Neiman Labs got a copy of the memo the New York Times Co. sent to its employees stating, among other things, we are still in business. But based on the "plan" for recovery laid out it is difficult to feel very confident about the future.

Maybe it is just because I am in the business but it is always surprising that distressed newspapers never come up with a plan that involves selling more ads. They always reduce staff, consolidate printing or change the size of their product. Publications never say, "we are just not selling enough ads, what do we have to do to sell more?" Maybe their rates are too high, maybe their system of selling is outdated and cumbersome, maybe they never take any steps to prove to advertisers that their ads work. And maybe the people in charge are just being lazy and have stopped believing in their product as a viable advertising vehicle.

Whether you are on the buying or selling side of the print advertising equation, we all ultimately answer to the same person - the end-user, also know as the consumer. 

People who get wrapped up in sales too often forget that advertising only happens when these end-users want to buy the stuff that is being advertised. No sales means no revenue for the advertiser and no revenue means no advertising, in most cases.

So it is worth noting the apparent difficulty that one of the gods of direct selling - QVC - has run into recently. Last week QVC laid off 700 employees in a cost saving measure. No one, except people who live alone with lots of cats, usually admits to watching QVC but I will (and I own no cats). And in the weeks and months to follow, I suggest you do too.

Here is why: No one is better at selling than QVC. They sell stuff that no one really needs but they do a masterful job of knowing what people want. It will be very instructive to see how they adapt their product offerings and approach to a rapidly degrading economy.

People involved in the selling or buying of print have a lot to learn from QVC. The solutions they come up with to battle the downturn may just offer a road map for the rest of us on what consumers are buying and how to sell it.