The Stationers Guild

Reflecting on the 2011 National Stationery Show, I came across this  Blog post entitled “Don’t take it personally”  by Seth Godin, who was the Keynote speaker at the NSS Future Conference.    Here is an extract from his post:

QUOTE (Slightly Edited)

“Don’t take it personally.”

This is tough advice. Am I supposed to take it like a chair? Sometimes it seems as though the only way to take it is personally. That customer who doesn’t like your product (your best work) or that running buddy who doesn’t want to run with you any longer…

Here’s the thing: it’s never personal. It’s never about you. How could it be? That person doesn’t truly know you … All they know is themselves.

When someone moves on, when she walks away or even badmouths you or your work, it’s not personal about you. It’s personal about her. Her agenda, her decisions, her story.

Do your work, the best way you know how. Is there any other option?

UNQUOTE

Indeed, is there any other option?  Sure, you can exit the playing field and move on, having let someone else’s opinion determine your relevancy and/or artistic value.   Seth Godin’s advice is for leaders or “tribal chiefs” as he refers to them who are not intimidated by failure and certainly not the opinions of others.

With these words of caution from Seth Godin, I would like to reflect on some of the major trends I saw emerging from this year’s National Stationery Show.    Most certainly, you shouldn’t take my views “personally” since my objective is to create a dialogue and not to discredit anyone’s work or business strategy.   The business is hard enough for another naysayer in our midst.

Stationery Trends & Observations

1. The Chinese have Landed:   This is the first time that I can recall a strong Chinese presence at the NSS.  It seemed that they occupied a dozen or so booths and while I didn’t see a great deal of activity, their presence signifies that more cheap imports will be arriving soon.    I admire the craftsmanship and work ethic of the Chinese; however, their business model is very much different than our own.  Designers and manufacturers who outsource production to China do so at their own peril.    You may win the cost-efficiency battle, but you are most certain to hasten the demise of your brand and, quite possibly, the industry.
2. Too much Letterpress:   I adore letterpress, but there are simply too many suppliers.   Let’s face it, most anyone with an old press and Photoshop can produce “unique” and “eco-friendly” stationery and invitations.   As a stationery store, I am reluctant to take on new lines since many of the designs look the same.  While I commend everyone on “doing your own thing,” it seems to me that only the established lines that maintain quality standards and continue to innovate will survive.
3. Pricing Models -  Established Lines Hold the Line:    I have long been concerned that manufacturers and designers of quality paper products would succumb to the temptation to lower quality to compete with the “fast-food” paper companies that now dominate our industry.   Meetings at the NSS convinced me that a line in the sand has now been drawn and serious brands will no longer follow Alice down the pricing hole to oblivion.    I welcome this change and believe that consumers will opt for higher quality products at price levels that can sustain the industry.  Maybe this is wishful thinking, but this is the first time in several years where industry leaders have said “No mas!” to price cutting. 
4. Online Sales & Affiliate Marketing:    It is good to see that Crane has re-established an affiliate marketing program.  Other companies that sell online should do the same thing.  While this is all well-and-good,  these affilitate programs will be of little use to bricks and mortar stores unless they take advantage of them.  Affiliate marketing is like learning to ride a bicycle:  lot’s of bruises and scrapes as you learn to ride and pretty easy after you get the hang of it.    I fear that many stores will not do so and the benefits of leveraging one’s sales by providing an online option will be missed.  In effect, Crane and others have given  stores a vital piece of online real estate and it is our responsibility to make it work.   In order to accelerate that process, I will shortly be expanding the functionality of the StationersGuild website into an affiliate marketing laboratory to test various online marketing strategies.  In addition, an affiliate website, Rite4U.com will be focused on best practices to build, maintain and market your local business online.  There is a lot to learn and it is changing each day, but at least you won’t have to repeat my mistakes.

Again. let me thank the organizers of the National Stationery Show and particularly Patti Stracher for keeping the flame burning.    Everybody approaches NSS differently and if I have stepped on anyone’s toes, “don’t take it personally.” We are in the boat together.

