1. Proforma
www.proforma.com
Principals: Greg Muzzillo, Founder, and Vera Muzzillo, CEO
Promo Marketing: What are your thoughts on 2012? Your expectations for 2013?
Greg Muzzillo: 2012 was a great year for Proforma. We experienced double-digit growth. We also welcomed a record number of 22 members into our Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Clubs. We had eight of our members be recognized by Inc. Magazine as members of the Inc. 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies. Proforma continues to represent the greatest presence in the printing and promotional products industry on the list.
PM: How do you motivate your sales force, and why?
GM: At Proforma our sales are generated by our members who are business owners and their sales reps. We believe that we cannot motivate people. People must motivate themselves. We help people find their motivation through ongoing education and encouragement for our owners and their sales reps to get in touch with their dreams. When people are in touch with their dreams, then and only then, will they find their motivation. That said, we want to help our members grow their sales. At Proforma we recognize that growing sales can be hard, so we do the hard work for our members. We have an Appointment Setting Team, a team that recruits sales reps and customer service reps, a team that handles all requests for proposals, and a team that recruits acquisitions for our members.
PM: How much emphasis do you put on company culture? What kind of culture have you worked to create and maintain, and why?
GM: Corporate culture is a fancy phrase for those things companies do that impact the way their people think, feel and act. Because we would like for our people to think, feel and act positively in pursuit of their own goals and in alignment with our goals, we do a great deal of work communicating with and educating our members and our support staff on our future goals, providing many opportunities for formal and informal input and feedback, and having fun.
2. Bensussen Deutsch & Associates (BDA)
www.bdainc.com
Principal: Jay Deutsch, CEO and Co-founder
PM: What are your thoughts on 2012? Your expectations for 2013?
Jay Deutsch: BDA had a great 2012. We brought a number of high-caliber people on board, added some exceptional clients and renewed our contracts with a few longtime partners. We also created some of the most creative and unique branded merchandise in BDA’s history and continued to revolutionize merchandise marketing to increase efficiency, quality and overall client satisfaction. On the heels of such a great year, we’re expecting 2013 to be one of the best years for not only BDA, but for the promotional products industry as a whole. Brands made huge strides toward capitalizing on the power of merchandise in 2012 and we’re seeing that trend grow in early 2013.
PM: How much emphasis do you put on company culture? What kind of culture have you worked to create and maintain, and why?
JD: To say we put an emphasis on company culture would be an understatement. Our people are our most valuable assets. They have such a passion for doing great work that if I’m ever seeking inspiration, all I have to do is walk the halls and I’m instantly reinvigorated. We constantly strive toward a culture of mutual respect, dedication and treating each other like family. We showcase the successes of our teams and take time to build internal relationships through company events. Last year, we also put a huge emphasis on philanthropy and giving back to our community. Our associates really took that initiative to the next level and ultimately pushed us to strengthen our corporate focus on making a difference. Since launching the BDA Cares Foundation near the end of 2011, we have received tremendous support both internally and from our vendor partners and clients. When you can rally around a cause, you strengthen your relationships even more.
