Candidate will be responsible for sales recruitment, as well as mentoring and management leadership to a group of 10 plus salespeople. The candidate will recruit both experienced reps and new reps and develop both to sell into the strengths of our company. The candidate will provide consistent feedback – positive and negative – to all salespeople. The candidate will also lead the marketing efforts of the company to ensure the sales team has the proper materials to support their efforts and our company is present at industry events which relate to the markets we sell into.

We have long been respected as a premier data-driven print solution provider in the mid-Atlantic region with a business model that is evolving to embrace the latest cutting edge technology to support high-volume variable data printing. With this breadth of service and strong financial backing we are well positioned to capitalize on the new opportunities technology continues to provide as our industry transforms.

JOB DESCRIPTION – DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Successfully manage the sales operation by working with sales people, customer service, strategic services, estimating and operations as the primary point of contact for executive-level decisions.
2. Coach and mentor a senior sales team to develop strategic solution selling skills while supporting existing legacy business.
3. Recruit a mix of proven salespeople with emerging sales professionals and support their development into contributing members of our sales team.
4. Spend at least 25% of his/her time attending meetings and sales calls with all sales reps working to develop business. Specific focus on coaching sales reps on areas for improvement.
5. Lead our marketing efforts to ensure that our marketing messaging is aligned with our selling strategy. Provide input to the President and operations managers where our internal operations need development to support our selling opportunities.
6. Participate in the development and implementation of company strategic initiatives.
7. Stay abreast of technology to evaluate opportunities to improve service offerings to make our company more competitive in the marketplace.
8. Work with the President to develop and implement goals for each salesperson on an annual basis and more frequently as needed.

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS:
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:
A bachelor’s degree is desired. Proven track record of success in printing sales.

• Excellent ability to interact with people at all levels throughout the organization and outside including production employees and customers.
• Excellent problem-solving ability and ability to prioritize work functions for yourself and others.
• Independent thinker and self-starter.
• Ability to supervise and mentor employees; including strategizing account development.
• Success in selling data driven programs is a plus.
• Experience/knowledge in profit and loss management.

The professional sought must be current with today’s technologies. Should be comfortable with
both agency and client direct work. $100,000 to $125,000 pending experience.

Please submit resume to info@thecanvasmag.com.

Please contact info@thecanvasmag.com for more information.

Please contact info@thecanvasmag.com for more information.

Linda Bishop, President at Thought Transformation

Do you want to sell more? Stop spending time trying to get water out of wells that have run dry. By that, I mean stop spending time on customers who have communicated one of these common messages repeatedly.

1. We no longer buy what you sell. The customer stopped spending money on printing one or two years ago. So far, they’ve seen no compelling reason to start investing in these marketing materials again—or they are still suffering from the effects of a tough economy and they have no money to spend on these products.

2. We found a cheaper source and we’re perfectly happy with them. When people are happy with their current situation, they’re hard to sell. Move on! There are plenty of dissatisfied buyers in the market place.

3. We found a cheaper source. Their quality/service is not as good as yours, but we don’t care. Your competitor is good enough. This may be an opportunity—if you can find an new angle to approach the customer. If the new angle isn’t obvious right now, look elsewhere but stay in touch.

Spend your time wisely. Remember, time is money. Stop visiting customers where sales have dried up hoping for something to miraculously change. Figure out a way to make change happen or look for new wells.

Check out Linda’s blog at www.salesisnotforsissies.com. ]]> http://thecanvasmag.com/wp/2011/04/15/the-well-is-dry/feed/ 0 http://thecanvasmag.com/wp/2011/04/12/my-man-phil/ http://thecanvasmag.com/wp/2011/04/12/my-man-phil/#comments Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:14:28 +0000 markpotter http://thecanvasmag.com/wp/?p=849 People close to me know that I have a few strategic idols. People like John Wooden, Walt Disney, and Michael Porter quickly come to mind. I have written about each of them or their concepts over the past few years. Another gentleman who has shaped my strong opinions on business strategy is the renowned professor from The Kellogg School of Business, Philip Kotler.

I recently was rereading some of Kotler’s stuff and thought I would pull some of his best quotes and let you know how applicable they are to our industry and our individual businesses.

“It is more important to do what is strategically right than what is immediately profitable.”

This is exactly what we have been preaching over the last few years. Make the investment in your brand and your market. It will not pay off immediately, but if you are market based, you will create long term sustainable advantage.

“The most important thing is to forecast where customers are moving, and be in front of them.”

Reread above! Do you define yourself as market based or product based? If you are selling a product or service, then you are in danger of being commoditized and marginalized. If you stand for a group of people you can succinctly define, you will find great prosperity.

“Poor firms ignore their competitors; average firms copy their competitors; winning firms lead their competitors.”

Remember the story of my son skating around the cones? When he turned his head to watch another kid, he fell. Focus more on your constituents and less on your competitors. When you do, you take the lead and your competitors won’t be able to take their eyes off your backside!

“Don’t buy market share. Figure out how to earn it.”

Duh! I mean do I even have to put this in there? We are not about price. Regardless of the economy, our industry must be focused on creating significant value for the people we stand for. Price is simply unsustainable.

“Watch the product life cycle; but more important, watch the market life cycle.”