I am thrilled to report that Sweet Pea Designs is back on its feet and was proudly represented at the 2011 National Stationery.   For those who didn’t have an opportunity to look through their exciting new Baby album, several of their new yet familiar and comforting designs are featured on a Facebook Fan Page.

As reported last year,  Sweet Pea Designs and its long-time printing partner, Printswell, parted ways in the early part of 2010.  Sweet Pea owners Anne Johnson and Kim Kreis had hoped to relaunch a “new and improved” Sweet Pea Designs in time for the 2010 holiday season, but technology hurdles got the best of them and Sweet Pea wisely decided to hold off until they could get things right.  While this was no doubt a painful decision for both Anne and Kim and their many fans and dealers in the industry, the new album vindicates their decision.

Anne and Kim are far too shy to get in front of a camera – must be that southern upbringing – and, as such, my wife Sheila delivered this heartfelt promotional pitch video:

While I apologize for the sound reproduction and background noise, I think you get the idea that this new Baby Album is rich in design and careful thought has gone into creating a visually attractive and functional experience for your clients. As Sheila mentioned, a totally revamped and new social stationery and invitations album will be released in about eight weeks followed by their holiday album in the Fall.

I join Sheila in welcoming back Sweet Pea Designs and we wish Kris and Anne well in their new venture. If you wish to become a dealer or require additional information, please visit the Sweet Pea Designs website.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

Two additional album

A popular definition of “true freedom”  is when the kids leave home and the dogs die.  I’m not sure I agree with this definition because I miss my dogs – actually they were the kid’s dogs that I was obliged to look after.  True freedom or not, my mind turns to blogging to occupy my free time.   I will write about most anything that strikes my fancy, but mostly I write about stationery and the changing landscape of American towns brought about the digital revolution.

As a compulsive blogger, I was therefore pleased to see the launch of Blog Boutique at the National Stationery Show.  Blog Boutique is a blogging resource for time-pressed store owners who want to get their message out about fine stationery and custom imvitations.  Blog Boutique is the idea of the talented Holly Bretschneider, the owner of Salutations in Chapel Hill and Charlotte, NC.

Beginning on June 15th, Blog Boutique will offer some 150 articles complete with beautiful images that subscribers may use as articles on their own blogs.  I understand that Blog Boutique will be adding some 50 articles a month and paid subscribers can search the database for relevant articles to support their own marketing and informational campaigns.  In effect, it works much like a syndicated news service to save store owners the agony and grind of “creating” original content to keep one’s blog relevant.

The basic program permits the subscriber to download up to 4 articles a month for $40 or $10 an article.    This is a reasonable price to pay for original content and if you upgrade to the Plus or Ultimate subscription programs you may download more articles and the price per article becomes even less expensive.

Holly is on to a great concept:  Leading stationers in the United States need to write  frequently and passionately about the industry we love.  For those that already have blogs, Blog Boutique might be a useful resource to share the heavy lifting.    Those that are thinking about establishing a blog should carefully consider their responsibilities.  At minimum, a new blog requires at least 3 articles posted a week to remain relevant.  Unless you are willing to make that commitment, it is better not to start in the first place.

One of the issues that I always consider in publishing the same article on multiple websites is the issue of duplicate content.  Google doesn’t like to “see” the same information published in multiple websites.  Since the purpose of Blog Boutique is not to deceive the search engines, Holly believes that duplicate content is not an issue if articles are used to support good blogging habits. She forwarded an article that addressed the subject of duplicate content as it pertains to syndicated news articles.   In any event, I wouldn’t rely entirely on Blog Boutique for my Blog and would certainly pen a few articles of your own.  Also, I would suggest that you change the title and perhaps modify the first sentence of the article to give it a more personal touch.

Well done Holly!  Fellow stationers, let’s get blogging!

Richard W. May
Thérèse Saint Clair

For the last several years, I have attended practically every seminar offered by the National Stationery Show that had to do with website design, e-commerce and social media marketing.   While I have found some seminars to be quite useful, I have often felt that the information provided was either too basic for many in the audience and, at other times, simply overwhelming for those seeking a few tips on how to promote their business online.

