br april 2006 issuu

$10.00

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www.brill iantpublishing.com

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Apr i l 2006

RELATIONSHIPS | RESOURCES | RESULTS

(Left to Right)Dr. Teresa CodyChuck Littlepage

Lori Littlepage

SalarySmart10Rules for

Perfect Evaluations

SalarySmart

PPAIPyramid Award WinnerSucceeds ‘Micely’

PPAI

BR0406_Cover2 copy.qxl 3/27/06 11:48 PM Page C1

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4 Brilliant Results | April 2006 www.brilliantpublishing.com

LONG-TERM SELLING—THE RELATIONSHIPYOU BUILD, IS MORE IMPORTANT

THAN THE PRESSURE CLOSE 16Healthy companies place a high value on the relation-

ships with their customers. Follow this RELATIONSHIPModel and you can be successful in professional sell-

ing and build a loyal customer base.By: Ed Rigsbee, CSP

GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIESTHE ARA ACHIEVEMENT

MEDALLION PROGRAM 22Research has shown that recognition of a person’s

accomplishments is more highly valued than money. Read about this innovative Awards and

Recognition Association program.By: Sam Varn, CRM

SALARY SMARTS 24Attracting and Retaining Marketing

Professionals in a Competitive MarketFirms increasingly rely on the skills of talented

communications professionals, able to build memorable brands and create strong

marketing/advertising campaigns utilizing a variety ofprint, online and broadcast media. Find out how to

attract and retain these professionals. By: Tracey Turner

THE TEN RULES FOR PERFECTEVALUATIONS 30

On choosing between training excellence and great evaluations.

This tongue in cheek commentary on the evaluations

Contents

8

24

30

columnsWHAT WORKS PRESENTED BY THE

PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTSASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL (PPAI) 48Successful Case Studies and research for your

next powerful promotion.

HOT PRODUCTSTHINGS WE LOVE 56

Brilliant Results previews a treasure trove ofexciting products.

IT’S ALL PERSONAL 58“How to Avoid the Business Card

Shuffle and Really Network” By: Dave Ribble

INDUSTRY NEWS FLASHES 66Find out what is happening in the promotional

merchandise and incentive industries.

COVER STORY 8PPAI AWARD WINNER SUCCEEDS ‘MICELY’

Our interview with Lori J. Littlepage, MAS, the Owner of Ice Blue Advertising, Chuck Littlepage,CAS, Ice Blue Advertising’s Business Development Guy; and Dr. Teresa Cody, former board

member of, the Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation, about the award winningsuccess of the Adopt-A-Mouse program.

TMbrilliant resultsVol. 3, No. 4

features

departments

that are a part of most training programs by aleading management & leadership trainer, may

make you stop & re-evaluate your company’scourse evaluation format while it reminds you

of some ‘training’ courses you’ve attended.By: Jay McNaught

PLEASE MISTER, DON'T SUE ME! 38Studies show that somewhere between 95

and 97 percent of all lawsuits filed end in settlement. The reality is that we do not so much

operate in a legal system as we operate in a settlement system. Learn why Mediation

could be a better answer for your organization than Litigation.

By: Lee Jay Berman

MOTIVATION – NINE WAYS TOCREATE A MORE PASSIONATE WORKENVIRONMENT—STARTING TODAY!

42When how people feel about working in an

organization can account for 20 percent to 30percent of business performance, it is time to

take a serious look at Motivation. Consider imple-menting these nine activities today for a morepassionately productive workplace tomorrow.

By Michael Kroth, Ph.D., and Patricia Boverie, Ph.D

REAL ESTATE AGENT RECOGNITION - A CASE STUDY 61

Learn how a recognition program made a bigdifference at a large real estate agency.

By: Crystal D

PUBLISHER’S LETTER 6

ADVERTISING INDEX 60Get FREE information from

this month’s advertisers

CALENDAR 62

THE LAST WORD 64Brilliant Results speaks with John Bigay,

Captivate Network Vice President – Marketingand Programming, to discuss a very successful

Captive Network direct marketing campaign andthe company’s marketing/advertising approach.

BR0406_Section01 3/29/06 8:17 PM

BR0406_Section03 3/29/06 2:25 PM

Brilliant Publishing LLC9034 Joyce Lane

Hummelstown, PA 17036Ph: 717.571-9233Fax: 717.566.5431

PUBLISHER / ADVERTISING

Maureen [email protected]

541-788-5022

EDITORIALEditor in Chief

MaryAnne Morrill717-571-9233

Senior EditorsMichelle Donofry, Pierce Roberts

Style EditorCharity Plata

Asst. EditorMildred Landis

Contributing WritersLee Jay Berman, Patricia Boverie, Ph.D., Crystal

D, Michael Kroth, Ph.D., Jay McNaught, PPAI -What Works Section, Dave Ribble, Ed Rigsbee, CSP,

Tracey Turner, Sam Varn, CRM

CirculationFor any questions regarding subscriptions,

please email:[email protected]

PRODUCTION / DESIGNArt Director

Percy Zamora

Brilliant Results is published monthly by BrilliantPublishing LLC, 9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown PA 17036(717) 608-5869; Fax# (717) 566-5431. Postage paid atMechanicsburg PA and additional offices. POSTMASTERplease send address changes to Brilliant Results, 9034Joyce Lane, Hummelstown PA 17036. Volume 3. Number 4.Brilliant Results subscription rates: one-year $120; Canadian$160 USD; one-year foreign $225 USD. All subscriptions arenon-refundable. Copyright © 2006 Brilliant Publishing LLC.All rights reserved. The publisher reserves the right toaccept or reject any advertising or editorial material.Advertisers, and/or their agents, assume the responsibilityfor any claims against the publisher based on the advertise-ment. Editorial contributors assume responsibility for theirpublished works and assume responsibility for any claimsagainst the publisher based on published work. No part ofthis publication can be reproduced in any form or by elec-tronic or mechanical means, including information storageand retrieval systems, without written permission from thepublisher. All items submitted to Brilliant Results becomethe sole property of Brilliant Publishing LLC. Editorial con-tent does not reflect the views of the publisher. The imprints,logos, trademarks or trade names (Collectively the “Marks”)displayed on the products featured in Brilliant Results are forillustrative purposes only and are not available for sale. Themarks do not represent the implied or actual endorsementby the owners of the Marks of the product on which theyappear. All of the Marks are the property of the respectiveowners and is not the property of either the advertisersusing the Marks or Brilliant Results.


Publisher’s LetterTM


brilliant resultsbrilliant results

262467 Brill492

THIS IS ONE of my favorite times of year – the RedCarpet, the Media Hype, the Stars and of course theFashion Police! That’s right, I’m talkin’ awards, baby.The movie industry has the OSCARS®, the musicindustry has the GRAMMYS®, the broader advertis-ing industry has the ADDY® Awards, but here in theworld of direct marketing and promotional products,none is more coveted than the GOLDEN PYRAMIDS!

Golden Pyramids represent the pinnacle of suc-cess for the $20+ Billion promotional merchandiseindustry. While some people get awards, others truly“get” awards.

I know people who think they are too cool, don’tthink it’s worth their time to enter or may even shunthe concept of entering and winning awards. However, ask Lori and ChuckLittlepage of Ice Blue Advertising in Richmond Texas, and they will tell you anindustry showcase that lands you on the cover of a national magazine is awesome.

Maybe it’s the former cheerleader in me, but it seems to me when you’re namedthe best of the best by your peers (and perhaps more importantly competitors too),it’s pretty darn impressive. Smart winners use those successes and the mediaattention that follows as their unique selling proposition as they build their busi-nesses. In fact, I knew one guy in Seattle, Washington who won multiple GoldenPyramid awards, while simultaneously being named Marketer of the Year byanother national organization and used it to completely change the way he madehis sales calls. Imagine this… “Hi – our company has been named the best of thebest in the entire nation, and if you’re interested we’d love to show you how wedo what we do, and why our approach gets such great results for our clients.” Didit work? Well, only if you consider getting clients like Microsoft, Nissan Motors,Bank of America, Anheuser Busch and others using that strategy. How do I knowso much about this particular situation? Um… I married the guy!

Anyway, in this month’s issue we highlight our editors’ top pick of the year forthe best direct marketing campaign incorporating promotional products. Our winner tugged at our heartstrings and wallets as the team at Ice Blue Advertisingraised both money and awareness in a brilliant campaign for a great cause - TheDown Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation.

As always, in addition to our big award winner, and the other “learn-by-example”project profiles in our “what works” section, we’ve packed our pages full of otherquality content from all corners of the world of business including sales, rewards& recognition, motivation, human resources and more.

So enjoy our April offering, let us know your thoughts, and as always…

Have a Brilliant Day!

Maureen [email protected] 541-788-5022

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PyramidAward Winner

Succeeds ‘Micely’

PPAI

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Brilliant Results | April 2006 9www.brilliantpublishing.com

EVERY YEAR AT ITS ANNUAL CONVEN-TION and exposition, the PromotionalProducts Association International presentsthe PPAI Pyramid Awards. These awards rec-ognize the effective use of promotional productsin business and institutional marketing. At thisyear’s 48th Annual Pyramid Awards Ceremony, asin years past, the best of the best gathered to berecognized by their industry peers.

Brilliant Results had the privilege of reviewingthose winners and selecting the one campaign thatwe felt deserved special recognition for excellence.It was not an easy task. Each of the campaigns illus-trated the impact of creative promotional productsthat relate to the advertiser, its product and itstheme in producing brilliant results.

This year the BrilliantPromotion of the Year goes to Ice Blue Advertising.Ice Blue Advertising is known for its targeted pro-motional advertising campaigns. Most of the staffholds MAS & CAS designations and through indus-try course work, site visits and examinations stay onthe cutting edge of the promotional advertising andincentive industries. Include Ice Blue Advertising’s

in-house creative artistic staff, lead byAndrew Raimondo, and you have a win-ning combination that is hard to beat.

Brilliant Results selected the IceBlue Advertising ‘Adopt-A-Mouse’Campaign for its Brilliant Promotionof the Year recognition based on itscreativity, community benefit andsuccess in raising both awarenessand funds.

BR0406_Section01.qxl 3/29/06 2:56 PM


This program at a cost of less than $10per recipient was created for the DownSyndrome Research & TreatmentFoundation. With a dual goal of generat-ing a higher profile for the Foundation andraising funds for continued research, thepromotion has raised more than $88,000for the charity and generated enoughmedia coverage to be picked up by ABC’sGood Morning America. The program con-tinues to generate funds and awarenesson its website www.adoptamouse.com.To date the funds generated are enoughfor 40 pairs of genetically engineeredmice, which have been donated forresearch at Stanford.

But, that is only part of the story.Perhaps the best part of the story dealswith the real people who became involvedin this promotion and the creative collabo-ration that has made it a success. Downsyndrome research relies on the study ofgenetically engineered mice, thus the 5”beanbag mouse wearing a tiny, imprintedt-shirt. In one respect, this is a tale offriends helping friends and a group ofschool children who wanted to make a dif-ference. The students of GatewayPreparatory Academy, Richmond, Texasadopted Down syndrome as its schoolcharity and they with their parentsbecame involved in the Adopt-A-Mousefundraising effort by making presenta-tions at community events where the micewere sold for $21 each. A full-size t-shirtwas also created and sold for $21 raising

additional funds and further raisingawareness of Down syndrome.

To get the rest of the story, BrilliantResults spoke with Lori J. Littlepage, MAS,the Owner of Ice Blue Advertising, whichshe formed in 1996 after 5 years in theindustry; her husband, Chuck Littlepage,CAS, Ice Blue Advertising’s BusinessDevelopment Guy (yes, that’s his actualtitle), who joined the company five yearsago, prior to that he held a C level positionin a national distribution company; and, Dr.Teresa Cody, a former board member andfundraising associate for the client, theDown Syndrome Research and TreatmentFoundation. Dr. Cody and her husband Dr.Tim Cashion operate a dental practice inSugar Land, Texas. Their son Neal hasDown syndrome and he has been Teresa’smotivation to advance the research for atreatment for Down syndrome.

BR: Why was Ice Blue Advertising selectedfor this campaign?

CL: Familiarity and experience weretwo of the main reasons. Our son Alexgoes to the school that was starting onthis community service project and weknow the Cashions, Teresa and her hus-band, socially. It started from there and itbecame a brainstorming process. Neal,Teresa and Tim’s son, has Down syndromeand he is the child on the tag of themouse. It was not a formal business -these are the right guys these are thewrong guys - selection process.

“This program ata cost of lessthan $10 perrecipient was

created for theDown Syndrome

Research &Treatment

Foundation.”

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:06 PM


LL: I don’t think Teresa was necessarily lookingfor something an advertising company could provide. She was really talking to friends and brain-storming about different ways to raise money andthis came about.

BR: What prompted the choice of a mouse themefor this campaign?

TC: In the research, they have a mouse withDown syndrome. But of course, not a $3 mouse,they cost quite a bit to make. That’s when mydaughter said, “Well, Mom, why don’t people justadopt mice because then they could do moreresearch.” And that is where it started.

CL: With these genetically engineered mice cost-ing $2,200 per pair, the question was, how do we get$2,200 from individual donors to get that next pair of mice.

The DSRTF, Down Syndrome Research & TreatmentFoundation, who is the client, is funding research inconjunction with Stanford University and the bottomline is that the more pairs of mice we get in theirhands the faster the research generally goes.

We realized that raising $2,200 per transaction ordonor would not coincide with the children’s goal ofa grassroots campaign. This promoted the individ-ual plush mouse adoption at $21each. I’ll let Teresaexplain why.

TC: The reason people with Down syndromehave problems is because they have an extra 21stchromosome. It hit home because everyone that isinvolved with Down syndrome knows that. Notonly was it a reasonable price, it made sense. Sothat is why we picked $21. It makes it hard to givechange though!

