2010 February

V i s i t U s A t w w w . s A p A t o d A y . c o m

Southeastern Advertising Publishers Association (931) 490-0400 (931) 490-0488 fax 1

SAPATodayAdvancing the free paper industry by providing resources for success and venues for sharing ideas.

the monthly newsletter for the free pAper indUstry febrUAry 2010

Board of DirectorsThe leadership of SAPA is in good hands. The board of directors, director, and assistant are listed with contact information.Page 3

How To Mess Up A Perfectly Good Sales PresentationJohn Foust shows us the most common presenta-tion mistakes so we don’t make them ourselves.Page 3

Conference ScheduleJoin SAPA and IFPA in the Music City, Nashville, Tennessee on September 23 - 25, 2010. Plan now to attend this Megevent!Page 9

It’s You Versus the EconomyIn this article Joe gives us all some focus on how to overcome negativity regarding the economy.Page 5

How To Get Your Mailing Opened and ReadLandy Chase of Char-lotte, NC explains the best techniques for getting your mail pieces read.Page 7

SMC Annual Meeting & PredictionsDonna Hanberry with the Saturation Mailers Coalition reports on the annual meeting and makes predictions for 2010.Page 10

By Jenae Rubin

need A boost in yoUr sAles?

If you’d like to increase or turn around your sales, read on for the strategy that yields the biggest results.

Before I share it with you, think about this: How often do you make a sale on the first call? If you’re like most people reading this, the answer is “hardly ever.” Now, answer this ques-tion: How often do you make a pre-sentation and discuss price on the first call? Again, if you’re like most ad reps, the answer’s probably “al-

Change Your ApproachChange Your Results!

most always.” Finally, think about this: What’s the next logical step after discussing price? Making a sale. But if you just agreed that sales aren’t made on the first call, why go all the way to discuss price then?!!!!

I’ll tell you why! You’re so happy you finally got an appointment with the person you’re meeting with, you don’t want to miss an opportunity to tell them anything. After all, you reason, if I don’t tell them how fabulous my magazine/radio/newspaper is, how will they know to choose ME?

here’s whAt’s wrong with this philosophy...

1. It’s self-centered, not other-cen-tered. When your goal is to sell adver-tising instead of help your prospect, they can tell, and they try to get rid of you to protect themselves.

2. When you go to the end of the sales process at the beginning of the sale, your prospect thinks they don’t need to meet with you again (after all you told them everything they need to know already), and you bang your head against a wall trying to figure out how to get a second appointment with them.

whAt to do insteAd

Make your first call all about them. At this point in their lives, they don’t

Southeastern Advertising Publishers Association

continued on page 2



Change Your ApproachChange Your Results!care about you (who you are or what you’re selling). They only reason they agreed to meet with you is the remote hope you will help them increase their business.

So show them you can help them by focusing your first call on them. Ask a ton of questions. And I mean a ton. YES! They REALLY will answer a ton of questions AND be happy to meet

with you again.

Recently I was coaching a client who philosophically believed me but didn’t actually, so he asked me to call his most difficult prospects. We recorded the calls (www.RecordMyCall.com) so he could hear what happened. The result? He changed his approach af-ter seeing how truly easy it is – how much more willing prospects are to

speak with and engage with you.

You can do the same.

If you change just one thing in your sales, do this to make the biggest im-pact.continued from page 1

Happiness comes when you believe in what you are doing, know what you are doing, and love what you are doing.

Brian TracyWhen management and labor (employer and employee) both understand they are on the same side, then each will prosper more.

Zig Ziglar

p d

c

PALIGODATACONSULTING

Ryan PaligoPresident

200 Kimberly DriveColumbia, TN 38401

931.334.1757

[email protected]

Tight Economy? Revenue Down?What's a newspaper to do?

New revenue sources, solutions & opportunities

Newspapers • Reading • Education Kidsville News! • Internet • Truman, the dragon

tiesppGROW WITH US!

Find out why the Kidsville News! educationalresource and children's newspaper is the fastest

growing publication in NC and the nation.*

Call today: Bill Bowman, [email protected] or 910.391.3859

www.KidsvilleNews.comKidsville News! is not a franchise,

insert or special section.

