By Nicholas J. Fiorenza, Ferrara Fiorenza PC The following is an excerpt from our Desk book of the same title, and the topic of the April 25th HR Academy Webcast.  Registrants for the webinar receive a copy of the desk book.  Register online here.  Nick will also be presenting at the HR Conference scheduled for May 2 & 3, 2023 at Turning Stone. Evaluating Company Discipline Whether operating in a union or non-union environment, or the public or private sector, certain general principles will help the employer withstand a challenge to its decision to impose discipline. The fo ..read more

By Bill Farquharson, Sales Vault. Read Bill’s tip below or watch Bill here. Good morning! “I’m sorry, but you have missed your flight.” That’s how my Tuesday April 9 started. I was on my way to the ISA show in Orlando. A two-hour crawl to go 31 miles ended with me hearing an uncaring ticket agent utter those words. Put yourself in my shoes for a second. What would be your next move? Sure, you could complain about the injustice. Loudly. You could tell the agent there was still plenty of time. Angrily. You could raise a ruckus and promise to never fly that airline again. Definitively ..read more

By Bill Farquharson, Sales Vault. Read Bill’s tip below or watch Bill here. Good morning! The very first Subway restaurant struggled. In fact, they almost went under. Business was really down and had it not been for a radical idea, they might not be around today. What did they do? They opened a second Subway restaurant. But if the first one was sucking wind, why open another? Why? For the optics. They wanted people to think, “They must be good if they are opening a second one.” And it worked. Today, there are 37,000 Subway restaurants all over the world. Earlier today (a Monday), I ..read more

By Bill Farquharson, Sales Vault. Read Bill’s tip below or watch Bill here. Good morning! Digital print is looking for…you? A couple of weeks ago, I attended the HP Indigo users group conference in Indianapolis. The event is called, Dscoop. In addition to the presentations that Kelly Mallozzi and I were leading and moderating, there was a large hall filled with equipment. Print, label, and packaging samples were everywhere and were mind-blowing in their complexity and beauty. As I walked around, checking out the various examples of what is possible, one thought hit me over and over ..read more

A lack of understanding on the part of lawmakers could have a potentially devastating effect on printing and packaging companies in the Empire State. By Patrick Henry Disclosure: the writer is a member of the Print and Graphic Communications Association (PGCA), which commissioned the article. Printers and packaging manufacturers in New York State are reacting with alarm to proposed legislation that would effectively deprive them of one of their most essential raw materials: black ink. In its sweeping mandate for change in how packaging intended for consumption in New York State would be made ..read more

By Bill Farquharson, Sales Vault. Read Bill’s tip below or watch Bill here. Good morning! A cautionary tale for you. Hopefully, you’ll read this early enough in the day that you are not tricked into giving money away. It was March of 1992, and I was frantically helping a client convert from a traditional print method for their software manuals (whereby they would print up 15,000 at a time) to digital and only produce a few 100 as needed. Working with their product manager and technical writers, we took production down to the last day of the month, March 31st, but created a beautiful ..read more

By Bill Farquharson, Sales Vault. Read Bill’s tip below or watch Bill here. Good morning! I had an interesting phone call with a client last week. She had just hired a new sales rep and was calling to discuss training options. “First, of course, I need to teach him about the industry,” she started. “Product knowledge is paramount.” Is it, though? I would argue a better place to start would be to teach the Rep how to ask qualifying questions. Teach him or her to be curious. I would much rather have a salesperson adept at the skill of uncovering need than knowing what the C stands for ..read more

By Bill Farquharson, Sales Vault. Read Bill’s tip below or watch Bill here. Good morning! Have you ever heard yourself say, “Why would anyone listen to me?” If you are new to the sales, you are hit with a tidal wave of information, instruction, and education. You are expected to set up appointments, generate interest, and ultimately sell something. Perhaps you are given a list of companies to call on or maybe you dig them up yourself. Either way, it’s very common to have an inner fear; a lack of worthiness that you dare not discuss with anyone at any time. You look around and see ev ..read more

By Bill Farquharson, Sales Vault. Read Bill’s tip below or watch Bill here. Good morning! I need to admit something: I am hearing voices. This is not new. It’s been going on for quite some time now. The phone rings and it’s someone making an inquiry. The caller has my complete attention as they are talking about their sales situation and how I might help. I am hearing their words, but… Then I start to hear voices: “Billllllll….this is not your customer. Run away!” Wait, what? Not my customer? What are you talking about, voice? This sure sounds like a willing buyer. What is the probl ..read more

By Bill Farquharson, Sales Vault. Read Bill’s tip below or watch Bill here. Good morning! There is more to being on time than just not being late. I remember my mom telling a story about how the British were painfully punctual. Show up early to an appointment—even by just a minute or two—and you would hear a Butler say, “You’re early.” Likewise, show up a minute or two late and you will face the inevitable, “You’re late.” That is a tough target to hit! Farquharson’s are punctual to a fault. 10:00 means 10:00. Being late is simply not acceptable. My idea of hell includes Tom Brady pl ..read more