Put a Face on It

As another Memorial Day weekend fades into the past, I am thrilled to report that my National Stationery Show (NSS) brain is finally wearing off. Despite the uncharacteristically gray days outside, the positive energy inside was palpable, the swag bags overflowing!
For me, the show was a whirlwind of friends, old and new, punctuated by lots of amazing product. Sunday, day 1, kicked off with my seminar, which is always such an enjoyable experience. As a result, for the rest of the show my rose-colored glasses were firmly in place.

And speaking of perceptions, one idea I shared during my seminar was an anecdote about an editor I once had. No matter what the story was – school board meeting or new store opening – I was invariably told to “put a face on it.” Essentially, instead of focusing on an event, I was directed to share a little bit about the people creating it as a way to add depth to it.

This is a powerful journalistic tool, and it’s powerful at retail, too. Just ask Whole Foods – by sharing the stories of the farmers whose wares fill its shelves, they have introduced a human element to their business. Shoppers spend more per purchase and come away feeling a connection to what they’re eating unlike what they would have felt at another supermarket.

As such, I definitely recommend that you get a sense of the people who create the magnificent lines you stock, and share their stories with your customers. It is a new commitment to a given line – but one I suggest you embrace. It makes sense that we would flock to this idea of knowing the people behind our products in our rather depersonalized age.

However, I learned there was a whole different benefit of “putting a face on it” at the show. Not only were lines coming alive to me in a new way as I mingled with their creators, I hope the magazine came alive to them as well by meeting me. These human connections are what make an actual trade show – especially one devoted to communication – irreplaceable.

But most valuable of all to me was getting to put a face (or rather, many of them) on my wonderful readers. So I end this letter with a thank-you to you all – thank you for introducing yourselves, to sharing your concerns and hopes with me. They inspire me to try and inspire you. And thanks most of all for reading this magazine!