As such, I was not expecting much as I sat down to listen to Rafael Mael of brandlauncher.com talk about social marketing.  Boy, was I in for a surprise.  This was simply the best presentation I have heard on this complex subject and I am quite sure that those who were fortunate to attend would share my assessment.  Well done Mr. Mael and tell your wife that we all thought you did a great job!

The goal of Mr. Mael’s presentation was to give us five very valuable insights on how to tackle social media.  His objective was to teach us how “to engage successfully with a minimum of effort” so we could get back to our “real life” with family and friends.  As one who spends far too much time in front of a monitor, I find this to be a most worthwhile objective.   After all, a real person is far more engaging than a Twitter “follower” or a Facebook “friend” – at least they should be!

I am going to list his 5 Rules (which he  supported with useful examples of what he was discussing) with a minimum of fanfare unless I think it is required:

1. Optimize Everything - This Rule mainly covered website design in which he emphasized that “less is more.”  A simple design pattern that tracks “proven” website reading patterns (the “z” effect) works best.    Fully agree, and my next website will reflect that look and functionality.
2. Give your audience what they want -  Your audience seeks two things:  stuff that is “interesting,” and stuff that is “free.”  Mr. Mael was interesting and entertaining and passed out many FREE gifts.
3. Automate Everything -  He gave us tools to automate NOW: ping.fm and tools to automate LATER:  hootsuite.com.  Ping.fm is used to communicate the arrival of new products and “new” news, which Hootsuite.com is used to schedule communication to social media outlets that are known in advance.
4. Use Video:  YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google.  There are plenty of activities in your store that attract interest.  For instance, one video received some 14,000 views on how to wrap a gift.
5. Where do you Start? – Start with the end result in mind and reverse engineer the process.  In other words, envision where you want to be and then work out the details to determine how you can get there in the most efficient way possible.

Following the presentation, Mr. Mael stayed around to give those that were interested a 10-minute one-on-one.

Thank you Mr. Mael and thank you organizers for finding this most engaging speaker.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

Every year at the National Stationery Show, I visit The Knot booth.  The Knot is considered by many to be the leading website for weddings.    In fact, many stationery stores advertise on The Knot and some have reported considerable success.  I became disenchanted with The Knot many years ago – not because I was a shareholder and watched their share price fall from $30 to $10 – but for The Knot’s lack of integrity and misrepresentation of local businesses and local resources.  To those charges I now add incompetence.  “Incompetence,” you ask?  Sure, take the The Knot’s application form at this year’s National Stationary Show.

I know, how embarrassing is this?  Nevertheless, I suspect that many stationers signed this application form in the hope that they would find the “promised” bridal couple and possibly more in their town or county.

I sincerely hope that fellow stationers will be rewarded for their advertising, but I suspect that your potential client will be hijacked by The Knot’s propensity to promote its national online fast food chains that masquerade that they are local businesses.   While The Knot could be a great asset for struggling local businesses, they have sold their integrity to the highest bidder and as a result, the consumer, the stationery industry, designers and artisans have been short-changed. 

Let me be as plain as possible:  Local stationery stores and other wedding-related local businesses that advertise on The Knot are simply subsidizing their own demise.  I wish The Knot would wake up and “do the right thing.”   Maybe a spelling class would also help.   Even the stock market might notice. 

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

As readers of the Stationers’ Guild News are aware, I am a huge fan of Seth Godin.  Kudos to Patti Stracher and the organizers of the 2011 National Stationery Show for snaring Mr. Godin – the author of 10 or more books and founder of Squidoo – and enticing him to be the keynote speaker of NSS’s Future Conference -  Put it on Paper: The Imporatnce of Pen and Ink in the Digital Age. 

Seth Godin

Mr. Godin is an enthusiastic and engaging speaker, brimming with ideas and no shortage of courage.   He encourages us all to “run straight at the fear factor,” and become a leader.   “This is no time for the timid.”   Mr. Godin characterizes the stationery business (and other businesses) as an “idea business.”   It is our job, as business owners to “spread the story.”   Stationery is “not needed anymore” and we need to figure out how to appeal to an audience that may “want” what we have to sell but certainly doesn’t “need” it.

