Thoughts from the Outgoing MAFSI President

One of the highlights of NAFEM15 was attending the MAFSI meeting, where the leadership of the organization shifted from Joe Ferri to Jeff Couch. Under Ferri's steady guidance, MAFSI made great strides. With emphasis on the future, he urged all members to reinvest, reinvent, reeducate, and build infrastructure – both real and digital. "Owning" the data and the marketplace was part of Ferri's focus.

TMC Digital Media had the chance to get Ferri's thoughts on his yearlong term, and here's what he said:

TMC: What was the most fulfilling part about being MAFSI president?

FERRI: Being MAFSI President in 2014 had a profound impact on my life and career. I gained key insights and perspectives while traveling around the country in support of the membership. It was a unique opportunity: to be engaged in the business, but almost as an outside observer, as my role precluded me from my normal partisan activities waged on behalf of my manufacturer principal partners. I was able to clearly distinguish between the shrinking regional differences, and the exploding similarities of challenges faced around the nation in our daily business lives.

TMC: What was the most humorous thing that happened?

FERRI: As an early riser, I typically turn in for the night MUCH earlier than most of those with whom I shared this journey – the “usual suspects” of the industry event circuit. This, in spite of the fact that my career has nearly always been centered around the hospitality business. Thus, my nightly challenge was to slip away unnoticed. As the year wore on, I devised more and more intricate plots in support of my unconventional (by industry standards) sleep habits. My fellow travelers wised up to my schemes and plotted against me at turns. A cat and mouse game ensued at each resort destination. I daresay that the scorecard indicates that my beauty sleep consistently won out over the peer pressure to enjoy that one last nightcap.

TMC: In your outgoing speech, you mentioned the demise of relationship selling. Can you expound on that a little? What do you see as being its replacement?

FERRI: A rather brutal lesson that I learned over the past twelve months is the eclipse of one-to-one relationship sales in favor of content marketing (and marketing content). Social media continues apace to grow as the conduit for interaction between parties, from initial contact, through the sales process, and even (or especially) in post-sales service. The real surprise here is that there is a dichotomy of believers and skeptics. As early adopters, I believe that we’ve done a poor job of evangelizing the late-bloomers vis-à-vis the benefits of joining the digital marketing evolution. I fear that many will be left out in the cold as they realize the folly of denying the sea-change in business models.

TMC: You also mentioned the new perspective that being president allowed. What was the most surprising thing you learned from the outside looking in?

FERRI: Another major trend that is long past the weak signal stage is the roll-up of rep agencies. This has seen fits and starts in 2014. For 2015, I am certain only that it will continue to surprise us with Byzantine twists and turns, and that the unprepared will suffer.

TMC: Would you do anything differently?

FERRI: I approached the presidency with a single objective, that of creating a system for tracking and documenting specifications so that our members could be fairly compensated for the work they do. I consistently attempted to limit “mission-creep”, no mean feat when facing 2400 stakeholders. I have no regrets and trust that my legacy will not be judged too harshly.

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