Why is employee recognition important? It’s one of the most powerful recruiting and retaining tool. The Department of Labor reports that a reason why 64% of employees leave their job is because they are not recognized. So if you want to know the true measure of a company, simply count its number of satisfied employees! More graphic arts companies of all sizes are learning the value of putting their people first. When firms recognize employees for their achievements, their employees: Develop a clearer understanding of company goals. Are more engaged, productive, and motivated. Stay longer with their company. Are you struggling to come up with new ideas for employee incentives, or trying to get your incentive program up and running? We’ve put together this list of 10 inspiring ways to reward your employees that are low cost and low tech, perfect for small- and medium-size firms.  But no matter where you work, when you put your people first, business success follows. Does your company have a great employee incentive strategy? Why not tell your customers and potential employees? Share how your company puts #PeopleFirst. We could choose your response to recognize on www.printing.org/HR along with your company name!  Join the conversation on our Facebook and Twitter pages using #PeopleFirst. Watch the video to learn more! Provide training opportunities—Investing in ongoing employee development programs not only improves job skills and troubleshooting abilities but also contributes to professional and personal advancement (see Tip #2). Plus, cross-training gives employees more job security and your company greater flexibility. Promote from within—With the right skill sets, established and trusted employees can advance and fill other needs within the company. Inside promotions show management’s investment in its people. Reward across the board—When recognizing achievements, don’t just highlight that person who gets the biggest contract. Call out the team player who always lends a helping hand or the take-one-for-the-team player who worked overtime to finish a big project. On that note, Take time to highlight each department like prepress, admin, or customer service reps. The Employee Recognition Program gives special recognition weeks that coincide with industry milestones like Ben Franklin’s birthday (Press Operators, Assistants and Helpers Week in January) and the creation of the U.S. Postal Service (Mailers Week in July). A little “thank you” goes a long way! Incentivize profitable ideas—An idea that generates revenue, saves on costs, or increases safety is valuable. Show your employees that management listens to and encourages their ideas with awards and recognition. Recognize outstanding performance—When an employee goes above and beyond to do something that benefits the company, make a big deal about it. Success is contagious, and people remember the celebration that ensued for their good deed. Celebrate...

Why is employee recognition important? It’s one of the most powerful recruiting and retaining tool. The Department of Labor reports that a reason why 64% of employees leave their job is because they are not recognized. So if you want to know the true measure of a company, simply count its number of satisfied employees! More graphic arts companies of all sizes are learning the value of putting their people first. When firms recognize employees for their achievements, their employees: Develop a clearer understanding of company goals. Are more engaged, productive, and motivated. Stay longer with their company. Are you struggling to come up with new ideas for employee incentives, or trying to get your incentive program up and running? We’ve put together this list of 10 inspiring ways to reward your employees that are low cost and low tech, perfect for small- and medium-size firms.  But no matter where you work, when you put your people first, business success follows. Does your company have a great employee incentive strategy? Why not tell your customers and potential employees? Share how your company puts #PeopleFirst. We could choose your response to recognize on www.printing.org/HR along with your company name!  Join the conversation on our Facebook and Twitter pages using #PeopleFirst. Watch the video to learn more! Provide training opportunities—Investing in ongoing employee development programs not only improves job skills and troubleshooting abilities but also contributes to professional and personal advancement (see Tip #2). Plus, cross-training gives employees more job security and your company greater flexibility. Promote from within—With the right skill sets, established and trusted employees can advance and fill other needs within the company. Inside promotions show management’s investment in its people. Reward across the board—When recognizing achievements, don’t just highlight that person who gets the biggest contract. Call out the team player who always lends a helping hand or the take-one-for-the-team player who worked overtime to finish a big project. On that note, Take time to highlight each department like prepress, admin, or customer service reps. The Employee Recognition Program gives special recognition weeks that coincide with industry milestones like Ben Franklin’s birthday (Press Operators, Assistants and Helpers Week in January) and the creation of the U.S. Postal Service (Mailers Week in July). A little “thank you” goes a long way! Incentivize profitable ideas—An idea that generates revenue, saves on costs, or increases safety is valuable. Show your employees that management listens to and encourages their ideas with awards and recognition. Recognize outstanding performance—When an employee goes above and beyond to do something that benefits the company, make a big deal about it. Success is contagious, and people remember the celebration that ensued for their good deed. Celebrate...