Clearly, spinning our wheels trying to sell stationery and invitations to an audience that doesn’t NEED it is the wrong approach.   Mr Godin argues that we need to “create a conversation worth talking about,”  and each of us can do this by becoming a “tribal leader” of people interested in listening to your message – not a sales pitch.    Our job is to send relevant messages to people who want to hear it and make it a conversation where others can join in and share in the enthusiasm.  The “converstation” may not be for everyone, but your ideas – if they are compelling, interesting or simply fun – are likely to resonate with an audience who is attracted to the subject.  Mr. Godin argues that society wants you to “fit in” so that you can be ignored.   It’s a pretty scary thought, but probably rings true.  Leadership requires courage. 

Mr. Godin provided a “big picture” view of what you need to do to become a tribal leader.  Nevertheless, one of my colleagues was disappointed that he didn’t tell us “what to do.”  I think his complaint or observation is valid.   Mr. Godin didn’t provide a recipe for success, but he did tell you what may succeed:    Ideas that spread!    While everyone may have a different slant on Mr. Godin’s presentation, I take away that one should share ideas about causes or issues that we are passionate about.  In the case of a bricks and mortar stationery store,  I see many engaging ”local” topics that one can unite a tribe that may have little to do with one’s business but would certainly make you stand out as a community leader.   I don’t know about the rest of you, but I plan to do just that.

Thank you Mr. Godin and the organizers of NSS for this useful opening to the National Stationery Show of 2011.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

As Stationers’ Guild readers are aware, I have had very few kind words to say about the National Stationery Show website.   Rather than having an NSS website that gets better and easier to use each year, it has simply become more frustrating.  How I wish the NSS would get back to printing and distributing the simple paper guidebook rather than embrace new technologies that they don’t really understand.   Maybe they have outsourced  website development  to the Far East or, worse yet, decided to do it internally by committee.   Talk about a most unsatisfactory user experience.

My latest complaint stems from the difficulty of printing a “Walking List” after you have spent two to three hours figuring out which vendor booths you would like to visit.   A “Walking List” suggests that you would like to make efficient use of your time, not to mention the wear-and-tear on your feet, by not having to retrace your steps.  Ordering your “Walking List” by booth number makes logical sense.

The “Walking List” that is produced on the NSS website lists vendors in alphabetical order, although there are many search features.  While you can arrange vendors by booth number by double-clicking on “booth” I couldn’t find any  instructions in plain sight to do so.   In any event, once you have arranged your list by booth number and hit the PRINT button on the NSS website, your efficient “Walking List” is reconfigured once again into alphabetical order an Adobe pdf file.

Don’t despair.  There is a simple work-around.  Simply print your list now organized by booth number by pressing the CTRL Key and the letter “P” at the same time to activate your printer.    I would print 1-5 pages depending on the length of your list. Don’t settle for the default of 1 page.

Good luck and see you at the National Stationery Show.

While the National Stationery Show has gotten smaller in recent years, many stationers feel the reduced footprint contributes to a more intimate experience.   In fact, we never seem to have enough time connecting with colleagues in the stationery industry, partner vendors, the organizers and some of the great speakers that generally attend this event.  We are certainly looking forward to the festivities and new learning experiences at this year’s National Stationery Show.

Veterans have their own strategies for walking the show.  We often start out with good intentions by walking the aisles in sequential order having marked down “must visit” stalls from the Show catalogue.  Vendor stalls have  been arranged neatly in an Excel spreadsheet to avoid having to retrace our steps.  Preserving energy and avoiding tired feet and legs are essential to keep your sense of humor.  

For those who want to preserve their legs, I recommend Skechers or the more expensive Chung Shi shoes.  I have both and have found that the inclined sole on both pairs of shoes  helps keep the backbone properly aligned when you are standing and reduces the strain on your lower body.  They have been a life-saver.

As far as the Show is concerned, try to avoid retracing your steps.   Schedule your expeditionary walking tours to end near scheduled training seminars or demonstrations.  This is particularly important as “Happy Hour” approaches.    Where possible, source your lunch in the morning from one of the many delis near your hotel.  It will be far better and a lot cheaper than a meal at the Javits.

