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February 2016

Kevin Haezebroeck, Exec. Director

Peering into the postal playbook HOW POSTAL LABOR WANTS TO BUST THE PRICE CAP By Donna Hanberry he current law governing the Postal Service, and the setting of postal rates, is the 2006 Postal Accountably and Enhancement Act or PAEA. That law, passed in the last wee hours of the legislative session end of 2006, changed the way postal rates had been set to eliminate a cost of service model, where the Postal Serv- Hanberry ice could basically charge as much as it needed to “cover costs,” and created a rate setting mechanism where the Postal Service was permitted to keep “profits” over costs, but was limited to annual rate setting adjustments that were tied to the CPI, Consumer Price Index, rate of inflation. The only time the Postal Service could propose rates above the CPI would be to file for an exigent increase, pointing to unforeseen and extraordinary circumstances, such as an anthrax attack or, as history shows us, the impact of the 2009 “Great Recession.” Speaking on behalf of SMC members, the price cap limit on postal rates has generally been a success. It helped our members, and in turn advertisers, generally plan for marketing and mailing

Inside This Issue:

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programs. Regrettably, the Postal Service’s relentless efforts to seek an exigency increase that began with Postmaster General John Potter in 2010 seeking a “extraordinary” rate increase for some classes of mail that exceeded 8%, and is still lingering in the form of the 4.3% exigency surcharge schedule to “rollback” sometime in late March or early April of this year, kept mailers and marketers living with uncertainty for the past five years. This relentless quest for exigency increases no doubt had a chilling effect on the growth and expansion of some mail programs. Notwithstanding the endless exigency legal proceedings, a “forever” rate regime, the CPI rate cap succeeded in prompting the USPS to explore downsizing of its network, reductions in its labor force, and generally helped saturation program mailers, like shared mailers and free paper publishers, stay in the mail in the face of in-

President’s Column............... Dr. Joey Faucet Column ....... Kevin Slimp Column.............. 2016 Spring Conference .......

creased competition from digital and electronic media and the competitive pressure to reduce costs. But the 2006 law did not establish a “forever” rate regime. Congress directed the Postal Regulatory Commission to look back at the law at the end of 10 years to decide how to structure the rate setting process for the future. These proceedings are scheduled to begin in December 2016. From the standpoint of many in the industry, this look back procedure and hearing process does not give the PRC the authority to change or eliminate the CPI rate cap. In the view of some legal and regulatory experts on rate setting matters, the CPI index and rate cap was a fundamental provision of the 2006 law and, as such, cannot be eliminated or modified by an administrative agency. In

See POSTAL Page 11

REGISTER NOW! MFCP SPRING CONFERENCE March 11-12, 2016 • Prairie Meadows Casino, Altoona, Iowa

Details on page 5 2 3 4 5

MFCP Display Network ....... 6 Link and Learn........................ 8 Joe Mathes column................ 12 2016 board members............ 14

John Foust Column................ 14 Bob Berting Column ............. 15 Joe Bonura Column............... 18 Ed Henninger Column .......... 19

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FEBRUARY 2016

FROM MFCP PRESIDENT PEGGY LOVELESS

MCN publishers get $60 room buy-down for first night at the MFCP spring conference is well underway and the MFCP Board recently had its Planning Session for the year! And I can’t let the opportunity to THANK Kevin, Charleen, our board and members for all the gifts you each bring to this association! I am honored to work with all of you! Some of the highlights of our Planning Session were: increasing membership, measuring effectiveness of and improving member benefits, growing attendance/participation at conferences & the publishers’ summit, building awareness and educating members about network ad sales, developing new marketing strategies, refreshing the website, and transitioning into new revenue sources, as well as several other topics. Kevin, Charleen and current and new Committee members will meet in the coming weeks and begin to carry out the tasks set forth at this year’s session. We look forward to working with all of

2016

you to make this one of the best years yet! The Conference Committee is putting the final touches on the Spring Conference coming up on March 11-12 at Prairie Meadows Peggy Loveless in Altoona, IA. Elaine Buckley on Sales and Kevin Slimp on Graphics are two remarkable presenters who won’t disappoint! The Ad Contest Committee has enlisted the help of judges who collaborated on this year’s entries. “And the winners are”…to be announced at Friday night’s banquet and awards presentation, along with Advertiser of the Year, Sales, and Scholarship Awards. As if all of this isn’t reason enough to attend, I don’t remember a time when I came away from a conference without some idea on how to make or save a

thousand…Networking! Networking! Networking! Thank you EVERYBODY! :D One more thing…you get to $AVE on your room…The board gave the go ahead on extending the $60 Room Buy Down. So, if you publish MCN Ads, you get one room, one night for $60 off the MFCP rate of $107! Mark Your Calendar! Plan to Attend and Watch your email for updates and more exciting news as the details come together! In closing, I will use my 13-year old granddaughter, Veronica’s quote from a recent school paper. (She had to pick one word she wanted to focus on this year and chose flourish.) “For evil to flourish, it only requires one person to do nothing.” Guess we’ll have to do something… Peggy Loveless MFCP Board President

