Carpe Salesem

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Page 3
The Importance of
Paying Attention
When our customers
speak are we really listening or are we working on
our response?
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April 2010
How To Sell An Icebox To An Eskimo
In this article James
Lorenzen shows us that
we should sell like Herb
Tarlick of WKRP.
Page 5
The Most Poorly
Handled Request
Landy Chase of Charlotte, NC questions what
our advertisers really
want when they ask us to
“send them some info.”
Page 7
USPS Plan and Plea
Donna Hanberry lets us
know what the postal
service has released with
its Future Postal Service.
Page 10
Southeastern
Publishers
Carpe Salesem
By: Noah Rickun
You’ve probably heard the mantra “Carpe
Diem” a thousand times. It’s on t-shirts,
bumper stickers, motivational posters,
and screensavers. Some people even have
it tattooed on their bodies.
The phrase is originally from a Latin poem
written by Horace over two thousand
years ago, where it appeared as “Carpe
diem quam minimum credula postero” or
“Seize the day, trusting as little as possible
in the future.”
But what does this have to do with sales?
I recently created and adopted a new sales
mantra: “Carpe Salesem.” I want to share
it with you.
Carpe Diem (seize the day!) is a philosophy for life.
Carpe Salesem (seize the sale!) is a philosophy for sales success.
In light of my discovery, I’ve made a conscious decision to approach customers
with value, with ideas to improve their
business, and with a focus on long-term
relationships rather than wham-bamtransaction-slam! You might be able to
manipulate prospects into making a onetime purchase, but that “slam!” above
is the sound of your one-time customer
slamming the door on future sales.
It may take me a little longer to get the
first order with the Carpe Salesem philosophy, but I keep my customers for life.
Southeastern Advertising Publishers Association (931) 490-0400
Advertising
Association
And so can you.
Carpe Salesem is NOT “selling by telling.”
It’s not about pressuring your prospect
or customer to buy now. Carpe Salesem
is about balancing buyer urgency (or lack
thereof) and seller patience. Let me be
clear: I’m not suggesting you take a passive role in your success. You MUST take
actions every day that create a buying atmosphere, and that identify buyer needs
and wants, rather than your product’s features and benefits.
The Carpe Salesem philosophy incorporates best practices from my personal sales
experiences, and lessons from successful
salespeople I have worked with over the
years. By no means do I consider myself
a literary god (take, for example, the fact
that I invented a Latin word— Salesem —
without proper authority), but I do know
that my mantra works for me. And, it can
work for you IF you apply the elements to
yourself and your business.
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continued on page 2
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Carpe Salesem
continued from page 1
Here are the essential elements of my
Carpe Salesem philosophy:
1. Seize every opportunity. Not just the
sales opportunity, but opportunities to
serve others in memorable ways that lead
to relationships.
2. Enjoy the sales process. Don’t just seize
the sale; enjoy it. Make use of your passion and your customers will love you for
it.
3. Help your customers. Offer valuable insight and solutions. Become known as a
resource—someone who is helpful, rather
than someone who is just looking for a
commission.
4. Be prepared. Plan your day the night
before and come in to the office (or better yet, to a customer appointment) with
your sales guns blazing. Understand the
importance of Monday morning and Friday afternoon. You can put in eight productive hours (four on Monday, four on
Friday) while your competition is either
hung-over or leaving early for happy hour.
5. Be responsive. I have a rule that I ALWAYS follow—ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS respond to EVERY customer contact (whether it be a voicemail, email,
instant message, text message, or smoke
signal) before you go to sleep. Even if it’s 3
a.m. and the only thing you have the energy to write is, “Hey Mr. Customer, thanks
for the email. I wanted to let you know
that I received it and that I am working
on a great solution for you. I’ll be in touch
6. Be friendly. A smile costs nothing, but
it’s worth millions. Being friendly sets the
tone for a great relationship. And a great
relationship sets the stage for big sales. I
landed the best account of my life by befriending the biggest jerk in my industry.
Turns out, he wasn’t that bad of a guy. He
just didn’t know how to smile.
7. Be memorable. Differentiate yourself
from your competition with creative ways
to serve your customer.
8. Be studious. I’m not an expert at sales.
I’m a student of sales. I’ve been that way
since I started selling 20 years ago, and I’ll
stay that way until I die. Staying a student
means I learn something new every day.
This list is by no means exhaustive, and
each element is a lesson in its own right.
In the coming weeks, I’ll share those lessons and how to apply them to your business in more depth.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN: What’s your
sales philosophy? Or better yet, what’s on
your Carpe Salesem list? Email the most
powerful element from your list of sales
tenets to [email protected] . I’ll post the
best ideas on my blog at www.rickun.com
Noah Rickun will be one of our featured
speakers at our conference in Nashville. He
is a Gitomer-Certified Speaker who helps
companies everywhere increase sales, build
customer loyalty, and develop their YES! attitudes. You may contact his friendly office at
704-333-1112.
9. Be inquisitive. Instead of telling your
customer everything about YOU, ASK
your customer about their needs—and
don’t stop until you know everything there
is to know about them. Your competition
will be reciting features and benefits, marketing drivel, and lines from Cheap Sales
Tricks 101 while you’re finding out how
to actually get your customer to buy. It’s
up to you: Don’t ask…don’t sell.
10. Be persistent. Nothing says Carpe
Salesem more than persistence. And the
key to mastering the elements above is
being persistent in everything you do.
PALIGODATACONSULTING
d
p
tomorrow with an idea and answer to every question you’ve asked.” My rule does
not result in perfect service, but it works.
It puts the customer at ease and it shows
them you care.
Don’t quit until you know in your heart
it’s over. If you have to ask yourself if it’s
over, it ain’t over. It’s only over when you
sincerely believe that you can no longer be
of service to your customer.
c
Ryan Paligo
President
200 Kimberly Drive
Columbia, TN 38401
931.334.1757
[email protected]
Southeastern Advertising Publishers Association (931) 490-0400
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Leadership
President
Russell
Quattlebaum
Southeast Sun
Enterprise, AL
334-393-2969
Us
Vice President
Tony Onellion
Bargains Plus
Slidell, LA
985-649-9515
Positive
thinking won’t
let you do
anything but
it will let you
do everything
better than
negative
thinking will.
Zig Ziglar
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Treasurer
Alan Lingerfelt
The Piedmont
Shopper
Danville, VA
434-822-1800
Secretary
Caroline
Quattlebaum
Southeast Sun
Enterprise, AL
334-393-2969
Board Member
JW Owens
SGS Publications, Inc.
Keystone Hghts,
FL
863-634-8499
Board Member
Will Thomas
Exchange, Inc.
Fayetteville, TN
931-433-9737
Past President
Greg Ledford
Shelby Shopper &
Info
Shelby, NC
704-484-1047
Past President
Gary Benton
Peddler
ADvantage
Paris, TN
731-644-9595
Executive
Director
Douglas Fry
SAPA Headquarters
Columbia, TN
931-490-0400
Administrative
Assistant
Vickie Belden
SAPA Headquarters
Columbia, TN
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The Importance
of Paying
Attention
By John Foust, Raleigh, NC
Rosa controls the advertising for a regional business. When I asked if she had
any advice for media sales people, she laughed and said, “Tell them to pay
attention. That’s the best way to make a good impression.”
She told me that when she started in her position as marketing director, one
of her first tasks was to update her media files. She called local paper’s sales
Southeastern Advertising Publishers Association (931) 490-0400
executive who was assigned to her
account and told him that she needed
their latest media kit. She made it
clear that she was just gathering
information for future consideration
and, therefore, was not in a position
to sign any advertising contracts for
at least a year. He insisted that an
in-person meeting would be better
than putting the media kit in the mail,
and she agreed to an appointment.
“When he arrived at my office, the
first thing I noticed was that he
didn’t have a briefcase or notebook,”
she said. “If he had a media kit with
continued on page 4
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him, it had to be small enough to
fit in his jacket pocket. I asked him
point blank if he had brought the
kit. He said, ‘First I’d to get to know
your business,’ and asked about our
marketing plans.”
She provided him with basic
information about the company, their
marketing history, and general goals
for the future. The conversation was
pleasant enough, but she found it
strange that he didn’t take notes. At
one point, he pulled an index card
out of his pocket, jotted something
down, and quickly put it back in his
pocket. She remembered thinking
that he couldn’t have written more
than a couple of words.
