VPA/Inland Webinars for 2010

VPA has partnered with the Inland Press Association to bring you more opportunities for training through Webinars.

Inland Press Association has a new series of webinars slated for July ranging from time management to exploring revenue opportunities from online contests. Click here: http://www.inlandpress.org/articles/2010/06/29/training/webinars/doc49412a50ecca6275056953.txt for the complete list and to register. VPA members can register at the Inland Press Association member rate.

Tues., July 27 | Classified Vertical Strategies for Today's Newspaper Environment
The much-needed industry trend for classified advertising is the shift from a product sales pitch to a customer focus. Learn how and why to fine tune the basics for growth and efficiency and be ready to catch all of the wave you can. This session will include real-world optimism with examples from around the country of what newspapers are doing. With Mark Stange, classified advertising director, Cox Newspapers


Your Role in Managing Your Sales Team — Getting Back to Being the Leader

Thurs., Aug. 12 | 10:30 a.m. Central http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=880857

In this Inland Webinar, you’ll learn how to set and communicate goals by developing the Big Three: vision, mission, goals. We’ll focus on behavior and how to improve everyone’s performance, return to accountability and keep the pressure from overloading your sales staff, balancing pressure with enthusiasm and reward, reward, reward. In putting it all together, we’ll show you how to create an action plan and set and monitor milestones.

With Bill Osborne, president, The People Business, Arnold, Md.


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SEO for Dummies: A Few Things You Need to Know

Fri., Aug. 13 | 10:30 a.m. Central http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=880885

Search engine optimization is a critical aspect of your website. Even if you have one of the major website-hosting firms managing your site, many aren’t addressing critical SEO factors. In this basic session, we’ll focus on removing the mystery about how search engines find and feature your site and simple steps you can take to improve how well your stories perform in search optimization.

With Bill Ostendorf, president, Creative Circle Media Consulting, Providence, R.I.


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Keeping the Workplace Harassment-Free — Legal Obligations of Managers

Weds., Aug. 18 | 10:30 a.m. Central http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=881080

This Inland Webinar will discuss the full range of legal obligations faced by today’s managers. We will discuss practical steps employers can take to minimize liability and provide guidance on policies and practices.

With Pamela Q. Devata, partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Chicago


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Contracting with Independent Contractors — Strategies for Compliance

Thurs., Aug. 19 | 10:30 a.m. Central http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=881091

This Inland Webinar will focus on the legal issues involved with independent contractors and will provide a wealth of practical information for minimizing legal liability. This is a tricky area and one of key importance to the newspaper industry.

With Camille Olson and Richard Lapp, partners, Seyfarth Shaw LLP


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Managing Yourself and Leading Others — Changes in Attitude Pay Big Dividends

Fri., Aug. 20 | 10:30 a.m. Central http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=881098

In this Inland Webinar, we’ll focus on how attitude affects behavior and productivity. You’ll learn how to identify the signposts of attitudes, how attitudes are formed, how our thinking leads to positive and negative actions and taking responsibility for our thoughts. We’ll show how perception can turn into reality and offer tips for dealing with difficult people.

With Bill Osborne, president, The People Business, Arnold, Md.


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Re-Growing Classifieds: Creating Effective Sales Scripts

Weds., Aug. 25 | 10:30 a.m. Central http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=881104

Every sales presentation should be scripted, but they should never sound scripted. This old adage is true whether your reps are outbound-prospecting for new business, upselling voluntary advertisers or soliciting renewals. Some of these "conversational scripts" should be followed as closely as possible, while others should be "points to cover" in the sales presentation. In this Inland Webinar, you will be provided with a few sample scripts that you can modify for use at your publication, as well as learn the dos and don'ts of effective sales script order, phrasing and timing.

With Richard Clark, president, Classified Development, Johnson City, Tenn.


