1. Strategic Marketing Plan for Development of New Channel Growth Exceeds All Sales Goals and Expectations
I have been involved in market development, in a broad sense, in most opportunities that I have had in the last 25 years
where I have been in Executive Management and Senior Sales and Marketing Management. In almost every business,
market development, product segmentation, opening new channels for sales, and improving profitability have been the
focus of my sales and management success.
At JDS Industries I developed a complete product line, developed a marketing strategy and executed the plan for a new
graphic and photographic process (sublimation) to create unique and custom products for retail customers of our 18,000
dealer network. While sublimation heat transfer graphics process has been around for fifteen years, creating a unique
product line using its application and wide use in the Awards and Promotions Industry was a new idea.
When I started with JDS, the company offered maybe 50 generic products that used the sublimation process. Less than
10% of our customers used sublimation to create custom awards. The vast majority of our 18,000 retailers thought that
the process was too difficult to master, too expensive, and offered no margin advantages over traditional products.
Total revenues of the sale of these products amounted to less than $400,000 in total sales.
I recognized the profit opportunity for our retailers and unique applications. I developed a strategy of how JDS using its
vast supplier network in China and their ability to quickly produce custom products could quickly develop a complete
product line. Our understanding of the technology and expertise using the sublimation process at JDS could give us an
almost immediate competitive advantage over all of our competitors. If our sales of this product line were successful,
sales at JDS could grow in a flat growth industry that was significantly impacted by recession. More than 30% of our
dealers had lost money in each of the past two years and would willingly accept a new process and products that could
help grow both their sales and margins. As a matter of fact, using sublimation and sublimation products offered triple
the margins of traditionally sold products by our retailers. Even using these products for only 10-25% of their sales
would significantly impact their bottom line.
At that time, I developed a comprehensive plan of attack to quickly optimize and significantly grow the sales from this
segment.
There were no patents or trademarks for any of the current offerings in the marketplace. There were several small
niche companies that were dedicated to sublimation product. None of them had the market presence, exposure,
distribution, or production capabilities available to JDS. After examining what they were doing, we partnered with who I
felt was the most creative and innovative company and negotiated exclusive rights to sell certain product lines and
experimented with certain concepts. We then used our China suppliers to mass produce similar products as well as
improved products. We also designed unique offerings that no one else produced or supplied to our vast network of
dealers. In 90 days we went from 40 products to over 400 new and unique product offerings for our retail dealers that
they could use to compliment as well as replace traditional products – but add 3x the margins.
With the growth of the products offered, we developed the first exclusive catalog, website and online presence uniquely
dedicated to the sublimation process and sublimation products for the awards industry. We also produced webinars on
how to make specific products and training on the process.
We supported this process and product offerings by creating a trained and dedicated customer service staff with a
helpline to answer all questions and offer individual help to dealers. Step by step, we would help our dealers on how to
use the technology, equipment, and “master” the tricks of using the process. Through our helpline, we also suggested
new applications using specific products that we offered.
Concurrently, at all national or regional trade shows in which we displayed (about one a month) we featured the new
products and also had a dedicated sublimation specialist and trainer constantly having demonstrations on how to
produce different products and applications. He was also there to answer any technical questions made by our dealers.
At the trade shows, he demonstrated how to use the equipment, and then produced samples of the new products that
we had introduced and gave them out to dealers as samples.

2. Three months after the wide range of new product introduction, our company formally introduced the complete
product line at the largest industry trade show. At the same time, sublimation product catalogs were mailed to all of our
18,000 dealers. During the introduction show, we introduced the schedule of FREE one day training sublimation
sessions that we were to be offering all over the country during the next year.
I developed a one day (7 hour) full day seminar. The first three hours were dedicated on how to train the use of the new
technology and equipment (3 specialized sessions – each lasting approximately one hour). After a break for lunch, the
last 4 hours (sessions) were focused on how to promote, market, price, and develop unique selling strategies for the
marketplace. This included market segmentation analysis and specific pricing strategies that should be customized by
the retailers to meet their market conditions and competition. One hour was devoted to specific applications that could
open new markets and potentially new customers that would complement their existing business.