As the conversation ended, she
reminded him that the purpose of the
appointment was to provide her with
a media kit. He promised to send one
to her. “The meeting was a complete
At
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waste of time,” she said. “I had made “The most surprising thing,” she
a simple request, and he ignored it.”
explained, “was that he told me he
To compound her disappointment, he had over 20 years of media sales
e-mailed an attachment of the media experience in radio, television,
kit, instead of sending an original, web and print. Considering that
printed copy. “The attachment was background – and considering the fact
inadequate, because their original that he had worked with hundreds of
media kit was produced on oversized advertisers – I wonder why he never
paper,” she said. “By the time the learned to pay attention.”
attachment was reduced so it could (c) Copyright 2009 by John Foust. All
be printed on our office printer, the rights reserved. E-mail John Foust for
type was barely readable, and the information about his training videos for
ad departments: [email protected]
color was blurred.”
The worst was yet to come. “A couple
of weeks later,” Rosa said, “he called
to say that he had worked up an
advertising proposal based what we
had discussed. He seemed surprised
when I repeated what I had been
telling him all along - that the purpose
of my original call was to get a copy of
his paper’s media kit for my file.
Southeastern Advertising Publishers Association (931) 490-0400
Man was designed for
accomplishment, engineered
for success, and endowed with
the seeds of greatness.
Zig Ziglar
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How To Sell An
Icebox To An
Eskimo
“I just wanted to ask you a few quick
questions. Would that be okay?” The pro
is getting permission and the Eskimo appreciates the thought.
“Sure, I guess so.”
made of ice!!! Why would I need an ice
box?”
by James Lorenzen
Ever hear someone say that somebody
they knew was a natural-born salesperson Herb’s stumped. He goes back to the ofwho was SOOOO good, s/he could sell fice and puts his feet on the desk. He feels
dejected. When his sales manager asks
an ice box to an Eskimo?
him what’s wrong, Herb says, “I need help
Ever wonder if that’s really possible?
closing. I just can’t seem to close a sale!”
Everyone knows what the stereotype
salesperson would do. You can almost see
the scene in your mind: Remember the
TV show, WKRP in Cincinnati? The ad
salesperson was Herb Tarlick. Imagine
him trying to sell an ice box to an Eskimo!
Poor Herb. He doesn’t know “closing”
isn’t his problem. He’ll never be a pro.
So, how does a real professional do it?
It’ll be different!
“Obviously you live in a very cold place.
Tell me, Mr/s. (name), what’s the biggest
problem you have when it comes to food
storage?”
“Hmmm,” the Eskimo thinks for a moment. “I guess it would be keeping fruits
and vegetables.”
“How do you mean?”
“Well, take our cherry tomatoes, for example. It get so cold up here they freeze
solid!”
“So you need to do something to protect
them FROM the cold!” Now, the pro
knows the problem.
The pro drives up, but he leaves the ice “Yeah. That would help.”
He’d drive up in his truck with the ice box box on the truck! There are no fancy bro- “How much is this costing you?”
loaded on the back; he’d get out, unload chures, either. The pro is carrying noththe ice box and start talking. He wouldn’t ing but a pad of paper and a pen.
The Eskimo does a little quick figuring
listen much; he’d just talk. He’d probably
and tells our pro just how much he’s lostell a few jokes, slap the Eskimo on the The Eskimo sees him and says, “What are ing on fruits and vegetables each month.
back, maybe even offer him some kind of you selling?”
Now the pro knows cost of the problem
“freebie,” but always constantly talking.
The pro begins, “Hi, Mr/s. (name)! Actu- and can calculate the value of the solution.
You can just see Herb opening the refrig- ally, I don’t know if I can sell you anything
erator door, slamming it, and opening it today or not. Besides, if I can’t make it “And, you’re just throwing that money
again, all the while filling the prospect’s profitable for you, you’re not going to buy away?”
ears with all the features, advantages, and anything from me anyway, are you?”
“Yeah, I guess so. There’s nothing else we
benefits he knew. After all, that’s what he “No, you’ve got that right.”
can do!” Hmmm, no alternatives!
was taught to do in Sales 101!
“Well, honestly, I wouldn’t want you to.
