As we come to the close of another year, I want to share my view of the top three things print leaders should lock in on as they press forward to the new year. These would be relevant whether they’re riding a holiday wave of business or staring at a little too much quiet time. My top three are clarity, strength of your team and a go-to-market strategy that makes it easy for your prospects and customers to say yes. Let’s start with clarity.
The print companies I see that are the strongest, aren’t trying to be everything for everyone anymore. They are refusing to be a simple commodity. They’ve picked the lanes where they can excel — and they’re building their people, processes, and sales engine around those strengths. Michael Porter talks about this as not being stuck in the middle. I might refer to it as having one foot on the boat and one on the dock.
When you get clarity on what you’re best at (and what you’re not), everything gets easier: pricing, hiring, messaging, capex, operations, and the type of clients you attract. Sometimes the hardest part of leadership (and sales) is saying no to a perceived opportunity. It’s the old, “well, you never know…” Well, I say that you should know if you’re asking the right questions and doing your homework. Hey, these printing companies have been in business a long time. They have a track record of knowing what they are good at, what fits, what a good client looks like and what they should walk away from. If they don’t, then everything looks like an “opportunity,” and they’ll end up being an inch deep and a mile wide.
Clarity also means being strategic in what you are trying to accomplish. When Steve Jobs was rebuilding Apple and simplifying their products and offerings he said, “Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.” Warren Buffett often discusses how, “the difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” Strategy can sharpen the focus and clarity of mission with individuals and companies alike. Guard your most important resources (time and money) and use them like the valued currency they are.
These print leaders may also hear this from their prospects and customers alike. As clients continue to be more demanding and distracted, they are looking for partners who know exactly what they are good at and what they can deliver on with utmost clarity. They want print providers who they can trust to deliver and are dependable and consistent project after project.
Without a clear focus, it would be like hiking without a map. It may be a nice walk but probably won’t end well. A clear focus builds credibility — and credibility builds trust with your existing clients and the ones you’ll win over soon. Going into the new year, I see the companies that have a tight focus, clarity and alignment are those that will have the fastest momentum.
In future posts, I’ll touch on the other two areas: the strength of your team and having a go-to-market strategy that makes it easy for your prospects and customers to say yes.
Mike Philie helps owners and CEOs in the Graphic Communications Industry validate what’s working, identify what needs to change, and create a practical path forward.
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