In the student picture, the student names are as follows:, Neal Cashion (boy with glasses), Erin Cashion (girl in red shirt holding astuffed mouse), Natasha Elder (top right - girl in grey sweatshirt), Stephen Hurdle (boy in hat), Alex Littlepage (boy in green and white shirt),Melissa Elder (girl on bottom left as you are looking at the photo)

“We realized that raising $2,200 per transaction or donor would not coincide with the children’s goal of a grassroots campaign.”

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:07 PM


CL: Its also been great because its giveneveryone who has dealt with this an opportu-nity to explain the 21st chromosome situation.It has been great to talk about it and it hashelped in some of the publicity we havereceived too.

BR: How did you choose and source the promo-tional products for this campaign?

LL: We talked to industry colleagues abouttheir favorite plush suppliers. We also talked to acouple of suppliers at recent trade showsbecause we knew we did not want to continue towork with our current supplier.

CL: We had done several custom plush proj-ects in the past and it was time for us to make asupplier change. We went with Gibco on thisand it just so happened as we were developingthe mouse and working with them, the salesmanager said her cousin had Down syndrome. Sothey got really excited about it and got reallyinvolved, helping us with the tag and how wewere going to decorate the product. It was defi-nitely a joint effort in that area.

BR: Would you say that an important criterionin the supplier selection process was a workingteam spirit?

LL: Gibco’s reputation and the samples theyprovided were the most important reasons weselected them to use. The team spirit was actu-ally an unexpected bonus.

CL: When we originally did the t-shirt it wasjust going to be for the kids and the volunteersto wear at events to show that we were thereas a group. However, it was decided that pro-ducing a t-shirt that people would want towear would be a nice add-on item. We select-ed an Anvil® authentic pigment dyed t-shirtwith complementary screen-printed graphicswhich we also sold for $21. It was an opportu-nity for people who had already bought amouse to further contribute. And, those whowere not so ‘micely’ oriented were more com-fortable adopting a t-shirt.

BR: And those t-shirts are still probably walk-ing billboard advertisements.

LL: Absolutely they are.

Lori & Chuck Littlepage celebrate 10th year in business.

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BR: Would you briefly discuss the success ofthis campaign from both a client and consult-ant perspective?

TC: The product was very cute so itappealed to women. People want to help andthis gave them an opportunity to help. It waseasy to explain what this was. It was an easysell to tell you the truth. The kids had a blastdoing it and they would go out and givespeeches at various organizations. Everybodywanted one and they wanted to help. Thisgave them an opportunity to help.

LL: It was the students who were really doingthe selling and the talking. They were 12-16 yearsold and they were very serious and spoke intelli-gently on the subject.

TC: They made $1,000 one morning at oneexchange club.

BR: It sounds like these students reallybecame good ambassadors for the program.

LL: It is just incredible and they are verypersonally tied to the program because ofNeal, Teresa and Tim’s son. All the GatewayPrep students are very close to Neal andwanted to see the project succeed.

BR: And from the consultant perspective, itwas nice to be commended with an award forthe success of the project. Have there beenother rewarding aspects?

LL: The industry recognition is wonderful andso is having a successful program. Also the suc-cess of our children and seeing that they could goout and speak so intelligently is a great part. Ona personal level, we believe in the program itselfand it is rewarding seeing it succeed.

BR: I understand some of you even made it onto television.

LL: Yes indeed we made it onto the national news.

TC: They did a spot on NBC and it was onABC’s Good Morning America. It was on about66 affiliates.

CL: That was big. They have a web sitewww.adoptamouse.com where people from allover the world have ordered mice. Whenever itaired the site got a lot of hits.

TC: The piece was sent out nationally, for theaffiliates pick up and use on their local news.

LL: It also ran on MSNBC.

TC: The other thing that it did for theFoundation was that although theFoundation was set up and had some bigdonors, it needed to spread the informationacross the US and it did really allow that tohit many people. It helped get the informa-tion out that there is research on Downsyndrome.

CL: Another outstanding result is thatthrough this process Teresa has gained accessto some additional research that convinced herto change some of Neal’s medication routine.And because of it, he can read now.

LL: He can pick up the phone and carry on aconversation, he knows who you are and it isphenomenal the changes we’ve all seen in him.

CL: This campaign did not do that, but it didlead to Teresa’s additional research.

BR: Well, you just never can tell what a mouseis going to get into. From our conversation so far,I think that you all would agree that the mostimportant factor in achieving success in the cre-ation and execution of a campaign was the team-work all around?

CL: Absolutely.

“The other thing that it did for the Foundation was that although theFoundation was set up and had some big donors, it needed to spread theinformation across the US and it did really allow that to hit many people.”

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:09 PM


BR: In your opinion what is the most importantservice Ice Blue Advertising offers its clients?

CL: With Lori’s background in the insuranceand software industries and my background indistribution, we know that the most importantthing is for our clients to be successful. For thatto happen, we have to identify and understandtheir goals. We further have to suggest pro-grams that are measurable, manageable andexecutable within their business structure.

BR: You also must have some very creativepeople over there.

LL: We do have a pretty creative group. Wehave a wonderful graphic artist, AndrewRaimondo. He is the one who originally drew upthe picture of the mouse and the tag and all thecollateral material that goes with it.

BR: How does Ice Blue Advertising marketitself to end-users?

CL: We work within a couple of client tradeassociations. We have done a lot of work in theMulti-Family Industry. We do some national pro-grams on that level.

LL: We also deal a lot with referrals and ourclients do seem to take us with them whenthey leave their job or career and go to a dif-ferent career. And that helps us expand into adifferent area.

CL: And then finally, we have a small group of tar-get clients that we promote ourselves to. We usually

have 10 or 15 on the board at a time that we are look-ing to expand our business with. We keep it small sowe can manage through it one piece at a time andidentify if they are a fit for us and we are a fit for them.

BR: Of the marketing campaigns you and yourteam have developed, I would say that yourmouse campaign was certainly a most successfulcampaign.

LL: Well, it certainly was one of our favoritesbecause it did draw on so many factors andbring in a whole team effort.

CL: This campaign would not have been suc-cessful without the proper use of promotionalproducts.

LL: It was a lot of hard work on our client’spart also; it was definitely teamwork!

BR: Do you have any final thoughts or advicefor our readers about the use of promotional mer-chandise and direct marketing strategies in theiroverall marketing efforts?

TC: Work with your friends! I couldn’t have doneit alone. We knew what we wanted to do, but theyturned an abstract idea into something concrete.

CL: Promotional products or physical advertising as the industry is now toutingshould be considered a growing part of anystrategic marketing plan. There is longevity withpromotional products that you just don’t getwith any other kind of advertising.

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BR: Do you remember the last promotionalproduct you received and from what company youreceived it?

LL: I got a Bic® Solis pen. I received it in themail a few days ago from our rep at Bic®.

CL: I believe it is a Sweda® pen. Lori and Iwere on a cruise last week and it was left in thestateroom. It was a 2-color imprint pen with theCarnival logo.

TC: They just gave me one! It is a travel tooth-brush with toothpaste in the brush with approxi-mately 63 uses for your travel and vacationneeds. Since I’m a dentist, I really like it!

BR: What is your favorite promotional or incen-tive product?

LL: I like custom calendars.CL: I like custom baseball caps. The beauty

of a completely custom job is that it is anopportunity for us to help the client put for-ward their best foot, not somebody else’s. It ismore exciting for us and from a consultantperspective; it gives us a longer relationshipwith the client.

TC: I would have to say my lunch box. Chuckand Lori had a lunch box made for us and we giveit out in the office. It has our logo on it and itsreally good for makeup and lots of things.

BR: Thank you all so much for your time andcongratulations again on the Pyramid Award andon the success of the Adopt-A- Mouse Program.

Lori and Chuck Littlepage can be reached viaemail at [email protected] or visit their web-site at www.iceblueadv.com. For additional infor-mation on the Adopt-A-Mouse program go towww.adoptamouse.com. •

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:10 PM

RELATION

DO YOU WANT TO SELL MORE? Sure youdo. But, the question is, “What prices areyou willing to pay for your long-term suc-cess?” Are you willing to give up instantgratification? Many sales people are not.Why would you even consider delayingthe gratification a sale, especially if yousell on commission? For your sustainedselling success, I believe it is infinitelymore valuable to your selling career to putoff the slippery sale today, for a lifetime customer.

In our western culture, we all want it now. Whatis the price we pay for this hollow instant happi-ness? I’ll tell you, it’s the reputation salespeople

have in North America. It’s right therenext to crooked politicians, fallen clergyand dethroned CEOs. I have a betteridea—build a relationship!

In my 17 years of outside sales and15 years of inside selling, I learned afterthe first couple that selling is not war-fare. Rather, selling is about buildingrelationships. The larger your base ofsatisfied customers, the greater your

annual sales results.Notice I did not say monthly? If you only look at

monthly figures, as too many sales managers andvice presidents of sales are prone to do, you are


The Relationship You Build, Is MoreImportant than the Pressure Close

“The bonds that unite another person to ourselfexist only in our mind.” —Marcel Proust

Long-TermSelling—

Ed Rigsbee, CSP

BY ED RIGSBEE, CSP

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:11 PM

SHIPBrilliant Results | April 2006 17www.brilliantpublishing.com

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:11 PM


missing the point. I have worked with too manyignorant sales managers and general managers whowere focused only on this week’s or this month’ssales dollars. It was because they worked for a com-pany that was bleeding to death. If your company ishealthy, the focus will be yearly and half-decade. Ifyour company is sick, the focus will be daily.

Before I go any further, let me ask you this ques-tion: “Is your company healthy?” If not, why are yousticking around? There are plenty of healthy andprosperous businesses, why be a martyr and godown with the ship? If you are working for a healthycompany, your company will place a high value on therelationships with its customer. Follow my RELA-TIONSHIP Model and I guarantee you will be success-ful in professional selling and loyal customer base. Soloyal, that is, that your company will be afraid to everlet you become a victim of reengineering.

is for Relax. Relax and be authentic. This isfirst and foremost; trying to be someoneyou are not is the kiss of death in relation-

ship building. Even if you think you can foolprospects, you are wrong. The first time

maybe, but from then on, they have your number. Ifyou decide to be the best possible you, understandthat it is enough. Nobody likes a slippery snake oilsalesman!

is for Excitement. Be excited about yourproduct and the chance to serve your cus-tomers. Think about that monotoneteacher you had in high school or college,

the one that put you to sleep five minutesinto the class. An unexcited salesperson is no dif-ferent. Why in the world would I want to do busi-ness with somebody that does not believe in, andis not excited about his or her products or services?Let me add a caution here: if you act like a 110-voltlight bulb hooked up to 220 volts two things willhappen to you. First you’ll burn out in a gloriousflash and secondly, you’ll be a counterfeit. Beingyour best includes excitement, but the excitementmust be genuine.

is for Look. Look your prospects and cus-tomers in the eye and thank them for theopportunity to serve. Be happy they came to

see you or allowed you to visit them. Today,we live in a fast paced society, even in small

town America. People do not have enough time to doall the things the want to. And you, as a salesperson,are asking them for some time, a small piece of theirlife. Let your prospects and customers know that youappreciate the opportunity to serve them in solvingtheir challenges.

is for Ask. Ask plenty of questions thatwill cause discussion about your cus-tomer’s desires and expectations. I’msure you have heard that a profession-

al salesperson talks only 20% of thetime and listens 80%, but the kind of questionsthat you ask what will really enable you to helpthem meet their product or service needs.Knowledge is power and you need lots of knowl-edge to help the highly sophisticated buyer oftoday. Do not shortchange your prospects by talk-ing too much. If you talk too much, you will be oflittle value to your customers, and they will haveno desire to build a relationship with you.

is for Talent. Use your talent to be ashowman. Prove how your productswill make their life better. Now this isan important key; how it will make

THEIR life better, not your life. Get thefocus on your prospect and use sizzle to sell the

R

E

L

A

T

“In making your deposits into the “Relationship Bank,” you are guaranteedto yield healthy returns.”

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:19 PM

Desktop calendar advertising works

because your company name is front and

center all day when the buying decision is

made. It's easy and affordable and it works.

It's like a24-hour

commercial,but without

the annoyingjingle.

make a date with success!ASI l 95280

W l www.warwickpublishing.com

Contact your localpromotional products distributor

BR0406_Section03 3/28/06 5:49 PM


steak, not the hamburger. If you are focused onlyon YOUR presentation, and how great a showmanyou are, you will miss the point and most likelythe sale. Your customers are not buying theshow. Many today, are in pain and do need theshow to better help them understand how yourproduct will solve THEIR problems.

is for Invite. Invite your customer to hold, touch,feel, ride, test, use or otherwise experienceyour products. Get them in the act. If theyhear, they forget. If they see, they remember. If

they experience, they internalize. You wantyour customers to internalize the value of owningwhat you sell, don’t you? How many people buy a carbefore the test drive? Not many! Put it in my handand I am on the path to emotional ownership. If Iemotionally own your product, it will be quite easyfor you, the professional salesperson, to ALLOW meto buy it, don’t you think?

is for Objections. Objections are reallyquestions. Simply answer their ques-tions. The feel, felt, found method is

usually quite effective here. Let’s reviewthe method. When your prospect says “No,”

agree with them and show your understanding.Say, “I understand how you feel. Mrs. Jones feltexactly the same way. Although, after she gave ita try, it performed better that I promised and …”Too often when your prospect is saying, “No,”they are really saying, “I need to know more.” Ifyou understand this, you’ll do a better job ofanswering their questions. Now is the time whenall that listening you did earlier pays off. With yourknowledge of your customer’s need, you cansmoke out the true roadblock to them having whatthey want. Then you can help them to buy. Bydoing so, you’ll also add another brick onto thesolid long-term relationship you and your companyenjoys with that customer.

is for Now. Now is time to learn thethree great words that will changeyour life. “Ask for it!” Ask them to buy

that which you know they want NOW.What are you afraid of? Perhaps you are

afraid that they will like you less for asking? Iassure you, they will think less of you, if you doNOT ask them to buy. They will tend to say, “Yes”

as not to offend you. You must sell the benefits ofyour product or service and not rely on the manyfeatures. Salespeople that sell features and notbenefits hear a lot of “Great presentation” or “Youare a great salesperson” as their prospects walkaway empty handed. Never ask prospects to buybefore you give them several great reasons to dowhat you desire.

is for Solve. Solve unresolved problems, chal-lenges or roadblocks that are keeping yourcustomers from having what they want.

