PARAMUS, N.J., July 16, 2002 – To help printers maximize the performance of their sales organizations in today’s challenging business environment, the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) is sponsoring its First Annual Sales Summit, August 13-15, at the Hyatt Regency Woodfield, Schaumburg, Ill.  The conference kicks off with a welcome reception and registration on Tuesday, August 13, 6:00 –7:00 p.m., followed by two full days of programs (Wed. and Thurs., August 14 & 15, 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.). Designed for salespeople and sales managers, the program was developed by NAPL based on extensive input from printers on what they need to equip their sales staffs for success.  Attendees will be encouraged to incorporate new ideas, techniques, and skills into their operating procedures by three of the industry’s most knowledgeable experts: * Séan McArdle, creator of The Art & Science of Printing Sales, founder and CEO of LifeAnswers, Inc., and a member of the million-dollar printing sales circle. * Seth Tower, president, Pinkham Notch Advisors, former printing company executive, and author of Sales Force Automation and Customer Relationship Management. * Andrew Paparozzi, vice president and chief economist of NAPL, editor of the Economic Edge, and creator of NAPL’s Printing Business Index. In a format that encourages participation, Sales Summit attendees will: * Learn how to improve closing ratios, land new and bigger accounts, and enhance selling skills. * Get the latest facts about the State of the Industry and its impact on their businesses. * Learn how to implement a Sales Automation initiative. * Learn about today’s sophisticated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools. * Have the opportunity to network with peers from across the country. Program fee is $799 for NAPL members, $899 for non-members (Discounts are available for multiple attendees from the same company).  Fee includes program material, welcome reception, and continental breakfasts, breaks, and lunch on August 14 and 15 (Special room rates are available at the Hyatt Regency Woodfield for NAPL Sales Summit attendees).  For more information or to register, go online to www.napl.org/events/sales_summit or call (800) 642-6275, Option 3. About the instructors: Andrew D. Paparozzi is vice president and chief economist of the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL).  He maintains NAPL’s database of more than 50 business indicators and prepares the association’s quarterly guide to printing industry business trends, Economic Edge, its annual State of the Industry Report, and its Printing Business Index, a comprehensive measure of printing industry activity.  He also oversees NAPL’s Long-Run Growth LeadersÔ research, a 10-year landmark study of some of the printing industry’s most consistently successful companies.  Paparozzi is a frequent contributor to the graphic arts trade press and a featured speaker at leading industry conferences, trade shows, and meetings.  Séan McArdle, currently founder and CEO of LifeAnswers, Inc., a firm dedicated to training printing sales professionals, spent  20 years as a printing sales executive.  A distinguished member of NAPL’s Soderstrom Society and the author of best-selling books, including Customer Creation and The Winning Sales Call, and the audio series, The Art & Science of Printing Sales, McArdle shares his experience, knowledge, techniques, and strategies in energizing, high-impact programs.  Seth Tower has a long record of success in the graphic arts industry in sales, sales management, and executive management.  As president of Pinkham Notch Advisors, he assists companies to capture market opportunities via sales system integration with Customer Relationship Management programs (CRM).  He has teamed with Séan McArdle to write an overlay software for ACT! 2000.  The author of Sales Force Automation & Customer Relationship Management: How to Leverage Technology to Improve Your Bottom Line, Seth has served on the board of NAPL, GATF, and PINE, and is currently a co-lead instructor for the Sales and Marketing discipline of NAPL’s Management Institute.