If You Offer Mailing Services, Read This
If you are a printing company offering mailing services, you need to educate your staff about mailing. One source for education is The United States Postal Service (USPS), which offers a number of classes and certifications, both online and at their National Center for Employment Development (NCED) in Norman, Oklahoma.
For personnel in a position to help customers with mail design, the seven-hour online Mail Design Professional course may be a wise investment. Successful completion of the course results in a Mail Design Professional (“MDP”) certification. The fee is a reasonable $75. The course covers the classes of mail and processing categories, basic addressing, barcode formats, automation letters and automation flats, reply mail, and Address Information System (AIS) products. The course is also taught as a three-day instructor-led program at NCED.
Another instructor-led program at NCED is The Executive Mail Center Manager, a comprehensive program designed for individuals managing mail operations. Topics include operations, technology, finances, and sales and marketing. More than 1,000 people have taken the course and are EMCM certified.
You can access complete USPS training information at Business Mail Academy.
Free Help with OSHA Compliance
Since virtually every commercial lithographic printer in the United States, regardless of size, is required to comply with OSHA standards, it is vital to evaluate your facility and determine your compliance status. As a benefit of your PGAMA/Printing Industries of America membership, you have access to FREE resources that will assist you in this effort. Go to http://www.printing.org/page/5412 for the menu of available tools, including webinars, handbooks, and guidelines. Member password and login required. (Contact the PGAMA office if you do not know your Printing Industries login.)
The Donuts Are On Us
Got questions about the benefits of your PGAMA membership? Jan Keadle has the answers! Jan is PGAMA's Membership Director and you can contact her about programs such as Group Buying Discounts, Collections, Insurance, Networking Events, and MORE! She will be happy to stop by your company and brief you on services that can save you hundreds of dollars. You provide the coffee and she will bring the donuts! You can reach Jan at (410) 319-0900, Ext. 106.
Return Business Is All About Trust
Industry pundit Dick Gorelick says that the relationship of a client and printer is similar to that of a patient and doctor because the key to both relationships is trust. Both patients and clients have to trust that the person doing the work will do it right. When dealing with a doctor, a breach of that trust could literally be a matter of life or death. With a printer, a breach of that trust could cause no end of grief (and perhaps an end of employment) for the client.
Of course, the issue of trust becomes less important as multiple successful projects build a track record of confidence. The big challenge comes with a new client who has no experience with the printer. A good strategy is to show the processes that are in place to protect against errors, to keep jobs on track, and to be sure that costs are kept within authorized limits. When a printer succeeds in eliminating the fear factor from the client's mind, price will still be talked about, but it will no longer be the central issue because being able to sleep at night is worth far more than any savings.
Join the Printers' Rally in D.C.
On September 14-15, our industry will gather in Washington, DC for "Print's Voice '10," the printing and graphic communications industry event to advocate on public policy and build industry relationships with federal lawmakers and key administration officials. The program includes political and legislative briefings, policy break-out seminars on key public policy issues (e.g. the postal rate increase issue), Election 2010 overviews, corporate political involvement training, PrintPAC events honoring lawmakers and constituent lobbying visits (scheduling assistance is provided). An appreciation rooftop reception at a premiere Washington, DC location and a "dine-around" networking opportunity are also included. Registration is FREE to PGAMA member companies ($395 for non-members). Who should attend? Printing and graphic communications company and vendor community executives, particularly CEOs, COOs, plant managers and those who work in the areas of environmental health/safety, human resources/employee benefits, finance, legal/governmental and postal affairs. Details and registration are at http://www.printing.org/printsvoice.
Tech Tip of the Week: Capture LinkedIn Leads
Julie Shaffer, Vice President, Digital Technologies, offers this tip on how to add LinkedIn contacts to your database:
Linkedin is fairly unique among social media platforms, in that you have the option to capture all of your contacts to your own database. Here is what you have to do.
- Login to Linkedin and click on the “Contacts” tab.
- Click the My Connections tab.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see the “export connections” link; click it.
- Select the file format in which you’d like to get the data. Options are .CSV or .VCF 5. Type in the security code (to prove you are not a spambot) and click “Export.”
- You will get a file with name, email address, company name, and title. Enough for a personalized message!
Julie Shaffer is one of the Keynote Speakers at the PGAMA/PIVA Executive Management Summit.
Don't miss the chance to hear her wisdom at the event, and get more tips like this about all things digital.
Q&A sessions follow each speaker presentation, so you can have personal consultations with leading industry experts
like Julie when you attend!
Member News
Kudos to PGAMA Board Member Pat Crowe of Art Litho Printing Solutions who was quoted in the Baltimore Business Journal's Enterprising Women publication. Pat was quoted in a feature on how to negotiate the right way.
Earlier this month we announced that Encore Recycling was one of the newest PGAMA members. This week, we are happy to share some details on the company's products and services. Encore Recycling, a full service recycler located in Laurel, Maryland, is involved in the collection and sorting of all grades of paper, plastic and cardboard. With over 65 years of combined expertise in the recycling industry, the company can provide many different types of collection services. They currently operate a fleet of roll-off trucks, tractor trailers and straight body trucks to service the Baltimore and Washington, DC metro areas. For more info contact Barbara Gear, Phone: 410-813-2610 or Fax: 410-813-2630.