This is crucial and usually occurs after one ortwo trial closes. You now realize there is still

some area you did not cover completely, some areayou over looked. Somewhere along my sales path, Ilearned what is called the “doorknob close.” This ishelpful when you are at the end of your helping rope,ready to fall into oblivion, the place where lost sales-people end up.

Pack it all up; thank your prospect for their timeand attention. As you grab the doorknob to leave,turn the knob. Stop, and turn around, still holdingthe knob. Ask, “Just for my information, Mr. Smith,

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why is it you didn’t buy today?” Listen closely—youare about to strike gold. Whatever it is that theysay, respond with, “Oh my gosh, I forgot to coverthat!” Now, let go of the knob and go back to yourprospect and answer their last objection.

is for Help. Help them to buy it, askagain. Remember though your real goalis to build a powerful base of satisfiedcustomers, not just make a sell today.

Helping is also understanding that it’spossible your prospect may have a reason for notbuying today. If you stay focused on the relation-ship rather than just the sell, you’ll be a long-termsuccess rather than just another hotshot, hookedup to 220 volts, burning the brightest for a veryshort time.

is for Inspire. Inspire your customers to feelreally good about their buying decision.When your customer begs you to allow themto buy, or simply says, “I’ll take it,” remem-

ber to guard against buyers’ remorse. Inspirethem to feel really good about their decision to buy

and doing business with you. Remind them, justone more time, what a good choice they made byreviewing all the ways the product or service willmake their life better. Inspire them to take fulladvantage of your product support and customerservice programs. Make them feel so good aboutdoing business with you that they will want to tellall their friends about you.

is for Partner. Become your customer’spartner in total product/service satisfaction(TPS or TSS). Follow up regularly. Be cer-

tain of the value and enjoyment your cus-tomers have received from doing business

with you and your company. Make certain theyfeel really good about buying from you 30, 60, 90days later. Now that you truly have embarked onthe path of building a long- term relationship, askfor referrals. Allow your satisfied customers tonow help you in your career. Allow them to helptheir friends in enjoying the really good feelingsthey have enjoyed. Partners get real leads fromtheir customers, not just the useless lists ofnames frequently given to pushy salespeople toget rid of them.

In making your deposits into the“Relationship Bank,” you are guaranteed to yieldhealthy returns. Position yourself as a partner.Be persistent in your selling efforts. Try repeat-edly to help your prospects to have all that youknow they want. Have patience—I’ve learnedthat being number two in the minds of yourprospects will pay off. Your competitor will blowit someday, as you and I have, and when they do,there you are, ready to take full advantage of therelationship you’ve built. Building relationshipsdoes payoff. Not always today, but generallysooner than you think. •

Ed Rigsbee, CSP is the author of PartnerShift,Developing Strategic Alliances and The Art ofPartnering. Rigsbee has over 1,000 published articlesto his credit and is a regular keynote presenter at cor-porate and trade association conferences acrossNorth America. He can be reached at 800-839-1520or [email protected] Visit his Partnering UniversityWeb Site at www.rigsbee.com.

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RESEARCH HAS SHOWN that recognition of a per-son’s accomplishments is more highly valued thanmoney. Why, then, should a valuable tool such asrecognition be limited to team sports, the work-place or a narrow spectrum of high achievers?

Imagine the profound effect of recognition on anordinary student—not just an honor roll student orstar athlete—who is awarded for simply doing hisor her best. The result could be a higher level ofself-confidence, a sense of accomplishment andincreased respect among that student’s peers. Suchpride can impact his or her life, and ultimatelyimprove our world as a whole.

When I purchased Tallahassee Engraving &Awards (now known as Awards4U) in the spring of1987, I asked myself how I could make my businessstand out from the competition. I had discoveredsince becoming a new awards company owner thatmost of the schools were buying from my largerlocal competitor. I needed an “in” that would serveas both a marketing tool and something that hadcommunity support value to entice them to try it—something that would separate us from the others.I eventually proposed a program to the school sys-tem that has the power to enrich the lives of oftenoverlooked high school students. The program hasevolved over the years into a phenomenal success.Now, with the help of the ARA MembershipCommittee, I have brought the concept to our asso-ciation and created the ARA AchievementMedallion Program.

This exciting new member benefit enablesawards and recognition retailers to work with theirlocal schools and institute a unique program muchlike the one we created in 1987. Called the “ARAAchievement Medallion Program” it encouragesawards and recognition retailers to work with theirlocal schools—at no cost to the schools—to recog-nize students who improve their academic standingfrom a D average to a B average; second string ath-letes who try their best when called upon to play; orstudents who simply improve their attitudestoward academics. Local retailers donate theawards with the intention of promoting meaningfulrecognition, inspiring others, and reinforcing posi-tive behavior.

THE PACKAGEThe cornerstones of this program are two CDs,

one featuring a comprehensive video programoverview for the retailer and his or her school liai-son. The other CD is crafted as a sales tool for theretailer showcasing video testimonials from pro-gram participants such as students, parents, andprincipals. The retailer version also contains the fol-lowing materials and other helpful tools for initiat-ing and completing the program:

• Comprehensive fact sheet – Proposal to the school– Retailer checklist

• School checklist – Calendar(s) – Parent notificationletter – Student letter

Giving BackTo Our

CommunitiesBY SAM VARN, CRM

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:22 PM

• Teacher program announcement memo – Teacher nomina-tion form

• Parchment scroll keepsake template – Day-of-programpamphlet listing winners

• Post-ceremony press release

PROGRAM OVERVIEWThe ARA Achievement Medallion Program enables local

awards retailers to give nominated students what might betheir first important moment of recognition—and a full real-ization of their accomplishments. The following retailerguidelines have worked well and can result in a meaningfulrecognition program:

• Allow for the recognition of up to 50 students at one time,and plan for two programs or assemblies during the schoolyear so that up to 100 students may receive the award;

• Promote what it means to be an “Achievement MedallionAward” recipient prior to the program and throughout theschool to lend credibility and prestige to the award;

• Invite recognized students’ parents to attend the ceremo-ny;

• Invite the nominating faculty or staff member to the cere-mony to read the nomination of his or her student;

• Award each student with a custom medallion, along with apersonal note from the retailer and a copy of the nomina-tion as tangible mementos of recognition.

EXCLUSIVE RETAILER SPONSOR DUTIESRetailers who decide to participate in the medallion pro-

gram should have exclusive rights of sponsorship of the pro-gram in their chosen schools. While co-sponsorships canreduce costs, one of the major benefits to an ARA retailer isthe solidification of the relationship with the school.Additional sponsors only serve to diminish the retailer’s roleand visibility.

When a school has been approached and decides to par-ticipate, the retailer’s duties are as follows:

• Near the beginning of the school year, provide up to 100medallions (custom is preferred, but stock designs canwork) featuring the school colors and a matching ribbondrape to be awarded to the student winners;

• Appoint an in-store event coordinator who will prepareand distribute forms for nominations, notify faculty, stu-dents and parents of the winners; coordinate time andlocation of the actual program; prepare a personalizednote and program pamphlet from the retailer for eachstudent, and print a parchment copy of each student’snomination form.

These forms and the parchment template are included inthe ARA Achievement Medallion Program CD, ready for sim-ple customization. The retailer also pays for refreshmentsand related paper goods for the post-ceremony reception(usually $100 or less).

INDIVIDUAL HIGH SCHOOL DUTIESTo make the program successful, each school must assume the

following duties and responsibilities (also outlined in the CDs):

• Establish selection criteria and procedures;• Promote the program and encourage the understanding of

the award;• Communicate with the retailer’s event coordinator to pro-

duce a meaningful awards ceremony;• Offer constructive criticism to refine and improve the program.

BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATIONSince 1987, my awards business has used the ARA

Achievement Medallion Program to recognize more than7,000 high school students—at no cost to the school system.We have received numerous community awards that havegenerated much free publicity and goodwill. The programforges bonds that extend beyond the normal awards buyersto teachers and administrators, creating a network of advo-cates that are part of the fabric of the community. This recog-nition program has paid dividends far beyond the profits wemight have received had we simply sold the medals to theschools. It can work that way for you just as easily.

An additional benefit is your recognition at the ceremonyas the program’s sponsor and creator. By offering to helppresent awards and congratulate the students, you will behugged, kissed and thanked profusely—and be amazed atthe number of tears shed by parents, teachers, and even thestudents. You will also realize that your efforts represent thefirst and perhaps the only time some of these kids haveenjoyed a special moment of acknowledgment. You will expe-rience first-hand the power of recognition to change lives.

I am proud to be a purveyor of recognition products, and enjoyexperiencing the impact our products have on people. I am hope-ful that ARA members across the country will take advantage ofthis unparalleled opportunity to build the tradition of the “ARAAchievement Medallion Award” in their own markets—and givea little something back to their communities as well. •

Sam Varn of Awards4U, Tallahassee, FL, is an ARA PastPresident and longtime seminar lecturer and volunteer. Samreceived the Presidents Award at the ARA 2005 InternationalAwards Market in recognition for his many years of service tothe association.


The ARA Achievement Medallion ProgramBY SAM VARN, CRM

Awards4U

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:23 PM


IT’S A BUSINESS TRUTH that a firm’s overall suc-cess is directly related to the skills and devotion ofits employees. But organizations today, eager tobeef up marketing and creative teams to fuel newbusiness initiatives, are finding it more difficult torecruit and retain top-notch professionals comparedto years past. Marketers are demanding largersalaries and, in some cases, fielding multiple offers.This is due in large part to the continuing economic

rebound and the added leverage it has given skilledprofessionals in the job market.

When The Creative Group surveyed advertis-ing and marketing executives about their hiringexpectations for 2006, 68 percent of respondentssaid they plan to increase staff levels. That’s up11 percent from a 2004 survey and 24 percentfrom a 2003 forecast. Much of this hiring is aresult of pent-up demand for talent as firms

SalaryBY TRACEY TURNER

Attracting and Retaining Marketing Professionals in a Competitive Market

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:24 PM


move forward with marketing and advertisingprojects previously placed on hold.

While well-rounded marketing generalists arehighly sought, professionals with interactivemedia expertise, such as e-strategists and multi-media designers, are particularly hot as compa-nies boost their investment in online advertising.In fact, The Creative Group 2006 Salary Guideshows average starting salaries for websitedesigners with one to three years of experienceare expected to rise more than 8 percent from2005 levels, to between $40,750 and $59,000.Likewise, senior multimedia designers can antici-pate starting salaries of $58,000 to $86,000 in2006, up 6.8 percent from 2005. (For a free copy of

the complete Salary Guide, which provides comprehensive data on average starting salariesfor more than 75 communications and creativepositions, please call 888.846.1668.)

As the economy has steadily improved, manycompanies also have launched major branding andadvertising initiatives across a broad spectrum ofcommunication platforms. Consequently, brand-building experts with elevated knowledge of howto develop successful promotions and productplacement initiatives are being aggressively courted,often by multiple firms. Marketers with experienceadvertising to Hispanic and Asian audiences alsoare in great demand as businesses ramp up spend-ing to reach these growing demographics.

ySmarts

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:26 PM


HIRE LEARNING: RECRUITMENTCHALLENGES IN TODAY’S MARKET

While employers were firmly planted in the job-negotiation driver’s seat not long ago, the growingneed for skilled marketing and creative profession-als has caused the pendulum to swing back towardjob seekers. As a result of today’s healthier job market, hiring managers must enhance theirrecruitment efforts.

First and foremost, companies must make attractivejob offers. That means offering compensation thatmeets — or, more often, exceeds — the going rate. Infact, hiring managers are quickly discovering the salarylevels they have been presenting to prospectiveemployees may no longer be adequate to lure the bestcandidates in the marketplace. Eighty-seven percentof advertising and marketing executives polled by TheCreative Group said they are willing to negotiatesalaries when extending a job offer to promising indi-viduals — and you should be too.

Providing competitive compensation and benefitspackages also is key to retaining top performers.Today, companies are at greater risk of losing employ-ees who feel underappreciated — or underpaid. Manyhiring managers realize this and are already preparingto deal with potential turnover. Sixty-three percent ofadvertising and marketing executives surveyed by TheCreative Group said they would extend a counterofferif a high-performing employee were to quit to accept amore lucrative job offer.

Hot Job: Search EngineOptimizerEveryone knows the CEO is pivotal to an organization’s success. But in today’s interactive world, the SEO is too.

The Creative Group staffing professionals throughout North Americareport increased demand for search engine optimizers (SEOs), profes-sionals who are charged with increasing a firm’s website traffic byimproving its search-engine page rankings. Because of a shortage ofexperts in this relatively new area, top SEOs are currently able to writetheir own tickets — and it appears that they’ll be highly sought for theforeseeable future.

As the Internet becomes even more ubiquitous, search engines areadopting increasingly intuitive technology that will provide more target-ed results based on a user’s unique interests and social networks. Astandout SEO could enhance your marketing campaigns by efficientlyleveraging these emerging technologies and trends.

What skill sets should you seek in a SEO?

“The great ones will have a hard-to-find mix of technical and mar-keting skills,” says Keith Johns, interactive media manager atCincinnati-based F+W Publications.

