If You’re Not a SME, You’re Just Another Vendor

You’ve probably heard the term “subject matter expert” or SME tossed around a lot lately. And it’s easy to associate that with technical roles—maybe a color expert in your pressroom or someone who can talk postal regulations in their sleep.

But here’s the deal: becoming a SME isn’t just for technicians. If you’re a CEO, a sales rep, or in any role that touches clients or strategy, you need to be an expert. Not just in your own business—but in your customer’s business too. You should strive to be as knowledgeable about their business as they are. After all, how else can you provide insight and good ideas to them?

Why? Because the people you’re dealing with aren’t looking for order-takers. They’re looking for partners who “get it.” Partners who understand not only the mechanics of a printed piece, but how that piece fits into their broader goals—whether that’s filling seats or beds, launching a product, or driving retail foot traffic.

So how do you get there?

Start by mastering your own business. Know your capabilities inside and out. Be able to explain why one substrate works better than another for a specific outcome. Understand your production bottlenecks, turnaround timelines, and where your company truly shines.

But don’t stop there. If you want to be indispensable, start learning about their world. What pressures are they facing? What metrics are they being measured on? What events or seasons shape their workflow?

That means doing your homework. Follow industry news. Ask questions that go beyond “what’s the deadline?” Get curious about their challenges. What keeps them up at night? What makes their boss happy? How do they get a bonus this year?

When you know the answer to those questions, everything changes. Your conversations go deeper. You become a sounding board. You stop competing on price and start winning on value.

And the benefits? They're huge. Customers stay longer. They introduce you to their colleagues. Internally, you make better decisions because you know which deals are worth pursuing—and which ones aren’t aligned with your expertise.

Bottom line: Becoming a SME in both your business and your customer’s business is one of the most powerful ways to grow your influence, your confidence, and your results. And in a world where everyone’s looking for an edge, that’s a pretty solid one to have.

I help print company owners and CEOs get from here to there safely. We work to eliminate silos, align their teams, and get everyone rowing in the same direction. If you’re tired of fighting the same battles, let’s talk about how to simplify your company and create the kind of culture where people thrive, and the business grows.

Learn more at www.philiegroup.com, on LinkedIn, or by reaching out at mphilie@philiegroup.com.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions.