News
Newsbrief
CFC Announces New President
CFC Print Solutions, formerly Continuous Forms and Checks, Peachtree City, Ga., has named Casey Campbell president.
Former president Bob Lenox has assumed the position of CEO, with Campbell taking over day-to-day operations and leadership as president.
Campbell, BFL&S' 1998 Gerald Bostwick Manufacturer of The Year Award winner, has more than 21 years' experience in the business documents industry. For the past 11 years, he has held the position of vice president of marketing at CFC.
Newsbrief
Vallis, Champion Merge
Vallis Form Service, Schiller Park, Ill., has merged with Champion Specialized Products, Glendale Heights, Ill.
The newly-formed companyVallis/Championwill be located in Glendale Heights, where personnel and equipment from the Schiller Park facility will relocate.
Vallis/Champion will have estimated annual sales of $26 million in traditional business forms, direct mail and value-added products. The Vallis Companies also have divisions in Baltimore and Cherryvale, Kan.
Newsbrief
Mail-Well Signs Deal
Mail-Well, Englewood, Colo., and Sprockets, Boston, have announced a multi-level strategic relationship which will allow Mail-Well to coordinate print projects, manage file deliveries, review and approve creative or change requests online and distribute final project files.
Sprockets features a Web-based collaboration platform which allows the user to create a secure project, invite in team members, share and send files, collaborate and create on-the-fly extranets that can distribute completed files to large, controlled lists of recipients.
Net News
NEQP Offers Label Web Site
Newburyport, Massachusetts-based Northeast Quality Printers is providing a comprehensive Web site for custom labels.
The company, which specializes in four-color process labels, laser labels, hot stamping, embossing and bar codes, prints and converts a selection of polyester, vinyl and label materials with a wide range of adhesives. The company also manufactures a variety of static cling labels.
The Web site is at www.neqp.com.
Marketing & Sales
Think About Sales
Use the Internet and automation as sales tools
Will the Internet cause the death of the outside sales force?
It is certainly possible that some aspects of today's outside sales jobs will be replaced by point-and-click. But the answer to the big question remains unclear.
I am sure of one thing, however: the Internetand computers in generalcan be powerful tools in the hands of a capable salesperson. The wisest course for the professional salesperson is to make computerization work for him or her.
Here are five ways that an outside salesperson can use technology to excel
1. Qualify new prospects. Let's say you've developed a list of 25 new prospects in your territory, one of which is XYZ Company. Look for XYZ Company through the search engines and see what develops.
You may discover a Web site with a wealth of information. It wouldn't be unusual to find out the names and titles of key people, key product lines, customers they serve, the company's mission statement and much more.
Every piece of information can be useful in determining whether or not to call on the company and how to approach them.
2. E-mail. By communicating via e-mail with your customers, you can transform dozens of hours each week currently spent in frustration into productive sales time.
It can also be a sales tool. Why not mass e-mail information about a new product overnight and then visit those who expressed interest in it? You could dramatically reduce the time it takes to turn that new product into sales dollars.
3. Contact management. Using a computer to assist in the organization and processing of information is no longer optional. If you're not using a laptop daily in this manner, shame on you.
4. Presentations. Using tools such as a laptop with presentation or video programs to present a new product or service means that you can prepare a colorful, animated, talking presentation and view it together with your customer.
Store your paper-based literature on the computer and print sell sheets as needed. Your company's marketing department can create the product presentations and make them available for salespeople via CD-ROMs, Web downloads or internal networks.
5. Become the customer's search engine. Time is the most precious commodity in the information age.
You can serve your customers by finding information on the Internet for them, becoming the trusted source of information. Learn to use the Internet to research product applications, competitive products, the competition, technical details, etc.
One way to prevent your customers from using the Internet to replace you is to preempt the process. Do this, and you'll become irreplaceable.
By Dave Kahle
Dave Kahle is a consultant who helps his clients increase sales and improve productivity. His new book, "The Six-Hat Salesperson," is available in bookstores or from The DaCo Corporation. For more information, contact DaCo at: 15 Ionia SW, Suite 220, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Phone (800) 331-1287; fax (616) 451-9412; e-mail Info@davekahle.com; or visit www.davekahle.com.