January 25, 2011

MyOrderDesk users can now automatically generate invoices using Intuit’s #1 rated small business accounting software without the drudgery of retyping. Phillip Grandsard, Senior Software Engineer at PagePath stated, “As we continue to develop ground breaking features for MyOrderDesk itself, we are always looking for ways to partner with other excellent solutions that improve efficiency and productivity for our customers. Our new QuickBooks module accomplishes that and more.”

For additional information on MyOrderDesk and the QuickBooks module, contact PagePath at 866.770.7561 or info@pagepath.com

When your business is slow, it’s easy to think customers have moved to cheaper printers or decided to do without the services you offer.

Particularly during such times, it’s a good idea to survey present and recently departed customers in order to check the pulse of your printing business.

You’ll probably discover some customers didn’t like the level of service you provide. That’s not pleasant to hear, but complaints of any kind are good. They give you a starting point for improvement.

Many former and present customers are nice people who don’t want to complain. These are the people you need to talk to.

Studies reported by the CornerStone Leadership Institute show that for every person who registers a complaint, there are a couple of dozen who don’t say anything about it at all.

Conversations with customers will show that you really care about them. They will be more loyal to you in the future.

Have you talked to your customers lately? What have they had to say? Post your comments below.

Joe Kern  is Vice President of  Marketing/Customer Service at PagePath Technologies. PagePath was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Plano, Illinois. PagePath’s MyOrderDesk is an eCommerce solution that combines, Web-to-Print, automated proofing, pricing, reordering and more. It seamlessly integrates into a printing organization’s existing website or can be used as a standalone site. MyOrderDesk is known throughout the printing industry as the leader in Web-to-Print software.

When Fortune magazine interviewed leaders of large and small firms, they gave a few eye-opening pieces of advice on how to grow a business. Check these out to determine whether any of their formulas could be pivotal growth-growing points in your printing business.

• Find an edge over competition. Look at the industry’s biggest cost and time constraints and focus on those areas of your business.
• Describe your business in one or two words. Own a phrase that illustrates your company or service. Then Google it to see if you have chosen the right one. A beverage company used “enhanced waters.”
• Focus on one measurable priority for your company, not a dozen. For 90 days, focus on one problem in your business.
• Control your cash flow. Construct a business model that fuels your growth without the need for outside financing.
• Use blogs, white papers, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook to flood the Internet and align the business with the phrase you own. They recommend checking out The Shipping Bloke Blog.
• Make changes faster. The fastest-moving companies huddle daily, as if in crisis mode, to drive their priorities.

Joe Kern  is Vice President of  Marketing/Customer Service at PagePath Technologies. PagePath was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Plano, Illinois. PagePath’s MyOrderDesk is an eCommerce solution that combines, Web-to-Print, automated proofing, pricing, reordering and more. It seamlessly integrates into a printing organization’s existing website or can be used as a standalone site. MyOrderDesk is known throughout the printing industry as the leader in Web-to-Print software.

Here are some situations they have to deal with:

• They have to hire more help almost immediately, which means training costs. If the new customer sells out to another company or quits the contract for some other reason, they will have to let these people go, a painful process that also makes unemployment insurance costs skyrocket.
• The lucky printer may spend so much time on the new account that other customers get less-satisfactory service and, as a result, take their business elsewhere.
• The print firm becomes so involved with the new customer that it fails to keep its advertising program up to date. It isn’t attracting the type of customer that was the mainstream of their business before.
• At Yale School of Management, Professor Constance Bagley says that when you get a big new account, “You can’t stop being scrappy. You have to constantly be thinking that things can change dramatically in 60 to 90 days.”

Quoted in INC., Bagley says big companies are constantly looking for value. You have to figure out your immediate needs and address them. Keep the information flowing, especially information about their costs and their competitors. Talk with the R&D department and the new customer’s leader.

If you do well on this contract, you can use the experience to attract new clients of the same kind.

Joe Kern  is Vice President of  Marketing/Customer Service at PagePath Technologies. PagePath was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Plano, Illinois. PagePath’s MyOrderDesk is an eCommerce solution that combines, Web-to-Print, automated proofing, pricing, reordering and more. It seamlessly integrates into a printing organization’s existing website or can be used as a standalone site. MyOrderDesk is known throughout the printing industry as the leader in Web-to-Print software.

