Is everything what it seems?

A new employee joined canvas in an advertising sales capacity this week. His name is Michael and we’re very excited to have him on board and can’t wait to get him going. As part of the new hire process we go through training period as most companies do. Of course we show new hires where the supply room is, how to log on to their email, where the restrooms are… you get the point.

For sales people we spend a lot of time training them on canvas. Who we are, what we are, why we are and our relationship to our readers and advertisers.

As we’ve been going through this training with Michael we spent some time talking about canvas vs. other publications in the market. The goal of this exercise is to demonstrate how canvas is unique and why we matter to a marketer.

Why does this warranting blogging? I think it warrants blogging because in day two of his training Michael met two different people who decided to share their views on canvas and other publications. Both talked about the feelings and the connection they have with canvas, and the connection they feel others have with the magazine as well.

It’s funny because Michael probably thought we were embellishing when we told him these anecdotal stories early on, I would have, I would have chalked it up to the company line or something like that. But we couldn’t have scripted or paid actors to say what these to people said that day.

Michael’s learning: To question whether everything is what it seems with others and to help his clients understand what is. What do I mean? These folks not only shared with him why we are who we are, but with out naming names why others are not. Whether it’s green or holistic they told him - not everything is what is seems.

Does it make a difference? Michael learned today the answer is YES!
The people he met today each spent their time, without prompting, telling him we are who we say we are and the special connection they feel everyone has with us. And why they tell everyone they can about canvas.

That’s important to write about, why? Because of question above - Is everything what is seems? There are a lot of people today going green and holistic, some are real and many are not. It’s important for all of us to look behind the words and rhetoric to make sure it is what it seems.

Tom Pellicane - Publisher, canvas Magazine