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Solutions February 2006
Mailbag
Editor’s
note: The following letter
was in response to the question,
“If you enable customers
to use the internet to customize
and order printed products, what
advantages or challenges have
you experienced? If you don’t
offer web-to-print, what are your
perceptions of the technology?”
Look for extensive coverage of
web-to-print and web portals in
our March 2005 issue.
Online
Applications Are Beneficial to
End Users
Webb/Mason’s
entire print management system,
Enterprise Print Management (EPM)
Online, is on the internet. EPM
Online enables our clients to
significantly reduce expenditures
and turnaround time for all printed
materials, while improving operational
efficiency. It brings everything–from
creation, inventory management
and distribution to cost analysis–direct
to a client’s computer.
Most
companies purchase their printing,
stationery, marketing collateral,
forms and other printed materials
from a finite group of print manufacturers.
EPM Online allows corporations
to look beyond each job’s
specifications and focus on enterprise-wide
savings. This system also gives
a company access to its complete
online library of communication
materials, including business
cards, direct mail, sales promotions,
advertisements, brochures and
annual reports. The system gives
the client complete brand consistency
and control, even with multiple
offices and multiple buyers.
By
enabling customers to use the
internet to customize and consolidate
their printing needs and orders,
Webb/Mason’s clients have
received positive, measurable
results. For example, Webb/Mason
was able to streamline XM Satellite
Radio’s supply-chain process,
and print and deliver marketing
materials in less than 24 hours
to multiple locations. This is
only one of many examples of how
the web-to-print process benefits
our clients, which in turn benefits
Webb/Mason.
Doug
Traxler
Executive
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Webb/Mason
Baltimore,
Md.
Editor’s
note: The following letter
is part of a discussion that took
place on DMIA’s members-only
broadcast email system about keeping
in touch with the office while
on the road.
Staying
in Touch With Your Office
If
you were away from your office
for 10 days, how would you keep
in touch? We may not like it,
but staying in touch is what we
must do to compete in today’s
business world. There is simply
no excuse today for not being
reachable–unless you don’t
want to be. Here are some suggestions:
1)
Cell phones. These are wonderful
little gadgets. Make yours a BlackBerry
7100 series which are smaller
than the original. You can get
all your emails on them as well.
2)
Call forwarding. When I am away
from my office, I put my phone
on “forward” to my
cell. It takes less than 30 seconds.
I never miss a call.
3)
Computer access to your own desktop.
I use “GoToMyPC” (www.go
tomypc.com). You can access your
own desktop from anywhere in the
world where there is an available
internet connection. This is the
most incredible tool I have added
to my quiver in 2005. You do not
need a separate computer at your
house (any one will do) or take
one (for example, a laptop) with
you when you travel. Most hotels
have a business center from which
you can access the internet for
free if you are a guest. GoToMyPC.com
offers a free 30-day trial. Try
it. You’ll like it.
Jim
Anderson, President
Corporate
Development Associates
Scottsdale,
Ariz.
Editor’s
note: The following letters
are part of a discussion that
took place on DMIA’s members-only
broadcast email system. The discussion
focused on Business Network International,
a networking organization for
business professionals.
Is
BNI Really Worthwhile?
Has
anyone participated in any local
BNI (Business Network International)
groups and meetings? We have an
invitation to participate in a
group but would like to hear what
any of you who have tried this
might be willing to share. My
impression is that there is a
fee to join a group of about 30
businesses which meet every week
and share referrals with one another.
I have to admit that I’m
lukewarm to this, as it sounds
like a commitment to meet every
week. I also would be very cautious
about giving our customers’
names to anyone else without their
permission.
Nancy
Dickerson
Office
Administrator
Professional
Systems USA Inc.
Burlington,
NC
Inform
Yourself About BNI Before Joining
BNI
is but one of many different groups
that get together and share “leads.”
One of my reps was involved in
BNI in Ohio, and while I’m
sure every area is different,
she did not fare well here. It
was mainly composed of individual
real estate agents and bankers
that did not have major decision-making
capabilities. I would ask to see
a list of local members before
joining. On the other hand, I
have been involved with many other
organizations that have spurred
great clients. I bet your local
Chamber of Commerce has something
similar. You may want to look
into that.
Brian
Governor
President
P&W
Marketing Inc.
Youngstown,
Ohio
BNI
Led to Important Business Contacts
I
have read with interest the comments
about BNI. Here are my two cents.
I am currently in a group in the
Tampa area, and it’s true
that there are real estate agents/brokers,
insurance agents, financial planners,
etc., in BNI. But these are not
the people I am selling to. I
am selling to two auto dealerships
and two very large medical clinics
as a direct result of referrals
given to me by those real estate
brokers, financial planners, and
insurance agents. Last week, I
asked for and received an introduction
to the owner of another auto dealership.
And on my desk is the name and
phone number of the CEO of one
of the local hospitals in my area.
I got these from BNI. I don’t
enjoy the weekly breakfast meetings.
I don’t enjoy the 60-second
“intromercials” and
some of the other requirements
of BNI, but I have committed to
do this for a period of time.
I have even taken a leadership
role. I want to learn as much
as I can about the art of networking.
I figure that I can’t lose.
So far, I’ve been a winner.
Janice
Weaver
President
ArtForm
ink.
Tampa,
Fla.
Create
Your Own Networking Organization
Instead
Frustrated
with the existing groups, I started
a group in my area with another
professional. We have grown to
about 15 businesses and meet once
a month.
Our
goal is to get to know each other,
weed out those who don’t
fit professionally, and confidently
give referrals to people we trust
and respect. It’s been a
slow go, but I wouldn’t
have it any other way. There’s
no cost, and we meet at each other’s
businesses.
I
don’t believe it would take
anyone very long to find others
with the same goal to start a
like-minded group. My only suggestion
is, right off the bat, develop
one rule: Those who bring others
in who don’t fit must be
the bearers of bad news to them.
Marc
Laucks, CDC
President
Marc
Laucks and Company Inc.
York,
Pa.