Here are some situations they have to deal with:

• They have to hire more help and do it almost immediately, which means training costs. If the new customer sells out to another company or quits the contract for some other reason, they will have to let these people go, a painful process that also makes unemployment insurance costs skyrocket.
• The lucky print company may spend so much time on the new account that other customers get less-satisfactory service and, as a result, take their business elsewhere.
• The print company becomes so involved with the new customer that it fails to keep its advertising program up to date. It isn’t attracting the type of customer that was the mainstream of their business before.
• At Yale School of Management, Professor Constance Bagley says that when you get a big new account, “You can’t stop being scrappy. You have to constantly be thinking that things can change dramatically in 60 to 90 days.”

Quoted in INC., Bagley says big companies are constantly looking for value. You have to figure out your immediate needs and address them. Keep the information flowing, especially information about their costs and their competitors. Talk with the R&D department and the new customer’s leader.

If you do well on this contract, you can use the experience to attract new clients of the same kind.

Joe Kern  is Vice President of  Marketing/Customer Service at PagePath Technologies. PagePath was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Plano, Illinois. PagePath’s MyOrderDesk is an eCommerce solution that combines, Web-to-Print, automated proofing, pricing, reordering and more. It seamlessly integrates into a printing organization’s existing website or can be used as a standalone site. MyOrderDesk is known throughout the printing industry as the leader in Web-to-Print software.

While some categories, such as paid holidays, are specific, the book’s forward should emphasize that it contains general guidelines. When writing it, advisors at INC. magazine recommend saying “we may” in the book, rather than “we will.”

Avoid making the book sound like a contract and be sure to mention in the preface that policies can be changed at your discretion.

Relationships with employees are governed by many laws. They apply to businesses with one employee or more.

• Harassment and discrimination. State that you are an equal opportunity employer in every way. State that you will not tolerate harassment or discrimination. Outline steps an employee can take to report a violation, such as reporting it to two people. Tell how you respond to discrimination or harassment, and emphasize that the employee who makes the claim will not face retaliation.

• Workweek and hours. Generally tell the days and hours of the workweek and rules for breaks and meals. State which employees are paid for overtime. Tell the difference between an hourly worker and a salaried worker who is not paid for overtime.

• Safety. If workers operate in the printing plant, a safety policy should be given that is commensurate with state and federal regulations. Check with the Department of Labor in your state.

• Attendance, tardiness, dress code, use of the telephone and more. Don’t address minor areas, but focus on your actual needs. Avoid reminding people of the punishment they face for each infraction. Have one category at the end of the book that details discipline.

• Paid time off. Rather than having separate sick days and vacation policies, some businesses offer “paid time off,” which can be used at the employee’s discretion. Unused days can be paid at the end of the year.

• Benefits. Some are specified by state and federal law, such as time off for jury duty and military service. Check the rules.

• Voluntary benefits. More good news. Tell about any health insurance plan, retirement accounts, and other benefits you offer.

• Each employee should sign a statement saying they have received the employee handbook.

Joe Kern  is the Marketing and Customer Care Manager at PagePath Technologies. PagePath was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Plano, Illinois. PagePath’s MyOrderDesk is an eCommerce solution that combines, Web-to-Print, automated proofing, pricing, reordering and more. It seamlessly integrates into a printing organization’s existing website or can be used as a standalone site. MyOrderDesk is known throughout the printing industry as the leader in Web-to-Print software.

We’ve turned out the lights and saved power wherever we can, and we’ve checked for every possible savings on material and supplies.

These steps would help any organization preserve the bottom line, but there is one factor that can do more.

Keeping people satisfied with their work is a big item. We all have more to do today. Some of us are wearing two hats, according to job descriptions.

That could be one reason university professors say today’s workplace is rife with rudeness and lack of respect for each other. Some 60 percent of their study respondents say the situation is getting worse.

Workers who are in a hurry may think they don’t have time to be polite. But it saves time in the long run because it increases cooperation and creativity.

Civility goes beyond please and thank you (but those words can help). It includes listening and body language.

A study published in one psychology journal says positive relations with co-workers are a big factor in how people feel from day to day. They are less stressed, even if they are very busy, and more productive.

Besides respecting others, as well as yourself, it’s important to know what makes you angry or frustrated. Decide that when it happens, you will have a solution-driven attitude. Focus on the problem, not the other person.

When one person becomes a role model for civility and respect, those qualities can spread to others.

Joe Kern is the Marketing and Customer Care Manager at PagePath Technologies. PagePath was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Plano, Illinois. PagePath’s MyOrderDesk is an eCommerce solution that combines, Web-to-Print, automated proofing, pricing, reordering and more. It seamlessly integrates into a printing organization’s existing website or can be used as a standalone site. MyOrderDesk is known throughout the printing industry as the leader in Web-to-Print software.

