Midwest Free Community Papers

PAPER CLIPS NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE

NOVEMBER 2025 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner-Thankfulness Month
From the Office- Missed the Ad Agency Call? Here's the Replay
MVP at Work- The Importance of Deadlines in the Workplace
Member News- Connector and Voices Merge to Become Southwest Voices
Member News- Its MVP Time... Nominate Your Best!
Member News- Important Things to Note
Members Helping Members- Strengthen Your Audit
Members Helping Members- Digital in a Nutshell
Words of Wisdom- Advice From Our Members- Month 2
John Foust- Reliability Means Paying Attention
Ryan Dohrn- Kill Your Q4 Sales Goal
Kevin Slimp- Is Free as Good as Paid?

Download "2025 NOVEMBER Paperclips.pdf"

OCTOBER 2025 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner-Congratulations Greg Birkett and Shane Goodman
From the Office- Meeting of the Minds- October Member MeetUps
MVP at Work- Lessons Learned
Members Helping Members-Excel Training Resource
Members Helping Members- Good News From USPS
Words of Wisdom- Advice From Our Members
John Foust- The Persuasive Power of Proof
Ryan Dohrn- Why Sales Teams Miss Goals and How to Fix It
Kevin Slimp- Where Did The Time Go?

Download "2025 OCTOBER Paperclips.pdf"

SEPTEMBER 2025 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Back to School Means Time to get Back to the Basics
From the Office- Roll Up Your Sleeves: Real Estate Session -Sept 17 - 10AM
MVP at Work- Do the "Best" Thing
Members Helping Members-What's the Best Advice You've Ever Received?
John Foust- A Lesson from Lockwood's Folly
Ryan Dohrn- Guide Your Buyer: Mastering the Journey to Close More Sales
Kevin Slimp- There's a New Paper in Town

Download "2025 SEPTEMBER Paperclips.pdf"

AUGUST 2025 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Holidays..Vacations..Days Off..REALLY?
From the Office- Co-op Advertising Makes a Comeback
MVP at Work- Maintaining Organization in the Workplace
Members in the News- Joey and Lindsey Young Debut on PBS
Members Helping Members- Simply Said...This is "purrfect"!
Members Helping Members- CVC Made Simple
John Foust- Advertising Lessons from a Car Wash
Ryan Dohrn- Super Sellers Do These 3 Things
Kevin Slimp-It's Time for Fresh Ideas

Download "2025 AUGUST Paperclips.pdf"

JULY 2025 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- An Article Too Good NOT To Share
From the Office- Turning Numbers into New Business
MVP at Work- Overcoming Change in the Publishing Industry
Member News- Interested in Shaping the Future of MFCP?
Members Helping Members- Summer School for Sellers Plus a Member Amenities Survey
John Foust- Brand Loyalty is a Powerful Force
Ryan Dohrn- Selling Amidst Economic Uncertainty
Kevin Slimp-Think Big, Think Small

Download "2025 JULY Paperclips.pdf"

JUNE 2025 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Words are Hard... But are They Really?
From the Office- Who's Buying Digital?
MVP at Work- The Value of Mentorship
Member News- Meet Your MVPS
Members Helping Members- Google Drive Special Section Sharing Site!
Members Helping Members -Real Estate Advertising Tools You Can Use!
Member News- Summer Training Series
John Foust- Coffee, Televisions, and Response Advertising
Kevin Slimp- Improving the Front Page

Download "2025 JUNE Paperclips Final.pdf"

MAY 2025 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- MFCP Jeopardy
From the Office- A Picture That is Worth Much More Than a Thousand Words
MVP at Work- Staying on Track
Member MeetUps- Talk Real Estate and Postal Updates
John Foust- Avoid Jumping to Conclusions
Ryan Dohrn- Client Retention Strategies
Kevin Slimp- Newspaper Growth Impossible?

Download "2025 MAY Paperclips.pdf"

APRIL 2025 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- MFCP 70th Anniversary Recap
From the Office-Two New Member Perks You'll Want tp Know About!
MVP at Work- Be Present, Be Intentional
Member News- 2025 Ad Award Design Contest Winners
Members Helping Members- ASK-CRM Rebrands to NewspaperCRM
John Foust- Following Through is the Thing to Do
Ryan Dohrn- Cutting Through Email Clutter
Kevin Slimp- Check Those Settings!

