until you are fi lled with courage. You will be fi lled with courage when you think courage all the time. � is way, the habit of fearing is broken.
(e) Your Destiny Is � e Final Product Of Your Habits. � e whole outcome of life is simply the sum total of our habits of action. We grow into greater usefulness to ourselves, and others, or else make our failures, through habit-making. We have the power to choose to be successful, or to be failures.
� e original cores of these lessons were fi rst espoused by Basil Smith in 1912. Current version © Copyright 2007 by Richard Clark -- Classifi ed Development.
Richard Clark off ers great low-cost online ad-taking solutions, as well as sales and management training that pay for themselves, guaranteed. Find out more and see the demo at www.classifi eddevelopment.com.
5 SAPAToday8 SAPAToday
Sales Lessons You Have to Learn Sometime: #2 of 112
SAPAToday
Greg Ledford, past president and board member of SAPA, recently went to San Ignacio,
H o n d u r a s t o a s s i s t i n t h e construction of a new roof and other improvements at a local mission center.
Pictured to the r ight are four members of the Iron Brotherhood
- Greg Ledford , Tim Oliver , Don Peeler and Richard Prow along with children that attend First Baptist Church of San Ignacio, Honduras.
The four went on the trip (March 3-10) with 12 other men from several different
churches throughout Cleveland County.
The team’s main objections were to build a second story roof system and run electrical for both floors for a new mission center being built by the church. � e center will be used to house the pastor of the church, his wife and daughter during the 5 days a week that they are in the village. It will also house youth and mission groups going to the area.
There will also be training held there for pastors from smaller villages that are usually located 2 hours deeper into the country. Some of those pastors often walk 6 to 8 hours to preach.
As for the Iron Brotherhood,
it usually consists of 8 to 10 friends meeting for a Bible study, fellowship and sometimes breakfast on Sunday mornings at 9:30. � ey have met at the Shelby Shopper & Info offi ce for over 2 years .
The Iron Brotherhood - Gives Back
San Ignacio, Honduras gets help
from the Iron
Brotherhood
Swartz Media has purchased � e Chesterfi eld County Shopper, a direct mail publication that has recently celebrated its Silver Anniversary.
Charles Watson and David Linton began � e Shopper in 1982 and it is the fi rst and oldest mailed Shopper in the state of South Carolina.
Swartz Media owns The News Journal in Florence, � e Hartsville News Journal and � e Marion County News Journal.
“We are excited to welcome � e Chesterfi eld County Shopper and its employees to our media
family. The addition of this fine publication expands Swartz Media’s coverage into the Greater Pee Dee area and off ers our advertisers a broader customer base of over 60,000 copies each week,” said Don Swartz, founder and owner of Swartz Media. “We look forward to this union, with more than 25 years of service to the entire county. � e Chesterfi eld County Shopper has proven itself as a valuable community publication,” Swartz said.
Swartz Media is independently and locally owned.
The Chesterfield County ShopperPurchased by Swartz Media
some of our members have received as a direct result of that relationship verifi es the importance of a marketing strategy. During our attempt to create a working database for use in national advertising sales eff orts we backed away from the marketing function that has been the foundation of PaperChain’s existence. � is was a strategic decision to avoid any overlap and lack of consistency with the efforts contracted with Gemstone Media . O ur success with Gemstone and the data collection process has been limited due to a variety of reasons and due to shortcomings on both sides of the relationship. We have decided to wait no longer in our effort to educate the advertising buyers of the importance of the Free Publication piece of the overall Media package.
Our data collection will continue in concert with Circulation Verification C o u n c i l ( C VC ) . T i m Bingaman at CVC has expanded his data collection process to inc lude the c o m p i l a t i o n o f r a t e information. All audited p u b l i c a t i o n s p r o v i d e
demographic and circulation information to CVC on a quarterly schedule and Tim will secure rate information on this same schedule, information that he will share securely with PaperChain and our internal database. Based on the success of this process we will continue to pursue direct sales in addition to our emphasis on marketing our industry and our products. We hope you will provide your rate information based on the faith and comfort you have with CVC, a long-time provider of audit services for our industry.