“Great SEOs understand how sites deliver content, how searchengines read and index content, and how to best speak to and motivateaction in customers,”

Johns continues. “They practically have a sixth sense when itcomes to finding answers and information via engines. Most impor-tantly, they’ll have a fire to continue learning, as the greatest optimiza-tion advantages can be achieved when the SEO reacts efficiently andaccurately to rapid changes.”

“First and foremost, companies must make attractive job offers. That means offering compensationthat meets — or, more often,exceeds — the going rate.”

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:35 PM

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It is important to note, however, that bythe time an employee comes to you about anew job opportunity, it may be too late.The employee might reject your counterof-fer. Even if he or she accepts it, there’s noguarantee the professional will be moresatisfied on the job than before. Simplyput, if you don’t consistently show yourmarketing professionals that you valuetheir efforts, other firms will be happy to doso. That is why it’s crucial to be proactiveand examine your retention practices now.

RETENTION ATTENTION: HOW TOKEEP YOUR BEST EMPLOYEES

The Creative Group asked executives,“In your opinion, are advertising and mar-keting professionals more or less likely tochange jobs now versus five years ago?”Fifty-three percent said “more likely.”

This statistic underscores the need formanagers to focus on retention programs,maintain an open-door policy and keep aneye out for employees who might be burn-ing out or considering leaving for a compet-ing firm. Common warning signs includelower morale or a negative attitude,reduced productivity or quality of work,and a higher rate of absenteeism.

While appropriate compensation is impor-tant, there are other tried-and-trued retentionmethods to also consider. The following bestpractices can go a long way toward keepingemployees fired up, fresh and focused.

LET THEM GROW. Marketers tend to be a driven, goal-ori-

ented bunch. Give your team members theresources they need to stay motivated,happy and on the leading edge. Provideemployees with opportunities to expandtheir skills by encouraging them to join pro-fessional associations and attend industryconferences and training events.Subscribe to trade publications such as thisone on their behalf.

GIVE THANKS. Saying “thank you” for a job well done

might not seem like a particularly cutting-edge retention method, but it is. Expressing

2006 Projected Average Starting SalariesPosition Low % Increase

Over 2005Website Designer (1 to 5 years*) $40,750-$59,000 8.2%

Copywriter (1 to 3 years*) $34,000-$45,500 7.6%

Web Production Artist $34,500-$48,250 7.5%

Senior Multimedia Designer $58,000-$86,000 6.8%

Production Manger $47,250-$65,500 6.1%

Web Content Writer (1 to 5 years*) $35,750-$50,000 5.9%

Graphic Designer (1 to 3 years*) $31,500-$43,250 5.9%

Media Planner $44,750-$64,750 5.6%

Event/Tradeshow Manager $40,250-$62,000 5.1%

MarCom Coordinator (1 to 3 years*) $32,000-$43,750 4.9%

Brand/Product Manager $57,250-$97,500 4.8%

*Years of experienceFigures above are national averages for the United States. Consult The Creative Group

2006 Salary Guide or contact the nearest office of The Creative Group for information oncalculating the comparable salary for your area.

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:36 PM


gratitude and offering timely feedbackand consistent positive reinforcement isa management technique that nevergoes out of style. In addition to face-to-face interaction, also consider publiclypraising an employee during a meetingor in the company newsletter. Yourefforts will help instill commitmentand loyalty.

TUNE IN TO INDIVIDUAL NEEDS.

Keep work interesting for youremployees by learning more abouttheir career-related objectives, andthen offering assignments that direct-ly align with their goals. For instance,one employee might thrive if giventhe opportunity to pitch campaignideas to clients, while another personmight enjoy managing web designlogistics behind the scenes. Tailoringprojects shows employees that youcare about their short-term wantsand long-term aspirations. Also, bystriving to learn more about each per-son, you’ll likely uncover internal tal-ent for current or future job openingsat your firm.

BRING IN REINFORCEMENTS. If business is booming, but you’re

not in a position to immediately makea new hire, you can lighten the loadfor core staff by hiring temporarymarketing or creative professionals.In addition to taking some of the pres-sure off internal employees duringpeak workload periods, you can usethis arrangement to evaluate andgroom promising contract profession-als for full-time employment.

As the economy strengthens andthe marketing landscape continuesto evolve, firms will increasingly relyon the skills of talented communica-tions professionals. Companies willseek savvy, multitalented employ-ees to build memorable brands andcreate strong marketing and adver-tising campaigns utilizing a variety

of print, online and broadcast media.To best position your firm for continuedgrowth and success, stay abreast of thelatest industry compensation trends.By doing so, you will be in the bestposition to attract and retain today’stop marketing professionals. •

Tracey Turner is executive director ofThe Creative Group, a specializedstaffing service placing creative, adver-tising, marketing and web professionalswith a variety of firms on a projectbasis. Visit www.creativegroup.com formore information.

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:41 PM


AMONG TRAINERS, JOE ROGERS was leg-endary. You would hear his name whisperedwhenever trainers gathered to discuss eval-uations. A trainer among trainers, theysaid, “The instructor with perfect evalua-tions.” They claimed that he had neverreceived less than a perfect evaluation fromany of his students.

As a new trainer, I had to know how anyonecould be so good that he always scored perfectevaluations. During a business trip, I foundmyself in the town where he worked, so I decid-

ed to give him a call and ask if he could meetwith me to give me some pointers.

He turned out to be more than a well-evalu-ated trainer. He was a generous one as well,and he invited me to sit in on one of the famoustraining sessions in which I could watch Mr.Rogers’s Rules for Perfect Evaluations inaction. He even promised to give me an in-depth explanation of what he had done afterthe session was over.

The day of class, I arrived very early. I didn’twant to miss anything. Rogers was already

On choosing between training excellence and great evaluations

10The

Rules for PerfectEvaluations

BY JAY MCNAUGHT

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:41 PM


BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:42 PM


there. From all appearances, he had been in the classroom forsome time and was busy preparing. He obviously left nothing tochance. Thick manuals were placed at each seat. I introducedmyself, and Rogers told me to have a seat and observe. He point-ed out that the work of gaining perfect evaluations requiredpreparation, preparation, preparation.

PERFECT ORDER MAKES PERFECT EVALUATIONS.Cardboard name tents were already placed neatly in front of

the manuals. They were hand-lettered in tasteful calligraphy.“This is incredible,” I said. “Who does the lettering on these

name tents?”“Oh, I send those out,” he said. “It costs a lot, but the effect

is worth it.” He placed each manual a precise distance from thename tent, and each name tent was a precise distance in frontof a color computer terminal.

That was what drew my attention to the terminals. I hadnever seen a clean computer terminal. Yet each terminal in thistraining room was spotless. The screens were free of dust, andthe keyboards were missing the typical sludge that developsover years of use by greasy fingers. I spotted a bottle of cleanerand a rag, and I began to understand.

I sat down and began thumbing through a manual. I wasamazed at the detail and was becoming engrossed in the depthof the material, when my thoughts were interrupted. “Please,don’t be moving that manual now,” said Mr. Rogers. He lookedat me over the top of his horn-rimmed glasses and I felt as if Iwere back in grade school. I set the manual down and walkednervously to a corner of the room where I had spotted refresh-ments earlier. As I poured a cup of coffee, I noticed him movingthe manual back to the precise location where it had been beforeI violated it.

“I sat down andbegan thumbing

through a manual.I was amazed

at the detail andwas becoming

engrossed in the depth of thematerial, when

my thoughts were interrupted.”

1

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:42 PM


Satisfied with the placement of the manual, helooked up at me. “Perfect evaluations require per-fect attention to detail,” he said simply. “When thestudents are asked if the classroom was neat andorderly, the effort of arranging these manuals willbe rewarded.”

At this point I noticed the refreshments. Notonly was there coffee, but there was juice andsoda pop. Also included on the lavish refreshmenttray were donuts, Danish, fresh-baked cookies,fresh fruit, and rolls. This was nothing less than acomplete breakfast.

GOOD EVALUATIONS CAN BE BOUGHT.He noticed the way I was staring at the refresh-

ments. “The shortest path to a good evaluation isthrough the student’s stomach,” he said. “Neverlet a student sit down to an evaluation form withan empty stomach.” Then he walked over tothe clock on the wall, pulled it down, andbegan resetting it.

When he replaced the clock on the wall, I noticedthat he had set it a full five minutes earlier than thetrue time.

When the students began arriving a momentlater, they would look up at the clock and then hurryto their seats. You could hear them say things like,“Goodness, I didn’t realize it was so late.”

A LITTLE GUILT NEVER HURTS.I took him aside and asked him why he had altered

the time. His response was straightforward. “Make itobvious when you are right,” he said, “especially ifthe student is wrong. You’ll notice when you see theevaluation form that one of the questions asks if theinstructor began the class on time.”

“I don’t understand,” I said. “Why not just startthe class on time?”

“I used to always start classes on time. But stu-dents never noticed what time it was when I start-ed, so invariably, one or two students would justassume that the class had started late and mark theevaluation accordingly. I have learned that yourgood work gains you very little if you don’t callattention to it.”

When about half of the students had arrived, hebegan teaching the class. “The clock on the wall

says that it is eight o’clock, so let’s go ahead andget started. My name is Joe Rogers, and this classis titled, ‘Using the Inventory System.”’

At that moment, several other studentswalked in. Rogers stopped his remarks andstared as they entered. “Welcome to class. Theclass started at eight, so we went ahead andstarted without you, but you haven’t missedmuch yet.” The new students all seemed to turnthe same shade of red.

Rogers continued his introduction. “I have beenworking with the new inventory system for about ayear now. I was actually one of the founding mem-bers of the project team, which developed the sys-tem. I have a master’s degree in system develop-ment and a Ph.D. in inventory systems.”

EVALUATIONS START WITH STUDENTIMPRESSIONS.

I was impressed, and I could see that thestudents were, too.

Rogers continued, “If you’ll take the manualon your desks, I will give you a moment to famil-

iarize yourselves with the extensive documentationof the system which I have prepared. Pay specialattention to the chapter headings and the table ofcontents.” The students began thumbing throughthe thick manuals. Rogers quit talking while theyread. More students entered, and there was somehubbub as they took their seats. Rogers beganstrolling around the room. When he came past mychair, he whispered:

“Impressions count. Look at this manual. Theimpression is that it is very detailed and rich in con-tent. I have been using this manual now for a year,and it has helped me to get perfect evaluations.Look closely. The chapter headings are all accurate.And the first paragraph of every chapter is authen-tic. But the rest of it is simply the text of those firstparagraphs, repeated over and over again in differ-ent formats.” He rolled his eyes upward. “Thankheaven for word processing.”

“Doesn’t anybody complain about the content?”I said.

“Oh, come now,” he said. “Have you ever metanyone who has read a manual? Excuse me. I don’twant to give them too much time to browse it.”

“Have you ever met anyone who has read a manual? Excuse me. I don’twant to give them too much time to browse it.”

2

34

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:43 PM


TEACH TO THE EVALUATION.Rogers turned his attention to the classroom.

“Now that you have had a chance to get acquaint-ed with the manual, let’s take an opportunity to getto know each other. Would you mind introducingyourself one at a time, and telling what experienceyou have had with the inventory system?”

The introductions took several minutes. Therewere 20 students in the classroom, and as each stu-dent introduced himself, Rogers would move closeto the student, stand only a few feet in front him,and stare intently at him while he spoke.

With the introductions complete, Rogerslaunched into a lengthy dissertation on the goalsand objectives of the class. His explanation tookover 15 minutes. I noticed that he repeated himselfseveral times during this explanation.Evidently, the students noticed this as well.About the fifth time I heard him repeat, “So theprimary goal for the class today is to make youvery familiar with the manual and to informyou about the inventory system,” it becameapparent that the students were no longer pay-ing any attention to him at all. Rogers recognizedthis as well. “Does anyone have any questions con-cerning the goals and objectives for this course?”

His question was greeted with total silence.“Please do me a favor and turn to page five in your

manual.” He waited while the students obliged.“Now look about half way down the page and circlethe section titled ‘Goals and objectives of the class.”’

The students all followed his instructions.“Now, are there any questions concerning any-

thing we have done so far?”One student raised his hand, “Why does this

class last only two hours? How are we going tolearn all of this material in only two hours?”

Rogers took 10 minutes to answer the ques-tion. He went into theories on adult attentionspan and talked about the interactive nature ofthe inventory system. He discussed his theorieson adult learning and told how the on-lineinventory help facility was so powerful thatthey could no doubt use the system with no train-ing at all. By the time Rogers had finished hisresponse, the student had clearly forgotten theoriginal question. “Did I answer your question?”

“Yes.“Are you sure that I thoroughly answered your

question?”“Oh, yes, I’m sure.”Much later, during our private, in-depth discussion,

I was able to ask Rogers why he had begun theclass in this fashion. His response was straightfor-ward. “I’m not going to waste my time doing any-thing that won’t be directly reflected on my evalua-tion,” he said. “Question two on the evaluation asks‘Were the goals and objectives clearly stated at thebeginning of the class?’ Question three asks, ‘Werethe students allowed to introduce themselves?’Questions four asks, ‘Did the instructor have goodeye contact?’ And question five asks, ‘Did theinstructor adequately answer any student ques-tions?’ The students in this class may learnabsolutely nothing, but they will know that I hadthem introduce themselves, that I told them thegoals of the class, that I had good eye contact, andthat I thoroughly answered their questions.”

GOOD BREAKS LEAD TO GOOD EVALUATIONS.

After his lengthy answer to the student’squestion, Rogers must have sensed that it wastime for a break. He went into great detailexplaining where the restrooms were as well

as phones and even nearby fax machines. “Now,we still have a lot to cover, so let’s hurry back frombreak. I want to get started again promptly in 25 minutes.”

The students didn’t waste any time in leaving.Again, I was curious, and when Rogers and I werealone in the room, I asked him about it. “Isn’t a 25-minute break a bit excessive for a two-hour class?”

‘The highlight of any class is the break,” he said.‘From the moment the student first sits down, he iswondering when the break will be. I am convincedthat the longer the break, the better the evaluations!”

