Since my last column, a lot has changed for me personally. My home was washed out, and our business went without power for a week. I’m one of the folks who was hit a little harder by Sandy, and I wanted to share my experience in terms of how it might relate to you...
The Changing Playing Field Of Tradeshows
In recent years tradeshows have experienced the very sort of highs and lows that make most entrepreneurs wonder why they don’t just cash in for a regular nine to five alternative. The Eighties and Nineties were a boon to the tradeshow and exhibit industry. Companies...
A changing playing field: Today’s tradeshows take on a new style and emerge with increased effectiveness
In recent years tradeshows have experienced the very sort of highs and lows that make most entrepreneurs wonder why they don’t just cash in for a regular nine to five alternative. The Eighties and Nineties were a boon to the tradeshow and exhibit industry. Companies...
Taking the mystery out of social media: It’s time you get onboard
As business directors, we are instruments of change. Over the years, we’ve witnessed paradigm shifts in the way we conduct business and communicate with customers. Yet, when I speak to clients regarding social media, there seems to be such mystery surrounding it....
Growing Up Companies—and Clients
As the recovery continues, the companies that are still in the game have a playing field that is now in a stronger position. That’s because many companies that did not have the financial wherewithal have disappeared or have focused their efforts elsewhere. But, we...
Growing up companies-and clients: Take a close look at how you can change your industry
As the recovery continues, the companies that are still in the game have a playing field that is now in a stronger position. That’s because many companies that did not have the financial wherewithal have disappeared or have focused their efforts elsewhere. But, we...
The Three R’s of Client Relationships
Choosing the right method of showing our appreciation for a client has its challenges. We struggle with political correctness and varying corporate guidelines, balancing our appreciation with a need to demonstrate it in compliance with a new set of gift giving rules...
The Three R’s of Selling
Choosing the right method of showing our appreciation for a client has its challenges. We struggle with political correctness and varying corporate guidelines, balancing our appreciation with a need to demonstrate it in compliance with a new set of gift giving rules...
What makes a healthy relationship with our clients? Respect, responsibility, and reliability
Now is when we spend the time saying thank you and wishing all a Happy New Year. And with that typically comes the challenge of choosing the right gift to express client appreciation. We struggle with political correctness and varying corporate guidelines, balancing...
Business is looking up, are you getting your share? Key factors in what to look for in new clients
Business is looking up. Are you getting your share? When looking for new business there are some basic “in the know” rules to follow, most importantly: * Know why your clients buy from you; * Know who your prospects are; * Know what they like and where they go; and *...
Success makes a comeback: “Opportunity is what happens when preparation meets hard work.”
In the course of our lifetimes most of us have experienced downward trends in the economy. Some of us tighten our belts and do with a little less. We delay our next car purchase, hold back on refreshing the wardrobe, and postpone that European vacation. Then again,...
Educating a prospect by providing facts and information to help them make informed decisions
Some of us spend our entire lives trying to figure out that exact process which attracts prospects and coverts them to a sale. Then there are others that always seem to be at the right place at the right time. Did you ever wonder how they do that? Consider perhaps...
Establishing a relationship first can help the sales process with prospective clients
We often wear our sales process like a badge of honor. We knock on ten doors – nine of which are promptly closed in our faces – and savor that one time when the prospect says “OK, I’ve got ten minutes.” Then it’s all about isolating and communicating compelling...
Relationship First
We often wear our sales process like a badge of honor. We knock on ten doors—nine of which are promptly closed in our faces—and savor that one time when the prospect says “OK, I’ve got ten minutes.” Then it’s all about isolating and communicating compelling benefits...
The discipline of life is the discipline of business growth
Did you ever notice how some entrepreneurs treat marketing the way they approach their health? Lots of short-term commitment but very little in terms of long-term results. Comparisons to our personal lives are obvious when it comes to quick fixes: • Crash diet versus...
In today’s digitized, economically challenged world, the graphic arts industry is perhaps under the most pressure of all.
Digital alternatives and automated plants with worldwide distribution capabilities are driving down pricing while making the printed product more and more commoditized. In addition, value-added services, like warehousing, distribution, and pre-press, are being...