2016 Publisher’s Summit July 13 and 14 Mankato, MN

Plan now to attend

Official Web Site of MFCP is mfcp.org

FEBRUARY 2016

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Shoot for the moon at work in 2016 Dr. Joey Faucet hen NASA took on the challenge of putting a person on the moon, they started by setting goals. Instead of starting with “now” and working forward, they started with “then”—the day they wanted to land on the moon, July 20, 1969, when the earth and moon were closest. They planned backwards from that date, i.e., “Where do we need to be on July 19, July 18,” and so on. They set goals backwards, knowing when they wanted Neil Armstrong stepping on the moon, and what it would take each week to get him there.

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How can you use NASA’s planning process to set 2016 goals for your business? Here are three ways you can shoot for the moon with your business in 2016. Total Focus I’m sure you’ve played the game where someone mentions an object—a dancing bear wearing a red vest with a black top hat—and tells you not to think about it. Of course, what’s the first thing that flashes in your mind? Your mind focuses your thoughts very quickly and with just a little suggestion. So why is it such a challenge for most of us to focus our thoughts about our businesses on our chosen, positive subjects such as 2016

goals? Because your mind focuses your thoughts very quickly and with just a little suggestion. Unless you discipline your mind, that is coach it to filter out some thoughts and focus on others, it will hone in on whatever attention grabber presents itself.

Your mind is like a muscle. You exercise it to strengthen it to do what you want it to do. NASA had one goal—put a person on the moon. What’s your one, big, shoot-for-the-moon goal?

See FAUCET Page 15

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FEBRUARY 2016

Getting back to my technology roots...

Free Advice Kevin Slimp The News Guru [email protected]

An editor in South Carolina wrote to me yesterday, “I’m always amazed at your productivity.” I get that a lot these days. Since yesterday, I’ve written an opinion piece that’s already filling my inbox with responses from readers; my fictional weekly serial, The Good Folks of Lennox Valley; and my alarm just reminded me that I’m on deadline to write my column for newspaper professionals. Looking over my email, I noticed there has been an increase in the number of folks asking for technical advice over the past few weeks. Perhaps work slowed down a bit over the holidays, allowing people more time to write. Whatever the reason, I’ve always believed in “dancing with the one who brung ya,” so it seems like a good time to answer some questions from readers.

From Lora, in Nebraska

Hi Kevin: I am trying to tone down the total coverage area for our presses in one easy step. We have a process that is supposed to tone all of our photos for our press so they are consistent, but the total coverage area is still too high. I can take each photo separately and fix the problem, but I am wondering if there is something in Distiller when converting the entire newspaper page that would fix everything all at once. We have a very old press so we need the total ink coverage to be 220. Hi, Lora. Ink coverage is a funny thing. Over the years, the perfect ink coverage will change on a press, due to changes in paper, ink and the press itself. It would be nice if all your ink

issues could be handled when creating the PDF, but life never seems to work that easily. It sounds to me like you need to run some press tests (you might need someone from the outside to help with that) to determine the optimum color settings for your press. These numbers are rarely the same between two presses. Once that’s done, an action can be created in Photoshop which does most of work for you, including specifying the ink settings, when your pictures are saved.

From Steve, in Minnesota

in Acrobat. Once there, check the box by “Output Intent” and select “US Web Uncoated v2.”

From Klaudia, in Wisconsin

Kevin: We are in the process of checking out new computers with updated software for our business. What is your take on the iMac vs. the Mac Pro? What we see is that the iMacs can have more storage, bigger screens and are cheaper. We use the Creative Suite for most of our designing. What do you think?

Kevin: I am thinking about getting a little Apple server, around $1,000 or so, that would serve as a drop box for all of our layout files. To my understanding, however, a server can do more than provide storage. I am wondering if you think such a move would help fix my network problems. Does that make sense?

That’s a good question, Klaudia. And the answer is simple: Go with the iMac. If you were a movie producer or videographer, you might consider the Mac Pro, but for design and production, you would probably never notice a difference in speed between the two computers. So save $1,000 or so to buy my dinner next time I’m in Wisconsin.

Steve and I emailed back and forth a few times before I finally sent this recommendation, which Steve said he would follow: If you only need a server for file sharing, which is what the vast majority of small newspapers use them for, you might be best off to get a NAS/Ethernet Drive. This is a stand-alone drive that plugs into your network and acts as a file-sharing server. If you get a good one, like a Synology, your cost will be around $700, and that will include a main drive and three backup drives, so you never lose your data.

