For immediate release                         

December 5, 2010

ADEL, IOWA — To increase awareness about the strategic value of learning in organizations, the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) has declared December 6-10, 2010, as “Employee Learning Week.” This is an opportunity for organizations to highlight the important link between developing employees’ skills and achieving organizational results.

ASTD research shows that organizations continue to invest in growing the knowledge and skills of their workforce. “Increasingly, business leaders realize that the most important asset in our knowledge economy is talent, and a skilled workforce is the key to realizing results. We encourage all organizations to demonstrate their commitment to learning by recognizing Employee Learning Week,” says Tony Bingham, ASTD President and CEO.

In support of Employee Learning Week 2010, collector mentor will be giving away 50 complimentary one-year subscriptions to qualified first-time readers. “Regular training and skill development is an important part of having a successful career in this industry,” says Gary Jensen, editor of collector mentor. “The growing skill gap and increased competitiveness in the industry require companies to develop a highly skilled workforce. We want to provide those companies with an opportunity to experience the benefits of having an ongoing educational tool available for their employees.”

Published bimonthly, collector mentor is a quick-read publication dedicated entirely to delivering articles and actionable advice that teaches credit and collection professionals how to increase collection results, enhance productivity, improve teamwork, and become better stewards of the industry.

“It’s designed as a training aid which builds and reinforces key principles and practices that are vital to being successful on the industry frontline,” adds Jensen. “There are more than a dozen ways to include collector mentor in a corporate training strategy.”

One-year digital subscriptions will be offered at a company-level, and subscribers will have the right to internally reproduce and redistribute issues at no additional cost to ensure that each staff member has access to a personal copy. This offer will last until all 50 subscriptions have been awarded, or until December 11, 2010, whichever comes first. For more information about receiving a complimentary subscription, please visit www.collectormentor.com/trial and enter promotional code ELW10.

To learn more about collector mentor’s recognition of Employee Learning Week, contact Gary Jensen at (515) 339-5899.

#   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #

For more information, please contact:

Gary Jensen

Editor | collector mentor

Phone: (515) 339-5899

Email: editor@collectormentor.com

Web: www.collectormentor.com

About collector mentor

collector mentoris a bimonthly publication designed to meet the very specific needs of frontline credit and collection professionals. The articles and advice that appear in each issue are carefully developed in order to promote and encourage professionalism in the industry. If you are looking for “tough guy” tactics, this isn’t the publication for you. For more information, visit www.collectormentor.com.

About ASTD

ASTD (American Society for Training & Development) is the world’s largest association dedicated to the training and development field. ASTD’s members come from more than 100 countries and connect locally in 130 U.S. chapters and with 30 international partners. Members work in thousands of organizations of all sizes, in government, as independent consultants, and as suppliers. For more information, visit www.astd.org.

The July/August 2010 issue of collector mentoris now available. Inside you’ll find helpful tips for keeping motivated this summer, dealing with negative influences, and tuning up your goals. Also, inside are articles and advice from industry members Joel LeBlanc, Jaci Feirstine, Michelle Dunn, Carol Freeland, and John McNamara. Learn how to speak your mind (professionally), handle customers who demand late fees be waived, and take a peek at the differences between commercial and consumer collections. Plus, much more!

ADEL, IOWA — collector mentor, the credit and collection industry’s premier training aid, announces a new social media strategy today, including a newly designed website aimed at encouraging a deeper interaction with its subscribers.

According to Gary Jensen, editor of collector mentor, the new enhancements are a direct response to the results of a recent subscriber satisfaction survey. “We take subscriber satisfaction very seriously,” he says, “and while the overall survey results greatly exceeded our expectations with positive responses, we felt that there was an opportunity to respond to our subscribers’ needs in these areas.”

NEW WEBSITE
The new site, www.collectormentor.com, will provide visitors with a seamless view of the publication’s online presence by combining the existing product site with an already lively and informative blog component. “The new site was designed specifically for our audience of both frontline collectors and management personnel,” Jensen notes.  “It boasts a more user-friendly interface, which encourages visitor interaction.”

SOCIAL MEDIA INITIATIVES
“Many of our subscribers indicated a desire to interact with collector mentor online,” Jensen says of the survey. “The increased popularity of social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn make it easy for companies to connect with their customers and opening those channels is a natural next step for the publication.”