JDF is here to stay and with good reason. It can deliver significant financial, operational and competitive advantage to those companies who leverage it the right way. Here are five reasons why JDF will save  you money:

1. JDF reduces print production costs by removing manual, repetitive steps from the production process. And lower production costs yield higher gross margins
2. JDF shortens lead time, the downtime that eats into a printer’s value add percentage. Shorter lead times yield higher value add
3. JDF optimizes the equipment on the production floor, generating greater productivity out of existing investments. Greater productivity yields faster return on capital invested
4. JDF also makes it easier to manage order volume variations yielding tighter resource management. When volume is down, fewer people on the production floor reduces overhead cost
5. JDF Reduces mistakes. Less mistakes equals less waste.

Getting a flyer printing project to work effectively for your business  is like looking for a husband (or a wife) to be with you through thick and thin, for richer or poorer, till death do you part.

In order for your relationship with your flyer printing project to succeed, it takes a lot of hard work and perseverance. It’s not something that you can just come up with in a flick of your fingers. You need to have the patience to carefully plan your flyer printing design to get the attention of your prospective clients.

What makes an effective and successful flyer printing project? Here are a few of the factors that should be considered in your flyer printing project:

White Space

White space is basically used to lead your target readers’ eyes to the most important part of your flyer printing project.

Contrary to popular belief, your white space is not there to create an aesthetically pleasing appearance in your flyer printing piece. White space is provided to emphasize, as well as provide your eyes with an area in your flyer printing design where they can rest, to be able to see the focal point of your print flyers.

Although it’s a tad tempting to squeeze in as much information in your flyer printing project, always remember that a sea of gray or black text only makes for an overwhelming design that will only confuse your prospective readers.

“S”- Pattern

Actually, the pattern looks more like the letter Z than the S. It is how your target readers’ eyes go when scanning an ad – it starts from the top left corner of your flyer printing ad then ends up at the bottom right.

Although they look at your flyer printing design according to the S-pattern, make sure that you make it easy for your target readers to understand what you have to say to them. It doesn’t do you any good if your target readers suddenly ask whether they’re still reading the same flyer printing piece halfway to your design.

Consistency

Being different is laudable, especially when it makes you stand out from the rest. But making it hard for your target readers to know your top from your tail is also not commendable.

People expect consistency in whatever marketing material they come across (e.g. brochure printing, flyer printing, postcard printing, catalog printing). They want to see certain elements at certain areas of your flyer printing piece. And believe it or not, they do look for them whenever they look at your flyer printing ad.

Simplicity

Always keep your flyer printing project simple and short. People have other things to do aside from skimming through your print flyers. So make it easy for them to get your message fast. Don’t put too much elements that will only make them distracted. Include fewer elements in your flyer printing project.

Joe Kern is the Marketing and Customer Care Manager at PagePath Technologies. PagePath was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Plano, Illinois. PagePath’s MyOrderDesk is an eCommerce solution that combines, Web-to-Print, automated proofing, pricing, reordering and more. It seamlessly integrates into a printing organization’s existing website or can be used as a standalone site. MyOrderDesk is known throughout the printing industry as the leader in Web-to-Print software.

I’ve always been a Fundamentals kind of guy. The first company I worked for, UARCO Business Forms, had a fantastic sales motto. It said, “Solve the problem. Earn the order.” How can you go wrong with a foundation like that? I believe that regardless of the economy, the fundamentals do not change. It’s amazing to me that there are still people out there who “sell printing.” What are they thinking? Have they never heard of Dale Carnagie? Even today I was coaching a guy who told me he goes door to door. That really shocked me, but his lack of success as a sales rep did not. So, I model every program I put together after what I learned way back when about solving problems.

When was the last time that you sat with a client and talked about his challenges? Fears? Opportunities? Did you ever wonder why no one returns your voice mails? You complain about the lack of courtesy but maybe your messages, well, suck! Why not learn to talk about THEM and not you; about solutions and not printing? Hey, if what you are doing is working, that’s cool, but is it really working?

Do you want to know how to grow your business? Here’s a freebie for you. These are the fundamentals:

• Diligence
• Call Quality
• Creativity
• Differentiation
• Luck

Improve the quality of your calls. Make them relevant to the customer. Increase the quantity of calls and be pleasantly persistent. There you go. In four sentences, I just gave you a world of wisdom. Want more? Take the Sales Challenge. I start a new one every month (HEY! There’s another sign up coming in now!). I’d be happy to help you!