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Readers, Relationships, Revenue

Weds., Aug. 25 | 2 p.m. Central http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=881594

Newspapers that identify loyal readers and build relationships by targeting their lifestyle interests can turn those relationships into lucrative opportunities, valued by audiences and advertisers alike. Ruth Presslaff from Presslaff Interactive Revenue, an e-mail/database marketing company, will cite case studies demonstrating the endless opportunities to market to core customers once you know who they are.

With Ruth Presslaff, president, Presslaff Interactive Revenue, Torrance, Calif.


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Wage and Hour Law: Hours, Exemptions and Lawsuits, Oh My!

Thurs., Aug. 26 | 10:30 a.m. Central

This Inland Webinar will review the landscape of federal wage and hour laws, providing a primer for HR and employers in this key area.

With Alexander J. Passantino, of counsel, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Washington, D.C.


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Better Headlines for Today’s Media Environment

Tues., Aug. 31 | 10:30 a.m. Central http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=881297

What do readers want from your next headline, caption, page one “refer” or web home page? We’ll cover all the critical elements that can make or break your appeal to readers. Learn the importance of these elements along with proven techniques that will help dramatically improve all of them. This Inland Webinar will also cover display type and why the first rule about display type is to forget all the rules you’ve ever heard about display type. “They’re nuts and were not written for users,” says Bill Ostendorf. “We have brand new rules for display type—headlines, captions, breakouts—that work and that are very different than anyone learned in college.” Ostendorf’s views on display type come from major industry research along with his own experience running focus groups for dozens of newspapers. They’ll be simple tips and insights you can put to work today. A “must” for copy editors, news editors, designers and top managers.

With Bill Ostendorf, president, Creative Circle Media Consulting, Providence, R.I.


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Sales Sheets for Outbound Prospecting: How to Create Them, and the Right Way to Use Them

Weds., Sept. 1 | 10:30 a.m. Central http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=881361

To re-grow classifieds, newspapers need to outbound prospect as though the phone might never ring on its own ever again. Getting prospects interested in advance of the sales call boosts the success of outbound efforts tremendously. The right benefit sales sheets sent in advance of the call are a great tool for creating this interest. In this Inland Webinar, you will learn the basic principals behind creating simple sales sheets that grab more attention from prospects, and the right way to use them.

With Richard Clark, president, Classified Development, Johnson City, Tenn.


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Building Effective Ads and Reducing Advertiser Churn

Weds., Sept. 1 | 2 p.m. Central http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=881613

Effective advertising sells products and services for your advertisers. When advertising works, your customers will stay happy and with the newspaper, and your “advertiser churn” will be reduced. Find out how to keep your advertisers happy and coming back for more. In this Inland Webinar, you’ll learn:

• How to connect with today’s consumer by understanding how consumer buying patterns have changed

• Why newspapers work to reach consumers and the strengths they bring to the table

• How to uncover what an advertiser wants to communicate through his advertising and the differences in types of ads to use

• A reminder of the value of advertising — why businesses need to continue to advertise even when times are tough

• How people read the newspaper and ads in today’s culture

With Sue Beck, president, Print Marketing Concepts Inc., Houston


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Staying Cool Under Pressure — No Matter What

Thurs., Sept. 9 | 10:30 a.m. Central http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=881364

In this Inland Webinar, we’ll uncover the issues and hot buttons associated with a pressure-filled environment. We’ll discuss reaction time and the demons that don’t go away. You’ll learn the dangers of over-arousal and what happens when you win the battle and lose the war and how not to get lost in the drama. Staying cool is all about making choices: Taking a second look, deciding not reacting and action-planning.

With Bill Osborne, president, The People Business, Arnold, Md.


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Growing Single-Copy Sales: 12 Proven Tips for Your Newsroom

Fri., Sept. 10 | 10:30 a.m. Central http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=881378

Most newsrooms don’t focus on some of the core things they need to do to help give their single-copy sales a boost. The wording of headlines, the design, wording and selection of material to refer to from “top boxes” and the use of photos are all crucial to getting more people to pick up the newspaper. This Inland Webinar will provide an overview of key research results and offer a dozen proven tips that will absolutely help grow circulation, even today. Learn what the newsroom can and can’t do to move the numbers.