Subscribers can now interact with collector mentor on the following social media platforms:

•  Twitter – www.twitter.com/collectormentor
• Facebook – www.facebook.com/pages/Adel-IA/collector-mentor/124592224220598
• LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2835309

Jensen adds, “The more interaction we can have with our readers, the more we know about what they want, and we can use that information to build stronger relationships with our subscribers. We expect this new strategy to provide us with the opportunity to connect with our readers in a powerful way.”

For more details on collector mentor, please visit www.collectormentor.com.

#   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #

For more information, please contact:

Gary Jensen
Editor | collector mentor
Phone: (515) 339-5899
Email: editor@collectormentor.com
Web: www.collectormentor.com

You can now find collector mentor on your favorite social media sites!

Tweet with us on Twitter, Friend us on Facebook, or join our group on LinkedIn.

•  Twitter/ click here

Follow our tweets and we’ll point you to interesting articles and relevant resources, not to mention take time to interact with you on a personal level–all in 140 characters or less of course!

•  Facebook/ click here

Befriend us and have access to our blog feed without ever leaving the comfort of Facebook. Here you can comment on updates and take part in discussions.

•   LinkedIn/ click here

The LinkedIn group is designed exclusively for subscribers. It is an online discussion forum that allows readers to discuss articles in detail and network with fellow industry professionals.

Photo on Flickr.com c/o Spencer E Holtaway

Four ideas for taking teamwork to the next level, a free skiptracing website that you can’t afford to overlook, advice from industry legend Ron Brown, tips for handling customers who want a call back and much, much more!

Four industry pros add perspective, ensure balanced editorial

ADEL, IOWA — Skills World, publisher of the popular credit and collections training publication collector mentor, announces the appointment of Gary Kinne, Bryan Leib, John McNamara, and
Gina McNaughton to the publication’s editorial advisory board.

“Our subscriber base has grown tremendously over the past year,” said Gary Jensen, chief learning officer for Skills World. “collector mentor is now read in more than five countries, and our subscribers represent every market in the industry. The additional board members’ perspective and experience will allow us to continue meeting our goal of ensuring well-balanced, high-quality editorial that meets the diverse needs of all our readers.”

As the premier skill-development publication for frontline credit and collections professionals,
collector mentor delivers insightful and powerful articles in the areas of collections, credit, skiptracing, industry regulations, and soft business skills.

The new board appointments include:

Gary Kinne
Kinne, president and owner of Asset Recovery Inc., has been in the collection industry since 1978. In addition to having third-party collection agency experience, he has also spent time in the healthcare industry. Kinne has been involved in both the state and national levels of ACA International, The Association of Credit and Collection Professionals. On the state level, Kinne served as chair of the Education Committee, and as secretary, vice president, and president of the Georgia Collectors Association. On the national level he has served on ACA’s Online Committee, the Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee, and the Education Council. He is a renowned industry trainer who has presented over 350 seminars, including more than 100 in his role as a certified instructor for ACA International.

Bryan Leib
Leib is vice president of operations for international commercial collection agency Leib Solutions based in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. As a second-generation collector, he has grown up in the industry and is actively involved in several industry associations, including serving on the board of directors for the International Association of Commercial Collectors. He has served as a columnist for collector mentor since July 2009, and has a wealth of experience in business-to-business collections. Leib holds a Senior Certified Collection Professional designation, and was named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Collection Professionals in 2008 by Collection Advisor Magazine. In addition, Leib was recently selected to serve on the United Way of Camden County Emerging Leaders Committee.

John McNamara
McNamara is the chief marketing officer at technology firm LiveVox based in San Francisco, California, and also serves as director for third-party collection agency Fidelis Recovery Solutions in Atlanta, Georgia. With more than two decades of experience, McNamara is a highly respected member of the credit and collections industry and is a regular contributor to industry conferences and publications. He was named one of the 50 Most Influential Industry Executives in 2006 by Collection Advisor Magazine, and was the recipient of ACA International’s 2009 Kurt Swersky Leadership Award. McNamara started in the industry as a collector for American Creditors Bureau in 1983. He’s also held the position of senior vice president of banking and retail for First Data, and chief operating officer for Asset Management Outsourcing.

