Where you are, where you are going, and how you will get there are critical questions you need to answer for your business. Sustained success also requires an understanding of how you make money, what you really believe in, and how you clearly differentiate yourself in the marketplace. Leaders and senior teams work hard at […]
You have faced market downturns in the past, but the upheaval that most print companies are facing today is unprecedented. The mix of your client portfolio has greatly affected the degree to which you need to rebuild your customer base. If this crisis has thrown you a curveball and you find yourself with a sudden […]
The ebbs and flows of the business cycles have been around forever. They are 10 times as tough though, when combined with a health crisis and an economic shut down. That’s the world we live in today. Working from home (WFH) has been a major adjustment for all of us — your staff and […]
Whether you were in the top 20% or the bottom 20% of the rankings, you know that the balance of 2020 will be a year of transformation. Both ends of the spectrum will work hard to get back to some sense of normal. While a recovery will undoubtedly appear, not all participants will benefit equally. […]
This blog originally published in Printing Impressions The key attributes that determine your customer value go well beyond measuring their annual sales. Areas that I believe lead to enhanced customer value include (in no particular order) profitability; loyalty; number of transactions; and the costs to support those transactions, growth, vertical market, significance (them to […]
This blog originally published in Printing Impressions As many print businesses thrive, expand their services, and continue to look for that next big thing, a reminder that strategy planning remains an important part of integrating that new initiative into your existing offering. I’m a big believer in business planning as the days of build […]
This blog originally published in Printing Impressions. Characteristics of top-performing companies cover a broad range of areas. While very few are exactly like, it been my experience that they do share many similar themes. These characteristics are woven into the fabric of who they are and how they operate. They are not from a textbook, […]
This blog originally published in Printing Impressions. All customers are good, some are just better than the others. Or are they? It’s amazing what you can earn from your clients, if you take the time to engage and go beyond the transaction. Do this with your clients, especially from the three major groups – […]
This blog originally published in Printing Impressions. Building a predictable sales model sounds great and it can work, but it is hard to do. Making sure that you and your team are up for the challenge is the first step in the process. In fact, it’s probably the most difficult step as you’ll find […]
This blog originally published in Printing Impressions. You probably have varying levels of relationships with your customer base. I’m not referencing whether or not you have become friends with your customer, but rather, what level of business relationship have you earned? There are three progressive tiers that I like to look at. And while […]