These “how to” sessions were taught by our product specialists and designers. The marketing and selling sessions were
taught by two of our suppliers, and two sessions on marketing and pricing taught by me.
Over the next seven months we had seminars in eleven locations across the country. At each location, we would have
two to three daily seminars. At each daily seminar we had from 35-60 retail stores attending. About every other week,
we held seminars in Jacksonville, Charlotte, Newark, Baltimore, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Sioux Falls, Los
Angeles, and Seattle.
This complete marketing strategy resulted in over $4 million of sublimation product sales. This was more than ten times
what we had sold in that product segment the prior year. This sales strategy resulted in 12% sales growth for the
company for the year. Sublimation product sales were $4 million of the 6.3 million sales increases from the previous
year. This growth was during an economic recession and during shrinking industry sales. This increase also gave us
more market penetration, opened new channels for sales, and improved our market share.
Our reputation and market presence was enhanced. Our concurrent advertising and marketing strategy was the focus
of the image of our company being “customer centered” and that we were a company dedicated to creative and unique
solutions that help our dealers have more sales and higher profits. We went from being thought of as a supplier of
products to a company that our customers can count on to help them be innovative and more profitable retailers. The
residual positive effects continue to this day (four years later).
During the startup and growth of my own company – Strategic Marketing Innovations, while not promoting or
distributing a specific physical product(s), the strategy for the market positioning of the company was to develop a
unique BRAND. From the original concept and business plan, the growth of 4 to over 550 employees, from zero in
revenues to over $70 million in client sales – Strategic Marketing Innovation (SMI) became a company that offered a
unique solution that was different from our competitors.
We marketed to potential customers what made us different. Our unique approach in a traditionally thought of as a
commodity business allowed us to offer custom solutions that always resulted in sales results that were 30-200% better
than the results any of our competitors could offer. In our industry we were known as a unique innovator that always
provided consistent and predictable results.
Our company was the first in our industry to successfully sell different products that were previously thought of as not
being able to be sold over the phone. As innovators, we approached non-traditional users of telemarketing services and
successfully sold their products and improved their ROI.
We were the first that successfully sold business lines and support services to small businesses for the telecom industry.
This business acquisition was extremely profitable for our telecom customers. After our success, this became a mainstay
of the telemarketing industry.

3. We were the first to accurately profile the IT networks of a targeted 5000 companies and industry for an international
software developer. I developed a group and inside sales team of a dozen that sold several network products and
solutions that sold for $60,000 - $220,000 per module. The success of this sales group was recognized by the Direct
Marketing Association in 2004.
The company’s principle focus was the Publishing Industry. Our unique marketing approach was to target specific
publishers and magazine titles, offer specific solutions, revenue projections and results. We were the only company in
our industry that specifically predicted what our minimum results would be and how that would impact ROI. We
promised results where others failed. Through formal proposal selling which offered specific results. Combined with a
“risk free offer” of if we did not produce the results predicted during the test then it would cost them nothing. Over 14
years we never lost a head to head test with any competitor and consistently achieved our predictive results.
This marketing strategy resulted in active business relationships with 14 of the top 25 publishing companies in the US.
We also had ongoing business relationships with several other industry leading companies and national organizations.
We did no national advertising, had no standardized business brochures, and custom developed for each target
customer sales materials. We let our results do our selling. Over 14 years, we never lost a client over failing to deliver
what we had projected or promised.
The organizational structure was unique and flat. Managers were matched to their strengths and talents, and titles
were chosen by the employee. Every employee carried in their wallet or purse our mission statement and promise and
commitment to our clients. Our customer’s goals were our only focus. Our clients were partners not who we worked
for. Our unique approach and winning attitude allowed us to produce results that others could not match.
For other companies, I was an agent of change. I developed and wrote processes and procedures,, department by
department, and had the commitment of every manager to personally achieve our company and departmental goals.
Environments effected by changing attitudes by promoting cultures of motivation, teamwork, cooperation, success, and
not letting either our customers or co-workers down is how manage organizations. In previously failing organizations,
with very few personnel changes, I have led organizations to results that were thought unattainable.
Given the opportunity, I hope that I can do the same for your organization. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Nick Patrinos