Eventually the students returned.

DON’T LET THE LEARNING GET INTHE WAY.“I want to begin the second half of the class

by giving you a quick orientation to the classroomand showing you how to use some of the equip-ment,” said Rogers. “To begin with, you are sit-ting in special chairs designed to accommodate avariety of preferences and physical needs.” Heshowed them how to adjust the chairs for maxi-mum comfort.

“I want to point out that these terminals arealso specially designed to afford maximum comfortand total student control.” He pointed out theergonomically correct keyboards and the specialnon-glare monitors. He showed them how to

5

6

7

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:43 PM


adjust the contrast for maximum eye comfort.“Now these terminals may be nothing like theterminals you have at your work location, but I dowant you to be comfortable in class.” The stu-dents were very impressed.

“I also want you to note our state-of-art projec-tion equipment.” He showed them how it worked,and how he could project a computer image on thewall that they could all see. No doubt this wouldhelp them in understanding the new inventory sys-tem, since they would be able to see the systemdemonstrated.

But then a student, whose name tent identifiedhim as Sam, asked the question that I was wonder-ing about, “Why are you wasting time showing usthis equipment?”

Rogers launched into another of his floweryexplanations, emphasizing the importance of usingthe right equipment in training, and how he wasdedicated to quality instruction.

After the session, he told me the real reason.“There is a lot more at stake here than any of thesestudents understand,” he said. “I can’t afford therisk of a lot of instruction when other things couldaffect the evaluation.”

‘Risk?” I said.“Every year my boss gives me a performance

review,” he said, “and it is based entirely on how wellI do on student evaluations. My boss doesn’t care ifthe students learned anything or not. He only caresthat I do well on the evaluations, because those eval-uations are what he reports to his boss, and they arethe basis for my boss’s own performance reviews. Ifhe gets a good performance review, then I get a goodperformance review, and we both get big raises. Ican’t jeopardize the welfare of so many people byspending a lot of time on something that counts for

very little in the evaluation process.”

ABSENT STUDENTS DON’T COMPLAIN.

His explanation to Sam about qualityinstruction and good equipment was stillhovering in the air when the telephone rang.

Rogers apologized for the interruption and quicklypicked up the receiver. He had a brisk and husheddiscussion. “I see. I’ll tell him right away.”

As he hung up the phone, Rogers turned toSam, “That was your office. They said somethingabout an emergency project. They want to know ifyou can leave class early and get back to the officeright away.”

Later, during our review discussion, I remarkedon his good fortune. “It was lucky that Sam had toleave before you gave out evaluations. I had thefeeling he didn’t like you and might have given youa bad evaluation out of spite.”

Rogers grinned and shook his head. “A goodinstructor leaves nothing to chance.”

Class Evaluation Form

Class: Using the Inventory SystemInstructor: Joe Rogers

Student Name:

• Were the classroom facilities adequate? Yes/No

• Were the goals and objectives clearly stated at the

beginning of class? (Refer to page five in your manual.)

Yes/No

• Were the students allowed to introduce themselves?

Yes/No

• Did the instructor have good eye contact? Yes/No

• Did the instructor adequately answer any student

questions? Yes/No

• Was the class too in-depth? Yes/No

• Did the instructor begin the class on time? Yes/No

• Did the instructor state his name at the beginning of

class? Yes/No

• Were the refreshments adequate? Yes/No

• Were the handouts adequate and thorough? Yes/No

• Was the classroom neat and orderly? Yes/No

• Was the instructor knowledgeable about the subject?

Yes/No8

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It took a moment for the implication of hisremark to sink in. “You mean you planned tohave the student taken out of your class?”

“It’s an easy thing to program my personal computer to ring the classroomtelephone every day right before I hand outevaluations.”

TIMING IS EVERYTHING.“Well, we only have 20 minutes left,” said

Rogers after Sam left. “I am hoping that we canwrap this class up a little early, so I’m going to handout the class evaluation forms now. This way wecan make sure that you won’t have to rush to finishthem.” He handed out the forms. As the studentsbegan marking the forms, Rogers continued talking.“After you return your class evaluation form to me,I will give you your plaque, stating that you havesuccessfully completed this class.”

As the students began filling out the evaluationsforms, we were able to have another of our hushedconversations.

“Why now?” I whispered. “Why not wait and letthe students do a class evaluation after they getback on the job? It would seem to me that theycould better evaluate the learning once they actual-ly started using the inventory system.”

Rogers looked like he was going to laugh outloud, but he caught himself and looked around atthe students. “You’re so hung up on learning,” hesaid. “If I really wanted to know if the students hadlearned something, I would wait at least threemonths before doing an evaluation.”

That seemed reasonable to me.“I don’t want my success tied in with the student’s

ability to learn,” he continued. “What if I did wait todo the evaluation and then discovered that a studentcouldn’t do anything he had learned in the class?What if the student was a total moron and just plaincould not learn anything anyway? It would reflectpoorly on me. So I give the evaluation immediatelyafter the class, while everything I did is still fresh inthe student’s mind. This way, my performance in theclassroom is all that is being evaluated. You mighthave heard this kind of evaluation form called a smilesheet. Well, to the extent it proves to my boss what agreat trainer I am, it makes me smile!”

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS RIGHT.I watched the students fill out the evalua-

tion forms. I was somewhat dazed by all that Ihad witnessed. I picked up an extra copy ofthe evaluation form and was enlightened con-

cerning his tenth and final rule: Just ask theright questions and ask the questions right.

As I read over the evaluation form, I was sad tosee that it mentioned nothing about what the stu-dent had learned. Of course, that was because thestudents had learned nothing. Then I rememberedthat Rogers said that I was too hung up on learning.I noted the way he had phrased the questions.There was no room here for ambiguity, no space pro-vided for comments. In each case, the answerRogers desired was the only one possible.

Later, I asked one final question. “Is that allthere is to it?” I said. “Don’t you do anything tomeasure performance?”

“Most definitely.” he said emphatically. “Aftereach class, I send a glowing letter to each student’ssupervisor. I tell how well the student did, and howconfident I am for expert performance on the inven-tory system.”

“Isn’t that a lot of work?” I said.“Sure it is,” he said, “but it’s worth it. A report

like that puts the onus on the student to meet per-formance expectations.”

I realized then that he was both determined and tire-less in his pursuit of perfect evaluations, and he wasn’tabout to let student-learning stand in the way. •

Jay McNaught, the Cinergy “Manager of ChangeEffectiveness”, sometimes writes ironically aboutcomputer training. Jay has worked for Cinergy for 19years and has over 25 years of experience in the areasof training, communication, leadership development,and change management. He holds a master’s degreein education from Indiana University and an MBAfrom Indiana Wesleyan University, where he alsoteaches leadership and management courses in theMBA and MSM programs. Jay has spoken on trainingtopics at several national conferences and has pub-lished a variety of articles on training. Jay currentlyserves as newsletter editor for the Central Indianachapter of the American Society for Training andDevelopment (CIASTD).

“As I read over the evaluation form, I was sad to see that it mentionednothing about what the student had learned.”

910

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BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:44 PM


Please Mister,

MOST OF TODAY’S BUSINESS and professionalsociety lives in fear of litigation. It is the singlemost powerful influence on any business decision.Litigation is expensive, time consuming and itcommonly drags out for years in our overbur-dened court system.

Studies show that somewhere between 95 and97 percent of all lawsuits filed end in settlement.Attorneys argue relentlessly over the facts and thelaw, only to settle based on negotiated compro-mise without resolution of facts or law. Most settlewhile explicitly not admitting guilt. The reality isthat we do not so much operate in a legal systemas we operate in a settlement system. Bargainingin the shadow of an impending trial is what moti-vates settlement. In a word, duress. This is why a1991 study in Oregon showed that only 50 percentof all settled cases were resolved by three daysprior to trial. The other 50 percent settled withinthree days of trial, after numerous months of priornegotiation.

What is needed is a better negotiation environ-ment. One which challenges the court system’svery basic assumptions: that parties to a disputeare adversaries (i.e. if one wins the other mustlose), that the ultimate decision will be resolvedthrough application of law, that disputes must bedecided by someone other than the partiesinvolved (the Big Brother syndrome), and that thedispute has to do only with material things (moneyor material resources).

CONSIDER MEDIATIONMediation is a process where parties to a dispute

meet with an impartial, informed third party whoassists them, and their legal counsel if desired, in a

cooperative, collaborative, problem solving environ-ment. Mediation is not a substitute for sound legaladvice, but it is a substitute for litigation in a courtof law. Unlike the misleading portrayal of mediationin Michael Crichton’s Disclosure, mediation is notthe same thing as a mandatory settlement confer-ence or an early neutral evaluation.

All parties participate in the mediation session.The mediator, trained with the specific skills tobring people together, guides the process byassisting the parties to clearly define the issues indispute, explore their options and facilitate an outcome which meets the participants’ specificinterests. Mediation is a more efficient processbecause the parties themselves, those closest tothe case, are empowered to control the outcome byarticulating their goals and interests, and crafting asolution, which directly meets those interests.

In order to encourage the free exchange ofideas necessary to allow the case to reach closure,the process has two levels of confidentiality. Thefirst step in most mediations is the signing of aconfidentiality agreement stating that any infor-mation divulged during mediation is to remainconfidential, is not admissible in court, and themediator cannot be subpoenaed. This encouragesthe participants to speak freely. Secondly, themediator will not reveal any information from pri-vate sessions or “caucuses” to the other partywithout permission. This encourages the partici-pants to speak freely to the mediator.

The success rate in mediation is near 90 percent.Because resolutions to conflict are rarely black orwhite, the parties consider a wider breadth of poten-tial outcomes than is available in a court of law. Inmediation, any solution is possible. Additionally,

BY LEE JAY BERMAN

Don’t Sue Me!

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:45 PM


because the participants’ mutual consensus is whatmakes up the final agreement, compliance rates top 90percent, making them significantly higher than otherdispute resolution methods. WHEN SHOULD MEDIATION BE USED?

Mediation should be initiated as soon as negoti-ations reach an impasse. This allows for resolutionbefore the parties develop an emotional or financialcommitment to litigation. However, it is never toolate to mediate. Cases have been successfully mediatedafter judgment and prior to filing the appeal.Mediation can be especially effective when theissues are complex, when there are more than twoparties or when there is a high level of emotion sur-rounding a dispute.

Many industries have embraced mediation, butnone so aggressively as insurance, real estate anddevelopment, construction, employment and labor.The insurance industry and the trial lawyers haveteamed to develop the National Pre-Suit MediationProgram identifying mediation as the preferredmethod for resolving disputes. In real estate, theCalifornia Association of Realtors has includedmandatory mediation in their standard sales con-tracts. Recent laws mandate that subject to certainguidelines, homeowner disputes must be mediatedand land use and environmental litigation will bereferred to mediation by the courts. The constructionindustry has begun widespread use of“Construction Partnering”, a series of regular meet-ings between principals and subcontractors resolv-ing conflicts, clearing up misunderstandings andkeeping communication lines open. Successfulbusinesses recognize the inevitability of disputesand plan for them by adopting a risk managementplan that includes mediation.

The best way to achieve this is to insert a medi-ation clause into every contract with languagerequiring that any dispute arising from the transac-tion will go to mediation before any lawsuit can befiled. This is almost like saying, “Let’s try thepeaceful approach to problem solving first.”Mediation can be scheduled and conducted in a rel-atively short time so as to not effect any statute oflimitations. In the rare case where an agreementcannot be reached, 10-15% of the time according tothe L.A. County Bar Association, the other legalremedies remain available. While deterring frivo-lous litigation, such clauses will promote a cooper-ative relationship between a company and its

clients and employees. The California Dispute Resolution Council is cur-

rently tracking 75 bills in the state legislature mandat-ing the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). IS IT LEGALLY BINDING?

Mediated agreements typically contain languagemaking them enforceable at law. Once the partiesagree on an outcome and sign a final agreement,they are bound under law. Upon the agreement ofthe parties, the mediated agreement can be convertedinto a stipulated judgment giving the agreementthe full force and effect of a court judgment.

Binding arbitration is common practice. Here,binding refers to an agreement to submit to the out-come of a process regardless of result. While thisoffers parties a feeling of finality, it also removesrecourse if the arbitration process is unsatisfactory.

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROMARBITRATION?

Mediation and arbitration both use a neutral thirdparty, but that is where the similarity ends. The arbi-trator is hired to listen to arguments presented byeach side’s respective counsel in an evidentiary hear-ing, generally police the civil code of procedurestatutes governing discovery, and make a judgment.This evidence usually includes costly depositions andfull discovery of the other side’s case. It is essentially aprivate trial presided over by the arbitrator. Althoughfacts and evidence are presented in mediation, theyare used to determine the origin of a dispute andinfluence the other party’s position.

The mediator facilitates a negotiation, acting asa catalyst helping to generate potential solutionsand bring to light possible resources and outcomeson which the participants may not be focused. Thearbitrator passes judgment.

In mediation, the participants retain all decision-making authority. In arbitration, the parties have nosay in the final outcome, they relinquish all controlto the arbitrator.

Mediation tends to focus on moving forward,while arbitration deals only with the past. The finalagreement, as drafted by the mediator, is essentiallya list of consensus points between the parties. Inarbitration, the decision is a final judgment mandatedupon the parties. Parties in arbitration generallyrequire extensive case preparation and representationby legal counsel as the process is a legally based factfinding. In mediation, parties sometimes prefer legal

Many industries have embraced mediation, but none so aggressively as insurance, real estate and development, construction, employment and labor.

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:45 PM


representation, although it is not required. It is important for any participant who is not represented to

have some understanding of their legal rights and responsibil-ities prior to mediating in order to negotiate effectively andgive their informed consent to the final agreement.