2005 Kidsville News! CirculationNational: 80,000

2007 Kidsville News! CirculationNational: 806,125

2008 Kidsville News! CirculationNational: 1,282,118

Supported by the

Foundation



Past PresidentMike WoodardTuscaloosa Sun &

ReporterNorthport, AL205-333-7525

PresidentRussell

QuattlebaumSoutheast SunEnterprise, AL 334-393-2969

Vice PresidentTony OnellionBargains PlusSlidell, LA

985-649-9515

Past PresidentGreg Ledford

Shelby Shopper & Info

Shelby, NC 704-484-1047

TreasurerAlan Lingerfelt

The Piedmont Shopper

Danville, VA434-822-1800

Board MemberWill ThomasExchange, Inc.

Fayetteville, TN 931-433-9737

SecretaryCaroline

QuattlebaumSoutheast Sun

Enterprise, AL 334-393-2969

Executive Director

Douglas FrySAPA Headquarters

Columbia, TN931-490-0400

Board MemberJW Owens

SGS Publications, Inc.Keystone Hghts,

FL 863-634-8499

Past PresidentGary Benton

Peddler ADvantageParis, TN

731-644-9595

Administrative Assistant

Vickie BeldenSAPA Headquarters

Columbia, TN931-490-0400sA

pA

lead

ersh

ip

By John Foust, Raleigh, NC

Are you making too many sales these days? Is business too good? If you’d like to cut back on those annoying new customers, try a couple of these field-tested, sales-reducing techniques:

1. Don’t do advance research. It takes valuable time to learn about your prospect’s business, potential challenges, and competition. Why should

you conduct an analysis of their past advertising expenditures? The only thing that matters is what you tell them today.

2. Don’t ask questions. And don’t make any effort to gain information during the appointment. Instead, do all of the talking. After all, you are an advertising expert. They are the ones who should be listening to you.

3. Give the same presentation to every prospect. In addition to cutting your preparation time, this will allow you to create a comfort zone for yourself. Why customize

10 Ways to Mess up A Perfectly Good Sales Presentation

continued on page 4



presentations to fit the individual needs of each prospect, when you can develop a one-size-fits-all approach?

4. Don’t bother to get to know the gatekeeper. That’s not the person you’re there to see. And even though the gatekeeper could be a good source of information, he or she is probably too busy to talk to you. If you have to sit in the waiting room, that’s a perfect time to read the magazines on their coffee table, or make a few phone calls.

5. Rely strictly on numbers. When you talk about the specifics of readership, don’t think of real life examples or other ways to make the numbers come to life. Statistics are important and should always stand on their own – with no explanation.

6. Criticize your competitors. Your prospect needs to know how bad they really are. If you know some juicy gossip about other papers or media outlets in your market, be sure to work that into the conversation. Your prospect will appreciate the information, and would never suspect that you will talk about them behind their back.

7. Don’t turn off your cell phone. You wouldn’t want to miss a call from a more important client or a friend. And be sure to check your e-mail a couple of times during the appointment. That’s a good way to show your prospect that you are so heavily scheduled that they should feel fortunate you are taking time to meet with them.

8. Don’t talk about benefits. Focus your attention exclusively on the features of your advertising product, without connecting those dry, inanimate facts to potential benefits. Resist the temptation to mention any marketing problems which could be solved by advertising in your paper.

9. Don’t use exhibits. Your prospect should already be familiar with your paper. So there’s no need to weigh down your briefcase with the latest issue of your paper, an up-to-date copy of your media kit, or samples of the ads your creative department has produced.

10. Don’t follow up. You’re far too busy to send a handwritten note or an e-mail to thank your prospect for meeting with you. You can always write later – if you have time.

(c) Copyright 2009 by John Foust. All rights reserved. E-mail John Foust for information about his training videos for ad departments: [email protected]

STREAMING VIDEOS

AdMall® Training2010 FREE LIVE WEBINARS

PRIVATE WEBINARS*

ALWAYS AVAILABLE

For complete course descriptions and registration, visit AdMall’s Information Desk. * To schedule a Private Webinar, contact Dave Blakeslee ([email protected]). Cost per Private session is $295.

