Some Readers' Resolutions --DeWese

At 2:05 a.m. on February 5, 2005, I lost a lover and a friend. We'd been together nearly 50 years. We met at age 12 in the woods behind Richard Lanier's house in Brooksville, FL. From that point forward, we were never far apart and we grew closer as time passed.

At first, our courtship was casual and irregular. We had sweet and awkward, clandestine trysts. We were carefully secretive in my teens. The meetings were often passionate and sometimes left me dizzy, reeling and breathless.

We stepped boldly out of the closet at age 20 and had a 42-year intimate relationship. We were best friends, lovers and companions; through good times and bad, we were never apart. On those few occasions when we were separated, I would search in rainstorms, blizzards and in the wee hours of the morning to find my darling.

A Dangerous Affair

I can't keep this up. You're thinking that my "companion" is human.

My companion is my longstanding addiction to the nicotine in cigarettes. I won't write about my motivation for dumping the old friend, except to say that my lover turned on me, and became dangerous and threatening. I'll write about how I walked away later, but for now you should know it was pretty much cold turkey and I was real cranky for about two weeks.

I always had this Walter Winchell image of myself—you know, tough street-smart writer, blasting away on an old Remington, my fedora cocked over one eye, with a Camel clenched in my teeth.

I didn't tell you about this to encourage any of you to quit any of your habits. But, if you recognize a "bad" habit within yourself, and you want to quit, just remember that if the weak, undisciplined Mañana Man can break a habit, then you damn sure can.

Speaking of bad habits, the scam lady print salesperson I wrote about in January turned up a couple more times. Several printing company managers who read the column e-mailed me to report how she scammed them out of about six months' pay. Her sphere of fraud expanded as far west as Kansas City and to New York City on the east coast.

Printers Put it on Paper

Here's the text from one e-mail.

"Hello Harris. Add another to the list if we are not one of the five. When I took the job here in June of 2003, a woman had just been hired out of Chicago. She was going by the name of (name omitted so I won't get sued, but let's just say her initials are 'R.H.'). Fake W-2 and all. We were fortunate in that it only took me about six weeks to figure it out. Unbelievable!"

"R.H." stirred up reports of other con artists, including some men who work the old "give me a big draw and a Gold American Express Card" scam. Erik Cagle, one of PI's best writers, is going to write a more in-depth exposé to help educate printers on better recruiting and selection methods. Look for Cagle's article soon.

My January column coached on the importance of New Year's resolutions and many of you sent me thoughtful and well-conceived plans for 2005 and beyond. Here are a few examples that may help in case you haven't gotten around to completing your assignment. I'm not going to identify these readers. They may be your competitors. The first is from the owner of a small shop.

"Hi Harris. Here are my resolutions:

1) Call Kathy Bitonti.

(Although I hope to be one of the first 10 to contact you with my resolutions so I get the Printing Industries of Michigan report from you for free!) [He was and he did.]

2) Decide if I want to continue owning my shop (10 years in March) or sell it and pursue another business to buy.

3) Continue praying and thanking God.

4) Spend more time with my family—and play catch with my nephew.

Regardless of number two and until a final decision is made I will:

5) Continue sending my newsletter monthly to customers and prospects (1,600 total).

6) Send 15 prospect letters weekly—each Monday.

7) Follow up these letters with phone calls on Thursday, Friday, Monday, Wednesday (reach the prospect, make an appointment or leave four messages; no more, no less).

8) I will stop comparing my accomplishments to others in my age group.

9) I will stop focusing on the negative and be more aware of those things for which I am grateful.

10) I will stop worrying so much about business!

Really enjoyed your article Harris—thanks for inspiring me to write these down!"

This was obviously written by a man who knows himself very well. Another printer, who starts by being completely honest with himself, wrote the next set of resolutions.

"Dear Harris. Regardless of the offer still being open, and of any comment you might be inclined to make, this was a wonderful exercise. Sadly, because I compose on the PC and have not yet learned how to periodically save my work, this is the second writing. I suppose that should be on of my to-do list.

Time to Confide

In any case, thanks for making me go through this. I have never shared this type of information with a stranger—haven't shared it with friends either. I've run by the seat of my pants for years and have been pretty good at it. But writing is a commitment.

1) Call Kathy Bitonti for PIM's print buyer's report. [He didn't have to call Kathy. He was one of the first 10.]

2) Complete the several biographies that I have begun reading. Take one or two positive attributes from each person and incorporate that successful trait into my own personality.

3) Spend individual time with each of my three children. Create time to do something with just them—something that is simple, but creates a lasting impression. Sledding with a daughter (age 5), gymnastics meet with a daughter (13) and Starbucks for hot chocolate or coffee with a son (16). Give them one-on-one time that is devoted to something they enjoy and will remember as they go through life.

4) Execute daily. Create a to-do list every night of tasks to be accomplished the next day. Make time on the calendar that allows for these tasks—both personally and professionally—to be completed. Make the list hard enough to require effort and determination, but not so hard as to be insurmountable.

5) Maintain, at the least, the 13 percent net profit achieved in 2004—far above profit leader status by value-added selling of services, sound recovery of expenses and reasonable markup based on value of service.

6) Increase direct mail-related sales to 5 percent of 2004 revenues (equals $75,000 in sales dollars). Focus on creating sustained direct mail programs for customers and clients that achieve results that are measurable.

7) Follow marketing plan created to increase direct and indirect sales locally and regionally. Include weekly review of the plan in specifics. Review targeted accounts and gauge progress. Add new targeted accounts when appropriate, but do not create a list that cannot be managed effectively.

8) Eliminate distractions. Prioritize the day and don't allow distractions to interfere, unless they're family related.

9) Avoid negative people who want to bring me down. Focus on the positive; don't get caught up in the negatives, which only creates failure.

10) Stop shorting myself for time necessary for physical and emotional health. Block out time for personal reading without feeling guilty about the time taken away from something else. Block time for more exercise. Get serious about physical well being as a way to prolong my time on this side of the fairway."

This final example is more cryptic, but just as comprehensive and thoughtful as the others.

"Dear Harris:

1) Call Kathy Bitonti for the report, unless I get lucky and win a free one. [He got lucky and received a free copy.]

2) Take a long vacation with my family.

3) Turn off the TV and read more.

4) Keep up the recently started YMCA exercise program.

5) Go to bed a half hour earlier.

6) Raise prices.

7) Create a new Website that is not invisible to the search engine.

8) Create a new Website devoted to our family history/genealogy.

9) Get out and sell something beginning March 1.

10) Five phone calls a day for

appointments.

11) Create direct mail programs that are targeted and personalized to marketing executives.

12) Manage time better.

13) Stay off the Internet during work except on job-related activity.

14) Plan better. Focus on priorities. Save reading/research for afternoons. Use the mornings for more demanding tasks when I'm freshest."

Wow! Those were great! I hope you are inspired to write your resolutions, quit a bad habit or, at least, Get Out There and Sell Something!

—Harris DeWese

About the Author

Harris DeWese is the author of Now Get Out There and Sell Something, available through NAPL or PIA. He is chairman and CEO at Compass Capital Partners and is an author of the annual "Compass Report," the definitive source of information regarding printing industry M&A activity. DeWese has completed more than 100 printing company transactions and is viewed as the preeminent deal maker in the printing industry. He specializes in investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, sales, marketing, planning and management services to printing companies. He can be reached via e-mail at DeWeseH@ComCapLtd.com.