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An in-depth discussion of benefit options for sales reps. When BFL&S caught up with Chip Grayson, president of Systems Business Forms (SBF) in Savannah, Ga., he had just returned from 10 days at St. Simons Island off of Georgia's coast. "I'm as brown as a biscuit," said Grayson. "It feels good." However, Grayson isn't the type of leader who only looks out for himself. He understands that his sales team sometimes needs, well, a day at the beach. This is where SBF's flex-time benefit kicks in. "I am not the kind of guy who gets upset and yells or demands anything,"

How distributors are saving time, opening doors and sharpening their competitive edges. It's no longer a question of "if" distributors offer online capabilities, but since when, or how soon. Indeed, today's marketplace demands that distributors implement Web-based solutions. But for every action, there is a reaction, and transitioning from manual to automated workflow is going to have a major impact on daily operations and relationships. In addition, while e-commerce can be an effective time-saving tool that streamlines routine operations, some distributors are finding that there are limitations when it comes to serving more customized needs. BFL&S invited the following panel of distributors

Distributors contemplate the present and future state of the industry. Has this year's economy had an adverse affect on the forms business? And with endless possibilities for print popping up via ad-vanced online technology, do distributors stand a chance to stay in the forms business in the years to come? Whether or not the recent fiscal slump gives way to major changes within the in-dustry, or simply serves as an opportunity for industry professionals to refocus their efforts, remains to be seen. To gain better insight into the concerns distributors have been facing of late, how they are handling them and where they see

Intelligent databases provide more focus and desirable results Many distributors agree that direct mail is an ever-popular tool. Customers want to get their messages—whether through ads, surveys or benefit fulfillment pieces—into the hands of potential end-users, and mass-mailing directly to homes and businesses is an effective way to do so. But a mailer is only as effective, and as profitable, as the suitability of its recipients. In other words, significant profits can be lost on wasteful mailings. As a result, distributors are finding ways to better target their customers' markets with the help of new technology. "Anyone can take an item and