One last bit of advice

From Joe, in Tennessee

Hey, Kevin. There’s no telling where in the world you may be tonight, but I feel sure that you are having a good time. The last time I wrote, you taught me how to convert color to grayscale in Acrobat. Now how do I convert RGB to CMYK? It’s pretty much the same process, Joe. Find your “Convert Colors” tool

Each year, I direct a program called The Institute of Newspaper Technology, held on the campus of The University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Over the years, we’ve had attendees from newspapers in just about every state and province, and we seem to grow each year. Our 20th session will take place October 6-8, 2016. We will be inviting more trainers, bringing back some of the favorites from past years, offering more classes, and hosting an Anniversary Gala on Friday evening. If you’ve been before, come celebrate our anniversary with friends from previous sessions. If you’ve always wanted to attend, this is the year to come. Mark your calendar for October 6-8, 2016. Enjoy the beautiful weather, the Smoky Mountains, and what has come to be known internationally as the finest annual training event in the industry. Find information at: newspaperinstitute.com

FEBRUARY 2016

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C2,+2"2-*

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Call 800-325-9015 let them know you are with MFCP. Or register at www.prairiemeadows.com and use group code 031016MFCP Deadline to get this rate is February 18th! MCN Publishers will receive a $60 credit to their first room night courtesy of the Midwest Classified Network.

Z%%222+22.<= Room Block Closes February 18th! Gather your troops and plan to spend the better part of these two days sharing, learning and taking home new purpose and tips from the experts, socializing with your peers and raising your glass as we toast the best of the best during the awards banquet.

Register today at www.mfcp.org

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FEBRUARY 2016

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FEBRUARY 2016

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FEBRUARY 2016

“Just tell me what you want me to do.” by Jim Busch of the Pittsburgh Pennysaver. n the 1986 film, Heartbreak Ridge, Clint Eastwood played Marine Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Highway. Highway is a battle hardened veteran who is assigned to mold a group of rookie Marines into an elite fighting unit. Each morning Eastwood leads his men on a run and instructs them that they are all to wear the same tee-shirt as he wears. The challenge for his men is that he never tells them what shirt he will be wearing. In the film, this is played for comic relief and his men have to work together to try to find out what the “Gunny” will be wearing. While amusing in the film, this practice is all too common in the business world. I know a manager of a digital sales team who is very personable and quite intelligent. She is technically proficient but a poor communicator. She does not clearly describe her expectations to her team or properly explain what she wants them to accomplish. This has resulted in poor sales, low team morale, and a very high employee turnover rate. She gives her employees vague instructions and is impatient with them when they ask questions for clarification. Her people try to do their best, try to do what they believe she wanted done, and usually are rewarded for their

I

LINK AND LEARN initiative with a chewing out from their boss. In very short order, this manager’s reps learn that the best way to avoid her wrath is to do as little as possible while looking for another job. Her company lost a number of promising employees and untold revenue from her lack of clarity. Unless they intend to hire a team of psychics and mind readers fully equipped with Ouija boards and crystal balls, leaders need to learn how to communicate their wishes to their teams and how to give clear instructions. One of the most important rules of management I have ever learned is, “Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood!” Here is an example of this; former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover had a dictatorial management style. His staff feared him so much that they seldom dared to ask him any questions. On one occasion while reviewing a document, Hoover made the following notation on it, “Good report, but watch the borders.” His as-

sistant instantly dispatched hundreds of FBI agents to the Canadian and Mexican borders, where they remained until it was discovered that J. Edgar was referring to the typed margins on the document which he felt were too wide. Explaining yourself clearly, confirming that your subordinates fully understand what you want, make take a few minutes, but in the long run this practice greatly enhances the effectiveness of any organization. This commitment to clear communication should begin before an employee even joins the team. When interviewing candidates for employment, a manager should avoid the temptation to “sell the job.” Sometimes an applicant seems like such a perfect fit for an open position that the hiring manager will do whatever is necessary to get them to accept the job. They sometimes paint an inaccurate picture of the challenges and responsibilities of the position. This is seldom a good practice. It generally gets the rela-

The MCN’s have never been easier to sell Offering half price ads in 5 categories in the 3.2 million circulation MFCP Midwest Classified Network thru July 31, 2016 … Happy Selling! For details please contact: Executive Director, Kevin Haezebroeck at MFCP. 319-341-4352 [email protected]

FEBRUARY 2016 tionship with a new employee off on a poor footing. I find it is better to be bluntly honest about both the opportunities and challenges of the position you are trying to fill. Whenever possible, I like to have the candidate meet my sales team and do a ride along to get a clear picture of what the job entails. When I did make a new hire or when I took over a new sales team, I made a point of clearly explaining my expectations to those reporting to me. I did this in the form of a written set of “Expectations.” This was a numbered list of what I expected from anyone on my team. This was separate from their revenue goals. The items on the list described behaviors that I expected from my people. This included items like punctuality, number of weekly calls, reports required, etc. I also included things like, “I expect my reps to let me know if any account is in jeopardy as soon as they become aware of the situation so that we can work together to remedy it.” This kept me in the loop and made reps feel more comfortable coming to me with problems. I also set an expectation that my reps would not demonstrate a negative attitude in the office. I was careful not to mandate that “reps maintain a positive attitude,” which was unenforceable. I simply asked that they share these thoughts with me rather than bringing down the team. I had my reps each sign a copy of the “Expectations,” and I posted these prominently in the sales room. I updated this document whenever the situation dictated and reviewed it with my team at least once a quarter. Since I believe leadership is a twoway street, along with the “Expectations” I gave my team a copy of my “Commitments” to them. This was a numbered list of what they could expect (at a minimum) from me. This list included a dozen points starting with, “I will treat every member of this team with respect as professional business people and as human beings.” I went on to items like, “I will help you resolve any customer service problem…so you will never need to face problems alone,” and “I will listen to your concerns, remedy them when I

