Direct Selling Association

2008 Communications & Marketing Seminar

December 8-9, 2008
Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor Hotel at Camden Yards

Click here for Hotel and Registration Information

Keep your company's message out of the trash and get it into the hands of the people who will act on it!

How does your company make sure its message reaches its audience? Whether you’re e-mailing your field, pitching a story to the press, creating a new marketing brochure or simply writing an internal memo, who’s to say your audience will pay any attention?

YOU are.

This year’s DSA Communications & Marketing Seminar will help you take your communications strategies to the next level. Perfect your message, make it stick and see your company’s bottom line soar.

Be in Baltimore this December and learn:

Marketplace trends—how your company should approach your messages and how your audiences will react

Fresh approaches to communications techniques that will provide results to "wow" company leaders and drive sales

How to quantify the ROI on your communications and marketing activities to improve company metrics across the board

Primary Seminar Sponsor:

Listen to the audio recording of our
"Try It Before You Buy It" Webinar,
which took place on October 14,
and get a sneak-peek of two of our keynote presenters!

Schedule-At-A-Glance

Sunday, December 7

6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Communications Committee Dinner
(by invitation only)

Monday, December 8

7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Registration Open

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

General Session I

9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Concurrent Workshops (Bank I)

•	The Inner Secrets of Outrageous Marketing: Creating Outrageously Effective Marketing Materials
•	The Second Discovery: Using Your Company's History to Push Your Distributors Forward

11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Refreshment Break

11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Concurrent Workshops (Bank II)

•	Transforming Your Employees Into Brand Ambassadors
•	Using Incentive Travel as a Branding Tool

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Networking Luncheon

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Bonus Session:
The Future of Saleforce Development

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

General Session II

3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Concurrent Workshops (Bank III)

•	Case Study: The Longaberger Company
•	Getting Your Piece of the Hispanic Market Pie: An Industry Perspective

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Networking Reception
Hosted by the Hispanic Marketing Council

6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Education Committee Dinner
(by invitation only)

6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Hispanic Marketing Council Dutch-Treat Dinner

6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Party Plan Council Dutch-Treat Dinner

Tuesday, December 9

7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Registration Open

7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

General Session III

9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Concurrent Workshops (Bank IV)

•	Getting Your Piece of the Hispanic Market Pie: A Market Perspective
•	Risk Communication: Addressing the Tough Questions Before Your Distributors Have To

11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Concurrent Workshops (Bank V)

•	Managing Your Digital Reputation: Addressing Online Trademark Challenges
•	The Psychology of Sales

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Luncheon Address:
It Worked for Me! Best Ideas in Communications & Marketing

2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Swap 'n' Share Showcase

General Sessions

General Session I:
The Inner Secrets to Outrageous Marketing
Marketing and customer service expert Ron Rosenberg will share 10 proven strategies for unprecedented business growth. In this highly interactive and entertaining session you’ll discover:

•	The “secret question” that will completely change the way you look at your business
•	Why people say, “So What?” when they see your marketing materials
•	Three things you don’t know about your customers that are costing you money
•	The long-term value of a customer and its importance to your bottom line
•	Five critical marketing metrics to let you know what is working—and what’s not!
?	Ron Rosenberg, CEO, QualityTalk, Inc.

Sponsored
By:

General Session II:
Managing Your Digital Reputation When the Customer is in Control
With more than 150 million blogs, 300% global growth within the Facebook brand, consumers reviewing products, trips and doctors online, and all of this showing up in search engines . . . how do you “manage” your company’s brand reputation when you don’t always have control? In this session you’ll:

•	Find out the five best practices of digital reputation management in the age of the social Web
•	Calculate your company’s “social media score” and learn how to manage your company’s reputation when Google search results are your new home page
•	Discover what you don’t know about consumer expectations and how you can use word-of-mouth marketing to make more money for your company
•	Learn how brands including Unilever, Intel, Kraft Foods and Lenovo are doing more than just protecting their reputations—including using the Web to build brand loyalty—and how these tactics can help your company keep your current customer base and build upon it
?	John Bell, Managing Director/Executive Creative Director, 360° Digital Influence and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide

General Session III:
Got News? How to Get Noticed in a Cut-Throat Marketplace
There are more news outlets today than ever before, which means you can’t rely on faxing a press release to the top 20 markets anymore. Bloggers and online media organizations are also gaining an increasingly important share of consumer attention, so you need to know how to distinguish your company from the rest of the pack. This general session will show you:

•	How to write a press release that makes your point without distracting your readers
•	Ways to assemble support materials reporters will actually want to use
•	What will draw positive attention to your press releases—and what will make you the laughingstock of the newsroom or blogosphere
–	Jeff Crilley, PR Professional and Former TV Journalist
–	Nancy Laichas, Managing Director, Direct Selling News
–	Andre Peterson, Director, Global Public Relations, Tahitian Noni International

Workshop Breakouts

Bank I: Monday, December 8, 9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

The Inner Secrets of Outrageous Marketing: Creating Outrageously Effective Marketing Materials
After finding out the secrets to instantly improving the success of your marketing materials, join Ron for a targeted workshop breakout where you’ll learn:

•	12 specific elements that MUST be in every marketing piece
•	Proven copywriting strategies that will send your response rate through the roof
•	The most important print component and why most people miss it completely
•	Three simple strategies to double the effectiveness of your Web site
•	More than 25 specific examples of what to do—and what not to do—in your marketing pieces
?	Ron Rosenberg, CEO, QualityTalk, Inc.