After Herb goes through everything he’s I’d rather you DIDN’T buy and tell peo- “Mr/s. (name), I think I might have a solulearned, he tries to close: “So, what do ple I was honest than make a sale both of tion for you, and I’ll bet it would cost less
than you’re throwing away each month!”
you say? Shall I write you up?”
us would regret. Does that make sense?”
The Eskimo then says, “Look here, Mr. “Yes. So, why are you here?” Now, the “Really?”
Tarlick. I live in an igloo - it’s a house Eskimo is curious.
continued on page 6
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How To Sell
An Icebox To
An Eskimo
“Yes! Take a look!” Our pro shows him
the ice box. “It has two benefits I think
you’ll really like. First, it will protect your
fruits and vegetables FROM the cold,
which I know you’ll like. But secondly, if
you plug it in, it’s climate-controlled!”
Still, no brochures, no data… just what
the prospect needs to solve the problem.
“Yeah, that makes sense!”
“And, we can make it so it costs less than
you’re losing! Would you like to have it?”
“Sure!”
End of story. We now know how the pro
does it.
w w w. s a p a t o d ay . c o m
kits. That’s why they’ve become commoditized; they don’t know how to sell
anything else. Growth comes from selling solutions, not product.
continued from page 5
Look at your own sales approach. Are
you “pushing product” like Herb Tarlick?
Or, are you solving problems like a real
professional?
Here’s how to tell: Are you “leading”
with your media kit or brochures?...or are
you leaving them in the car?
Are you selling your audience and coverage?... or are you finding out what the
prospect really wants to achieve?
Are you pre-occupied with making a sale
or are you more concerned with your
prospects’ success?
Develop competence! You’ll then have
confidence. YOU – your approach - will
be the differentiator that makes them
want to talk, listen, and open a relationship with you from that day forward.
James Lorenzen has been a headline speaker more than
500 conventions worldwide (see www.jameslorenzen.
com) and successfully founded, built, and sold five papers of his own. In six years of ad sales, he never sold
an open-rate ad! Every sale was a campaign of 13
consecutive weeks or longer and over 80% of all sales
were for a full year or longer, getting deposit money with
each sale! He once sold 22 campaigns in 22 days and
52 campaigns in 29 weeks. Five times, he received all
the money for the entire year in advance! Jim has appeared in scores of publications as well as on Nightingale-Conant’s “Sound Selling” audio series and American Airlines’ “Sky Radio.” He can be reached through
Gardner Hathaway, LLC at 805.265.5418.
Your competition is leading with media
in·san·i·ty
[in-san’-i-te]
“Doing the same thing over and over again and
Albert Einstein
expecting different results.”
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too much for your ad building?
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The Most Poorly
Handled Request
by Landy Chase
Everyone knows that in professional selling, time is money. If you are developing
your market properly, you spend a lot
of your valuable time in follow-up with
potential buyers. Follow-up spent with
a contact who ultimately does not buy
from you is, at least for now, a waste of
time.
When people are non-qualified prospects
- in other words, for whatever reason,
they are simply not interested - they will
communicate this in a variety of ways.
Each requires a different approach for effective handling.
There is one way this is communicated,
however, that can literally be a poison pill
to your time management. Do you know
what it is?
Answer: “Send me some information.”
Why? Well, let’s “translate” the statement
“send me some information” as it is meant
by most buyers:
machine and spend a couple of dollars of
company money to get it to me in a timely
manner.
Do all of this, so that upon receiving the
information I requested, I can dump it
-immediately and without reviewing it into the trash can.”
“I’m not remotely
interested in what
you are calling me about. However, since
Obviously, in such cases the best soluI don’t have the backbone to simply say so
tion is to avoid going through this pro- and since I don’t respect your time - here
cess. However, the problem with “send
is what I would like for you to do:
me some information” is that you have to
Go to your literature closet and carefully deal with two sticky issues, both of which
select and collate a complete set of those impact what to do next:
expensive four-color brochures that your
(1) The person might, in fact, have a sericompany maintains just for people like
ous interest in doing business with you, in
me.
which case it would be worth your time to
Spend a half-hour or so in front of your follow through, and
computer, typing a nice cover letter for
(2) It would not be appropriate to say,
me.