PAPER CLIPS can, and if appropriate, communicate them to upper management.” My list concluded, “I will make this job fun,” which I strongly believe is a prerequisite for long-term success. I had these “Commitments” blown up to poster size and posted a copy above my desk and in the sales room. I instructed my team to point to this signed document whenever I failed to live up to the items on the list. These two documents clearly defined my responsibilities, as well as those of my team. I believe they fostered a positive work environment where everyone understood where they stood and what they were to do. In our business if an instruction is

misunderstood, we may lose a sale or, worst case scenario, an account. In the military, lives or a battle may be lost if an order is not followed precisely. This is why over the centuries, the military has developed a simple yet effective protocol for delivering commands. Though the stakes in the publishing world are not as high as they are on the battlefield, this mode of communication provides a good model to follow. An officer giving a command will describe exactly what they want the person to do and give them a timeline for accomplishing the assigned task. “I need you to take a position on this particular hill and be dug in with your men by 08 hundred hours. You are then to observe the valley below and report back on any enemy activity you see until relieved.” They will then ask their subordinate if they have any questions. If they do, the officer will answer their queries until both the commander and the sub-

Page 9 ordinate are clear on what needs to be done. The officer will then ask, “Understood?” The subordinate will then say, “Yes Sir, I am to take my men to the top of the hill, dig in and observe the valley below, looking for enemy activity there until relieved. If any activity is observed, we will report it to you immediately.” If the command is fully understood, they will salute and part. In just a few minutes, the officer communicated what he wanted done, when he wanted it done, and why he wanted it done. He also made sure his subordinate had no unanswered questions and had him repeat the order to confirm that he fully understood his instructions. Following this practice, asking for questions, and having the person repeat back the order not only makes sure there are no misunderstandings but also drives a stake into the heart of the, “I didn’t understand what you wanted” excuse for not doing something. Because the person giving the order fully accepts responsibility for communicating what they want accomplished, responsibility for getting the job done is placed fully on the shoulders of the subordinate. They may fail to accomplish what they’ve been assigned to do, but they cannot honestly say, “They didn’t understand that they were supposed to do it.” A good definition of a team, or of a business is, “working together toward a common goal.” To do this some people are appointed to leadership roles, ideally because they have the talent and the experience to know how to best achieve the group’s objectives. Their effectiveness is increased by allowing them to use this expertise to direct their team to accomplish more than they ever could on their own. If they are unable to communicate their expertise to those reporting to them, then their effectiveness is negated by their inability to share it with their team. This is why the ability to clearly communicate what you expect of people is the most critical skill in a manager’s toolbox. Your people may have great people skills, they may know your products inside and out, they may be great sales people, but it is unlikely that they are much good at mind reading. When you are “the boss,” your job is not only to tell people what to do… it’s also your job to be sure they understand what you want them to do!

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FEBRUARY 2016 POSTAL From page 1 our view, the CPI cap cannot be eliminated without Congressional action. Like any legal, let alone postal matter, there are differences of opinion. From the standpoint of postal labor, and postal management, the 2016 rate setting process opens the floodgate for labor, management, and stakeholders to argue and litigate for their preferred approach to postal rates and future ratesetting procedures. Postal management has been urging Congress to keep the current exigency surcharge “permanent.” Postal management would like much more flexibility (meaning no CPI rate cap please) in setting rates for individual products and classes. Postal labor shares these views and has been outspoken in urging Congress, and the Administration, to consider postal reform that would keep the exigent increase in place and free the Service from the constraints of the CPI rate cap. In a “President’s message” from the National Association of Letter Carriers, Union President Frederick Rolando shared this message with his members and the folks on the Hill and the PRC: We hope Congress will pass a bill that will make the

exigent increase permanent and virtually eliminate the cost of pre-funding in the coming months. But if it doesn’t, we will do all that we can do to use the 2016-17 PRC review of the rate setting process to address both the burden of pre-funding and need to make the exigent increase permanent. We will urge the PRC to build the cost of pre-funding into the baseline rates . . . we will also seek to restore the exigent increase if it expires in 2016. And we will urge the PRC to adopt a more appropriate price indexing system for the future.* In elaborating on other indexes the unions might advance, Rolando points to the Consumer Price Index for delivery services. This is a sub-index within the CPI that looks more to the prices charged by companies like Fed Ex and UPS. Rolando states this index “captures the kind of costs that affect delivery and postage prices the cost of labor, price of fuel, and inflation trends in a transportation/utility company.” Rolando goes on to advance the idea of eliminating the price index for postal products all together. In his final remarks, he states the union “will not accept allowing the ill-begotten legacies of the PAEA to destroy the Postal Service. We will fight to the end for a better future

for letter carriers and the Postal Service. This will be our legacy, not the PAEA.” SMC, like most mail associations and businesses that rely on the Postal Service, supports the continuing requests of postal labor and postal management to eliminate the onerous, and in recent years “ignored,” mandates of pre-funding of retiree health costs. We also