Download "2025 APRIL Paperclips.pdf"

MARCH 2025 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Make the Connection...See how MFCP has your Back!
From the Office-Get Ready for the MFCP 70th Anniversary Spring Conference!
MVP at Work- The Five Parts of Emotional Intelligence
Member News- It's NEW! MFCP Annual Awards
Members Helping Members- Postal Incentives
John Foust- I Shot an Ad into the Air
Ryan Dohrn- Creating the Perfect Sales Process
Kevin Slimp- Readers Love Their Newspaper

Download "2025 MARCH Paperclips.pdf"

FEBRUARY 2025 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Full Day of FREE Training
From the Office- MFCP-Style... You've Got a Friend!
MVP at Work- Two Questions for Supporting Remote Employees
Members Helping Members- Postal Incentives
John Foust- Don't Ghost Your Clients
Kevin Slimp- Healthy, Growing Papers
Ryan Dohrn- Creating Urgency with Clients

Download "2025 FEBRUARY Paperclips.pdf"

JANUARY 2025 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- New Year... New MFCP President!
From the Office- Networking: The Heart of MFCP
MVP at Work- What is Your Word of the Year?
Members Helping Members- You Asked - Our Members Delivered....
Kevin Slimp- A Few Words About AI
John Foust- Think Like an Interviewer
Ryan Dohrn- My Advertiser Wants to Cancel - What Do I Do?

Download "2025 JANUARY Paperclips.pdf"

DECEMBER 2024 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Don't Blink!
From the Office- Making a List- Checking it Twice!
MVP at Work- Preparing for the New Year
Member News- MVP Nomination Time
Members Helping Members- Your Perfect Advertising Mix
Print is Powerful- New Promotional Materials for You
Kevin Slimp- Plan to Grow in 2025
John Foust- Two Things That Will Never Change
Ryan Dohrn- Perfect Follow-Up Plan

Download "2024 DECEMBER Paperclips.pdf"

NOVEMBER 2024 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Seek Advice From a Cast of Thousands
From the Office- Where Will You Be in April?
Member News- 2025 MFCP Ad Awards Contest
MVP at Work- Losing Our Focus
Kevin Slimp- Newspapers Turn Attention to Growth
John Foust- The Power of a Pause
Ryan Dohrn- Selling Value to Price- Driven Clients

Download "2024 NOVEMBER Paperclips.pdf"

OCTOBER 2024 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Do You Think "I Can"?
From the Office- Introducing MFCP MeetUp!
Members Helping Members-Time for MFCP Board Elections
Member News- Are YOU on the List?
Industry Pioneers- Jerry and Louise Johnson
MVP at Work- Change is Inevitable
Kevin Slimp- How Do We Get Our Readers Back?
John Foust- "I don't know" Can Be A Great Answer
Ryan Dohrn-Are Phone Calls DEAD in Sales?

Download "2024 OCTOBER Paperclips.pdf"

SEPTEMBER 2024 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Be Aggressive with Passive Sales
From the Office- We Want to Hear From You!
Members Helping Members- We Need Your Input!
MVP at Work- Obsessing Over Their Story
Kevin Slimp- Valuable Apps for Newspapers
John Foust- Sometimes it's Good to Create a Stir
Ryan Dohrn- How to Sell Almost Anything to Almost Anyone at Almost any Price

Download "2024 SEPTEMBER Paperclips.pdf"

AUGUST 2024 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Be More than a Grill Master
From the Office- I am on a Mission and I Need Your Help!
MVP at Work- Self Improvement is Company Improvement
Member News: Introducing Our New Associate Member
Members Helping Members- Why Digital Advertising?
Kevin Slimp- An Updated Look at Affinity
John Foust- Solving the Puzzle of Advertising
Ryan Dohrn- Fixing Cold Calling Fails

Download "2024 AUGUST Paperclips.pdf"