“Before I send this, I need to know if you
Or, better yet, pull your secretary off of are serious or not.” Yes, you are entitled to
some important task so that she can do know, but this situation must be handled
this for you.
delicately and properly.
Type up and print a nice label with my What’s a good time manager to do?
name and address, and place this label on
The next time that someone suggests that
the cover of a nice, big envelope.
you “send them some information,” folPut your marketing literature in the enve- low the following approach - verbatim.
lope.
Run the package through your postage
continued on page 8
David C. Zeh
Print Sales Consultant
402 Mayfield Drive • P.O. Box 966
Monroe, GA 30655
toll free: 800.354.0235
local: 770.267.2596
fax: 770.267.9463
Partners in Printing Since 1900
mobile: 770.722.0076
email: [email protected]
www.waltonpress.com
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The Most Poorly
Handled Request
“We have a company website that includes information on everything that
we do, and going online will save you the
time of having to wait for the materials in
the mail. Do you have a pen? Here is the
web address.”
One final point: Sadly, there are a lot of
sales people who make a habit of actually
asking prospects, “Would you like me to
send you some information?” without
this even being requested. These are truly
the lost souls of our profession, because
it is so much easier for prospects to say
“yes” than “no” to this useless question.
Think about it: every “sure, send it on”
that they get buys them another twenty
minutes of wasted time. Because of this
simple tactical error, they are participants
in the ultimate selling irony: the more
calls they make, the more unproductive
they are. The classic case of working hard
and not working smart.
Their response – virtually always - will be
to quickly accept this offer, because they
have not the slightest interest in your information in the first place. Congratulations! Get off of the phone and be thankful for the half-hour of saved selling time
that you just put back in your pocket.
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Landy
Chase, MBA, CSP is an expert who specializes in speaking to corporations and associations on advanced professional selling and
sales management skills. For more information, visit his website at www.landychase.
com or call (800) 370-8026.
continued from page 7
First, empathize: “I would be happy to Now, what to do about that spineless
send information to you.” Next, qualify: wimp who wants to waste your time? If
“What is it specifically that you interested your contact says, “Just send me whatever
in?”
you have,” use this approach:
Watch the response! You are going to find
out, immediately, if this person is wasting
your time or not.
Qualified Buyer: “I would like information on __________.” Time-Waster:
“Just send me whatever you have.”
If they make a specific request, suggest
a meeting so that you can review the request personally and answer any questions that they have. If they don’t want a
meeting yet, send the requested information and follow up in two business days.
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Conference Schedules
Super Conference Sept. 23-25, been there before. You’ll sample some of
2010: Plan now for a great conference the best the South has to offer as well
in 2010. IFPA will join with SAPA in
Nashville, Tennessee at the beautiful
Hilton Downtown. We selected a hotel
right in the heart of downtown, located
next to the Country Music Hall of
Fame. You will experience the energetic,
unique nightlife as well as a trip to the
Gaylord Opryland Hotel if you haven’t
as an educational, entertaining, and
exciting schedule of events. Now, more
than ever, you’ll benefit from attending
this upcoming conference. Call Douglas
Fry at 1-800-334-0649 for more info.
Treasure In Tucson - April 22 - 24,
2010: The 2010 conference will be
held at the Westin La Paloma Resort
and Spa in Tucson, Arizona April 2224, 2010. AFCP is proud to bring you
to The Westin La Paloma in beautiful
Tucson, Arizona. With all the amenities
that surround you, this will be one of
their best conferences yet. They will end
the conference with an open mic session
for publishers and managers to discuss
things they learned at the conference
and share ideas that are working in their
markets. Go to www.afcp.org for more
information.
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USPS Presents A
Plan and a Plea
by Donna Hanbery
In March 2010, the Postal Service rolled
out press releases and did a presentation
entitled Envisioning America’s Future
Postal Service. Postmaster General Jack
Potter personally addressed leaders of
the mailing community and a broader
audience of government officials and the
general public to present the problems
facing the USPS and the Postal Service’s
plan for change. The Postal Service laid
out actions in seven different areas and
stressed that doing “business as usual”
was not possible for the Postal Service
to survive. Most of the Postal Service’s
proposals require change in the current
law governing the Postal Service. Potter
stated the USPS needed action on each
element of the plan and that piecemeal
fixes would not result in a viable Postal
Service. He said: “The future depends on
a suite of solutions that takes a balanced
and reasonable approach, one that cuts
across every aspect of our industry but
one that, in the end, does the greatest
possible good for our stakeholders and
the American public.”
