I remember a time when my brother and I were making quite a racket playing football on my parents’ bed. We were jumping around and tackling each other in the room right above the den where my father sat. It just so happens that my father was a pretty intimidating guy. He was a 6’6” ex-marine who made you take notice when he spoke. Needless to say, we always took notice.

That night we broke the wood frame on that bed and I remember him yelling us frozen. I mean, we heard him yell from downstairs and I don’t think we moved for five minutes. Don’t get me wrong though, not all of his yells were because we were in trouble. Sometimes his yells were yells of encouragement during our playing days.

He used to yell at my brother Steve about keeping his hands up on defense during a basketball game. It really was pretty funny to watch. My dad would yell “get your hands up” and Steve’s hands went up on cue. With me, he would yell “shoot the ball” as a way to encourage me into taking a little more initiative. But, the best yell was reserved for my brother Jim at the ice rink.

As my father lost himself in the game and was eager for my bother to perform, he would always yell out “Get the Lead Out” as a way to encourage Jim to skate harder and faster. Years later, my brother would say that he could never hear the fans when he was playing hockey, but he could always hear my father yelling “Get the Lead Out.” I always notice him pick up a little speed after one of those yells too!

The irony is that I now find myself telling my kids the same thing. I am all over them about their effort, regardless of the endeavor. The poor kids get a heavy dose of “Potterisms”. I talk about playing hard, practicing consistently, and being relentless. Heck, my new thing with my 7 year old daughter is that I yell “Hard work” and she yells back “Dedication.” I realize now, that I’m not like my dad. I’m worse!

With all kidding aside though, my dad was right. We did need to get the lead out. We still need to get the lead out. We need to play hard every shift. We need to be relentless in our pursuits and we need to be consistent in our actions. Winners don’t coast. They don’t take plays off. Winners work hard and they practice religiously.

Oftentimes, it helps to have someone in the stands, or behind the bench yelling some encouragement. It reminds us that we can go further and we can push ourselves to new heights. There is no doubt in my mind that the age we are now entering will be occupied by tireless and passionate workers. It will be dominated by those who will never stop growing. It will be owned by those that “Get the lead out.”

Warmest Regards,

Mark Potter
@markricepotter

I’m sure we all know people who have some bad habits. Dare I say, you may have a habit that you are not entirely proud of. Either way, it is amazing to see how habitual we can be. We grab onto something that satisfies us in the short term and we can’t let go. Even if the habit is incredibly detrimental to our future prosperity, we just won’t let go.

What would it take for us to discard the habits that curb our ability for success over the long term? Are we weak? Or do we simply not care about the future? Maybe, we are a “here and now” type of species and committing to the long term is not in the cards.

Anytime we break a habit, a certain amount of will power must prevail. If you want to quit smoking, then you are probably going to endure pain and frustration. If you want to lose weight, then you are probably going to give up foods that you like and take the pain that comes from working out. No matter what habit you are trying to break, two things are for sure; you will take pain and you will have to make up your mind.

When someone asks you to make up your mind, they are asking you to decide. Interestingly enough the Latin interpretation of “decide” is “to cut off”. In other words, when you choose a path you are cutting off all other choices. So, when you continue a debilitating habit like smoking then you are cutting off the opportunity for longer, healthier life. You are making a choice.

Are there habits within your business that are keeping you from long term success? The data says that long term success for our industry will be rooted in much more than selling print to anyone who buys print. Every prognosticator out there talks about a different kind of business model owning the future. Selling based on serving markets is seen as the path to a healthy future, while quoting print at lower and lower prices is detrimental to your health.

Breaking habits starts with disrupting the process. Often, disruption comes from outside influences or catastrophic events. Maybe the company goes belly up. Maybe people get canned. Either way, these are the kind of events that remind us of the decisions we made. When you don’t break habits and continue to do the same things you have been doing, you are still making up your mind.

All the best,

Mark Potter
@markricepotter

Imagine driving a smoking car into your local mechanic.  You get out of the car, throw your hands up and complain that you have no idea why your piece of junk won’t operate properly.  The mechanic pushes it into the garage, takes one look at it, notices that there is no oil and shakes his head.  He looks at you and says, “Dude, you get out of it what you put into it.”

I have been spending quite a bit of time in my car lately.  The thing has over 100,000 miles on it and anytime I hear the slightest noise, I get a bit nervous about its longevity.  I am really not a car guy and my preference would be to drive it until it drops. Plus, with a couple of rug rats like mine, the car is basically a traveling garbage can and smells a lot like hockey.  I might as well keep it running until they grow up or get out!

I was told a long time ago that if I maintain discipline around oil changes, tire rotation, and general car maintenance, that the car will perform for the long haul.  Knock-on-wood – I have yet to have an issue and I still love that car as much as the day I bought it 10 years ago.  In fact, I swear that the car performs better right after an oil change.  Throw in a car wash and the thing purrs like a kitten!