July 2024 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Generational Differences are Good for Growth
From the Office- Don't Throw Free Money Away!
MVP at Work- Generations in the Workplace
Member News: Farewell Old Friend
Members Helping Members- Enhance Your Team With Press Pass
Meet Your MFCP Board- Q&A with Some of the MFCP Board
Kevin Slimp- Determining How to Use (and Not Use) AI
John Foust- Sunshine in the Weather Forecast
Ryan Dohrn - Polishing Your Pitch

Download "2024 JULY Paperclips.pdf"

June 2024 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Stronger Together When Tragedy Strikes
From the Office- Aloha from the MFCP Office
MVP at Work- Does Your Personality Match Up?
What Do You Think? - Great Minds Think Alike!
Meet Your MVPS- What Do You Hope to Get Out of the MVP Program?
Kevin Slimp- What You Want to Know
John Foust- PUt a Stop to Workplace Silos
Ryan Dohrn - Getting Past NO with New Clients

Download "2024 JUNE Paperclips.pdf"

May 2024 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- WD-40, Duct Tape, and Personnel
From the Office- A Road Map to Making Sure Your Voice is Heard
MVP at Work- What is Your Core Product?
Member in the News- ACP Publisher of the Year- Lisa Miller
Industry Pioneer- Trevor Slette- Citizen Publishing Company
Kevin Slimp- Artificial Intelligence
John Foust- Every Salesperson Needs a Parachute
Ryan Dohrn - Non-Salesy Subject Lines and Why They Work

Download "2024 MAY Paperclips.pdf"

April 2024 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- What Does Your 30,000 ft. View Look Like?
From the Office- Seeking the Next Leader
MVP at Work- The Importance of Setting Goals
Members Helping Members - Learning From..Sharing With
Members Helping Members - Tell Us Your Secrets
Kevin Slimp- Pick it up or put it down?
John Foust- Know When to Stop Talking
Ryan Dohrn - Boost Sales Email Replies

Download "2024 APRIL Paperclips.pdf"

March 2024 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- "Mission Possible" Every Day
From the Office- Roaring into March MFCP-Style
MVP at Work- MVPS on a Mission
Members Helping Members - Metro Webinars Free for You
Member News- Happy Retirement Mona Garwood
Kevin Slimp- Where Did My Email Go?
John Foust- Ad-Libs-Learn From the Ones That Get Away
Ryan Dohrn - 3 Steps to Increase Your Happiness and Sales in 2024

Download "2024 MARCH Paperclips.pdf"

February 2024 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Where Do You Find Inspiration?
From the Office- No Winter Naps at MFCP!
MVPS at Work- Frosty Mornings, Blooming Afternoons
Members Helping Members - Mailing Discounts- Don't Miss Out!
Member News- MFCP Says Goodbye to a Good Friend, Gary Rudy
Industry Pioneers- John and Michelle Adams - The Lakes News Shopper
Kevin Slimp- More or Less
John Foust- Ad-Libs- Treasure Hunt for Ad Ideas
Ryan Dohrn- How to Avoid Giving Up

Download "2024 FEBRUARY Paperclips.pdf"

January 2024 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Cherish the Season of Taking!
From the Office- Get Your Ad Award Entries Ready!
MVPS at Work- Word of the Year
Members Helping Members - President's Special Section
Kevin Slimp- Beginning 2024 Right
John Foust- Ad-Libs- Advertising's Slippery Slope
Ryan Dohrn- STOP....It's All About Value

Download "2024 JANUARY Paperclips.pdf"

December 2023 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- MFCP Members Never Walk Alone!
From the Office- Lee's "what you need to know" List
MVPS at Work- You Win Some, You Lose Some
Kevin Slimp- Kevin's Top 10 Tips for 2024
John Foust- Ad-Libs- Get More Mileage Out of Testimonials
Ryan Dohrn- Creating Urgency with Your Clients

Download "2023 DECEMBER Paperclips.pdf"

November 2023 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Thankful, Grateful, Blessed
From the Office-2024...Just Around the Corner
MVPS at Work- The Importance of Sharing Ideas
Kevin Slimp- New Tools in Photshop Elicit Warning
John Foust- Ad Lessons from a Wall Poster
Ryan Dohrn- Make an Inferior Product Superior

Download "2023 NOVEMBER Paperclips.pdf"