Love this one. Anyone who knows me knows that I grew up with a poster of the life cycle on my wall rather than Michael Jordan. Actually, that is a lie, but it might as well be true. If you are not looking at your market from the perspective of the life cycle, you are behind the curve. If you don’t have an explicit market defined that you serve, you are nowhere near the curve!

“Integrated marketing communications is a way of looking at the whole marketing process from the view point of the customer.”

Double duh! This is what we, as an industry, have been building towards. Printing is already closely connected to marketing. Offering an integrated program to people who trust us is a natural. Don’t worry about the products. Just connect with the clients and let them help you define the scope of what you offer.

“The successful salesperson cares first for the customer, second for the products.”

Triple Dog Duh! It may sound remarkably simple, but it is extraordinarily difficult to weave this concept into the fabric of who you are. We all need to make some dough and truly focusing on customers is often times relegated to a secondary priority to selling products and services right now. The greatest salespeople have great empathy and an inherent trait that allows them to leave their wallet in the car and focus on what clients truly need.

I believe that wisdom is not contained in individuals. Phil Kotler cannot be brilliant unless he shares his ideas with others and they start to spread. The same can go for us. By sharing our opinions, ideas, and concepts, they start to take life and true wisdom starts to emerge.

Warmest Regards,

Mark Potter-Publisher

VP, Winters Group & Associates

Ask a group of business executives how they define marketing, and you get a wide array of answers. Ask them about successful outcomes of marketing and you get even less positive feedback. Marketing today is widely miss understood. And, as we continue the drive toward making marketing more accountable and scientific, it is important to look at what has changed and what remains the same. While marketers enjoy new media and technology enabled tools, the fundamental marketing model itself has not changed. People and businesses still want useful products and services and relevant and entertaining messages.

Marketing is still about identifying needs so that people line up to buy. The change is in how consumers learn about products and services and receive the messages. We are entering a post-mass media marketing world.

Consumers have always wanted to avoid poor or overpriced products and intrusive messages, but now they are empowered to act on those feelings in unprecedented ways. These consumer-empowering technologies promise to eliminate the concept of ‘mass markets’ once and for all.

Marketers are also finding that reaching the younger consumer segment offers new challenges because they don’t easily relate to marketing. They have few favorite brands, very little brand loyalty; they fast forward through television advertising, and they view most commercial messages with cynicism, something to be avoided Reaching and influencing this wired generation with advertising messages over the course of their consumer lifetimes will be more than a challenge, it may be impossible. Forrester reports that more than half of young consumers rely on their friends and families for purchase advice, and 65% tell others about products they like.

From a marketing perspective, what’s the benefit of having 20,000 followers on Facebook, if you can’t identify and segment your audience into prospects, influencers, and casual observers. If can define them, do you have the means to communicate with them when and how they want to be reached? I think we stop modeling the financial impact of advertising, and start measuring the brand equity impact of marketing activities.

With discussions on the horizon about “do not follow” legislation (next phase of “do not call’), we need to begin to plan for marketing that reaches our audience, that invites them to want to communicate and learn more.

What remains the same now and forever – nothing can replace face-to-face selling.

For more information on The Winters Group & Associates, please visit http://wintersmg.com/. ]]> http://thecanvasmag.com/wp/2011/04/08/facebook-and-marketing-%e2%80%93-change-is-in-the-wind/feed/ 0 http://thecanvasmag.com/wp/2011/04/06/compound-interest/ http://thecanvasmag.com/wp/2011/04/06/compound-interest/#comments Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:42:04 +0000 markpotter http://thecanvasmag.com/wp/?p=837 Risk is a funny thing. Some risks are a “winner take all” kind of gig. You plop down your chips, play the hand you were dealt and either win or lose. Many times, risks that have immediate payoffs can create some serious long term pain. You may go for the quick buck by trying your luck, but when no real skill or training is needed then you are just banking on chance. This is akin to sitting around waiting for the phone to ring for that next sale.

Investing is not the same as taking a chance. You take your hard earned money, invest it in some type of security and wait for the interest to compound into some sort of nest egg. There are trained experts in investing and most of us either rely on these people or take the time to educate ourselves about the possible investments. In turn, we know that the payoff will not occur tomorrow or the next day. We are investing to build up long term equity.

How is it that we will invest our money for the long haul, but we don’t always invest our time and energy into building personal equity? Not investing in our own personal growth and learning is the same as betting our paychecks on a hand of blackjack. It is a short term play and most likely will not pay over the long term.

Look, when we invest in new ideas and let go of tradition, it may feel like risk. However, there is no risk when you invest in yourself. You are building an asset that can pay dividends for a long time. It may be easy to focus on what you know how to do, but when you start to make deposits in new ideas, you are creating a portfolio to be proud of.

Deposits over time compound and build value. Are you making deposits in your business every day? Are you investing in your personal growth by challenging traditional assumptions, sharpening your sales skills, and investigating new concepts? And, are you investing in your relationships with your clients and your organizations?

The fact is that without making deposits, there can be no long term success. Often, we will save a dollar for a rainy day by depositing a little extra in the bank. The same can be said for your profession. A little investment today can pay off tomorrow.

Warmest Regards,

Mark Potter