The Second Discovery: Using Your Company’s History to Push Your Distributors Forward
One of the richest assets you have is your company history and heritage, but in order to maximize its impact, you need to pass that passion on to your sales consultants. In this session, you’ll:

•	Gain deeper insights into why people join, why they stay, why they leave—and why it matters
•	Learn proven best practices for creating the distributor experience that forges enduring loyalty
•	Discover how to identify and eliminate the limiting attitudes and habits in your company’s customer service organization that are holding sales back from what they could be
?	Jeremiah Bradley, Vice President, Team-Member Relations, Agel Enterprises, LLC
?	Terrell Transtrum, President, ServiceQuest

Bank II: Monday, December 8, 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Transforming Your Employees Into Brand Ambassadors
Your distributors may form the front line for your customers, but your employees—and not just your call center representatives—also play a critical role in representing your brand. Find out:

•	Methods to provide product training to all employees that will improve your sales
•	Ways other companies have used product-specific “perks” to reinforce their brands’ messages
•	How using internal employee communications can inspire and motivate employees to be brand ambassadors
?	George Fischer, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Herbalife International of America, Inc.
?	Kara Schneck, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Nu Skin Enterprises

Using Incentive Travel as a Branding Tool
Incentive travel is an important, and expensive, part of most direct selling companies’ recognition programs. What can you do to guarantee incentive travel is more than just a free trip? Find out:

•	How to use travel incentives to inspire everyone—even those consultants who won’t qualify
•	Ways to use the trip to reinforce your company’s brand—and your salesforce’s commitment to it
•	Effective strategies for reinforcing the excitement of the trip long after the sand beneath their feet has disappeared
?	Ron Armes, Managing Partner, ReThink Partners
?	Orville Thompson, President & Chief Executive Officer, Scentsy, Inc.

Bank III: Monday, December 8, 3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Case Study: The Longaberger Company
This major direct seller has successfully conceptualized and implemented an outreach strategy targeting media on multiple levels, effectively reaching key audiences with valuable information. During this session, you’ll learn:

•	How to use an integrated media and marketing strategy to gain prominent product placements
•	Why involving sales consultants in the program is important for maximizing exposure
•	How to use industry and other contacts to seize opportunities to get your name out there
?	Tom Matthews, Executive Director, Corporate Communications, The Longaberger Company

Getting Your Piece of the Hispanic Market Pie: An Industry Perspective
The Hispanic market segment consists of millions of savvy consumers who have money to spend, but you’ll need to do more than just translate your business materials into Spanish. Our expert will provide the inside-the-industry scoop on:

•	Identifying distinguishing attitudinal and cultural traits to better reach this consumer group
•	Why Hispanics are natural direct sellers and how they can boost your salesforce
•	The essential elements that will make your opportunity a winner for Hispanic sellers
•	Critical dos and don’ts that will impact your company’s success within this explosive niche
?	Rod Mora, Managing Director, Transnational Group
?	Bonnie Todman, Senior Vice President, Worlwide Marketing, Herbalife International of America, Inc.

Bank IV: Tuesday, December 9, 9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Getting Your Piece of the Hispanic Market Pie: A Market Perspective
The Hispanic market is not a homogeneous group, and it is important to understand the various niches within the Hispanic market in order to reach them effectively. This session will focus on how the bicultural Latina sees herself and how you can use that information to reach her, including:

•	Dispelling the myths surrounding the bicultural Hispanic segment
•	Who IS today’s Latina, and what your company can do to reach her on a personal level
•	Creating an effective marketing plan that will attract Latinas to your salesforce
?	Angelique Serrano, Beauty Director, Latina Magazine

Risk Communication: Addressing the Tough Questions Before Your Distributors Have To
Direct sellers often face difficult questions from customers, representatives and critics. Before your audiences will believe the answers, your company needs to establish and maintain credibility with them. This workshop will teach you risk communications methods that can help, including:

•	Ways to address the perceived risks associated with our channel that can gain you customers—and maybe distributors
•	Verbal and non-verbal communication techniques that will help boost your credibility
•	A proven model for answering the most difficult, hostile questions and converting the toughest critic
?	Leonard Greenberger, Senior Vice President, Potomac Communications Group

Bank V: Tuesday, December 9, 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Managing Your Digital Reputation: Addressing Online Trademark Challenges
You’ve built your online reputation. Now make sure to safeguard it! You don’t need to be a techie to take advantage of the tools that are out there, either. This session will discuss online resources anyone can use to rock the World Wide Web, including:

•	How search engine optimization can put your company’s name at the top of the search list and drive consultants and customers to your site first
•	Options for addressing trademark issues with online entities such as eBay and Google
•	Engaging your distributors and customers online and putting technology to work increasing your bottom line
?	Trey Campbell, Director, Communications, The Southwestern Company
?	Timothy J. Lyden, Hogan & Hartson LLP

The Psychology of Sales
Join us for this intriguing session addressing the psychology of selling. Our recruiting experts will demonstrate:

•	How what your distributors feel they deserve impacts your bottom line
•	Effective ways your company can address distributor psychology to increase recruiting, retention and sales
•	Three steps your distributors can take to make themselves more productive sellers—and make more money for your company
•	Janet Cronstedt, Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Take Shape for Life
•	Pat Pearson, Author/Speaker, Pat Pearson

Special Features