October 2023 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Face-to-Face Sales
From the Office-Attention MFCP Members
Members Helping Members -Is Your Design Company Shutting Down?
MVPS at Work- Sifting Through the Chaos
Kevin Slimp- Critiquing Common Issues
John Foust- Don't Sell Your Clients Short
Ryan Dohrn- The 3 Pieces to the Perfect Sales Call

Download "2023 OCTOBER Paperclips.pdf"

September 2023 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Strategic Planning - the Road Map to Success
From the Office- MFCP Keeps You in the Loop
Members Helpping Members -You Ask... We Will Find the Answer!
MVPS at Work- Always Continue Learning
Kevin Slimp- Making Space for the Important Stuff
John Foust- Do You Know Where Your Fire Extinguishers Are?
Ryan Dohrn- How to Help Your Sales Reps Meet Their Goals

Download "2023 SEPTEMBER Paperclips.pdf"

August 2023 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Printed AND Online
From the Office- Let's Go Back to School!
Member News -And the Winners Are...
Industry Pioneers - Mona Garwood - Ink in My Veins
MVPS at Work- Building Trust to Make Room for Humanness
Kevin Slimp- Fixing Problems Before They Appear on the Page
John Foust- If It's 10:08, It Must Be a Watch Ad
Ryan Dohrn- Get 3 No's Before You Let 'Em Go!!!

Download "2023 AUGUST Paperclips.pdf"

July 2023 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Learning From "The School of Hard Knocks"!
From the Office- MFCP Summer Summit...We it it out of the Ballpark!
Member News -In Memory of Joel Klaassen
Industry Pioneers - Joel Klaassen- A True Believer in MFCP
MVPS at Work- The First Year is Always the Hardest
Kevin Slimp- Sharing the Good News of Newspapers
John Foust- What Are They Selling?
Ryan Dohrn- Self Service Sales

Download "2023 JULY Paperclips.pdf"

June 2023 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Print is Not Dead
From the Office- Summer Manager Summit- It's Time to Register!
Member News -Join Our Team!
Industry Pioneers - Cresco Shopper- A Loveless Legacy
MVPS at Work- New Cenury Press Teamwork!
Kevin Slimp- Improving Your Paper
John Foust- The Power of Enthusiasm
Ryan Dohrn- Dedicate Time to Retention

Download "2023 JUNE Paperclips.pdf"

May 2023 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- You Asked...We Answered!
From the Office- We are Here to Help You Make Money!
Members Helping Members - Joey Young
Member News -Containerization Discount
Industry Pioneers - Deb Weigel- Just Fake It!
MVPS at Work- Effective Communication
Kevin Slimp- Advertising Results
John Foust-We've Got Some Explaining To Do
Ryan Dohrn- Don't Be a Stranger

Download "2023 MAY Paperclips.pdf"

April 2023 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- 'Weather' Winter by Anticipating July's Publisher/Manager Summit
From the Office- Going Postal
Members Helping Members - It Pays to Become a "Requester" Periodical
Member News -Paws with a Cause
Industry Pioneers - Craig Trongaard and the Grapevine Story
MVPS at Work- Turnover... Not Always Bad
Kevin Slimp- Questions Posed by New York Publishers
John Foust- Advertising's Bill of Rights
Ryan Dohrn- Stop Checking In!

Download "2023 APRIL Paperclips.pdf"

March 2023 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- One Step at a Time
From the Office- 2 New Additions to MFCP
Members Helping Members - A "Sweet" Idea Exchange
Member News -2023 Distinguished Service Award
Industry Pioneers - Bill Welsh
MVP’s at Work- Tips and Tricks Galore From Spring Conference
Kevin Slimp- Taking Control of Your Time
John Foust- Oboes and Leadership
Ryan Dohrn- Make Your First Impression Count

Download "2023 MARCH Paperclips.pdf"

February 2023 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Meeting of the Minds- the MFCP Way
From the Office-Graphic Designer: Part Artist- Part Mind-reader
Members Helping Members - She Saved the Day!
Member News -Free Webinars Offered by Metro
Industry Pioneers - Rudy and Gladys Van Drie
MVP’s at Work- Be True to Yourself
Kevin Slimp- The Secret to Growing Papers
John Foust- Say It and Do It, or Renegotiate
Ryan Dohrn- Be Willing to Change

