Networking is a critical skill in sales; after all, the more people you connect with the more sales opportunities you create. However, many salespeople make a variety of mistakes that prevent them from maximizing the power of networking. Here are 10 blunders and mistakes you need to avoid.

The Digital Imaging Association holds regularly scheduled educational sessions that offer attendees a dependable way to stay current with the industry. The DIA achieves this by asking experts in various fields to address topics of interest to the membership. Members who attend our sessions often remark on how informative our technical-based presentations are. But, technology is of greatest value when the marketplace wants to buy the services it enables.

A belated Happy New Year to all our readers. Times are not great in our industry, but we’re much better than those living in Haiti. With over 200,000 dead and many more injured, it’s hard to imagine how those in Haiti are coping with that kind of disaster. Even in our tough times, we can still afford to give a prayer or a donation to help these people in their crisis. The interesting dynamic with charity is that when you feel you can’t afford to give – but do – something good always comes of it.

Members of my staff and I will be at Graph Expo in Chicago October  3–6 meeting with old friends, making new ones, networking and learning all we can about what's new in the printing and graphic arts industry. So far, we've heard some exciting news about new technology, clever marketing initiatives and great deals offered at the show. It never fails to amaze me how innovative companies can be as they adapt to an ever-changing industry landscape.

This month I had the opportunity to chat with Ian Baitz, chair of the Ryerson School of Graphic Communications Management, to find out what he's looking forward to most in his new job, and what's new for students as the school year begins.

Is it okay if I send my fonts to our translators in Montréal? Or is there a way for them to access the fonts on my machines remotely?

A few years ago, I wrote an article on licensing software. When it comes to licensed software, people are often under the misconception that they have bought their software. In fact, what they have done when they purchased a software title is simply licensed the use of that software.

I'm delighted to announce that Graphic Arts Magazine has successfully completed its initial audit with Canadian Media Circulation. You may notice the Canadian Media Circulation Audit Logo on page 3. This notification has been forwarded to Canadian Advertising Rates & Data (CARD). We would be happy to supply a copy of this audit if anyone is interested.

With the first month of classes over, I've had an opportunity for some interesting reflection. In my first-year class, the incoming group of students was greeted with the statement, "print is dead," and asked to agree or disagree. The discussion led to many examples showing how deeply print is integrated into their lives. There were various types of comments from "I prefer books," to "magazine readership is on the rise," to "my cereal will always come in a package." This was significant to me because these are students who are mostly born in the '90s. They have grown up with all things digital. It's the start of a great year, I thought.

Some cold calling experts suggest that you leave a message when you receive a prospect’s voicemail. Unfortunately, many salespeople feel that this is an exercise in futility because most of the time their prospect does not call them back. If that sounds familiar, here are nine reasons why your prospects don’t return your calls.

I hope that everyone enjoyed a green beer, good times with friends and, perhaps, came across a pot of gold this past St. Patrick’s Day. In this issue, we extend the theme of green in some ways. Heidi Tolliver-Nigro is keeping us this cheerful shade as well as continuing the conversation about marketing and social media in “Getting personal with 1:1” (page 22).