Williams & Heintz Map Corporation is pleased to announce their recent ISO 9001:2008 Certification in cartographic production, large form cartographic printing, and specialized map folding.
Congrats to APC Postal Logistics for receiving a First Place Fulfillment Ingenuity Award for Best Creative Solution for a Fulfillment Project. APC Postal Logistics is located at 14300 Cherry Lane Ct. #216 in Laurel, MD. PH: 301-317-5678, website: apc-pli.com.
Upcoming
Events
| September 1 |
Early Bird Registration Deadline for Executive Management Summit & Sales Symposium
Register by September 1 for the PGAMA/PIVA 2010 Executive Management Summit, and save $100! Introductory brochures for this event have been mailed. Get more info about the Summit and register at www.pgama.com/2010summit
Sponsorship opportunities for the Summit still available! Contact Carol Atwood at the PGAMA office for details, 410-319-0900. |
| September 9 |
Webinar: Creating Flawless Files that are Print-Ready, 2:00-3:00pm. A recent Printing Industries of America survey showed that 70% of printers need to repair more than half of all files submitted before they can be output successfully. Solid digital file creation is the key element to reproducing jobs in a time- and cost-efficient manner for print production. Go “under the hood” with Adobe CS5 and other desktop publishing applications and become a pro at preparing digital files for print production! Led by Joe Marin, Senior Analyst, Digital Technologies, Printing Industries of America. Cost is $49 for members/$99 for non-members. More info and register at http://www.printing.org/node/6166
***Printers: Purchase this webinar for your customers to strengthen your relationships, AND get problem-free files! |
| September 13-14 |
Workshop: Optimizing Color from Your Digital Press, Printing Industries of America headquarters in Sewickley, PA. Become or develop the "go to" person when it comes to troubleshooting color problems in your digital workflow. This brand new workshop was designed to supply you with a comprehensive look at what it takes to produce reliable, predictable, high-quality color on your digital press. It is a perfect blend of intense lab instruction and quality hands-on training, leaving you totally immersed in the subject of digital color and press optimization. Led by Julie Shaffer, Vice President of Digital Technologies, Printing Industries of America and David Zwang, Principal Consultant, Zwang & Company. Cost is $595 for members/$1095 for non-members. More info and register at http://www.printing.org/node/5960. |
| September 14-15 |
Government Affairs Event: Printing Industries of America Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C. This event serves to advocate public policy on behalf of individual companies, and helps build industry relationships with federal lawmakers and key administration officials. Meet Senators, Representatives, and Capitol Hill staff face-to-face! Attendance is FREE for members. Learn more and register at http://www.printing.org/printsvoice |
| September 16 |
Special Event: MAGE Crab Feast, 4:30-8:30pm at Blob's Park Pavilion in Jessup, MD. Plan to 'Get Your Crab On' at the biggest MAGE event of the year. New location, new menu and new activities will make this a fun-filled occasion for your clients, co-workers, family and friends. Tickets are $60.00 per person for members/$575.00 per table of 10. Non-member cost is $75/per person. Kids 12 and under are $20. Deadline for reservations is 9/9/10. Call PGAMA to save your seat, 410-319-0900.
Sponsorship opportunities for the Crab Feast still available! Contact Debbie Woolbright at the PGAMA office for details, 410-319-0900.
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| Ocotber 14 |
Special Event: Cocktails & Connections FREE Happy Hour, 5:30-7:30pm at the Gaylord National Hotel. Mark your calendar now and plan to be at PGAMA's wildly popular strictly social gathering. Nosh and network with industry colleagues in a casual setting to create valuable business alliances. This is the kickoff event for the PGAMA/PIVA Executive Management Summit & Sales Symposium, so an even bigger crowd than usual is expected! No cost for members, but you must RSVP to attend. Sign up now at www.pgama.com. |
| October 14-16 |
Special Event: PGAMA/PIVA 2010 Executive Management Summit & Sales Symposium, at the Gaylord National Hotel just over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge near Washington, D.C. Get the latest information and new inspiration to lead your business to a successful future. Customize your conference experience and pick from an unprecedented 16 different presentations to attend, including an entire series of workshops geared just for printing sales professionals. More info and register at www.pgama.com/2010summit. |
November 6-9
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Special Event: Converge Conference, Memphis Peabody Hotel, Memphis, TN. The Converge Conference is based on the premise that our industry is constantly changing, and in order to keep pace, a company executive must master many diverse subjects. Attendees will:
*Gain a broader understanding of the technologies changing the industry
*Learn the skills and strategies necessary to build an effective and flexible business plan
*Explore cutting-edge technologies that could impact your company’s competitive future
*Examine evolving customer requirements surrounding new cross-media applications
*Network with peers facing the same challenges
Learn more and register at http://converge.printing.org/page/6169. |
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