We have much to do and th rough the S t r a t eg i c Planning process conducted in Chicago we have created a structure to accomplish our goals. Three primary initiatives were created at the
meeting and leaders have been chosen for each initiative. In the next month our action steps will be developed and PaperChain will announce our specifi c direction at the AFCP meeting on April 24th in Palm Springs. If you are attending the AFCP annual conference, join us at 3:45 on � ursday as we spell out our plans. � e national, regional and state associations will provide updates at your upcoming conferences as well. In the meantime, we are interested in your thoughts and your participation. If you have an interest in working on any of our acting committees please let me know and we will gladly put your enthusiasm and talents to work for the benefi t of the industry.
9 SAPAToday4 SAPAToday
What Has PaperChain® Done Lately?Continued
By John Foust, Raleigh, NC
It’s no secret that children are curious. � ey are like sponges, constantly asking questions, soaking up all the information they can. I recently heard that the typical child asks half a million questions by the age of six. (No doubt, there are many parents who feel their sons or daughters ask that many on a single Saturday.)
Good sales people have an almost-childlike sense of curiosity. � is serves them well, because the fi rst step in helping clients make buying decisions is to learn as much as possible about their businesses, their goals, and their products and services. � ere’s a lot of truth in the old saying,
“Knowledge is power.”
� e word “question” begins with “quest,” which can be defined as “search.” That’s not a bad description of the questioning process. It ’s a search for information. To find the right information, we have to search in the right places
- with the right kinds of questions. Here are a few points to keep in mind:
1. Mix closed and open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions call for short answers, while open-ended questions require longer answers. For example, “When did you start your business?” is a closed question. “What is your marketing approach?” is open, and invites a more detailed answer.
� e most common closed questions are those which can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” It is easy to see that short answers don’t provide much information. As a result, you may want to use a closed question to introduce a topic (“Is your business open on weekends?”), then follow it with an open question which asks for elaboration (“How has that aff ected your traffi c?”)
2. Rephrase the other person’s statement as a question. Let’s say your client declares, “My last ad didn’t work.” Instead of arguing (which is always a bad tactic), simply probe for more information by rephrasing his or her statement as a question. Ask, “It didn’t work?” and wait for a response.
3. Use non-verbal questions. By raising your eyebrows and tilting your head, you can show that you are particularly interested in something the other person is saying. � is may encourage your client to provide more detail, without being asked.
4. Ask for help. As a conversation progresses, it is inevitable that there will be certain points you would like clarifi ed. To add a little variety to the interview, you may want to say, “� at sounds interesting. Help me understand what that means in terms of your marketing strategy.” When they explain it to your satisfaction, smile and say, “� at makes a lot of sense. � ank you for taking a couple of extra minutes to help me get in step.”
5. Show sincere interest. Don’t be a fake. Your questions should spring from a genuine interest in your clients. Listen carefully as they express their ideas, opinions and marketing goals. Show them that the more you know about their businesses, the better you will be able to serve them.
After all, service is what it’s all about.
(c) Copyright 2008 by John Foust. All rights reserved. E-mail John Foust for information about his training videos for ad departments: [email protected]
3 SAPAToday
by Donna HanberySaturation Mailers Coalition
One of the advantages of writing a regular column is you get to climb on a soap box from time to time. Well, today is my time.
I like paper. Maybe it’s because I’m old, but I would rather throw a paperback, magazine, or notebook in my purse or carry-on than run to the beach or business trip with a laptop.
I like and value the mail and the Postal Service as one of my favorite forms of communication. Now, as anyone in my offi ce can tell you, I am a big user of email. It is a tremendous timesaver. You can communicate with hundreds, thousands, or millions of people at once in an effi cient manner. But when I want to send and say the very best, I prefer paper and print.