Aren’t our businesses the same?  Can we honestly expect long term positive results without putting a little fuel in the tank?  Is your sales engine sputtering?  If so, then maybe a little maintenance is in order.  Taking the time to properly care for the vehicle you are depending on for success needs to be your top priority.  My hope is that sales managers throughout our industry are implementing a discipline around sales training.  In turn, I sure would hope that individuals are continuing to recharge their battery by inspecting their sales processes and honing their skills.

The road is bumpy right now and if you are not filling your tank with new types of knowledge or properly sharpening your sales skills, then my guess is that your sales may eventually spew a little smoke.  Sometimes, it can be exceptionally hard to invest the time needed in learning new things or embracing new ideas.  Just like your vehicle needs fuel and care, so does your sales and marketing acumen.  So, continue to read.  Continue to practice.  And continue to have others look under your hood and see if they can aid your progress.  With a little maintenance, your vehicle for success will be running for the long haul.

I had the privilege of speaking to a class at Clemson University last week. The group was learning about sales and marketing within the graphic arts curriculum. I was very impressed with the level of attentiveness and their energy. It kind of brought back memories of my college days and I most certainly don’t recall being that engaged.

As you probably know by now, I can ramble on a bit. My hosts anticipated as much and allotted me 3 hours. Good thing because I can’t say hello in 5 minutes. Shockingly, I was still talking when they finally had to give me the hook.

The thing that struck me most about my day was that these kids were actually listening. They seemed genuinely interested and enthusiastic. Now, I would love to take credit for being mildly entertaining, but I think they sincerely wanted to learn. Heck, they were even taking notes!

At the break, one of the students came up to me, asking about success. With my stomach grumbling, I was thinking about lunch, so I brought up the extraordinary business of Chick-Fil-A. If you have ever gone to a Chick-Fil-A, you will notice that whether you stand in line or go to the drive through, you will always be greeted with a smile and a great attitude. Typically, the person waiting on you is working in a hot kitchen with orders being thrown at them every 30 seconds. It doesn’t seem to matter– they are always smiling.

The Spicy Chicken sandwich has become a staple of my diet. However, the positive attitude of the employees is also addicting. I would submit that it is completely impossible to be that happy all the time. Everyone has difficulties in life. However, the culture of happiness is engrained at Chick-Fil-A and I am proud to call myself a customer.

The old adage of “Fake it ‘Til You Make It” works. I would suggest to you that it truly is a competitive advantage to simply be positive. We are attracted to positive people and people are attracted to us when we are positive. If you need to see it for yourself, just visit your nearest Chick-Fil-A and order a chicken sandwich. Make mine a spicy chicken!

Warmest regards,

Mark Potter
@markricepotter

Marketing guru Ken Schmidt talks motorcycles, the art of branding and why your customers should be tweeting your praise

By Michael Pallerino

Schmidt’s formal relation-ship with Harley-Davidson began in 1985, when he was a specialist in corporate positioning and media relations. After the company reached out to him to help restore the then-struggling brand, it took him a few short years to make the Harley-Davidson brand cool and respected by motorcyclists, media, investors, and, most important, potential new customers. in 1990, he became director of corporate and financial communications, serving as its primary media and financial spokesperson. Schmidt was everywhere. speaking engagements around the world soon would follow. Ken Schmidt passionate and magical touch was cemented into marketing folklore.

On marketing during the last 20 years…
The marketing world has gone straight up, and then it went straight down. Today it’s going sideways. The ’90s were drastically different. Marketing was fun. Times were good. The internet provided a world of new possibilities. Companies were investing money. Things were moving at supersonic speeds. Business models were born overnight. And, then, the easy money party ended. Only the hangover remains. The internet was the big, easy well. It hasn’t dried up; we’re just looking to other places to produce the same kind of miracles that the internet did. Companies that made it big early on in the internet era evened out after everybody discovered what the internet could do. There are a only a handful of huge internet success stories. With everyone else, it’s more of a business-as-usual thing.

Tips for persevering during hard times.

By Lorrie Bryan

Start With Why

By Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why” is a must read for any printer aspiring to execute on a vision that will create long-term sustainability. the message can provide just the kind of inspiration you need to get moving in the right direction.

“Start With Why” teaches you that the most important thing you can do as a leader is to figure out why your company or organiza- tion exists and why that should be meaningful to clients. Once the answer to this becomes clear – and you believe it in your heart – the rest of the decisions about what to do and sell, and how to do it, become infinitely easier.

Sinek puts “Why” at the center of our work, by detailing how purpose is rooted in cause and belief. this is a quality that the greatest leaders incorporate into their very existences. he cites countless examples of leaders who work from the inside, out. the premise that Sinek so eloquently drives home is that people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.

“Start With Why” teaches you that the most important thing you can do as a leader is to figure out why your company or organization exists and why that should be meaningful to clients.