Regina McNaughton (Harris)
McNaughton is a partner with The McNaughton Group, a boutique consulting firm located in Fullerton, California. She has more than 20 years of industry experience, including 16 years with NCO Group, where she started in 1990 at NCO Financial Systems, Inc, in an entry-level position. McNaughton was promoted several times and moved throughout the country to transition several acquisitions. She is recognized as an expert in healthcare collections. In her last position at NCO, she served as regional vice president. In addition, she is active in several industry and philanthropic associations, and the owner of the Debt Collection FDCPA–FACTA–GLBA–FTC Regulations Forum LinkedIn Group.

The editorial advisory board also includes Matthew Campbell, collections manager at Remit Corporation; Ronald S. Canter, Esq., founder of The Law Offices of Ronald S. Canter; Michelle Dunn, president of Michelle Dunn’s Credit and Collections Association; Carol Freeland, president of Acts Plus; David Glezerman, bursar at Temple University; Matt Twitty, customer care manager at Advantage Travel; and Debra Schulze, director of loss prevention at GTE Federal Credit Union.

For more information about collector mentor, or to download a sample electronic copy, please visit www.collectormentor.com.

For Immediate Release
February 2, 2010

collector mentor™ to Give Away 250 Complimentary Subscriptions
The Industry’s Only Publication for Frontline Collectors Doesn’t Want Economy to Thwart Training

ADEL, IOWA — Skills World announced today that it will be giving away 250 complimentary electronic subscriptions to first-time readers of its popular bimonthly publication collector mentor.

“The credit and collections industry has brought us all many challenges this past year,’” said Gary Jensen, founder and chief learning officer at Skills World and collector mentor editor. “As companies continue to cut expenses, especially in the area of training, we want to do our part to ensure that companies can still provide frontline collectors with access to the information they need to be successful in this turbulent economy.”

As the premier skill-development publication for frontline credit and collections professionals, collector mentor delivers insightful and powerful articles about collections, credit, skiptracing, industry regulations, and soft business skills.

“collector mentor offers inspirational, motivational, and educational articles designed to help staff become more profitable collectors, more productive employees, and better stewards of the industry,” said Jensen. “This publication isn’t for the C-suite executive; it’s for the individual responsible for making the calls and talking with customers.”

One-year subscriptions will be provided at a company level, and subscribers will have the right to internally reproduce and redistribute issues at no cost to ensure that each staff member has a personal copy. This offer lasts until all 250 subscriptions are awarded, or until March 1, 2010, whichever comes first. For more information about receiving a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.collectormentor.com/trial and enter code “Free250.”

For more information about collector mentor, or to download a sample electronic copy, please visit www.collectormentor.com.

# # # # # # # # # #
Notes for Editors

About collector mentor™
collector mentor is a bimonthly publication designed to meet the very specific needs of frontline credit and collection professionals. Each issue provides subscribers with information on a variety of topics including industry laws, collection techniques, soft-business skills, and more.

Electronic subscriptions are available for $99 per year. Hard copy subscriptions, which include an electronic copy, are available for $159 per year.

About Gary Jensen
Gary is the founder and chief learning officer for Skills World, where he serves as a consultant, trainer, and business coach. He has more than a decade of experience in the credit, collections, and financial services industries having served as a trainer, supervisor, and manager. He is a former Certified Instructor for ACA International, The Association of Credit and Collection Professionals, and has appeared as a guest speaker at events such as ACA’s Annual Convention, ACA’s Fall Forum, Credit and Collections Business Academy, and NCHELP’s Debt Management Conference. His articles have been featured in Collector Magazine, Consumer Trends, Management Trends, Collect! Magazine, and see} Magazine.

You can find him ranting and raving on his popular blog The Pickle Fork and follow his tweets on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/gjens.

About Skills World
Skills World is a professional training and business services company located in Adel, Iowa. Founded in 2007, Skills World exists to help individuals and companies realize greater levels of success, enjoyment, and satisfaction in what they do by closing the gap between where they are and where they want to be.

For more information, please visit www.skillsworld.org or call (515) 339-5899.

Setting SMART goals in 2010, social media and debt collections, secrets to success, avoiding three common career mistakes and much, much more!

The latest issue of collector mentor is now available for download.