Donald R. Berry

Managing Principal

A senior media professional with 33 years of advertising sales and publishing experience, Mr. Berry spent 13 years in sales and management for The McGraw-Hill Companies where he was the top revenue producer for the 1700-employee Construction Information Group (CIG) for over a decade.

Mr. Berry was hired in 1989 as District Manager for McGraw-Hill’s construction news weekly, Engineering News-Record (ENR). He assumed responsibility for advertising sales in a mid-Atlantic territory with $800K in billings. In his very first year, revenue increased by over 50% to $1.2 million. Over a 12-year period, he increased revenues by an average of 20% per year regardless of market conditions.

In 1999, Mr. Berry called Folio magazine to lay claim to the title of “Nation’s #1 Advertising Sales Rep” with personal sales of over 800 ad pages of print advertising for the year. Combined with Mr. Berry's additional sales for website advertising, special event sponsorships, and other ancillary sales, Mr. Berry generated revenue of over $4.8 million for McGraw-Hill in 1999.

During his tenure at McGraw-Hill, Mr. Berry's insights and personal selling were instrumental in the launch of many successful brand extensions for ENR including three Sourcebooks, a companion website (www.enr.com), a sister magazine (Design-Build), and more than a dozen special advertising sections.

In 2000, Mr. Berry left ENR to accept a promotion to Senior Director of Sales for McGraw-Hill's construction.com, the online point of integration for the digital assets of CIG’s 5 major brands and its strategic partners. In this position, he had overall responsibility for integrating 16 websites into a cohesive network for media buys.

At construction.com, Mr. Berry developed innovative new online advertising and licensing products including network sponsorships, work center sponsorships, microsites, keywords, email newsletters, syndicated news, and content licensing.

From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Berry successfully developed and refined a unique approach to integrated advertising sales.  His extraordinary success at upselling large customers across multiple publications and lines of business at McGraw-Hill sparked the launch of a formal Enterprise Sales initiative.

In addition to numerous sales awards and achievements, Mr. Berry is the recipient of McGraw-Hill’s highest honor, a Corporate Achievement Award for Marketing.

Prior to McGraw-Hill, Mr. Berry was National Sales Manager for Cabinet Manufacturing & Fabricating and Western Sales Manager for Kitchen & Bath Design News.

Mr. Berry also was one of the first sales persons in the nation to use a computer to automate the advertising sales process. In 1990, he demonstrated a DOS version of Act! software that he had customized for advertising sales to attendees at McGraw-Hill's inaugural Magazine Development Institute.

Mr. Berry has provided consulting services for these other industry magazines:

• Electrical Contractor -- competitive analysis
• Engineering Inc. -- competitive analysis, strategic recommendations, media kit copywriting, design and printing, issue promotion
• Front of House (FOH) -- competitive analysis, circulation and strategic recommendations, advertiser database development, media kit copywriting, PowerPoint sales presentation, pre-launch and magazine launch services
• InfoWorld -- classified advertising database design
• Pro Lights & Staging News (PLSN) -- business plan development, launch strategy, media kit services, advertiser loyalty programs, integrated proposal development, sales incentive program, brand extensions
• Science -- advertising sales database design, sales automation; sales force training and motivation
• Windows in Financial Services -- sales automation, circulation data entry

Mr. Berry originally hails from the Hoosier state of Indiana where he spent 10 years as an entrepreneur publishing a monthly magazine and annual guidebooks. He presently resides in Tranquility, New Jersey, with his two children.

Mr. Berry is an alumnus of Indiana University. He is also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, a lifetime member of the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA), and an amateur magician.

The rumors that Mr. Berry has been cloning himself for MagazineXperts clients are without merit. He does, however, personally train each sales associate using his Brilliant on the Basics™ methodology.

Publishers who are interested in a more motivated and more effective sales staff, should call Mr. Berry for more information on Brilliant on the Basics™ training customized for their titles and market situation. Mr. Berry will also provide publishers with an objective analysis of your current sales staff's strengths and weaknesses, along with recommendations for taking your magazine's team to the next level.

Stephen B. Donohue

Principal

A publishing professional with 37 years of sales and management experience, Mr. Donohue has had broad experience in sales and magazine management for several leading publishing firms.

As Publisher of Architecture, Mr. Donohue successfully guided this Billboard Publications’ magazine through a major redesign and market repositioning, including the acquisition of Progressive Architecture and its subscriber file, and the launch of www.architecturemag.com.

Mr. Donohue’s career at The McGraw-Hill Companies spanned over 15 years. Starting as a sales person for Electrical Construction & Maintenance (EC&M), he rose through the ranks to become Associate Publisher of the construction industry news weekly, Engineering News-Record (ENR).

While at ENR, Mr. Donohue had overall responsibility for advertising sales, marketing and promotion. On his watch, advertising revenues grew by 62% from $8MM to $13MM.

Mr. Donohue was one of the first sales persons in the nation to utilize a computer to automate the advertising sales process. He appeared before the McGraw-Hill Board of Directors to advise them on the future of computing in advertising sales.

Mr. Donohue holds degrees in Marketing, Logistics and Marketing Research. As a graduate of the McGraw-Hill General Management School (by invitation of the chairman only), he has extensive knowledge of all aspects of managing a multi-faceted business operation.

Mr. Donohue has represented publications in numerous industries including aviation, chemicals, computers, consumer goods, construction, education, electrical, environmental, remodeling, and technology.

The publications he has represented include:

• American School & University
• Architecture
• Cabinet Manufacturing & Fabricating
• Chemical Marketing Reporter
• Consumer Goods Technology
• Engineering Inc.
• Engineering News-Record (ENR)
• Electrical Construction & Maintenance (EC&M)
• Electrical Wholesaling
• Kitchen & Bath Design News (KBDN)
• MiniMicro Systems
• Power Outlet
• Rotor & Wing

Mr. Donohue resides in Medford Lakes, New Jersey, with his wife, Melodie. He is an avid sailor, a native-born resident of the Garden State and a 2nd generation advertising salesman.

History

Don Berry and Steve Donohue began their association in 1986.

At their first mutual employer, KBC Publications, Donohue reported to Berry, who was National Sales Manager of Cabinet Manufacturing & Fabricating and Western Sales Manager of Kitchen & Bath Design News.

At their second mutual employer, McGraw-Hill, Berry reported to Donohue who was National Sales Manager and Associate Publisher of Engineering News-Record (ENR) from 1989 to1999.

In 2001, Berry and Donohue founded MagazineXperts.

Today, they report only to their customers.
 

Donald R. Berry

Managing Principal

E-mail: dberry@MagazineXperts.com

Phone: 908.852.7466
Fax: 908.813.3034