For those facing relentless competition, price wars and customer churn, “Start With Why” can provide great insights into developing a new long- term strategy to combat these issues once and for all. Sinek explains that, while your printed product’s features may be copied and commoditized, nobody can mimic the connection and confidence your customers feel when doing business with you. this is because those feelings come from intangible values and beliefs that only you share with your customers.

CANVAS puts “Start With Why” on your must-read list.

Continued sales support for Kromekote to continue during transition

[Cohoes, NY] – Mohawk Fine Papers, Inc. announces the transition for its sourcing of cast coated products from the Kromekote brand to Chromolux, manufactured by M-real. Mohawk expects to begin accepting orders in August. During the transition period, Mohawk will continue to support sales of Kromekote until current inventories are depleted.

Mohawk will offer Chromolux for traditional commercial printing, and will launch new Chromolux digital papers to complement its industry leading product and service offering in the rapidly growing digital printing market. “Cast coated papers play a key role in our product offering and we intend to create a world-class line up for every leading print platform,” said Thomas D. O’Connor, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mohawk Fine Papers. “We are happy to announce this partnership with a globally recognized brand and to be working with the M-real organization. This partnership is strategic to our growth plan.”

The broad portfolio of papers and boards for label, packaging and graphic applications available from Chromolux combined with Mohawk’s know-how and extensive distribution network will realize a much deeper resource for the industry in the coated paper segment, and is expected to create new opportunities for both partners.

“We couldn’t be more pleased than to be partnering with a company the caliber of Mohawk Fine Papers who are clearly the leader in premium and fine printing papers in North America,” said Scott Forsberg, Sales Director, M-real USA.

This is the second partnership Mohawk has formally announced this year. In January, Mohawk revealed a partnership with MOO.com to create a custom paper application for Luxe business cards.

Remember the movie Jerry Maguire? Tom Cruise stars as an arrogant sports agent who only cares about himself and his money. He wakes up one night with a conscience and writes some sort of mission statement that outlines the purpose of the organization and how the clients’ needs are everything.

If you recall, after reading this piece of literature the people within the business community ate him up and spit him out. They thought he had lost his mind and gone soft. He was ridiculed by his peers and his girlfriend dumped him because she considered him a “loser” with a capital “L”.

I have often seen marketing fall into this same category. Many people, including some highly paid executives, think marketing is “fluffy”. They’d just as soon send the marketing staff home with their mission statements in one arm and their goldfish in another.

The fact is that the key to long-term sustainable success is marketing. I have said this in many different ways in this column, I have preached to countless people about the merits of a marketing process, and I will take it to my grave that marketing is everything. You can call yourself a sales organization until the cows come home, but the companies that implement a true marketing process and engage in building a relationship with succinctly defined markets will win.

Don’t get me wrong; I am not a big believer that a bunch of big time execs should spend a lot of time writing mission statements. I have seen my share of meetings where one top guy asks a group of other top guys, “What is a our value?” Dumbfounded, I just bit my lip. I mean, seriously, you don’t know what your value proposition is? Your value proposition begins and ends with one thing…your highly defined market. And if you haven’t defined it, then you better get started.

Cold calling is dead. You cannot use salespeople at the top of the funnel. It is too costly and a waste of talent. Marketing needs to ignite the relationship with a market. The sales department needs to cement it. In turn, if you don’t have sales and marketing aligned, then you may want to tear up that mission statement and grab your goldfish.

I believe this is the major change that we are going through. We can no longer be defined by “product” and wait for the next new technology to buoy our business. We need to become market based and become a trusted part of that market’s world. Then, and only then, can you show me the money!

Warmest Regards,

Mark Potter
@markricepotter

Unisource Launches Vertical Market Platform For Its Facility Supplies Business

NORCROSS, GA (April 10, 2012) – Unisource Worldwide, Inc., one of the largest privately held companies in the United States and a global customer solutions provider, has launched a new vertical market platform for its facility supplies business segment.

The company will continue to serve its existing customer base in the janitorial and sanitary maintenance areas, while emphasizing specialized vertical markets. Those areas include healthcare, encompassing hospitals and medical facilities; higher education including large colleges and universities; Class A building property managers and service contractors; high-traffic venues such as airports, sports arenas, and cruise ships; and general manufacturing companies in the automotive and industrial businesses.

“As we continue to focus on growth in our facility supplies business, it has become obvious that our suppliers and customers appreciate the unique value proposition that Unisource offers when presenting our complete suite of solutions to the marketplace,” said John Glaze, President of Core Sales for Unisource.

“We have a National Sales Team that is comprehensively trained to provide the best value, based on our customers’ unique requirements within the key market verticals,” said Glaze.  “By offering an integrated suite of products, services, and process support tools, we create differentiated value specific to each customer.”

With an extensive supplier base, national distribution network, logistics expertise, and nationwide sales force, Unisource offers convenient access and reliable and timely delivery of industry-leading cleaning and facility maintenance products.  The company offers a vast array of customer solutions that fulfill customer needs for maintenance supplies, cleaning chemicals and equipment, sanitary papers, packaging materials, and office papers.