Bill Farquharson has a long history of driving sales momentum through his various training programs and initiatives. Every Monday, over 4,000 people from all over the world listen to Bill’s free audio—and now video!—sales tip, which ranges in subjects such as time management to overcoming objections to beating voice mail. Bill is unapologetically Old School in his thinking and coaching, but New Age in his approach and communication style. As a columnist and Blogger for Graphic Arts Monthly, Bill shares wit and wisdom from the experienced mind of a 27 year print sales veteran. Bill can be reached at bill@aspirefor.com or by calling 781-934-7036.

The Webinar will discuss PagePath’s Solutions for:

• Web2Print
• Auto PDF Creation
• Inventory Management
• eCatalog Systems
• Online Pricing
• Shopping Cart Check Out
• Much More

Register for a session now by clicking a date below:
Wed, Jan 13, 2010 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM CST
Wed, Jan 27, 2010 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM CST

Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration
with information you need to join the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

Today’s post is a guest post by Margie Dana. Margie is well known throughout the printing and buying community as an independent marketing specialist who focuses on improving the printer-buyer relationship. She was a corporate print buyer for 15 years. In 1997, Margie founded her first business (www.printconsulting.com) to shine a light on the printing industry. She’s an accomplished copywriter, marketing specialist, and popular public speaker. You can reach Margie at (617) 730-5951 or send an email to mdana@BostonPrintBuyers.com.

1. You’re in the Communications Business.

Whether or not Twitter is a flash in the pan or here for the long haul, it’s currently gaining popularity among adults. (According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 1 in 5 Americans use Twitter or another social service.) It’s a very popular way to communicate digitally. Try it if only to know what it’s like. Take part in the digital dialogue or risk being left behind.

2. You Can Build Relationships for Business.

Find & follow other print buyers as well as designers, paper pros, printers, mail specialists, direct marketers, and on and on. These relationships can and do yield value. You’ll get questions answered, discover new resources, and learn about events, books, articles, and news items that are meaningful to you.

3. You Can Keep Up with Industry Changes.

Breaking news in and around print and the graphic arts, as well as the ‘bigger picture’ of Media, is reported on Twitter. If you follow the right people as well as the right media outlets, you will regularly be in the know.

4. You Can Add Value for Your Employer.

The role of the professional print buyer is changing radically. Now is the time to actively add value as you evolve to reflect current business trends. Being on Twitter will open your eyes to new ways of doing business, new ideas to bring to your firm. If you’ve chosen your followers wisely, they will all have something to offer you. And if you’re looking for employment, you might get some solid leads. If nothing else, people in the field will get to know you.

5. It’s Free, and It’s Easy.

There’s really no excuse for you not to give Twitter a shot. Participate as much or as little as you want. I visit it a few times each day to see if there’s news or posts or events or fresh ideas that intrigue me.

I find that being on Twitter gets me outside of my own head. Tweets by folks I follow expand my world cumulatively – 140 characters at a time. I learn about all kinds of creative ways to be a professional communicator as well as a professional in communications. If this old dog keeps learning new tricks, you can, too.

I have been working in the printing industry for over 24 years, and during my time as a General Manager and Estimator I have looked at many paper swatchbooks. Thumbing through cabinets, drawers and countless shaped books has consumed a large portion of my life. Which paper would work best for this? I can’t seem to find the right color. Who the heck misplaced the Strathmore book?

Now, we view paper swatches online. How is that possible? Choosing a paper is not just a visual process, but a tactile experience as well. I was very skeptical of how this feature could be effective for selecting a paper color as well as a texture.

I have to admit though, Neenah did a great job with these Swatchbooks. I first looked at the Classic Linen book, since I wanted to “feel” the Linen paper online. I was impressed at the detail of the paper, and the ability to zoom in and see the actual paper online. I felt like I was actually looking at a book of Classic Linen Paper.

So my next thought was how could I use this if I where a print salesperson or if I was still in the day to day grind of a printing company. Thankfully Neenah has already answered that for me.

“A virtual swatchbook is a perfect example of how to best use technology to direct customers to the right paper color, surface and weight,” says Tom Wright, director of design for Neenah Paper. “Today, using web-based tools—like our Think Ink and eco calculator iPhone apps, BlackBerry downloads, and now the iPaper swatchbooks—is part of helping customers make the right paper selections, so when they print, they can do it well.”

To browse Neenah’s online library, visit http://www.neenahpaper.com/virtuallibrary, where electronic versions of some of Neenah’s promotional sales tools are also available.

How can you use this technology in your day to day workflow?

What other forms of online tools would you like to see or use?

Feel free to comment below.