Copyright © 2010 Sales Development Services. All Rights Reserved. AMT010610

SIGN-UP IN ADVANCE BY APPOINTMENT

AdMall 100: Getting Started with My AdMall

PREREQUISITE COURSE - 15 minutes

AdMall 101: Prospecting for Local-Direct Accounts

45 minutes

AdMall 102: Prospecting for Major/Key Accounts

45 minutes

AdMall 103: Prospecting for Online Accounts

45 minutes

AdMall 201: Diagnosing Advertiser Needs

45 minutes

AdMall 202: Targeting Audience with Marketing Research

45 minutes

AdMall 203: Financing New Advertising with Co-op

60 minutes

AdMall 301: Managing Sales Development Performance with AdMall

45 minutes

AdMall PRO 400: Deploying AdMall PRO

60 minutes

AdMall PRO 401: Creating Personalized Presentations with AdMall PRO

45 minutes

AdMall PRO 402: Creating Winning Proposals with AdMall PRO

45 minutes

AdMall PRO 403: Creating Charts, Graphs and Maps with AdMall PRO

45 minutes

NEW!

NEW!

NEW!

NEW!

NEW!

Set peace of mind as your highest goal and organize your entire life around it.

brian tracy



It’s You VersusThe Economyby Joe Bonura

rocky, rocky, rockyDoes the present state of the economy have you feeling like Rocky Balboa after his first match with Apollo Creed? Do you get an empty feeling in your stomach every time you fill up your car’s gas tank? Do you wish that you could close your eyes and wake up when it’s all over?

don’t Join the clUbMany sales people feel that way in these turbulent times. The question is, “What are you going to do about it?” Wring-ing your hands and mumbling to your-self will not change anything. The gov-ernment will not change anything. The economy will not change anything. There is a sales group out there who belong to the “Chicken Little Club.” Don’t join the club. (Click or copy and paste this link to see my article on Chicken Little: http://www.bonura.com/articles.html)

yoU, yoU, yoUThe only thing that can change anything is you. That’s right, YOU! When times are bad, it is time for YOU to be, not just good, but great. Are you stuck on ready, set? In a race, the starter says, ready, set, go. Most people get stuck on ready, set. They don’t GO.

JUst do itNike had an answer for all of those stuck on ready, set. In my opinion, it was their best commercial ever: “Just Do It!” Stop sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, and stop waiting for someone else to get

the ball rolling. Rock and Roll your own ball. Just keep in mind that when times are tough, the tough get going, and the competition falls by the wayside, losing to those who are out there making things happen.

pick it UpTake a look at your client list today, and pick up the phone and start calling. Use the “magic pointer” system: Put your fin-ger on the page and pick a number, any number. Give them a call. When you hang up the phone, pick it up again and dial again, and again, and again. Before you know it, you will be in the calling mode, instead of the crying mode. Leave the tears to the competition.

yoUr worst enemyThe only thing that hinders your success is You. Step aside and move yourself to the next level. The cartoon character Pogo said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” You can change your results by chang-ing your actions. Actions do speak louder than words. Stop feeding yourself nega-tive thoughts, and you will open the door to success, in spite of a poor economy.

fill it UpRather than concern yourself with the cost of gasoline, simply earn more mon-ey so that you can afford the gas, and not worry about the cost. The key to making more money is making more sales calls. I have experienced many so-called slow

periods, and at the same time, I have had some of my best years in those economi-cally poor years. Why, do you suppose? Because the playing field is narrowed, and there are fewer proactive sales people in the competition.

reAdy or notAre you ready, or not? It is up to You. There is only one vital alternative, and that is to take action. I can still see Rocky, af-ter his tenth knock-down, taunting Apollo to continue fighting. Get off the mat now. Pick up the phone now. Make some sales calls now! What are you waiting for? Take the fight to the economy; don’t let the economy take the fight to you

get Up or get oUtNow is the time to either get up or get out. Although the economy is not great, it will give you the opportunity to really practice your selling skills. When times are good, as they have been, we forget how to hunt.look shArp - be shArp - stAy

shArpUse the adversity of the times to sharpen your skills and become the best that you can be. It is time to exercise your great-est power: the power to choose. You can choose to win, or you can choose to lose.