WHAT DOES IT COST?Mediators usually charge hourly for their time. It is customary

for each party to pay equally for the mediator’s time to maintainneutrality. Since there is no major preparation required, they cangenerally be scheduled within a week or two. Most mediations canbe resolved within a matter of hours or days.

By using mediation, corporate clients are able to reducedefense costs and increase efficiency by focusing on their corebusiness and profitability. Nothing trims the cost of disputes better or faster than avoiding court all together.Plaintiffs and trial lawyers are able to receive reasonable com-pensation and contingent fees in a matter of weeks, rather thanyears.

John W. Martin, General Counsel at Ford Motor Companysays, “Conventional arbitration proceedings just don’t appeal tomost general counsel.” The cost of an arbitration, while signifi-cantly less expensive and time consuming than a court battle,includes many hours of legal discovery, research and preparation.

A recent Wall Street Journal article says “Single arbitrations havegenerated more than $1 million in fees for some [law] firms”. Itgoes on to say “In another sign that they have banished expen-sive adversarial attitudes, many partners at law firms say theyrecognize that mediation is usually preferable to arbitrationbecause of its speed, low cost and high success rate.”

Businesses spend considerable time and resources build-ing commercial relationships. By utilizing mediation, dis-putes can be resolved while still preserving these importantrelationships by targeting the problem, not the other person.For this reason mediation is especially valuable in caseswhere the parties hope to have a continuing relationshipsuch as employers and employees, or landlords and tenants.

People are demanding a dispute resolution system that ismore swift, affordable, equitable and cooperative one wherethey have an active voice in determining the outcome, whilesaving time, money and peace of mind. •

Lee Jay Berman is the President of THE MEDIATIONALLIANCE, INC., a full-service mediation firm dedicated to utiliz-ing the talents of field-specific, professionally certified mediators.Mr. Berman and his firm also teach mediation skills and consult tobusinesses teaching conflict resolution skills in the workplace.Contact Mr. Berman at (800) 395-6495.

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:49 PM


DO YOU HAVE ANY “living dead” on yourstaff—people who just get through the day?If so, what effect does this halfhearted atti-tude have on your donors and the fundraisinggoals your organization is trying to achieve?

A passionate work environment is not onlymore enjoyable, but also more productive. Infact, how people feel about working in anorganization can account for 20 percent to 30percent of business performance. All thingsbeing equal, employees who are more enthu-siastic and motivated will produce more, bemore creative and be more committed toorganizational success than those who arenot. Passion can be defined in various ways,but for our purposes we will define it as astrong desire to do something. We asked peo-ple what causes them to be passionate aboutworking in an organization. Their responsesfell into three categories:

• Meaningful work• Enjoyable work• Being in a nurturing workplace

Following is a list of nine activities anyonecan start tomorrow to create what we term“occupational intimacy,” a more passionatework environment comprising the three orga-nizational categories. It is not an exhaustivelist—you may have others that work just as

well or better for yourselfor others you work with—but it is a starting place.

MEANINGFUL WORKBecome the best. It is hard to be passionate

about something that ismediocre. A master craftsmanwho has worked for 38 years atthe Waterford Crystal Factory inIreland told us he is still passionateabout his work because he knowshe is one of the best in the world athis craft and because he works forthe best crystal factory in the world.The process of becoming better makesmany people passionate about theirwork, so that they either strive todevelop into the best they can possiblybe or they work to be the best in theirclass, occupation, industry or field.

• What would it take for you or yourorganization to become the best youcan be?

Connect to your mission.Capital campaign consultant and

author Stanley Weinstein, ACFRE,

MotivatBY MICHAEL KROTH, PH.D., AND

PATRICIA BOVERIE, PH.D

Nine Ways to Create a MorePassionate Work Environment—Starting Today!

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t ionBR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:50 PM


explains, “Commitment to mission is the sinequa non of nonprofit fundraising success.Donors may give modest amounts because arespected peer asked, but major commitmentsbecome possible only when the donor believesin the organization’s mission and the value ofthe philanthropic investment. Additionally, vol-unteers—even those who are inherently uncom-fortable with fundraising— become motivated tomake that personal ask when they rememberthat the request for funding flows from theircommitment to the valuable work of the non-profit organization.”

• How can you connect volunteers, staff and yourselfto the contribution you are making to the world?

Create a challenge.Why do organizations try to win the Malcolm

Baldrige National Quality Award (see www.quali-ty.nist.gov)?

Why does a manufacturing company set zerodefects as a goal? Why do organizations set highfundraising goals? Challenges can ignite passion forthe work of the organization or for an individual.

• What challenge will spark the imagination of yourorganization?

ENJOYABLE WORKPut the right people in the right job.This activity is more difficult because it involves

peoples’ livelihoods. Each person naturally haswork that he or she likes to do. Some like workingwith people, while others would rather work with acomputer. Some have an affinity for numbers, oth-ers for engines. It is remarkable how often peopletake jobs—volunteer or otherwise—simply becausethey were offered and find they are miserable yearsdown the road.

• Does your organization strive to get staff and vol-unteers involved in the kind of work they trulyenjoy doing?

Create the best physical environment possible.There is actual evidence that aesthetically pleas-

ing objects enable people to work better. Music cansooth, inspire or energize workers. Decoration canreinforce the atmosphere most conducive to theparticular work needing to get done. On the otherhand, dreary environments can drain energy andeven depress the people who inhabit them.

One call center we studied went from an error-prone place where employees sobbed on the eleva-tors on their way to work to the best in their indus-try class. They did a number of things to make ithappen, but one was to improve the physical envi-ronment. When they bought new chairs (the previ-ous ones were held together by duct tape), theirproductivity numbers immediately went up andcontinued to rise. Now each individual colorfullydecorates his or her office with plants, pictures, bal-loons and other personal touches.

• What can you do to make your organization aplace that your staff and volunteers find cheerful,motivating and productive?

Give people permission to have fun.We work with a 300-employee organization com-

prising mostly accountants and information tech-nology (IT) professionals. We wondered if theywould be fun to work with. As it turns out, they cre-ate activities to make work humorous, entertainingand enjoyable. They have had a “Gong Show”

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:50 PM

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event with employee acts, including the CFOdressed in prison stripes lip-synching “Jail HouseRock.” He brought down the house and made itcomfortable for others to let their hair down. Fundoes not have to be wild and crazy. It can be simple.For a leader, it means letting people know that it isokay, even encouraged, to do things that make peo-ple laugh and enjoy themselves at work.

• How can you make your volunteers’ and staff’swork more fun?

BEING IN A NURTURING WORKPLACE• Learn constantly.When we interviewed passionate people, we

always found that they take risks and learn. Whenwork becomes monotonous or, as one of our goodfriends says, when you have “baked the same caketoo many times,” passion fades. Organizations thatproactively promote learning are more passionate.One Inc. 500 organization we studied (from Inc.magazine’s list of the nation’s fastest growing pri-vately held companies) requires each member of itssenior management team to take an hour eachweek just to read a book or article or view a video.Later in the week, team members get together andshare information learned with each other. Otherorganizations rotate people into new positions,assign stretch projects or send people to training toimprove their skills or get new perspectives.

• What can you do to introduce new learning oppor-tunities into your organization?

Build relationships.Most fundraising, we have observed, involves

social activity and relationship building. One ofthe most powerful roles that professional organi-zations such as the Association of FundraisingProfessionals (AFP) play is to create a web ofrelationships that is constantly renewing, chal-lenging and supporting. While an individual’sorganization may not be doing its best to moti-vate staff and volunteers, often the professionalrelationships people have keep them energizedabout their field. For others, the relationships atwork make the job enjoyable and meaningful.One of our clients reorganized its entire manu-facturing organization. One group slated for dispersal was a group of women who workedclosely together. Their informal role in the organ-ization, however, was to serve as the social glue.The organization realized in time the huge

mistake it would be to destroy this importantgroup and made them the only exception to thenewly decentralized organization.

• Are you applying the principles you practice withdonors and volunteers to your own staff?

Provide recognition and rewards.We almost did not include this because it

almost seems like a cliché. There are so manyways to do it, but it is easy to forget. One high-tech company we looked at puts the names ofnot only of its employees, but also their extend-ed families on its organizational chart to recog-nize the valuable contribution fathers, mothers,daughters, sons, cousins, aunts and uncles playin making the organization a success. Each newemployee also puts his or her handprint on theentrance of the building. Those handprints,together, symbolize the importance each personhas as a part of the team.

• Undoubtedly you do a great job of recognizing andrewarding your volunteers and donors, but do youput the same effort into your fellow employees?

We have presented nine ideas you can imple-ment today to create a more passionate, more pro-ductive work environment in your organization. Youalso can apply each one of them to yourself. Theyare not the only ideas that might work for you, norwill all of them apply to you or your situation. Eachone has, however, been effective for others.Cumulatively they can be a powerful force.

Michael Kroth, Ph.D., is an assistant professor ofadult education at the University of Idaho, andPatricia Boverie, Ph.D., is a professor of organization-al learning and instructional technology at theUniversity of New Mexico. Together they ownBoverie Kroth & Associates in Albuquerque, N.M.,and have written Transforming Work: The Five Keysto Achieving Trust, Commitment and Passion in theWorkplace.

For more information, visit www.b-k-a.com oremail [email protected].

Copyright© Association of FundraisingProfessionals (AFP) 2005. Advancing Philanthropy isthe bi-monthly publication of AFP, which promotesphilanthropy through advocacy, research, educationand certification programs (www.afpnet.org). Allrights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

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BR0805_Section03 7/22/05 2:32 AM Page 71


With the introduction of the TV remote control, and

later TiVo, the traditional patterns of TV watching

have been forever changed. Perhaps the only time

TV viewers actually tune in for the commercials is on

Super Bowl Sunday—and they are usually rewarded.

But during the rest of the year, TV commercials afford

time to get a snack or take a bathroom break. Right?

Radio advertising is good but fleeting, newspaper

and magazine advertising is effective but one

dimensional, and bill boards are eye-catching, if

you are driving slow enough to read them.

What kind of advertising sticks around long enough

to remind you of the advertiser’s message day in and

day out? What advertising medium do people carry

with them? Of all advertising media, which one do

people actually request and are excited to receive?

Promotional products!

These are useful or decorative items imprinted with

a company’s name, logo or message for use in mar-

keting and communication programs. They run

from the functional—t-shirts, calendars, clocks—to

the sublime—etched glass awards and leather

embossed totes, for example. Research studies have

shown the outstanding effectiveness of promotional

products, especially in a tough economy. Why are

they so effective?

• People keep promotional products. In a

Promotional Products Association International

study, 71 percent of the 805 business travelers

intercepted at a major airport had in their posses-

sion at least one promotional product.

• People remember the message of promotional

products. Of the study respondents, 76 percent

could accurately recall the name or message of the

advertiser.

• People do business with companies that use

promotional products. Close to half of the survey

participants who had never done business with the

advertiser said they were more likely to do so after

receiving a promotional product. Plus, more than

half said they held a more favorable opinion of

the advertiser after receiving their item.

• Promotional products cost less per impression.

With their long-lasting reach and recall, the

cost-per-impression of promotional products is

often lower than traditional advertising.

Need ideas for promotional products to make your

company or brand memorable? Ask your promotional

consultant or go to www.businessbuilders.com to

find a consultant to help you.

Promotional Products May Be Your Smartest Media Buy

Presented By:

BR0406-WHATWORKS 3/27/06 11:05 PM


CHALLENGE:In the world of theme parks, the addition of four new roller coasters to one park in one year isastounding, but Six Flags Ohio was able to do it.Wanting to generate excitement about its new rides,the park knew it must first get the media interestedbefore going straight to consumers. How could itencourage attendance at its Media Day prior to season park opening?

SOLUTION:Public relations manager for Six Flags Ohio, ShannonD’Sidocky, contacted promotional consultant Bruce J.Felber, MAS, of Twinsburg, Ohio-based Felber &Felber Marketing, for ideas. “We needed a unique,eye-catching promotion to entice media to come toour event,” D’Sidocky says. “We set a world recordfor the most coasters put into an existing themepark during one season, and we wanted to get theword out.”

Using a little play on words, they developed a set ofcommemorative coasters shaped like records. Eachcoaster had the logo and description of one of the newroller coasters, while its record shape illustrated thefact that Six Flags Ohio had set a new world record.

Two weeks prior to Media Day, the coasters weremailed first-class to 600 media contacts in

Ohio and surrounding states. D’Sidocky and Felberknew the coasters would be successful because theyfeatured interesting facts about each roller coaster—information the media could use in stories andbroadcasts. “The mailer was very well-received,” says D’Sidocky. “Many of the media mentioned theywould hold on to their coasters in hopes they would become collectors’ items one day.”

RESULT:The coaster campaign was the perfect blend of funand functionality, doubling the previous year’s mediaattendance. “Media coverage was significant, espe-cially in our hard to reach outer markets,” D’Sidockysays. “We were very impressed.”

INDUSTRY: Entertainment—Six Flags Ohio

Find a promotional consultant at www.buildapromotion.com

FACT: According to the Direct MarketingAssociation, an investment of $1 indirect marketing advertising expenditureswill return, on average, $11.49 inincreased revenue across all industries.

BR0406-WHATWORKS 3/27/06 11:06 PM


CHALLENGE:TMP Worldwide/Adcoms Division was asked to createa formal recruiting program for the Air Force Reservewith objectives to increase the quality of referralsand achieve a 100-percent “end strength” (fullymanned) Air Force Reserve. The challenge involvedcreating awareness of the program to generate referrals from the 72,000 targeted active reservists.

SOLUTION:Tom Morrow, a promotional consultant withUSMotivation Promotional Services in Atlanta,Georgia, was asked to design a program where the targeted reservists would receive immediaterecognition for their referrals and special prizeswhen their referrals actually joined the reserves.“We explained the promotion to the target audi-ence with magnet postcards and used the ‘Get One’logo along with the theme, ‘Help us find what’smissing,’” explains Morrow. “For the first referral,the reservist received a Get One jar opener; for thesecond, a Get One flying disc; and a Get One tapemeasure for the third referral.”