Download "2023 FEBRUARY Paperclips.pdf"

January 2023 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner-Welcome 2023!
From the Office- MFCP To-Do List for 2023
Member News - Attention Periodical Mailers!!!
Member News - MVP Nominations
Industry Pioneers - Jim and Cathy Crosby
MVP’s at Work- New Year...New Opportunities
Kevin Slimp- Reasons Some Newspapers Grow
John Foust- The Power of Being Specific
Ryan Dohrn- Best Sales Call Format

Download "2023 JANUARY Paperclips.pdf"

December 2022 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner-New Year's #1 Resolution- Spring Conference
From the Office- The Free Paper Industry - Growing Up in a World Like No Other
Member News - Fill Ads and Statement Stuffers
Member News - MVP Nominations
MVP’s at Work- Looking Back While Looking Ahead
Kevin Slimp- Kevin's To-Do List for 2023
John Foust- Tell Them Why - And Sell More
Ryan Dohrn- Tricks to Insure Email Response

Download "2022 DECEMBER Paperclips.pdf"

November 2022 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Networking to Lifelong Friends
From the Office- Free Flash Drive Headed Your Way!
MVP’s at Work- Welcome to My Space
John Foust- A Key Question: What's Next?
Kevin Slimp- Common Issues at Papers
Ryan Dohrn- Findng the Happiness You Desire in 6 Steps

Download "2022 November Paperclips.pdf"

October 2022 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- L-M-N-O-P
From the Office- Time for Virtual Fall Training
Member News- Introducing Our New Associate Member- Design2Pro
Member Helping Members- CAUTION: Dates on Calendars are Closer than They Appear
MVP’s at Work- How to Handle Deadlines... Effectively and Without Burnout
Kevin Slimp- Even More About Adobe Type 1 and Your Newspaper
John Foust – Two Advertising Goals: Attention and Retention
Ryan Dohrn- Are You a Problem Solver or a Sales Person?

Download "2022 October Paperclips.pdf"

September 2022 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Back to School!
From the Office- Cyber Security...Protection Against the Invisible Threat
Member News- Save 2% on Your Publication Postage Bill!
Member Helping Members- Have a Question? Just Ask!
MVP’s at Work- Keeping Burnout at Bay
Kevin Slimp- Font Issues! Your Type 1 Problem
John Foust – A Good Idea is Worth the Wait
Ryan Dohrn- Helping Customers Get What They Need

Download "2022 September Paperclips.pdf"

July_August 2022 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- You Missed Out!
From the Office- The Dog Days of Summer? Not Here!!!
Member News- Saving Traditional Newspapers One Paper at a Time
Member Helping Members- White Wolf Web Press Tour
MVP’s at Work- It's Contagious....Positive Attitudes at Work
Kevin Slimp- Paying Attention to Readers
John Foust – The Importance of Proofreading
Ryan Dohrn- Warming Up the Cold Call for Better Results

Download "2022 July_August Paperclips.pdf"

June 2022 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- Better Late Than Never
From the Office- Getting into Politics MFCP-Style
Member News- Oelwein Has a New Publisher
Member News- A Legend Retires
Member News- Donna Hanbery- Postal Rates to Rise
Member News- Changing the Conversation about Newspaper Closures
Member News- Hillsboro Free Press Chosen as Pilot Printer
Member News- Nominating Committee Report
Member Helping Members- Publication Printers – Design Tips Part 2
MVP’s at Work- Focus on Staying Focused
Kevin Slimp- A Tale of Two Publishers
John Foust – Advertising’s Blast from the Past
Ryan Dohrn- Customer Retention

Download "June-2022-Paperclips.pdf"

May 2022 Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Corner- The Hamptons of Iowa
From the Office- Spring Cleaning,,,, Digital-Style
Member News- Remembering Doris Been
Members Helping Members- Publication Printers -Design Tips for Printing Success
MVP’s at Work- Workplace Organization
Kevin Slimp- Want To Save Time?
John Foust – One Way to Make Presentations More Memorable
Ryan Dohrn- One Subject Line That Always Works!