focUs on sUccessFocus your efforts on making calls, and do not allow negative talk, headlines, or news stories to distract you from your task. Make your own economy, and stop concerning yourself with what everyone else is doing.

stop worrying And stArt doing

Worrying about the economy will not change a thing, but taking action will change everything. You may surely have

continued on page 6

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



to increase your efforts by at least ten per-cent in order to get the same results that you achieved last year.

they need yoUIf you have a superior product, the odds are that your customers need you. Assure them that you are there to help them with their problems.do not let the heAdlights

blind yoUDo not stand there like a deer in the head-lights, frozen in place and paralyzed by fear. Recently, the manager of a huge me-dia organization confided in me that his sales people stopped calling on realtors and auto dealers because they were not investing money in advertising.

the whole trUth

Maybe they are not investing because no one is asking them to invest. Truthfully, auto dealers and realtors, now more than ever, really need the media representa-tives to call on them. Since they will al-ways have inventory and overhead, they must be in the selling mode, and that is also true for all businesses.

bring them solUtionsWe are all looking for solutions to the economic downturn that everyone is ex-periencing. Not selling or calling on pros-pects becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Customers will not invest in your product if you do not approach them for the sale.

the thirty-dAy tUrn-AroUnd

Make a commitment for the next thirty

days that you will increase your efforts by 10%. That means, if you make five calls a day, now make six. Six calls a day, instead of five, will result in one whole extra day of calls for the week.

help them growLook at your prospects and consider how you or your product or service can help them grow their businesses or help save them money. Go to them with fresh, hard-hitting ideas that will impact their businesses in a positive way.

whAt is the AlternAtiVe?Your product or service may be just what they need to succeed. Do it for thirty days, without fail, and if it does not work, you can take another path, or you can do it for another thirty days. It sure does beat the alternative.© 2009 Joe Bonura & Associates, Inc.Joe Bonura & Associates, Inc. Website: www.bonura.com, 407 Landis Lakes Court, Louisville, KY 40245, (800) 444-3340 toll free. E-mail: [email protected]

It’s You VersusThe Economy continued from page 5

1 800 354 0235 | www.waltonpress.com

partnership

Exceeding Expectations working with you every step of the way

We truly believe in a partnership and this begins before

your job ever enters our plant. We offer consultation on

file preparation and design needs such as color balance,

photo retouching, etc.

This service is free of charge and offered at any time.

• Coldset Web Printing

• Electronic Prepress

• Expert Consulting

• In-house Finishing

Exceeding Expectations working with you every step of the way

We truly believe in a partnership and this begins before

your job ever enters our plant. We offer consultation on

file preparation and design needs such as color balance,

photo retouching, etc.

This service is free of charge and offered at any time.

• Coldset Web Printing

• Electronic Prepress

• Expert Consulting

• In-house Finishing



how to get your mailingsopened and readby Landy Chase

It’s a ritual that gets repeated in decision-makers offices everywhere, every day: the fish-or- cut-bait process of sorting the mail.

For most decision-makers, this task is performed by an administrative assistant; others prefer to do it themselves. In either case, the procedure is almost always the same: a brief walk to the wastebasket. A moment suspended it time, during which each piece of mail is held precariously over the “circular file.” A question is pon-dered: Can I throw this away without opening it? A decision is made. The letter is either jettisoned or retained.

I would gladly trade a winning lottery ticket, without hesitation, for the money that is wasted in this country on just one day’s worth of unopened mail. Is your business one of those whose mailings gets thrown directly into the wastebasket?