High Line New York City

While in New York, there are plenty of things to do.  I strongly recommend walking the High Line, which is an elevated train track now turned into a delightful garden.  The High Line is located  in the meat packing district (lower West side between 12th and 27th).  There are plenty of fun restaurants in the neighborhood and if you get there early enough, take a walk through the Chelsea Food Market.  The High Line is open until 9:45 p.m.

Richard W. May
Thérèse Saint Clair

On Tuesday, May 17th from 4:30-5:30, The National Stationery Show at Javits Center, New York City, is hosting a free educational event sponsored by Birchcraft Studios and featuring the co-producers of The 21st Century Bride Wedding Industry Educational Event, Brian Lawrence of Local Traffic Builder, an industry leading web design and marketing company and Robert Allen of Wedding Podcast Network. They will do a stationery industry focused presentation on selling and marketing to the 21st century bride.

Topics covered will include:

• How to use the most important free tool Google has to bring traffic to your website.
• Simple strategies that will make your website generate more response.
• The most important tool facebook has to help your business.
• How to use audio and video effectively to improve your website, build your brand and increase traffic.

A lively question and answer session will follow.

The event will take place in room 1C02/03 . . You may also pick up a free ticket at Local Traffic Builder’s booth 3100 any time before the event.

Any questions please call 866 274 – 3350

I recently received an email invitation from XYZ Paper (which I couldn’t easily open given the security filters of my email provider)  inviting me to see their line at the National Stationery Show.  According to their website, XYZ Paper is a US-based ”invitation & stationery company that prints on recycled papers using soy based inks. XYZ is committed to producing the finest quality paper products in an ecologically sustainable manner. We believe in doing our part to make the world better.”

As readers of the Stationers Guild news are aware, the consumer and I have no way of knowing whether XYZ Paper is truly committed to “”producing the finest quality paper products” nor can I verify that they will do so in an “ecologically sustainable manner.”    Nevertheless,  the designs seemed interesting and I was about to jot down their booth number when I discovered that ZYZ Papers were selling their product on Etsy.  

This immediately raises the question:  Should a store front dealer represent stationery lines that are sold online? If so, under what conditions”?   These are questions that I have struggled with for several years and I suspect that, like others,  have simply rolled-with-the-punches and don’t really have any firm policies.  Opinions, yes; but convictions that lead to decisive action, no!

Now I plan to visit XZY Papers at the National Stationery Show,  but will do so with a far more hardened position regarding what bricks and mortar stationers should ”demand” in opening a new relationship a vendor.    I suspect that this “discussion” will not be easy for either party, but hope that it will lead to a more productive relationship for both.

1. I do not intend to open up any new personalized stationery or custom invitation line with a new vendor that sells directly to the public through their own website unless they have an affiliate program that is available only to bricks and mortar dealers.   Rationale:  Bricks and mortar dealers pay for the priveledge of marketing specific lines (the cost of the Albums) and it simply doesn’t make any sense competing against your own supplier. 
2. I will insist that any new dealer relationship offers a 50% commission on the retail price quoted in the Album.  Some premium vendors are now offering a 40% commission or sliding scale commission based on volume.   Rationale:  It is unfair to the consumer and other vendors to use the commission structure to determine which line(s) will be shown to the consumer.  Let’s have a level playing field to make sure that  the client gets the best value for his or her money without skewing choices based on profit margins. 
3. Establish which channel(s) the vendor intends to use to promote their brand.  With an entablished affiliate program, bricks and  mortar stores can cross-promote brands to attract buyers to their store and also provide internet  buyers with the option to make their purchase online.  Building brand awareness in multiple channels using vendor approved artwork can greatly leverage the brand visibility to an online audience and encorage interested buyers to visit stationery stores in their neighborhood.  

Integrated marketing strategies leveraging the touch-and-feel and service quality of bricks and mortar stores together with the reach of the Internet can greatly increase brand awareness for the consumer.  Stores and vendors that work in a coordinated manner to market a brand  seem to me to have the greatest chance of success in an increasingly competitive market.