When the referral enlisted, the referring reservistreceived a Get One portfolio/calculator. With a second referred enlistment, the referring reservistreceived a watch; and with a third enlistment, the reservist received a set of Get One brass coasters.

RESULT:“The promotional products created such excitementthat as reservists realized the prizes were increasingin value with the number of referrals and enlist-ments, even more participated in the program,” says Adam Einiger, project manager, Air ForceReserve Advertising Account for TMP Worldwide.

“And the final numbers are quite impressive,” saysMorrow, “with 1,111 participating reservists, 1,644total referrals and 170 total enlistments (accessions).The ‘end strength’ (fully manned) AFR exceeded itsgoal by reaching 106 percent.”

FACT: In doubt about how your logo will look on several different products? Request

a logoed sample from your promotional consultant. This will also let you see and touch the exact products you are considering.

INDUSTRY: Human Resources—TMP Worldwide/Adcoms Division

BR0406-WHATWORKS 3/27/06 11:06 PM

CHALLENGE:The Risk Insurance Management Services (RIMS)conference in San Francisco always draws thevery best risk managers, brokers andagents—just the type of clientele ZurichUS, an insurance-based financial servicesprovider, had its eye on. But the compe-tition is fierce to win the attention ofthis select group of individuals. Sohow would Zurich US capture privatetime with them and get them toattend its dinner event?

SOLUTION:Knowing hundreds of millions of dol-lars were at stake, Fran Harding, com-munications director for Zurich US,called on a pro—Marty Gruber, MAS, promo-tional consultant for The Dubbs Company in Allentown, Pennsylvania (now withForrester-Smith in Annapolis, Maryland.)

Keeping the high-end clientele in mind,Harding and Gruber knew they needed something classy that would stand out fromthe other mailings attendees received. So they developed a five-part mailing that exudedelegance and inspired interest.

The promotion began with a formal save-the-datecard mailed to a select group of 430 brokers andagents from the United States, Mexico and Canada.To generate further curiosity, this was followed by an “Expect Our Invitation” card.

It was finally time for the big invitation.Engraved napkin rings and fancy cloth napkinswere mailed in custom-designed gift boxes bearingthe message, “We hope you’ll accept the enclosedring—and our proposal.” The inside card invitedthe recipients to attend Zurich’s event and promised“it’ll be the perfect setting.” As a follow-up,reminder cards were sent, with thank-you cardsmailed afterwards.

RESULT:Out of 430 invitations mailed, 173 recipients accepted, filling all available seats with the mostsought-after agents and brokers at the RIMS confer-ence. “Our event was heralded as the show’s mostpopular after-event,” says Harding. “A new level ofprestige and visibility was achieved by Zurich US.”


INDUSTRY: Financial—Zurich US


FACT: When choosing a promotional consultant, select one who is more interestedin conveying your message than in his or her products.

BR0406-WHATWORKS 3/27/06 11:07 PM

CHALLENGE:Maintaining its market position had become a never-ending challenge for The Intelligencer, the oldest newspaper in West Virginia. This regionalmorning newspaper wanted to create more awarenessof its brand and increase circulation by five percentduring a one-year period with a secondary objectiveof keeping disgruntled subscribers from discontinuingdelivery due to service problems.

SOLUTION:With the help of promotional consultant GaryGwynn, II, CAS, and other team members fromGwynn Advertising in Wheeling, West Virginia, thenewspaper launched a four-part promotion to meetthe challenge—with announcements in newspaperads and on posters. “In the first phase, sales repshand delivered a basic white ‘INTELL’ mug with agreen logo to new subscribers. In the next phase,during a two-month timeframe sales reps hand deliv-ered to new subscribers a limited edition ‘Then AndNow’ commemorative mug showing the famousWheeling Suspension Bridge,” explains Gwynn.

In the third leg of the promo-tion, “Stop All Stops,” sales repshand delivered both of thesemugs as peace offerings to disgruntled customers. “The customer service rep respondedto delivery-problem calls byassuring customers the problemwould be resolved and followed

up with these goodwill gifts,”says Gwynn. “During thefour months of this phase,The Intelligencer saved 58 customers.”

In the final phase, the “Stay Dry-Stay Informed” promotion, sales reps

again hand delivered a greenand white, imprinted

golf umbrella tokeep new sub-scribers from

being “all wet” when it came tocurrent events.

RESULT:“By the end of the promotion, The Intelligencer hadboosted its circulation from 21,200 to 22,400—a 5.3-percent growth rate,” says Eric Anderson, marketing manager for The Intelligencer.

A surprise bonus was that Newspaper Association ofAmerica (NAA) named The Intelligencer “America’sfast growing daily,” based on circulation figures(under 100,000) for small market newspapers.


INDUSTRY: Media—The Intelligencer

FACT: For maximum benefits from promotionalproducts, be sure to integrate them into yourtotal marketing plan: make them a strategiccomponent, budget for them, determine thecall-to-action you want from recipient, and determine the delivery method.

BR0406-WHATWORKS 3/27/06 11:15 PM


CHALLENGE:You decide you have something to promote. You want to get the word outabout your business and what it offers.But with whom will you work toensure this happens? The choices areplentiful. And promotional consultantfirm, Performance Group, knows this. It also knows it has the creativity, skilland promotional products to deliver atop-notch campaign. But how couldthis firm convince possible clients it’sthe best choice when selecting a promotional consultant?

SOLUTION:Targeting high profileclients, thePerformance Groupconstructed a three-part direct-mail campaign, with each phase two daysapart. “Our target audience consisted of prospects inthe Southern and Northern California area,” sayspromotional consultant Natalie Rucinski. “Most of these people are business owners, marketing executives or meeting planners.”

The first promotional product was a glass mug filledwith a large bag of tea and imprinted with the word “Creativi-tea.” The mug was mailed in a custom-printed corrugated box with copy that creatively tied the essence of a promotional consultant firm with the tea theme.

Two days later, recipients were happy to open thenext product—a t-shirt vacuum packed into theshape of a mini tee bearing the word “Creativi-tee.” And following the clever word play of theprevious mailings, the last promotional productwas a velvet bag of golf tees imprinted with theword “Creativi-tee.” Included in each mailing wasa business reply card for the recipient to requestadditional information.

RESULT:The promotion laid impressive groundwork—100 percent of follow-up phone calls were accepted and92 percent resulted in appointments. As an addedbonus, Rucinski says, “A Fortune 100 company thathad not ordered in the past year placed an order formore than $13,000.”

INDUSTRY: Advertising—Performance Group


FACT: If you like the idea of a compressedtee, take it a step further by combining it in a sack, pack or box with a CD-ROM or memory stick for a new product launchor coupons toward a future purchase for a consumer promotion.

BR0406-WHATWORKS 3/27/06 11:15 PM


CHALLENGE:This residential high school for court-adjudicatedjuvenile offenders wanted to increase the studentpopulation to 340 students. To do this, the schoolneeded an awareness program highlighting itsextraordinary services and targeting 136 juvenilecourt judges and parole officers so they would commit students to the school.

SOLUTION:Using a mailing list of potential clients prepared inadvance by Summit Academy, promotional consultantStephanie Warlick of Colorworks Promotions inKensington, Maryland, used creativity in selectingthe perfect promotional products to highlight andcorrespond with Summit Academy’s services. “Usingthe school colors of red and blue for the productsand romance cards, we developed multi-piece mailersto grab the recipients’ attention,” says Warlick. “Eachmailing included a tie-in product plus informationabout Summit Academy’s successful rehabilitativeexperiences for youth plus an invitation to requestmore information.”

The first piece, symbolizing education, was a bluecalculator and included a romance card with an invitation to come by the booth at anupcoming tradeshow. Those visitingthe booth and requesting further

information received a blue pen. A week later, toemphasize the school’s athletics component, thepotential clients received a white mini footballimprinted in blue along with the message, “You’ll score big in the community by rehabilitatingyouth in a positive manner.”

To again highlight Summit Academy’s education, thenext mailing was a blue-covered Thesaurus with theromance card reading, “There are no synonyms forThe Summit Academy. We’re one of a kind in juvenileoffender rehabilitation.” The final piece was a redmini tool kit, selected to emphasize the industrialtrades aspect of Summit Academy’s counseling andrehabilitation.

RESULT:“Of the targeted 136 potential clients, 109 requested

more information by mail or at thetradeshow—an impressive 80-percentresponse rate,” says The Summit AcademyPresident/Headmaster Samuel A. Costanzo.“And, more significantly, we reached an all-time, record-high enrollment of 348 students.”

INDUSTRY: Education—The Summit Academy/The Academy System, Inc.

FACT: Research shows that 76 percent oftradeshow attendees have decided BEFOREthey get to the convention which boothsthey’ll visit.

BR0406-WHATWORKS 3/27/06 11:16 PM


The potential situations for using promotional prod-

ucts are virtually limitless. From t-shirts for the com-

pany softball team to crystal awards for special

employee recognition, there is a product and price

point to suit your needs.

How do you use promotional products? Are you

incorporating promotional merchandise into all the

programs you could? In the PPAI 2005 End Buyer

Study, respondents indicated a variety of uses,

with business gifts, events, brand awareness and

tradeshows rounding out the top four. While these

are the most popular uses, promotional products can

be integrated in so many more ways.

Take new customer account generation, for example.

When trying to contact prospective customers,

sometimes a flat direct mail piece just won’t break

through the clutter. Instead, you could include a

packet of seeds and talk about ways you can help

grow their business. In terms of product price and

postage, this is an inexpensive way to get noticed.

Here’s another idea. A sleek, high-tech clock could

be delivered with the message that your product or

service will help save time. Need another? You can

give prospects something to chew on by sending a

tin filled with assorted candies, cookies or pretzels—

perfect when you are working with a department or

committee where there are multiple decision makers.

So if you want to make an impression before even

entering a prospect’s door, talk to your promotional

consultant. Together, you can choose decorated mer-

chandise for use across multiple platforms—from

tradeshows and new account generation to public

relations and employee service awards—positively

influencing those within and outside your corporate

headquarters.

Now that’s the power of promotional products.

PROMOTIONAL PROOF

PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL3125 Skyway Circle NorthIrving, TX 75038888-I-AM-PPAI (426-7724)www.ppa.org

PPAI—the promotional products industry’s only international not-for-profit trade association—offerseducation, mentoring, public relations, publications,technology, tradeshows and legislative support to its7,000 global member companies.

INDUSTRY RESEARCH: The Power Of Promotional Products


*2005 End Buyer Study: A Barometer Of Current Conditions In ThePromotional Products Industry

© 2006 Promotional Products Association International

Primary Uses Of Promotional Products

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Business Gifts

Events

Brand Awareness

Tradeshows

Employee Relations

Public Relations

New Customer Account Generation

Employee Service Awards

New Product/Service Introduction

Internal Promotions

BR0406-WHATWORKS 3/27/06 11:16 PM


1. Always appreciated, easily shared.... …and remembered long after the last bit,

Impromptu Gourmet™ selections offer the chance to say"thank you" and "well done" to employees, colleagues,

or business associates with a truly extraordinary gift.Offering classic entrées, desserts and complete

gourmet dining experiences. Impromptu Gourmet

2. When an Award Matters……choose the clarity and brilliance of optical crystal.

These elegant awards are a beautiful addition to anydesk or trophy case. Whether it’s a star performance,

winning teamwork or a business relationship, the recipients realize that their efforts and

contributions have been appreciated.AITG, Inc.

3. Appreciate & Inform……these hard deck card sets reveal the secrets of wine or

famous cities around the world and could be just the right pat on the back.

The Book Co.

ThingsWeLove

1

2

3

BR0406_Section02 3/28/06 12:29 PM


20064. Really Say It with Flowers……this incredible technology allows any message,in any color, in any language to be clearly andbeautifully inscribed upon fresh, living roses. What a wonderfully natural way for businesses topowerfully express their feelings and appreciation.Speaking Roses International Inc.

5. Looking for An Unusual Award……then try a contemporary piece with artistic,translucent colored glass surrounding thesilver/gold metallic iridized glass center of the rectangle on which the copy is etched and gold color-filled.Advance Corporation

6. Not the Same Old Tag……these embroidered I.D./Luggage Tags are anew twist on identification tags, soft and rugged atthe same time. Recognize the members of yourteam, tour group or golf tournament players. Thesehandsome identifiers are ideal for laptop cases,equipment bags, athletic bags, and luggage.AAA Stuart Group

7. For The Young At Heart……Motivate your employees with one of these unique contemporary watches. It is sure to be noticed.Troika

4

5

7

6

BR0406_Section02 3/28/06 4:06 PM


I CALL IT THE ‘BUSINESS CARD SHUFFLE’; that exercise at a networkingfunction where someone approaches you from 10 paces, right hand leadingas the left one hands you a business card. You shake, exchange, say a fewcordial remarks and move on. The objective? Fill your pocket with businesscards so you can feel your networking was successful.

But, are we kidding ourselves?

Mel Kaufmann is the author of The LINK System and has been teachingand training for over 25 years how to really network when meeting people.Merrill Lynch and other top companies hire Mel on a regular basis to comein and explain how true networking needs to be done. I wish I’d met Mel20 years ago because he has taught me so much about how we waste timeat networking events.

Here is just a smidgeon of examples of Mel’s teachings. Imagine yourselfat a network breakfast.

1.The Bridge Question is what starts out your conversation. It can be anykind of opening that helps get the ball rolling. (“Did you have trouble park-ing? What do you know about the Speaker this morning?”)

2.The Link Question # 1-“What does your firm do?” or “What kind of workdo you do?”

3.The Link Question # 2-“What do you do for your firm?” or “What is thename of your firm?”

4.The Link Question # 3-“What is your target market?” or “What firms orindividuals do you target?”