When it comes to direct-mail market-

ing, getting your envelope opened is everything. Fail in this first step, and ev-erything else associated with your mar-keting effort is a complete waste of time. That said, it astounds me how many thou-sands of marketing people in this country just don’t seem to understand the impor-tance of the envelope. They continue to blindly duplicate the same look to their direct-mail materials - a look that might as well have the word “JUNK” stamped across every piece in bright neon lights. The dynamic that makes your envelope so important today is that nobody of any importance has the time anymore to read junk-mail. Period. In between regular mail, priority mail, interoffice mail, email and voice mail, your buyers are totally overwhelmed. They don’t have time any-more to leisurely open and look over your solicitation materials. Their first objec-tive with your letter is to find a reason to throw it away.

How do you avoid having your mail thrown away without ever being opened? By using your brain, or more specifically, that part of your brain that controls cre-ativity. By looking at the mail from your recipient’s perspective. By asking your-self, what would a piece of mail need to look like in order for me to be compelled to open it? By pondering, what can I do to make my mail stand out from the crowd?

Below are some suggestions that will go a long way towards ensuring that your un-opened marketing materials don’t end up in the trash:

(1) Validate the quality of your database. Sure, it takes time, but what’s the point of sending information out to people that no longer exist on the other end? Some-one needs to do the tedious task of calling and updating your database information at least once every six months. Don’t have the staff or money to do it? Neither does anyone else! Here’s what a creative mar-keter might do: Go to the local college and offer a sales-and- marketing intern-ship to a rising senior who is marketing major. Talk about win-win: For paying the

Partners in Printing Since 1900

David C. ZehPrint Sales Consultant

mobile: 770.722.0076 email: [email protected]

www.waltonpress.com

402 Mayfield Drive • P.O. Box 966Monroe, GA 30655

toll free: 800.354.0235 local: 770.267.2596 fax: 770.267.9463

continued on page 8



kid beer and pizza money, you get a per-son who actually - yes, it’s really true - is enthusiastic and motivated by this initial foray into the exciting world of sales and marketing - i.e. making outbound calls to update your database. Sure, this go-getter attitude wears off after a few weeks, but why not make hay while the sun shines? Besides, do you know how hard it is for a college graduate with no sales experi-ence to get a job in sales? Regardless of whether you hire them after graduation, the work experience they gained from you will open many doors.

(2) Use blank envelopes (no return ad-dress). This is a no-brainer. If your recipi-ent doesn’t know who your letter is from, they cannot afford to not open it. The mystery of the unknown is the power. It gets the envelope opened al-most every time.

(3) The Crackerjack Theorem. You can guess where this idea got its start - another example of a unique, creative marketing idea that worked wonders for the sale of the product. If you include a “prize” in your en-velope, most people will open the envelope to get the freebie - and, while they are at it, they’ll take a look at your informa-tion as well. Get in touch with a top-tier sales professional in the promotional products in-dustry, and ask them to recom-mend a useful item that is light (for postage), easy to fit in a standard envelope, and is large enough to have your company logo, phone number, and email (at a minimum) stamped on each item. Don’t you dare try

to “haggle” with the sales person over the price of the items they recommend - they deserve every penny, and then some, for their expertise in this area. If you want a lower price, buy in quantity.

(4) Hand-write the name and address of the recipient. Yes, this is time-consuming and is impractical if you are mailing in large quantities. It is ideal, however, for a direct-mail campaign that targets a small, highly niched prospect base at the rate of less than 100 pieces per mailing. The pay-off? If you combine this tactic with the no-return-address envelope, you will get - guaranteed - 100% of your mail opened and read. I refer back to my earlier point about looking at your mail piece from the perspective of your recipient. What would you do with a letter that had your

how to get your mailingsopened and read

continued from page 7

name and address hand-written on it, with no return address? I rest my case.

I’ve heard all the statistics about an “ac-ceptable” return on direct-mail of 2 or 3%, and I don’t buy a word of it. Those statistics are for losers. They are nothing but numbers benchmarking the historical performance of unimaginative marketers whose approach, and materials, look lock, stock, and barrel like everything that you see every day. So while you throw away their marketing literature, throw away their rule book as well. Do your own thing, and blaze your own trails.

In other words, create your own statistics.

Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Landy Chase, MBA, CSP is an expert who spe-cializes in speaking to corporations and as-sociations on advanced professional sales, marketing and sales management skills. For more information, visit his website at www.landychase.com or call (800)370-8026.

HILTON HOTEL, DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

RHYTHM IN THE MUSIC CITY

Sept. 23-25JOINT CONFERENCE

A FREE PAPER CONFERENCE

THAT WILL ROCK YOU!

WWW.SAPATODAY.COM FOR DETAILS.

SPEAKERS APPEARING:

KEVIN SLIMP STEVEN R. COVEY LANDY CHASE BRAD GITOMER

WEB GURUS SALES LEADERS EDITORIAL MAVENS DOUGLAS FRY

IFPA & SAPA



Super Conference Sept. 23-25, 2010: Plan now for a great conference in 2010. IFPA will join with SAPA in Nashville, Tennessee at the beautiful Hilton Downtown. We selected a hotel right in the heart of downtown, located next to the Country Music Hall of Fame. You will experience the energetic, unique nightlife as well as a trip to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel if you haven’t

Conference Schedulesbeen there before. You’ll sample some of the best the South has to offer as well as an educational, entertaining, and exciting schedule of events. Now, more than ever, you’ll benefit from attending this upcoming conference. Call Douglas Fry at 1-800-334-0649 for more info.

Publishers Summit February 27, 2010: IFPA and AFCP Publishers

will join at the memorable Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, FL. We will be discussing topics of importance to you chosen by you and your fellow publishers in a roundtable format. What a great opportunity to discuss matters of business opportunities or concerns with other like-minded publishers. This is the first AFCP and IFPA summit. You don’t want to miss this groundbreaking experience. For more information call Gary Rudy at 609-408-8000.

Visit recas.com/new to find out how easy it is to effectively boost your ad revenue with local ad dollars for these brands.

Announcing the all new Recas.com

Want to see these brands advertising in your paper?

800.348.6485, ext. 5324



by Donna Hanbery

On December 14, 2009, the annual meeting of the Saturation Mailers Coalition (SMC) took place. Several prominent people from the free paper industry were elected to serve as officers or Steering Committee members, including Harry Buckel, Co-Chair Pete Gorman, Steering Committee Member and Executive Committee, Chet Cleaver, Bill Cotter, Dean DeLuca, Stephen Carazo, Tim Rychel, Curt Harmon, Dick Mandt, Steve McKinnon, Scott Patterson, Carol Toomey, Steve Harrison and Shari Rapone. The leadership of the SMC is divided among members of the free paper industry and publishers and producers of shared mail packages and coupon envelop programs. Albert Braunfisch of MailSouth, Inc. was elected Co-Chair of SMC and Donna Hanbery as Secretary-Treasurer and Executive Director.

In her financial report, Hanbery said that in spite of funding cuts, SMC managed a break-even year. Thanks were given to Harte-Hanks Pennysaver USA, Valassis, Inc., Pennysaver Group Inc., Yorktown Pennysaver Corp., Mailbox Merchants, Inc., Target Marketing Maine, Inc. and Money Mailer for funding that helped SMC make it through the year.

The Steering Committee heard reports on studies being done of the Postal Service business model, including a report by the GAO. SMC and some members were interviewed by the GAO. Hanbery said she stressed that the Postal Service could retain and grow its business with our members if it adopted simplified as an addressing option for program mail and worked to give us lower rates in return for stable and predictable mail volumes. The GAO was also told of concern by our members that the Postal Service’s trend of reducing services, including the discussion of the elimination of Saturday delivery, would not help the Postal Service compete with other print media. With 2010 being an election year, it is not anticipated that major legislation will be passed to change the Postal Service business model or to eliminate Saturday delivery until after the November 2010 elections.

The Steering Committee heard a briefing by Washington counsel Tom McLaughlin and economic adviser Toni Crowder of Eagle Analytics. The group was advised that the Postal Service is analyzing the current rate design and structure for standard mail of a flat “piece” rate up to

3.3ounces and then a pound rate. The Postal Service and the Postal Regulatory Commission have made public statements that the Postal Service may want to consider a new, or separate, rate design for standard mail. The group was advised that the Postal Service was looking at a lot of different options and that the following things should be kept in mind:

The Postal Service is under tremendous financial pressure. SMC members cannot expect to see a decrease in absolute rates at any point in time. Anything the Postal Service does to the rate design will probably be revenue neutral. This means a lower rate in one area might extract a higher rate in another.