Page 11 support postal management’s wise and equitable request to give the Postal Service the right to integrate its health care plans with Medicare. Currently, the Postal Service and postal employees pay the taxes for Medicare but do not participate in the system. These reforms alone would do much to put the Postal Service

See POSTAL Page 13

See you in Altoona in March at the Trade Show

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FEBRUARY 2016


         
        
       

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FEBRUARY 2016

Page 13

POSTAL From Page 11 “back in black.” But the goals of keeping the exigent increase permanent, or giving the Postal Service and management a right to pass-on all of their “costs,” including labor costs, without regard to the CPI and the fiercely competitive conditions of the marketing and advertising business, are goals that SMC and other postal associations are pledged to oppose. For our members, and other businesses that depend on keeping postal services affordable and competitive, we will have our work cut-out for us in the 10 year, PAEA rate view proceeding. *[President message quotes from the December 2015 Postal Record, reprinted with permission from the PostCom December 18, 2015 Bulletin]

EXTENDED

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FEBRUARY 2016

Tailored for selling By John Foust, Raleigh, NC Have you fallen into an order-taking rut? Are you passively relying on your accounts to tell you what and when to advertise? Are you following their creative directions like a police artist (“Make the hair longer, make the ears bigger.”)? Are you keeping up with events in their industries? Do you know which products are selling? Do you know what offers have worked in the past? What about seasonal merchandise? Should they

consider featuring those products in a separate ad or a bigger ad? There’s no excuse for being in a rut. If we look, we’ll find plenty of opportunities. We can learn a lot about selling by studying other sales people. Each time someone tries to sell us something, we see the good

2016 Board of Directors & Staff Peggy Loveless, President [email protected] Cresco Shopper, Cresco, IA 563-547-2025 Trevor Slette, Vice President [email protected] The Shopper, Windom, MN 507-831-3455 Claudia Lovin, Secretary [email protected] Boone County Shopping News, Boone, IA 515-432-6694 Robin Noth, Treasurer [email protected] Foxxy Shopper, La Crosse, WI 608-791-8331 Steve Fisher, Immediate Past President [email protected] Woodward Communications, Inc, Platteville, WI 563-588-5726 Kelly Hulke [email protected] Home Magazine, Mankato, MN 507-387-7953 Greg Birkett [email protected] The Dubuque Advertiser, Dubuque, IA 563-588-0162 Gary Dudley [email protected] Calhoun County Reminder, Rockwell City, IA 712-297-8931 Debra Weigel [email protected] The Shopper’s Reminder, Oelwein, IA 319-283-2144 Mona Garwood [email protected] Livewire, Vinton, IA 319-472-3303 Scott Munger [email protected] The Equalizer, Vermillion SD 605-624-8486 Lisa Miller [email protected] The Extra (New Century Press), Rock Rapids, IA (800) 621-0801 Karla Pinner [email protected] The Post, Muscatine, IA (563) 262-0552 ••••• Executive Director – Kevin Haezebroeck [email protected] Midwest Free Community Papers, Iowa City, IA 319-341-4352 Administrative Assistant – Charleen Oligmueller [email protected] Midwest Free Community Papers, Iowa City, IA 319-341-4352 Board member email addresses can also be found at www.mfcp.org

and the bad come to life – from a consumer’s point of view. I remember a trip to a clothing store to buy a new suit. I had shopped there before and knew I would have no trouble finding what I wanted. I was a hot prospect, ready to buy. When I arrived, all the sales people were huddled around the front desk, talking and telling jokes. Expecting someone to follow me, I walked directly to the suit section and found my size. I glanced at the front of the store and realized that – even though I was the only customer in the store – no one had noticed me. I picked out a suit and tried on the jacket. It looked like a good possibility, so I took the trousers into the

dressing room, rolled up the legs and put them on. Then I put the jacket back on and stood in front of the mirror. With a few standard alterations, the suit was just what I wanted. Another glance to the front revealed no signs of life. So, having made a buying decision, I found the alteration department and asked for the tailor. There I was – standing at the mirror, pants rolled up 12 inches, coat sleeves reaching my knuckles, price tags hanging from the sleeves, tailor on the way with pins and chalk. Then a salesperson walked up and said, “Can I help you?” (No kidding, that’s what he said.) “What a relief,” I thought. I was afraid I was going to

See FOUST Page 16

Download PaperClips from the flip page edition to print and share. If you print from the screen the quality is not as good.