I am also a worrier. I wonder and worry that the good old fashioned Postal Service that I have come to depend upon won’t be around in years or decades to come. Why? I am afraid that a lot of the “do-gooders” out there will either push for state or federal do-not-mail laws or restrictions or will promote so much anti-mail or anti-print and paper sentiment that the Postal Service will lose the business and volume it needs to survive. One of the reasons I fear this could happen is that the Postal Service is too timid to stand up and fi ght for its franchise. If I ran the Postal Service, I would have a person, or department, responsible for fi ghting back when the mail is attacked as “junk,” “unwanted,” as a destroyer of forests, or a leading source of identity theft.
I think the Postal Service has a great story to tell about its value to the American economy, consumers who look in their mailbox for shopping content and savings, small businesses that would have no other ways to reach customers, and its trusted and reliable work force. Here are some of the messages I wish the Postal Service would get out to the American public about the value of the mail and the Postal Service as an institution before it is too late.
Do-not-mail laws, or even individual consumers’
eff orts to limit the mail in their mailbox, will result in the Postal Service needing to cut back on universal service. If you reduce mail volume, the Postal Service will need to reduce service, close post offi ces, and increase costs.
� e Postal Service is the only free service or utility supported completely by users rather than recipients. Each year the Postal Service adds approximately 1.8 million stops to its delivery network. � is business growth is supported completely by volume and the postage paid by mailers. Compare this to any other utility. If you want access to phones, Internet, cable, water, sewer, electricity or gas, you pay plenty to get hooked up. Chances are you will also see a signifi cant monthly bill for “access” or “service” – whether you
Calendar of Events
10 SAPAToday
The Power OfQuestions
If I Ran The Postal Service
SAPA Conference 2008: We contracted the Renaissance Hotel in refreshing Asheville, NC on August 22 & 23, 2008 for our Fall Conference. Mark your calendars today. And please give us a call at 1-800-334-0649 or email: [email protected] if you would like more information.
IFPA Conference 2008: Seattle, Washington is the site for the Fall Conference for IFPA, September 24 - 27, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency in nearby Bellevue. A trip to the Space Needle and dinner there promise a great time.
SAPA Conference 2009: In 2009 we’ll be in Louisville, Kentucky at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. � e hotel is located across the street from 4th Street Live so there will be plenty to do. Mark your calendars now for August 28 & 29, 2009 in Louisville. Please give us a call at 1-800-334-0649 or email: [email protected] if you would like more information.
continued on page 11
2 SAPAToday 11 SAPAToday
SAPA Board of Directors
Past PresidentMike WoodardTuscaloosa Shopper
& ReporterNorthport, AL205-333-7525
PresidentBill Bowman
Up & Coming Weekly
Fayetteville, NC 910-484-6200
Vice PresidentRussell
QuattlebaumSoutheast Sun
Enterprise, AL 334-393-2969
TreasurerTony Onellion
Bargains PlusSlidell, LA
985-649-9515
Past PresidentGreg LedfordShelby Shopper &
InfoShelby, NC
704-484-1047
Board MemberJW Owens
Savannah Pennysaver
Savannah, GA 912-238-2040
Board MemberGarth Hawken
Flashes Shopping Guide
Stuart, FL772-287-0650
SecretaryAlan Lingerfelt
The Piedmont Shopper
Danville, VA434-822-1800
Past PresidentGary Benton
Peddler ADvantageParis, TN
731-644-9595
Past PresidentBrenda Finchum
Coffee County Shopper
Manchester, TN931-728-3273
Past PresidentSecretary
Past President Past President
CornerIn each issue of SAPAToday we’ll look at one of the membership benefi ts you receive from the Classifi ed Ad Network (CAN).
