PARAMUS, N.J., November 18, 2008 - In an effort to help printing and graphic communications firms avoid the commodity crunch, NAPL (www.napl.org) has raised the bar on sales management effectiveness with its new Sales Growth Strategy Consulting services.
 
NAPL's Sales Growth Strategy Consulting helps firms realign their sales efforts with corporate objectives while providing them with the tools to grow their business. The process typically begins with NAPL Sales Consultant Mike Philie working with the company's management team to develop a thorough understanding of the printing company's brand and culture, as well as to identify what it will take for the firm to meet its corporate objectives and ultimately be more successful. This is accomplished through extensive interviews with sales professionals, support staff and senior management, as well as through a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats), to best direct their sales efforts.
 
"All too often, printing firms encourage and measure their sales performance based on the volume and size of transactions, but rarely measure how effective they are at client-focused strategies, providing solutions to help their clients make more money and, in general, wrapping their arms around their clients," notes Mike Philie, vice president and consultant in NAPL's Consulting Services Group. "Deriving a deeper understanding of a client's business imperatives and culture can help a printing firm move beyond just selling commodity-priced jobs to unprofitable clients and toward becoming a valued business partner with profitable clients."

 
 "At the center of this sales approach paradigm shift is the movement from a transactional motivation to a more consultative sell that can help printers 'connect the dots' between their clients' needs and printers' solutions," states Philie.
 
"The printing industry had learned to cope with changing business climates, but is not as focused on how it needs to change its sales approach. We are thrilled that Mike Philie rounds out our consulting services to bring this much needed service to the industry," states NAPL Executive Vice President Tim Fischer, who heads up NAPL's Consulting Services Group.
 
Prior to joining NAPL earlier this year, Mike was the founder and principal of The Philie Group LLC, a Maryland-based consulting firm focused on operational and sales growth strategies for graphic communications companies, graphic services providers and printing companies. Since July 2007, Philie has been serving as an associate consultant in NAPL's Consulting Services Group. He regularly writes about sales issues on his blog, www.TheBusinessofPrint.org, and has recently published the white paper "Connect The Dots," which is available free through www.napl.org/requestform. Similar to the rest of the NAPL's consulting roster, he is solely focused on the business issues and demands of the commercial printing industry and is uniquely positioned to help our consulting clients develop and implement a strategy that will better attract, acquire, retain and grow their new business to profitable levels in today's new business world.
 
For more information about Mike Philie, go to www.MikePhilie.org, or contact him directly at 410-489-7188 or [email protected]. To learn more about NAPL's other consulting services, go to www.napl.org/consulting, or contact Tim Fischer at 201-523-6376 or [email protected].