SMC members should assume that the Postal Service is going to try and get the same amount of postage out of all mailers. We need to think of ways the rate design or structure could be changed to help grow frequency or package weights.

We need to approach rate design with the idea that competitors of our products, like newspapers, will get something similar.

We need to realize that an increase in the break point is likely to result in something having to give with an increase in either the piece rate, the pound rate, or both.

If the Postal Service moves to decrease the break point or go to a strict stepped rate, it might be able to give a reduction in the piece and pound rate.

SMC Annual Meeting & 2010 Predictions

continued on page 10

Justin Gerena, President, Director of Salesp: 888.592.3212 x710e: [email protected]

JB Multimedia, Inc. P.O. Box 704 N. Bellmore, NY 11710 888.592.3212 phone/fax www.jbmultimedia.net

M a k i n g p u b l i c a t i o n s i n t e r a c t i v e.



There have been discussions of a stepped rate where you pay something extra with each additional piece or added rate at both the piece or the pound rate level.

The group was warned that the Postal Service might do something on its own that could result in an increase in rates in the 2-4 ounce range. This is where most package weights fall today. Is this the result of market conditions or a result of the rate structure? Changes in the rate design could result in lower prices for lighter weight pieces and perhaps a lower pound rate at the higher rates.

The group was cautioned that each mailer should examine its own business and the range of package weights and pieces in our members’ programs. Changes in rate design might present an opportunity to add additional packages or weight. It is possible that many of our members

might see their rates stay neutral for their business as it exists today but opportunities for cost savings if programs can be expanded or grown.

The challenge for SMC is to have our members examine the range of our various mail programs and needs. It may be that we want to advocate for two separate rate structures or designs for program mailers. This might be like phone companies offering different plans or options. To help SMC plan and advise our members, every member is urged to examine its current mail profile, business opportunities, and how growth in geography, frequency, or package size might be impacted if there was a different rate design and structure.

There was also discussion of increased activity in the states of California and Washington to consider do-not-mail resolutions at a city level. Thanks to the action of SMC members and Mail

Moves America, a proposal in the City of Seattle to adopt a do-not-mail resolution was postponed. SMC voted to continue its funding of the work of Mail Moves America for 2010. SMC voted to fund continued participation in the USPS Mailers Technical Advisory Committee and elected Mark Patterson of MailSouth, Inc. and Paul Giampolo of Valassis, Inc. to represent SMC at the MTAC meetings.

Hanbery thanked the Steering Committee members for their service and those companies that were able to step up to help and fund and continue her work with SMC. She stated she would attend the annual AFCP Conference in April to host a mailers’ break-out session with the latest news on postal and Washington happenings and looked forward to an opportunity to see and thank individual publishers and the state, regional and national associations for their continued participation and support.

8 8 8 - N o w a t a 1www.NowataPrinting.comH a r r i s o n , A R | N o w a t a , O K | S p r i n g f i e l d , M O

0

20

40

60

80

100

Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied

2009

2008

2007

What is your overall satisfaction with Nowata Printing Company?

We’ve been asking our customers the same question—and we’re real happy with the feedback. It’s loyalty like this that is helping us become the most complete resource for shoppers, newspapers, inserts, flyers, and catalogs, in the midwest. Give us a call to see how our numbers can help improve yours.

8 8 8 - N o w a t a 1www.NowataPrinting .com

Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied

100

80

60

40

20

0

2009

2008

2007

** Source: 2009 Customer Satisfaction Survey



IFPA & SAPARhythm In the musIc cIty

JoInt confeRence

A fRee PAPeR confeRence thAt WIll Rock you!

WWW.sAPAtodAy.com foR detAIls.

hIlton hotel, doWntoWn nAshvIlle, tennessee

sept. 23-25

2010

Documents

2010 February