FEBRUARY 2019 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 11
This issue of PCB007 Magazine looks at
the current thinking in our industry from
a number of perspectives.
Kicking us off is a column from Dr. John
Mitchell, "Become an IPC Workforce
Champion." IPC is attacking the chronic
shortage of industry-skilled workers with
the launch of their IPC Workforce Cham-
pions campaign.
In a feature interview, "Dan Beaulieu
on Magnetic Marketing," Dan talks with
us about creating magnetism around the
services and products you sell, and the in-
crease in sales success that results.
"The More Things Change, the More They
Stay the Same," is what Tara Dunn's column
considers this month. Tara reviews sales strate-
gies that she's seen and used over the years.
Next, I continue the conversation from last
month with NCAB's Wayne Antal. In this in-
stallment, Wayne shares insight NCAB has
gleaned from taking their business model to
market.
Steve Williams shows us "The Right Ap-
proach" to branding from a small business per-
spective in this month's column. Branding is a
key step in catching the attention of the right
prospects for your sales process, and Steve
gives great insight.
We spoke with expert recruiter Terry McNabb
in this month's issue of SMT007 Magazine. In
this installment, Terry and I discuss the recruit-
er's view on the effect of emerging technologies
on your sales strategy. As you will see from our
conversation, Terry works closely with his cli-
ents to find and solve the root problem with a
strategic hire, making him well placed to pick
up on industry trends.
In the PCB Norsemen column, Didrik Bech
discusses global copper supply and demand ef-
fects. In light of our discussions on the supply
chain in the January issues, Didrik's informa-
tion is a further reminder to think long-term
strategically.
Rounding out our interviews this month is
Sunstone Circuits' Matt Stevenson. In this con-
versation with the I-Connect007 editorial team,
we explore the evolution of online quoting and
ordering in PCB fabrication. As you might ex-
pect, things are evolving. Matt catches us all
up on the current changes.
Ending this issue on a technical note, Mi-
chael Carano's "Trouble In Your Tank" column
continues with part four in his series on "Mov-
ing into Microvias" regarding the metalization
process.
In the end, traditional thinking on sales
techniques certainly suggests that our offer-
ings have most of the characteristics of both
business models—product and service. And
the outlier opinions make the point that none
of those distinctions even matter. As you read
through the perspectives in this issue, ask your-
self how this all fits with the company where
you work.
Let us know how all of this applies to you.
We're always open to reader feedback. If you
have a topic to suggest or a response to some-
thing we've printed, contact us at editorial@
iconnect007.com.
PCB007
References
1. Kevin Johnston. "Selling a Product Vs. Selling a
Service," Chron.com.
2. Nancy Wagner. "Selling a Product Vs. Selling a
Service," AZCentral.com.
3. Jim Keenan. "The Difference Between Selling a
Product or Selling a Service," ASalesGuy.com, February 8,
2016.
Nolan Johnson is managing editor
of
PCB007 Magazine. Nolan brings
30 years of career experience
focused almost entirely on electron-
ics design and manufacturing.
To contact Johnson, click here.