FEBRUARY 2016

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Small advertisers can be profitable By Bob Berting, Berting Communications ow many publishers feel that their small advertisers are not worthy of their high priority attention? How many feel their small advertisers are being serviced by 50% of their staff and find that 25% of their business is coming from them? Small advertisers are important If small advertisers can be profitable, then we need to think about having creative salespeople work these accounts. There are different ramifications in developing them to a more dominant role in your publication. Here are some things that can be done to strengthen the small advertiser base: Provide co-op help. If

your salespeople can find co-op dollars for their smaller retail accounts, they are not just selling ads but helping the advertiser get into a stronger and more dynamic ad program with you. The small advertiser spends money in your publication and deserves expert ad design and copywriting. If their ads are part of a provocative ad campaign that keeps readers looking for their ads each week, maybe the results can stimulate a more dominant and profitable ad program with you. Special promotions that

have small advertisers in the same business category are effective. These collective page promotions can have spot color in each ad, and the promotion participants can share the color cost. Your website can be a great place for smaller advertisers who can’t afford larger dominant print ads, but could agree to a well placed ad on your website. A well designed ad in this format could have significant exposure. Rates? How hard have you made it for the small advertiser to exist in your publication? Are you pricing yourself out of the market? Your print competition will be glad to take care of your small advertisers who can’t afford your rates.

Sponsor a seminar for your small advertisers. I have conducted 30 seminars for the customers of newspapers, and they are extremely effective. Invite your inactives, regulars, and prospects to a morning seminar. Even an all day seminar with an afternoon hands-on workshop can be very educational and entertaining. Participants are always very appreciative of this event. How can your pre-print insert service help the small advertiser? Can they buy zoned coverage, or do they have to buy your entire circulation? Will you let several small advertisers share a common insert? Could you create a booklet of small advertiser coupons that could

FAUCET From page 3

Everybody’s business is nobody’s business, which means nobody does business unless personal responsibility is claimed for insuring it gets done. Couple your big goal with a time frame. Then examine what successful tasks contribute to its accomplishment. Each task has a responsible person—“Who will get this done in this time frame?” NASA had various engineers charged with a plethora of tasks. Yet each contributed to the shoot-forthe-moon goal on a specified time frame. Who does what in your business to accomplish your shoot-for-the-moon goal and by when in 2016? Shoot for the moon with your business goals in 2016 and follow NASA’s lead in getting the job done. Go ahead and make one small step for yourself…and

one giant leap for your business! Summary–What will you do to make this year better than last year at work? Follow NASA’s example with these 3 strategies from Dr. Joey Faucette, best-selling author and Work Positive Coach. Keywords–Goal setting, grow business in 2016, Work Positive, Dr. Joey

Bio–Dr. Joey Faucette is the #1 best-selling author of Work Positive in a Negative World (Entrepreneur Press), Work Positive coach, & speaker who helps business professionals increase sales with greater productivity so they get out of the office earlier to do what they love with those they love. Discover more at www.GetPositive.Today.

H

Time Frame A lot of us set our business goals forward, like, “I want to increase sales by 16%,” without knowing by when. We try to sell 16% more, realize we can’t do it all at once, and give up. Set a realistic goal—like selling 16% more in 2016 — and a target date, like December 30th. Then, target date intermediate goals like 8% by June 30th, and so forth. This coupling of a time frame with your shoot-forthe-moon goal allows you to measure your progress along the way, which makes evaluation and its incumbent course-correction easier. When will you accomplish your shoot-for-themoon goal in 2016? Task Follow-Through

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Page 16 FOUST From Page 14 have to write up the sale myself. (I wonder if they would have paid me a commission.) In spite of the inattention, I did buy the suit. But that’s all I bought. The store was staffed with poor observers. In addition to taking ten minutes to recognize a customer, my sales person missed a chance to sell a couple of shirts and ties to go with my new suit. If he had been good at his job – if he had been more than an order taker – perhaps he could have sold another suit, as well. He made a sale and lost a sale at the same time. Months later, I walked through that shopping mall again. The store was no longer there. © Copyright 2015 by John Foust. All rights reserved. John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper ad-

vertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from inhouse training. E-mail for information: [email protected].

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BERTING From Page 15 be inserted in your publication? Start thinking how your staff can do a better job with your small advertisers - how your small advertisers can grow into more dominant, high profile advertisers that will get more response in your publication. ••••• Bob Berting is a professional speaker, advertising sales trainer and publisher marketing consultant who has conducted over 1500 live seminars, teleseminars and webinars for newspaper sales staffs, their customers, and print media associations in the U.S. and Canada. His newest offer for the newspaper industry is a package of his two ebooks “ Dynamic Advertising Sales and Image Power’ and “Advanced Selling Skills For The Advertising Sales Pro”. Both books can be ordered on his website www.bobberting.com individually for 19.95 or both for 35.00. Contact Bob at [email protected] or 800-536-5408. He is located at 6330 Woburn Drive, Indianapolis, In 46250.”

