Comments on: Sensis Continues to Defy Global Trend

By: Plumbing

Plumbing — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 05:07:53 +0000

I would like to see an update for this post.

My understanding is that Sensis is no longer defying the international trend, and is in fact now trending downwards quite rapidly.

Sensis’ latest public report has their revenues down 24% for the quarter.

By: Charles Laughlin

Charles Laughlin — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:56:45 +0000

I’d like to see the human resources manual that recommends the blank sheet of paper method as a best practice for letting a large number of people go. Layoffs are sometimes, sadly, unavoidable, but it almost seems like it was done this way for the sick amusement of the people imposing the layoffs. Is it really that hard to consider people’s dignity? Why not make them all wear silly hats too?

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:11:45 +0000

Added note: Leadership, vision and collaboration has produced these results. Check out the winner: Sensis vs The Island Caretaker

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:55:23 +0000

Meeting the needs of a customer sounds like a pretty basic concept: and, viewing your sales channel as \your customer\ also basic. The yellow pages cultures that are failing are those that just don’t get this. Some are top down managed, arrogant, greedy, and some lack humanity and ethics. Rebuilding trust is very difficult in such an environment. I had several yellow page customers wait two years for refunds on publisher errors. In the meantime these customers were expected to renew with hefty rate increases. Also, one publisher I know conducts layoffs by bringing people into a large room and placing a piece of paper in front of each of them. The employees are told that if there is something on the piece of paper when it is flipped over they still have a job. Everyone has to flip at the same timne. A former employee with tears in his eyes told me how he was the only one in the room with something on his piece of paper, his entire department was fired. He said work for two months following was a living hell, then he got his blank sheet of paper. Many stories are not told because of loyalty to the industry. There are some very recent stories I can tell you that are too horrific for words. I agree Sensis is a beacon of hope but can their story have impact in such a dark place? I like to believe that good triumphs over evil.

By: neal

neal — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 02:59:14 +0000

I echo Charles’ post. One of the themes that management shared was the notion that their sales people are trusted by the advertisers. This is something that publishers and media companies around the world will have to figure out if they’re to be successful as the local advertising industry transitions.