With Bill Ostendorf, president, Creative Circle Media Consulting, Providence, R.I.


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Supervisory Skills Training: Your Responsibilities as a Supervisor in 2010

Thurs., Sept. 23 | 10:30 a.m. Central

The human resources challenges for employers and managers is constantly changing. Do you have the confidence to deal with your employees effectively? Do you know what managerial mistakes could put your company in jeopardy? Find out with this Inland Webinar on hiring, termination, employee reviews and other timely issues that will help you become a better, more informed manager.

With Tom Riebock, director of Human Resources, Wick Communications, Sierra Vista, Ariz.


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What to Expect from OSHA in 2010/2011

September 2010 | Date TBA

This Inland Webinar will highlight the renewed compliance issues that employers need to grapple with in dealing with OSHA. The agency has changed its focus and increased its activity dramatically, and you need to be prepared.

With attorneys from Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Chicago


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Untangling Web 2.0 — Understanding Social Media in the Workplace

September 2010 | Date TBA

Social media (Facebook, Twitter and the like) is a key focus of our employees. This Inland Webinar will walk you through navigating the legal issues underlying the dominance of social media in our lives.

With attorneys from Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Chicago


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How to Improve Your Recruitment Packaging and Positioning

Weds., Oct. 6 | 10:30 a.m. Central

Most newspapers continue to take whatever the recruitment category gives them while others have pretty much given the category up to online competitors. The truth is, the combination of your newspaper’s print and online recruitment products is vastly stronger than any other competitor because of its local presence. Are you actively leveraging and promoting your strengths, or are you one of the many who assume advertisers “will figure it out and find you?” In this lively session, we will discuss specific steps you can take to improve your recruitment sales efforts, visibility and results for local recruitment sales, current agency sales and agencies not yet running with your newspaper.

With Larry Maynard, chairman of NGM Partners, LLC.


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Increase Your Advertising Sales Through Local Business Seminars

Thurs., Oct. 7 | 2 p.m. Central

If you are planning to launch a new product or a new advertising program, or want to increase your sales leads, developing and launching a series of business seminars can help you and your local sales team generate new and increased revenue. This Inland Webinar will help you build a business seminar program to increase your product and advertising sales with local businesses. Elements include developing a local business value-based presentation, creating a seminar offering and attracting your business audience to the seminars, promotion and direct-marketing techniques, press coverage and helping your sales team generate and follow through on sales leads. This approach can help sales leaders, marketers and local property leaders to launch their 2011 programs and generate new sales leads.

With Debbie Holzkamp, principal, HDS Premier Consulting, LLC


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Service Excellence: The Winning Edge in Today’s Marketplace

Weds., Oct. 13 | 10:30 a.m. Central

In this Inland Webinar, we’ll learn why customer service is an attitude, not a department, why internal service is as important as external service and why attitude is a choice that is controllable. We’ll discuss the two levels of customer service—listening skills and handling customers with listening problems. We’ll focus on improving the basics, including greetings, hold, transfers, returning calls and voicemail and dealing with angry or unreasonable customers. Lastly, we’ll learn the three steps for maintaining our composure.

With Bill Osborne, president, The People Business, Arnold, Md.


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Hiring and Testing Issues — What Every Employer Needs to Know

October 2010 | Date TBA

This Inland Webinar will discuss the full range of legal obligations faced by today’s managers. We will discuss practical steps employers can take to minimize liability and provide guidance on policies and practices.

With attorneys from Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Chicago


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Caregiver and Family Responsibility — A Continuing Challenge for Employers

October 2010 | Date TBA

This webinar will discuss the full range of legal implications as employers try to grapple with employee concerns as they cope with caregiver and family responsibility. This increasingly important area involves compliance with many laws as well as practical responses to issues raised. We will review the law and work through various scenarios faced by employers.

With attorneys from Seyfarth Shaw, LLP, Chicago

Each session is 90 minutes long and costs $75 per session.

Click here for more information about Inland's Webinar programming.