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FEBRUARY 2016

ACTION POWER MEMO Joe knows your monthly dose of motivation for winners!

Turning trash into treasure Joe Bonura, CSP Feel Like Junk Have you ever felt like junk? That you will never amount to anything? Recently, I watched a group of young musicians play Mozart on instruments made from garbage. You heard me right – garbage! They are known as the Landfill Harmonic Orchestra. The WOW Factor The kids live in a village called Cateura, built around a landfill (garbage dump). The village is located on the outskirts of Asuncion, Paraguay. Using plastic buckets, washtubs, and drainpipes, thanks to trash worker and carpenter Don Cola Gomez, they turn discarded items into musical instruments. When I read about them, I figured that their playing would sound like scratching fingernails on a chalkboard. Then I went on YouTube. My first, second and third reaction to what these kids are doing was WOW! WOW! WOW! Listen for yourself: https://youtu.be/sJxxdQox7n0 Real Garbage – Real Music If these young people can turn garbage into musical instruments that can play real music, what is it that keeps others from reaching their true potential? Many live on the garbage heap of life; they live in a landfill waiting for the bulldozers to cover them with dirt. In The Trash True story: I remember a client loaning me a scrapbook of his advertising campaigns for the previous five years. He told me to guard it with my life, and I promised that I would, and when I turned it over to my copywriter, I made him swear the same oath. The next morning when I asked for the book, he could not find it. He said the last time he saw it was when he left it on top of his trashcan because there was no space on his desk. To The Dump I looked out of my eighth floor window and saw a dumpster as large as an 18wheeler, and I knew that the book was

in that dumpster. I called building maintenance and told them that I would pay whatever it cost to have them take the dumpster to the landfill so that we could sift through it to find the book. I Found It – I Found It My entire staff followed the dumpster to the landfill. I thought that we would have all day to go through the trash, but as it turned out, there were four bulldozers waiting impatiently to cover the trash. We had only thirty minutes to plunge into the garbage to find the book. We were in luck. Fifteen minutes after we started digging, amidst the sounds of bulldozers revving their engines, we found the book, and it was in great condition. Find Your Treasure I tell this story because after reading about the children of Paraguay, I was reminded of what it was like to dig in a pile of filthy garbage. I was also reminded of how exciting it was to find a treasure in the muck. No matter what life looks like today, with the right attitude and lots of hard work, you can turn it into an instrument that plays great music. Make Music Out Of Misery You have the power to make music out of your misery and failure. You just have to see a musical instrument where others see a paint can. Watch the linked video and ask yourself what your next concert will sound like? You have the power to turn whatever garbage you have faced in the past into your own orchestra. You have the power to play a new tune every day of

your life. The key is to pick up the pieces and get started. To see Joe and hear one of his favorite selling tips check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q 9AyPsDMu0I Joe Bonura is also the author of the new number one best seller on Amazon’s Kindle, “Throw the Rabbit and get that Job in 30 days or Less.” Check it out at www.throwtherabbitandgetthatjob.com and get seven FREE videos. “Throw the Rabbit - The Ultimate Approach to Three-Dimensional Selling” Paperback Order your copy of Joe Bonura’s book: http://www.bonura.com REPRINT info: Joe Bonura would be pleased for you to reprint the article text free of charge (non-exclusively), but asks that you include his name and contact information: Joe Bonura & Associates, Inc. 407 Landis Lakes Court Louisville, KY 40245 (800) 444-3340 toll free [email protected] ABOUT JOE BONURA: His background is unique. Joe owned and operated a highly successful advertising agency for 18 years. During that time, he found his advertising campaigns were more effective when he educated his clients in the areas of sales and service. He conducted training seminars for his clients as added value. Word spread that Joe was a quality speaker, and more and more people asked him to speak. The demand became so high that he sold the agency to three of his associates to start his own speaking and consulting company, Bonura Business Development Group, Inc. Joe is past President of the Kentucky Speakers Association, served on the National Speakers Association Board of Directors for five years, and is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), a

See BONURA Page 20

FEBRUARY 2016

10 Things I’d Tell Publishers About Their Newspapers ome time back, I was asked to give a quick after-lunch talk to a group of publishers at a statewide newspaper convention. It was short notice. I only had a halfhour to put together some thoughts. I decided I’d seize the opportunity and give them my “Top Ten” list of ideas for community newspapers. Here they are: 1. PRINT IS NOT DEAD. More new community newspapers are starting up. Advertisers believe in the value of print. Readers still want print. So, please, let’s stop with the “newspapers are dying” garbage! It’s just not true. 2. LOCAL, LOCAL, LOCAL. We all know the mantra. Metro and regional newspapers have tried time and again to go “local.” They can’t. They don’t have (or won’t commit to) the resources it takes—in people, energy and time—to do community journalism. But we can. And we prove that in every issue. We are focused on local people, places and events. It’s what we do…and we do it very well. 3. SPORTS IS BIG. We often struggle to find ways to get younger readers. To my mind, the answer here is simple—and most of you are already doing a good job with it: Sports. Your sports coverage is about kids. It’s about them, their friends, their classmates. Boost your sports coverage and you’ll boost your number of younger readers. Yes, there are other events, like scouting, classroom achievement, choir, band and the like. But sports is big. Give it big coverage. 4. IT’S OK TO BE A BOOSTER. Nothing disappoints me (and readers, too, I