In today’s business world, using current sales and marketing strategies can be daunting. This article comes from guest blogger, Kelly Mallozzi, speaker at the 2014 BIA Annual Conference and contributor to the Success.In.Print. blog at PIworld.com. “It always seems impossible until it’s done” –—Nelson Mandela What a spectacularly simple quote from one of the world’s greatest, bravest, and most influential leaders. Viewing something as impossible often has to do with fear. Fear is what keeps us from acting.  There are all kinds of fear—fear of the unknown and fear of rejection are just two. So here are five reasons to motivate you to get beyond your fear and take some action with regard to your sales and marketing efforts today. Your competition is doing it. There is someone out there right now who does what you do and thinks they can do it better than you. And they are telling that story all over town.  In fact, they are telling it to your customers. Please don’t get outsold because you are complacent or comfortable. The world has changed. Technology is not only available; it is the preferred method of communication for entire generations of people. While that may seem scary, it is also a fantastic opportunity. You can use technology to communicate with huge groups of people at once very cost-effectively. Your customers expect it. Websites, blogs, and social media presence are all considered MUST HAVES for any business today. Prospects will notice your absence in the sandbox. It’s not as hard as you think it is. See the quote above—while it’s not exactly a piece of cake, much of social media participation just requires showing up and sharing your knowledge. It is more than worth it. Making sales calls, focusing on your target market, developing a multi-touch communications strategy—these will all pay off for you. I promise. Just go ahead and try to prove me wrong! After 15 years in selling print, Kelly Mallozzi is now a consultant helping printers of all sizes sell more. Kelly joins a lineup of influential speakers at the 2014 BIA Annual Conference. In her session, “Selling the New Technology Economy”, she shows conference attendees how to optimize technology, including social media, to drive sales through case studies, demos, and more. Register For the 2014 BIA Annual Conference at www.printing.org/biaconference, heldMarch 30–April 2, at The Fairmont Dallas Hotel, in Dallas,...

In today’s business world, using current sales and marketing strategies can be daunting. This article comes from guest blogger, Kelly Mallozzi, speaker at the 2014 BIA Annual Conference and contributor to the Success.In.Print. blog at PIworld.com. “It always seems impossible until it’s done” –—Nelson Mandela What a spectacularly simple quote from one of the world’s greatest, bravest, and most influential leaders. Viewing something as impossible often has to do with fear. Fear is what keeps us from acting.  There are all kinds of fear—fear of the unknown and fear of rejection are just two. So here are five reasons to motivate you to get beyond your fear and take some action with regard to your sales and marketing efforts today. Your competition is doing it. There is someone out there right now who does what you do and thinks they can do it better than you. And they are telling that story all over town.  In fact, they are telling it to your customers. Please don’t get outsold because you are complacent or comfortable. The world has changed. Technology is not only available; it is the preferred method of communication for entire generations of people. While that may seem scary, it is also a fantastic opportunity. You can use technology to communicate with huge groups of people at once very cost-effectively. Your customers expect it. Websites, blogs, and social media presence are all considered MUST HAVES for any business today. Prospects will notice your absence in the sandbox. It’s not as hard as you think it is. See the quote above—while it’s not exactly a piece of cake, much of social media participation just requires showing up and sharing your knowledge. It is more than worth it. Making sales calls, focusing on your target market, developing a multi-touch communications strategy—these will all pay off for you. I promise. Just go ahead and try to prove me wrong! After 15 years in selling print, Kelly Mallozzi is now a consultant helping printers of all sizes sell more. Kelly joins a lineup of influential speakers at the 2014 BIA Annual Conference. In her session, “Selling the New Technology Economy”, she shows conference attendees how to optimize technology, including social media, to drive sales through case studies, demos, and more. Register For the 2014 BIA Annual Conference at www.printing.org/biaconference, heldMarch 30–April 2, at The Fairmont Dallas Hotel, in Dallas,...

In today’s business world, using current sales and marketing strategies can be daunting. This article comes from guest blogger, Kelly Mallozzi, speaker at the 2014 BIA Annual Conference and contributor to the Success.In.Print. blog at PIworld.com. “It always seems impossible until it’s done” –—Nelson Mandela What a spectacularly simple quote from one of the world’s greatest, bravest, and most influential leaders. Viewing something as impossible often has to do with fear. Fear is what keeps us from acting.  There are all kinds of fear—fear of the unknown and fear of rejection are just two. So here are five reasons to motivate you to get beyond your fear and take some action with regard to your sales and marketing efforts today. Your competition is doing it. There is someone out there right now who does what you do and thinks they can do it better than you. And they are telling that story all over town.  In fact, they are telling it to your customers. Please don’t get outsold because you are complacent or comfortable. The world has changed. Technology is not only available; it is the preferred method of communication for entire generations of people. While that may seem scary, it is also a fantastic opportunity. You can use technology to communicate with huge groups of people at once very cost-effectively. Your customers expect it. Websites, blogs, and social media presence are all considered MUST HAVES for any business today. Prospects will notice your absence in the sandbox. It’s not as hard as you think it is. See the quote above—while it’s not exactly a piece of cake, much of social media participation just requires showing up and sharing your knowledge. It is more than worth it. Making sales calls, focusing on your target market, developing a multi-touch communications strategy—these will all pay off for you. I promise. Just go ahead and try to prove me wrong! After 15 years in selling print, Kelly Mallozzi is now a consultant helping printers of all sizes sell more. Kelly joins a lineup of influential speakers at the 2014 BIA Annual Conference. In her session, “Selling the New Technology Economy”, she shows conference attendees how to optimize technology, including social media, to drive sales through case studies, demos, and more. Register For the 2014 BIA Annual Conference at www.printing.org/biaconference, heldMarch 30–April 2, at The Fairmont Dallas Hotel, in Dallas,...