We are working on a private website for members of SAPA that gives up-to-date information and a location to store photos, eConferences, and videos. If you’d like to view this work in progress, simply point your web browser at www.sapa-asap.com
Speaking of eConferences, if you would like to sign up for these ground-breaking training sessions go to www.sapa-asap.com and click on the “Sign up for our Free eNewsletter SAPA-asap.” Enter your information and you’ll receive times and dates for Sales, Graphics, Administrative, Audit Training, and Classifieds. If you haven’t participated in an eConference give Douglas Fry, the SAPA Guy a call at 1-800-334-0649.
use it or not. � e only reason the USPS can aff ord to keep carriers coming to each door six days a week is the volume of mail sent and paid for by businesses and advertisers.
Do you like magazines? How about the newsletters sent by your church, club, school, or business association? Magazines and educational materials are delivered by the Postal Service “for cost.” � at means that other mailers, including advertising mailers, are supporting the Postal Service’s overhead. What do you think would happen to subscription costs if the Postal Service lost mail volumes? Magazine publishers would have to either charge consumers a lot more for their magazines, or add a lot more pages of print advertising to each issue, to cover the costs of delivery.
� ousands of small businesses depend upon locally targeted mail advertising vehicles, like free papers, shared mail and coupon envelope programs, to reach consumers. � e local pizza shop, dry cleaner, home improvement and service business rely upon locally
produced and delivered print advertising to get customers and stay in business.
� e USPS has some 37,000 post offi ces. In many communities, the post offi ce is a valued business and social gathering center. Many of these postal centers lose money. � e post offi ce already struggles to support them. Reduce mail volume and the Postal Service would be compelled to close facilities.
� ose are just the arguments I would make off the top of my head. I’m sure if I was made Chief Image Offi cer for a day or two, I would come up with a lot more, including the Postal Service’s trusted position as the deliverer of offi cial notices, government announcements, the only provider of aff ordable delivery and package services in some remote or rural areas, and the last truly universal communications link to every American household and business. For now, I will keep exhorting the Postal Service and members of SMC to fi ght for the franchise and to promote a positive image for the mail, paper and print.
If I Ran The Postal ServiceContinued
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SAPATodayWhat has PaperChain®
done lately?
The Bi-Monthly Newsletter for the Free Paper Industry May & June|2008
In this Issue:
visit us at www.sapatoday.com
by Dan Holme s , P r e s id ent o f PaperChain
On March 14th 18 members of the PaperChain Committee met in Chicago, IL for a one-day Strategic Planning session with facilitator Andy Hoh. In January the chairmanship of PaperChain passed from Loren Colburn to Dan Holmes, and when the leadership transition occurs we often schedule a strategic planning session to set the course for the next two years.
Participants at this session made a clear directive: it is time for PaperChain to get back to the business of marketing the Free Paper industry. � is is evident in the slight change made to the PaperChain Mission statement. It has changed from “PaperChain enhances the profitability of its members by coordinating unifi ed education, marketing and sales programs” to “PaperChain enhances the value of the
members and the free paper industry by coordinating unified standards, education and marketing.”
This simple change turns our PRIMARY emphasis towards the mission of education and marketing. We will continue to provide the industry with the Link & Learn educational tool on a monthly schedule. We will also strive to renew our marketing of the industry. Since we hit a home run associating with SRDS, we have focused on direct sales vs. general marketing. � e success we have enjoyed from our relationship with SRDS and the advertising
Southeastern Adver t i s ing Publ i shers Associat ion (800) 334-0649 (888) 334-0649 fax
page 2SAPA Board of Directors & CAN Corner
page 3Look Beyond The Obvious
page 5Iron Brotherhood & Chesterfield Shopper Soldpage 8Sales Lessons You Have To Learnpage 10Calendar of Events & If I Ran the Post Office
Southeastern Advertising Publishers Association
continued on page 4
To advance the free paper industry by providing resources for success and venues for sharing ideas.