THE PROBLEMS
The Postal Service released reports from
three independent consulting firms and
piles of statistics to present the problems
and issues it is facing. Based upon the
consultants’ reports, the Postal Service
stated that, without change, it would face
cumulative losses of $238 billion over the
next 10 years.
Many of the facts presented by the Postal
Service reflect changes in communication
practices and changes in the mail mix.
Significant statistics include:
17% mail volume loss from the 2006 peak
to today
213 billion pieces – 2006
177 billion pieces – 2009
A changing mail mix with more volume
coming from less profitable, standard mail
Ever growing delivery points
Required retiree health benefit funding
under 2006 law of over $5 billion a year
until 2016
32,000 post offices in 2010 with only 6,000
having revenues that exceed expenses
Real revenue per delivery point declining
almost 50% from 2000
Work force cost-per-hour rising faster than
inflation yet prices capped by CPI
THE PLAN
The problems facing the Postal Service
have not been unknown. The GAO has
put the Postal Service back on its “high
risk” list. Congressional leaders have
repeatedly asked the Postal Service to
present its own plan for the future. The
General Accounting Office is in the
process of completing a study on the
USPS and future business models with
a report expected early in 2010. The
Postal Service’s plan called for action, and
legislative change, in seven areas:
Retiree Health Benefits
Prefunding
This problem, referred to by postal payers
as the “stamp tax” requires the Postal
Service to pay over $5 billion dollars a
year for future retiree health benefits.
According to independent studies, and a
recent OIG report, the Postal Service has
already paid more than $75 billion beyond
its fair share to the US Treasury. Although
the Postal Service has been reluctant to
demand that the Treasury “give the money
back,” it did identify the prefunding
requirement as the number one problem
and suggested areas for change:
Restructure the payment obligations to
a “pay as you go” process. This is what is
used in the rest of the federal government
and most of the private sector.
Mitigate the payment
obligations
Recalculate and correct the over-payments
the Inspector General has found were
made to the Postal Service Civil Service
Retirement System pension fund (this is
the $75 billion).
continued on page 11
JB Multimedia, Inc. P.O. Box 704 N. Bellmore, NY 11710 888.592.3212 phone/fax www.jbmultimedia.net
M a k i n g p u b l i c a t i o n s i n t e r a c t i v e.
Justin Gerena, President, Director of Sales
p: 888.592.3212 x710
e: [email protected]
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Delivery Frequency or
5-Day
different products under on overall CPI
cap based on demand and product costs.
The Postal Service has estimated it could This would allow the Postal Service to
save over $3 billion a year if it could charge higher rates for products that it
eliminate Saturday mail delivery and deemed costly or inefficient and lower,
more competitive rates for products that
processing operations.
face greater competition. This could result
Expand Access
in some products seeing higher than CPI
The Postal Service makes the case for rate increases while other products saw
closing more of its traditional, bricks little or no increases or even decreases.
and mortar, unprofitable post offices The service asked Congress to remove
and moving into locations convenient the legal mandate that it offer preferential
to customers, such as high traffic areas or reduced cost pricing to nonprofits and
like grocery stores, pharmacies and office periodicals.
supply stores. The Postal Service asks Potter did state the Postal Service would
Congress to eliminate the statutory ban pursue a moderate, less than double-digit,
on closing post offices for economic “exigent” price increase effective in 2011.
reasons. In a 10-year period, the Postal For ratepayers, this means that the Postal
Service estimated it could save $25 Service will file an emergency case for a
billion a year by having greater flexibility price increase in late 2010 to go into effect
to close traditional postal services and as early as January 2011. Industry buzz
move into an environment where it is that the overall increased revenue the
provides increased access for customers Postal Service intends to seek will average
in its products and services through 5%. With some products, like periodicals,
partnerships with private business, its web under water (not paying their allocated
site, and self service kiosks.
share of attributable costs), the actual
Work Force
With 300,000 career employees eligible
to retire in the coming decade, the Postal
Service seeks flexibility to hire persons
who would work shorter days, weeks and/
or fewer than full time hours. The Postal
Service seeks to have enough personnel
at peak times without a requirement to
provide them with work hours on a fixed
daily or weekly schedule. The Postal
Service asked that its wage increases and
employee benefits be aligned more with
those of other federal agencies and that the
arbitrator considering postal labor matters
consider the financial health of the Postal
Service for making awards.