5.The Link Question # 4-“How long have you been with your firm?” or “Isyour firm Regional or National?”

6. A three to five minute dialogue, tops.

If, by the information you gather, this is a potential “Link” for you, set up tocall and then arrange for a coffee or lunch meeting. If it doesn’t seem to be a fit,politely excuse yourself and move on to the next person you do not know. Dothis 6 times in 30 minutes and you are now being ‘on-purpose’ like never before.It is simple, yet few of us practice this kind of approach. Please understand this,too: Mel Kaufmann has a lot of explanation and training to go with each andevery question you just read. He deciphers it all. He really breaks it down andexplains the reasons for the questions and sequential strategies he places oneach and every situation. There is a lot going on, here.

Think about your own methods. Do you and your people take more thanfive minutes at a networking event for each person you talk to? Perhaps. Itis tough not to. Mel Kaufmann would like for us to get more focused in howwe do the networking so that our marketing efforts are as effective as pos-sible. Would you like more information about Mel Kaufmann? Let me knowand I’ll hook you up, because It’s ALL Personal.

Dave Ribble is President of The Company Image, Inc./Geiger. Reach him [email protected] and at www.TCI4Me.com.

It’s ALL Personal

Dave Ribble

“Do you and your people take

more than five minutes at a

networking eventfor each person

you talk to?Perhaps.”

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:52 PM


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Free Product Information. April 2006 Issue.For free product information from these suppliers, complete and mail this page to: BrilliantResults Magazine 9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown, PA 17036.Or fax to (717) 566-5431

PLEASE CIRCLE ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Name Title

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brilliant results

BR0406_Section02 3/29/06 8:25 PM


INDUSTRY: Real Estate Agent Recognition

OBJECTIVEA large real estate agency wanted to recognize their

top performing agents. The agency executives also

wanted to form a corporate “think tank” to identify

the techniques that the best agents used to capture

the most business. They hoped to design an education

curriculum for new agents based on what they

learned from their best agents.

STRATEGYTop management identified the top ten performing

agents in the organization. These ten agents formed

the Presidents Club, which met on a monthly basis

to create the education curriculum.

The top three agents received the Diamond Tiara.

The seven other agents received the CEO Award.

RESULTSAs a result of this program the real estate agency

created a 12-session curriculum that educated

new agents about industry best practices, sales

techniques, and business ethics. The members of

the Presidents Club were especially grateful for

their symbols of recognition.

BR0406_Section01 3/28/06 12:24 PM


May 3 – 4 The Incentive Show Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NYInformation at: www.theincentiveshow.com or Call: 703.488.2809

May 4 – 6 The Awards & Custom Gift Show – Fort WorthFort Worth Convention Center, Ft. Worth, TXInformation at: http://www.nbmshows.com or Call: 800.560.9941

May 7 – 9 ASD/AMD’s Atlantic City Variety Merchandise ShowNew Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, NJInformation at: www.merchandisegroup.com or Call: 800.421.4511

May 7 – 9 12th CFO SummitThe Westin Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor, FLInformation at: http://www.cfosummits.com or Call: 1.246.417.5329

May 8 – 10 The Annual Conference for Catalog, Internet & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM)Lakeside Center @ McCormick Place, Chicago, ILInformation at: http://www.catalogconference.com/ or Call: 800.559.0620

May 10 – 11 Advanced Promotional Marketing WorkshopUSA WEEKEND, 535 Madison Avenue, New York, NYInformation at: www.pmalink.org or Call: 212.420.1100

May 15 – 19 GTC West 2006Sacramento Convention Center, Sacramento, CAInformation at: http://www.govtech.net/gtc/index.php/GTCWest2006 orCall: 916.932.1357

May 16 – 18 Assn for Information & Image Mgmt – AIIM On Demand Expo Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PAInformation at: http://www.aiimondemand.com/ or Call: 888.824.3004

May 16 – 18 ISPCON Spring 2006 Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MDInformation at: http://www.ispcon.com/Spring2006/ or Call: 303.482.3045

May 23 – 25 The ASI Show – Philadelphia – Advertising Specialty Institute Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PAInformation at: http://www.asishow.com/ or Call: 800.546.3300

May

2006CalendarM

ay

BR0406_Section02 3/27/06 11:26 PM


June 1 – 3 The Awards & Custom Gift Show – IndianapolisIndiana Convention Center & RCA Dome, Indianapolis, INInformation at: http://www.nbmshows.com or Call: 800.560.9941

June 2 – 6 ASCO Annual Meeting & ExpositionGeorgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GAInformation at: www.asco.org or Call: 888-282-2552

June 3 – 9 InfoComm InternationalOrange County Convention Center, Orlando, FLInformation at: www.infocomm.org or Call: 800.659.7469

June 5 – 8 SAAGNY Promotions EastAtlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, NJInformation at: www.promotionseast.com or Call: 972.258.3075

June 20 – 22 Licensing 2006 InternationalJacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NYInformation at: www.licensingshow.com or Call: 888.644.2022

June 25 – 28 Society for Human Resources Management 58th Annual Conference & ExpositionWashington DC Convention Center, Washington, DCInformation at: www.shrm.org/conferences/ or Call: 800.283.SHRM

June 27 – 30 WCBF’s Global Six Sigma Summit & Industry AwardsVenetian Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NVInformation at: www.gsssa.com or Call: 800.959.6549

TM


brilliant resultsbrilliant results

* To have your show listed in our Calendar please send your information to Brilliant Results magazine. *

June

June

BR0406_Section02 3/27/06 11:27 PM


TheLast Word

WHEN BRILLIANT RESULTS recentlyinterviewed John L. Jacobs, ChiefMarketing Officer of the NASDAQ(December 2005), we asked him aboutthe last promotional product he hadreceived. He enthusiastically told usabout a product on his desk fromCaptivate Network. Based on his enthu-siasm, we decided to take a look at acompany that could make such animpression on a top business executive.

While some great ideas arehatched in boardrooms, others areborn between floors. What began as a flash ofinspiration during an elevator ride has grown intoa leading alternative media company that deliversmore than 44 million impressions per month.Captivate delivers its national news, entertain-ment, and advertising to more than 2 million viewersvia more than 6,600 wireless, digital screens locat-ed in the elevators of premier office towers in 21of North America’s top markets.

Captivate reaches more managers thanForbes, Fortune, Business Week and the WallStreet Journal combined. Their recall rates consis-tently exceed those of other media channels; witha 30% higher recall rate than television and a 53%higher recall rate than print. But, at the time theylaunched the marketing campaign, which includedthe promotional product mentioned by Mr. Jacobs,they wanted to change the trade press concept ofthe company as purveyors of an ‘experimental’advertising format.

Captivate Network worked closely with MaryShea from the Boston Group, a full-service market-ing agency responsible for developing the uniquelymemorable Captivate Network promotional piece.

Brilliant Results was delighted when Aimee Yoon of Dotted LineCommunications, a boutique firm servicingtechnology and consumer companies withcreative, strategic communications andpublic relations programs was able toarrange an interview with John Bigay,Captivate Network Vice President –Marketing and Programming, to discuss all

things promotional and this cam-paign in particular.

Mr. Bigay brings over 16years of experience in the

media and entertainment industries toCaptivate, with background in online mar-keting, e-commerce, project managementand business development. In his role,John oversees the marketing, publicrelations and on-air programming forCaptivate Network.

BR: How and when did you becomeinvolved with Captivate Network?

JB: I started with Captivate inSeptember 2000. I heard aboutthe opportunity with Captivateand was immediately impressedwith the quality of the productand the entrepreneurial environ-ment of the company. But as I didmy due diligence on the company,the most impressive thing to mewas how much the viewers of thenetwork – the people who ride theelevators in Captivate buildingseach day – value and appreciatethe medium.

John Bigay, CaptivateNetwork Vice President -Marketing and Programming

BR0406_Section02 3/27/06 11:27 PM

BR: In your opinion, what is the single mostimportant service/benefit that Captivate Networkoffers its clients?

JB: Captivate has 3 clients that we serve – ourviewers, the building owners + managers, andadvertisers. For viewers, Captivate provides view-ers with an engaging source of news and entertain-ment, turning a socially awkward situation into onethey look forward to.

For advertisers, Captivate provides an opportu-nity to engage a highly desirable audience in anuncluttered environment during the workday, atime they are difficult to reach through traditionalmedia and when business and personal purchasedecisions are made. And for Property owners/man-agers, Captivate is a turnkey, cost-effective buildingamenity that both enhances the appeal of theirproperties and increases tenant loyalty.

BR: How do you use promotional merchandiseand/or direct marketing strategies to increase inter-est in Captivate Network?

JB: As a new medium, our primary task in ourdirect marketing is to continue to educate the market-place about the power of our medium. This can be par-ticularly challenging because we are marketing tomarketers, so promotional merchandise is one tacticwe have used to reach this audience and capture theirattention. In terms of messaging, we stay focused onhow we can help our clients’ business by reaching thisexceptional audience during the workday.

BR: What was the creative process used indeveloping the promotional product used in thecampaign?

JB: An integratedeffort betweenThe BostonGroup’s creative,strategy

and production staff, in collabo-ration with a partner firm,Structural Graphics. Thestrategy was established;setting parameters for aunique, attention-gettingpiece that would also behighly relevant toCaptivate messaging.Literally showing how amessage can be commu-nicated within a buildingwas a perfect metaphorfor Captivate Network.Captivate reaches anupscale, desirable, mobilebusiness professionals dur-ing the day at work and the mail-er nails this messaging perfectly.

BR: How was the promotional merchandisesourced, via a bid process or via a regular supplier/.distributor or agency? Why?

JB: We used our creative agency, the BostonGroup as well as a partner firm, StructuralGraphics.

BR: What is your personal favorite (or mostsuccessful) promotional or marketing campaignand why?

JB: Right now one of my favorite marketingcampaigns is from Orbitz. I think they have donean exceptional job of leveraging different medi-ums in a creative way to reach their audience.For example, their online campaigns feature agame right now that is interactive and very pop-ular with consumers. They also run advertisingon our network and they have tailored the adsperfectly for the Captivate medium. In today’sfragmented media environment it is important tosee this type of creativity to truly connect withthe target audience.

BR: Do you remember the last promotional mer-chandise or incentive that you received? Where,when and from what organization?

JB: I have to say I really don’t. I haven’t seenanything that really caught my attention in the lastseveral months. •

TheLast Word

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Images Provided By Captive Network

BR0406_Section02 3/27/06 11:27 PM


INDUSTRY NEWS FLASHES ~SEVENTH ANNUAL PREMIER GROUPMEETING SCHEDULED APRIL 2006 ATSANIBEL RESORT IN FLORIDA

In April 2006, thePremier Group, including46 distributor companiesand 41 supplier companies,will meet at the SanibelHarbour Resort and Spa inFort Myers, Florida for its7th Annual Meeting.Representatives from near-ly all of the 87 Premier

Group member companies plan to attend the three-day event.

Chairman Dan Weisberg, President of BrandedSolutions, a distributor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, willpreside over the event which will include keynoteaddress by Joe Healey, a well-known speaker and con-sultant; a presentation by guest speaker PaulBellantone of PPAI; distributor and supplier breakoutsessions; and presentations by committee chairpersons.

“Sales within the group have continued to growover the past several years,” Weisberg said. “And,we expect to report more growth this year.”

SIERRA PACIFIC AND BROTHER INTL.PARTNER FOR CHARITY

Houston, Texas-based supplier Sierra Pacific(UPIC: sierrapa) and Bridgewater, New Jersey-based sewing machine company BrotherInternational recently teamed up to supply 252embroidered Blake & Hollister golf shirts for the2005 Tournament For Dreams at Bradenton CountryClub in Bradenton, Florida. This fundraising golftournament was sponsored by The Foundation forDreams, a nonprofit organization dedicated to help-ing special needs children at the Dream Oaks campin East Manatee County, Florida. The foundation’smission is to provide outdoor camping experiencesfor youth ages seven to 17 who have developmentaldisabilities or life-threatening illnesses.

FEY LINE DONATES $25,000 FOR ARCHURRICANE RELIEF

Edgerton, Minnesota-based supplier Fey Line(UPIC: FEY) announces it donated more than $25,000to the American Red Cross through a campaign

based on the sale of tally books the company devel-oped to raise money for relief following the GulfCoast hurricanes of 2005.

TRG GROUP AWARDED TODD MORTONTHE 2005 PRESIDENT’S AWARD ANDJACQUE WOOSLEY THE 2005 HORIZONAWARD.

Andrew Spellman, Vice President of CorporateMarkets Sales presented Todd and Jacque with theirawards. Todd Morton, Midwest Region Manager,manages a 14-stateterritory. Todd hasnow received thePresident’s Awardtwo years in a row.This award is pre-sented annually tothe employee dis-playing the mostexemplary salesresults.

TRG Groupdesigns, producesand markets innova-tive travel gear, business/computer cases, back-packs and accessories under the Victorinox/SwissArmy, Soren, and Callaway Golf brand names

TEEING UP FOR SCHOLARSHIP ANDGRANT PROGRAMS

Golfers in cities across the country are makingplans to participate in the fourth annualPromotional Products Education Foundation(PPEF) Golf Marathon on Monday, May 8, 2006, byraising $350 in sponsorship donations fromfriends, families and colleagues. Last year’s eventraised more than $31,000 for PPEF scholarshipand grant programs.

SACDV ANNOUNCES 2005 PERSON OF THE YEAR

Specialty Advertising Counselors of DelawareValley (UPIC: SACDV) announces Jacqui Krause,CAS, Just Looking Logos (UPIC: looking), Blue Bell,Pennsylvania, has been named SACDV 2005 Personof the Year. •

Picture (left to right): Todd Morton – MidwestRegion Manager; Jacque Woosley – SalesOperations Manager; Andrew Spellman – VicePresident of Corporate Markets Sales

BR0406_Section01 3/27/06 10:56 PM

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