S

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Get younger readers into your paper by highlighting sports…it’s all about them and their friends. think) more than to see a newspaper in a town where a team has just won a district or state championship and the story and photos are…splashed all over the sports front. It’s disappointing because those stories Ed Henninger and those photos should be on the front page. Most of your readers will be happy to see a page 1 poster of the winning basket or the winning touchdown. Sports is about striving and achievement and dedication and teamwork. What’s wrong with celebrating those qualities. And, yes, on your front page when the achievement is big. 5. BUILD REVENUE. The metros think they have the answer to satisfying their corporate owners and stockholders: cut costs. They’re into hubs and outsourcing and layoffs. At community newspapers, we’re already thin. But we’re also aggressive when it comes to generating new revenue. Let’s keep searching for new approaches, like selling ad position and selling our photos online and creating more options for advertisers. This takes some rethinking on our part, but that’s what got us here. 6. INVEST IN YOUR PEOPLE. If your editor and/or writers need some training, look for ways to get that for them. Your state press association is always a good resource. If you’ve just invested in some new software, give those who will use it some training so they can make the best use of it. If your ad staff has won some awards in the annual press association

Ed Henninger | Director | Henninger Consulting [email protected] | www.henningerconsulting.com Ed Henninger’s Blog: www.henningerconsulting.com/blog/

contest, reward them by sending them to the state convention so they’ll know how much you appreciate their work. 7. INVEST IN YOUR PRODUCT. You don’t need to be the first to buy that new Mac, but don’t be the last. You don’t need to be the first to upgrade your system software, but keep it at least reasonably up to date. Your newspaper is your business. It’s just sound business practice to make sure you have the tools you need to get the job done. 8. DESIGN MATTERS. What’s the first thing your readers and advertisers see when they look at your newspaper? Right: its design. If your design is outdated, if your text makes your paper difficult to read, if your content placement is inconsistent…your newspaper is less than it can be. And readers and advertisers will find it wanting. Some may choose not to read, some may choose not to advertise…until you fix those problems. 9. BE THE BEST at who you are. You’re not a metro or a regional newspaper. Most of you don’t carry wire, but you do carry those obits and events listings and city and county council meetings that are important to your readers. Most get only limited national advertising, but you are the only source of advertising for that shoe shop down the street. Don’t try to be what you’re not—but do everything you can to be the best at what you do. Your newspaper is part of the lifeblood of your community. Keeping that in mind will drive you to do your best. 10. REMEMBER who the boss is. Sorry…you may be the publisher, but you’re not in charge here. Your readers

See HENNINGER Page 20

Follow Ed on Twitter: @edhenninger. TEL: 803-327-3322 | FAX: 803-327-3323 756 Summerwood Dr, Rock Hill, SC 29732

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Page 20 HENNINGER From page 19

and advertisers are the real boss. It’s your obligation as a publisher to bring them your best—in every issue. You’re the chief support person for your folks who do the writing, editing, designing and selling of your product. You’re all working toward giving readers and advertisers a newspaper they’re proud to call “my paper.” It is theirs, you know…they’re only letting you run it for them while they go about the important business of living their lives and contributing to the success and welfare of your community. WANT A FREE evaluation of your newspaper’s design? Just contact Ed: [email protected] | 803-327-3322 IF THIS COLUMN has been helpful, you may be interested in Ed’s books: Henninger on Design and 101 Henninger Helpful Hints. With the help of Ed’s books, you’ll immediately have a better idea how to design for your readers. Find out more about Henninger on Design and 101 Henninger Helpful Hints by visiting Ed’s web site: www.henningerconsulting.com

FEBRUARY 2016

ED HENNINGER is an independent newspaper consultant and the Director of Henninger Consulting. On the web: www.henningerconsulting.com. Phone: 803-327-3322.

BONURA From page 18 prestigious designation earned by only 8% of the 3,600 member National Speakers Association. He is author of the CD audio learning systems: “Throw The Rabbit© And Make That Sale - The Ultimate Approach To Three Dimensional Selling™” and “Throw the Rabbit and Keep That Customer – Turning Customer Satisfaction Into Customer Excitement!™” He is author of the books: “Throw the Rabbit - The Ultimate Approach to Three-Dimensional Selling©” “Throw the Rabbit and Get That JOB in 30 days or Less!” TO ENGAGE JOE BONURA FOR A TRAINING SEMINAR AT YOUR COMPANY, VISIT: http://www.bonura.com Vol. 11, No. 8, September 9, 2015

EXTENDED

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