Pricing
The Postal Service asked for changes in
the current statute limiting price increases
to a CPI cap applied on a classification
basis. The Postal Service asked that it be
given the freedom to set prices among
increases individual mailers could see may
be double digit. The Postal Service has
said that its next case will need to catch
up and correct current prices where some
products are not covering their share of
attributable costs.
From a political standpoint, an exigent
price increase is far from a “done deal.”
Many regulators and congressional
officials take “exigent” to mean unforeseen.
The right to seek an exigent price increase
was designed to respond to shocking
circumstances - like war or anthrax. With
2010 suggesting the CPI will not increase
enough to give the Postal Service the
revenue it needs, it is likely that the debate
over what “exigency” means will lead to a
live case before the PRC.
Expand Products and
Services
Although the Postal Service stated it
would avoid new business ventures like
Southeastern Advertising Publishers Association (931) 490-0400
banking, insurance, or other activities that
would require a capital commitment (and
undoubtedly subject the USPS to public
outcry and criticism), it seeks greater
flexibility to evaluate and introduce new
products consistent with its mission,
to allow it to meet customer needs and
compete better in the marketplace.
Oversight
The Postal Service is seeking changes
to current legislative and regulatory
requirements that make it difficult for
the USPS to be flexible and responsive to
marketplace conditions. Potter’s speech
repeatedly used the words flexibility and
speed to stress the need for the Postal
Service to react and respond to a modern
communications marketplace.
REACTION
Although many postal stakeholders
praised the Postal Service for establishing
an open, and highly public, dialogue to
present its plan, there is little consensus
on next steps. Maine Senator Collins, the
ranking member of the Senate Committee
with oversight over the Postal Service,
has been critical of the Postal Service’s
proposal to cut Saturday delivery. The
unions have also opposed actions that
would reduce Saturday service or close
Postal facilities. The National Association
of Letter Carriers has been outspoken
in urging Congress to recalculate the
overpayment of Civil Service retirement
costs, to return or refund overpayments to
the Postal Service’s debt and retiree health
fund, and to reform the law to show these
obligations as paid.
With 2010 being an election year,
major legislative change in all of these
contentious areas may not be likely. But
the problems facing the Postal Service, and
the American public, have been served up
for future dialogue and debate.
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publication. They will not know who to contact or be able to find
other important information about your paper.
Do you think SRDS will not be able to help your paper? In the past
many publishers have felt that way. In a recent article by Joe Green
of Green Banner Publications in Pekin, Indiana, he states that his
paper just received 12 full-page ads because of his listing in SRDS.
Joe goes on to say that if he had not updated his contact information,
he would not have received the phone calls placing the ads.
Joe writes, “The budgets for next year are almost set so you might
not think updating your SRDS listing is that important to do right
now. If you are typical, you have a lot to do and this can be done
later. The key is to check it now before you forget it.”
Joe goes on to say, “The two sales this past week were both special
PaperChain will be attending the AFCP conference this month in events that probably are being done off budget. The first was a bank
Tucson, AZ. If you are attending, please stop by the PaperChain buying another bank and wanting some special promotion when they
booth to check your Standard Rate and Data Service (SRDS) listing. change the signs. The other was the “Antique Road Show,” which is
There will be several laptop computers set up to help you complete coming to town. These types of opportunities occur all year long.”
the task.
PaperChain and your fellow publishers are extremely interested
This is extremely important for your publication. When media in hearing from you if you have received advertising because of
buyers are searching for new papers to place advertising, the primary Standard Rate and Data Service. We will feature your publication
source is Standard Rate and Data. As the paid newspapers decline in in future PaperChain Updates. Please email Brian Gay at briangay@
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are spending. Free papers are becoming an excellent alternative. If
Be sure to stop at the PaperChain booth and check your listing while
your data is not correct, the advertisers will not be able to find your
attending the AFCP conference. After all, it is your money.
Report
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