Plan To Win in 2026!

Credit: Tiffany Fox

I love this time of year. When I was selling, I made November and December pay. I reviewed each client, looked in the mirror and challenged myself to make and embrace necessary changes. I started each new year with a Plan To Win!

It’s obvious but it’s hard. Why? We don’t like change. We like the road we’re on even if we don’t like where it’s leading. We want our old solutions to work in a new world. They won’t.

My wife (aka Her Ladyship) is like this. Years ago, she refused to embrace email. She owned a small business and communicated with companies all over the state.

Eventually, she gave in. It became obvious that the people she depended on weren’t going to stop and fax or slower still, mail documents to her. If she wanted to compete and win customers, she had to accept the fact that the world has moved into the age of electronic communications and document transfer. Survival depended on it.

Change is Hard!

The U.S. Post Office was invented by Ben Franklin in 1775. Its mission was to distribute legal information to the citizens and the concerned in a prompt and inexpensive manner. A branch of the colonial government was added and stamps were required on everything from letters to newspapers.

Eighty-five years later the Pony Express was created. The post office couldn’t communicate with more remote territories fast enough. A better method was required, demanded and invented.

A year later (1861) the Pony Express was replaced by the telegraph. This modern marvel changed the way we would communicate forever. The country became smaller and news traveled from coast to coast in seconds.

Fast Forward: Along came Federal Express. They moved documents. Later, the fax machine assumed that role and “Fed-X” moved into parcels and heavy freight. They have plenty of company too. UPS is just one of many others in this business space.

As consumers we send letters by email and pay bills on the web. Utility statements, credit card statements and a litany of other communications are available on-line or are handled electronically from end to end. Every time you send an email you replace the post office with a better solution. When you look something up on the Internet you replace a reference book or some other old line source. The web has replaced the yellow pages and electronic maps on cell phones have replaced paper copies.

Each of these are examples of an irresistible demand for change.

What does this have to do with us? Is there any chance that our industry, your company or your sales portfolio can escape change? Is there any reason to believe that you won’t have to embrace new tools and solutions? Will clients set aside possibilities just to work with you?

I’ve never seen that happen!

The important thing about change is “understand the need that drives it.” Don’t be afraid. Ask how existing situations can be made better. Examine new options and determine what problems they solve. Challenge yourself to embrace the best tools to solve you’re most pressing client frustrations.

If history teaches us anything it’s that we’re not going backwards. Smartphones, AI, embellishments, workflow automation, digital printing, personalization and geofencing are not going away. Dive in, learn what you can, design better services for clients and lead the way.

Look at the tools and imagine the possibilities. You can’t avoid reality and succeed.

Spend December making a Plan To Win in 2026.

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. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.