5/21/01 - In yesterday's financial guidance, Wallace detailed many changes in it's sales force. According to the statement, following an extensive analysis of the company's operations, Jones, who joined the company late in calendar 2000, has announced a sales organization alignment for Wallace. There will be no reorganization charges associated with the changes. "We are organizing the company to optimize the sales opportunities that exist in both transactional and Total Print Management business, and to leverage our wide variety of products and services related to internal and external information and communications," said Jones. "The new organization will help stimulate sales of all Wallace products and capabilities, generating favorable revenue, margin, cash flow and asset utilization implications." Wallace has established a regional sales organization structure that promotes more localized interaction with customers, and has consolidated one layer of sales management to afford more control to local area management. Managing the customer interface to get the right people calling on the right accounts in a coordinated way has to be done within the local area. Wallace's General Sales Managers will act as market managers who will have responsibility over each large market as well as groupings of smaller markets to manage these interfaces. For each customer within each market, the manager will determine the proper makeup of his or her team, and decide the number of specialists and generalists needed on staff to capture the full market potential. The General Sales Managers will ensure that all sales efforts are coordinated to best sell and support the customers in their areas of responsibility, especially for Total Print Management customers. "Our new sales organization will put sales representatives and account managers in closer touch with customers, and ensure that all Wallace customers are exposed to the full range of our service and product capabilities," said Mike Duffield, President and Chief Operating Officer. "We want to sell new products and services to existing customers, many of whom may not know all of our capabilities, which include forms and labels, targeted communications, commercial print, services such as distribution, kitting, internet technologies, and print and materials management. Building business with existing customers is a very cost-effective way of increasing revenues, and we also want to do a better job of presenting our capabilities to new business prospects." Duffield said that this team-focused sales organization addresses a commitment to revenue growth, and will capitalize on the efficiencies of the company's nationwide network of printing facilities. "We have over 40 printing operations, and we need to take full advantage of the sales and operating synergies of this national network," said Duffield. "Doing so will support revenue growth, and should also help us achieve our goal of overall margin improvement."