Which Way Do You Want Go?
It seems that everyone or every company I speak to in the printing industry is facing the same concerns, questions and fears. Here are some of the questions I hear.
How do we increase our sales? How do we keep from cutting our prices? How do we stay in business? What does the online world mean to our pricing? How will it affect our future? What is social media “really” all about and what does it mean to us? Should we focus on what we do best or diversify? What is it that we do best? What type of staff do we need to meet the needs of today’s buyers? How do we differentiate ourselves? How do we communicate our message in this rapidly changing world? How do we bring about change or even know if we need to change?
These are all great questions. I have heard such questions and know it is tough to navigate through times of uncertainty and change. However, this post will try to help you think through this. Tough times call for creative, well-planned and confident strategies. Such questions, as the ones above, are ones that can be addressed through three components known as assessment, challenge and support.
First, your current situation must be assessed. A number of “how and what” questions are listed above and should be used in this assessment. So, reflect on where are you as an organization/individual. What is it that you do really well? What areas need to improve? So, an assessment is a snapshot (taking all things into consideration) of where you are right now. Today! So, take a time out, take a deep breath and assess everything—internally and externally—to determine where you have been, where you are now and where you seek to go. This is your benchmark.
- Categories:
- Business Management - Marketing/Sales
- People:
- Ryan Sauers
Ryan T. Sauers has spent nearly 30 years running, leading or consulting with printing, graphics, promotional and visual communications-related organizations. Sauers is CEO of two companies, Sauers Consulting Strategies LLC and End Resultz Inc. that among other things, owns magazines and is a media firm. Key areas of focus of the firms include sales training, marketing strategy, personal branding, leadership development and organizational change.
Sauers is a frequent national speaker and columnist. He has been recognized as one of the top 80 CMOs globally and achieved the top designation of Certified Marketing Executive through Sales and Marketing Executives International.
Sauers is an adjunct university professor teaching leadership and communication courses to current and aspiring leaders. He is a Certified Myers Briggs, DiSC and Emotional Intelligence Practitioner (one of few in the U.S. to achieve all three rigorous certifications related to human communications, personality and behavior).
Sauers has completed his doctoral-level coursework in Organizational Leadership and is now (ABD - All But Dissertation) working on his dissertation on why some entrepreneurs and small businesses achieve initial and long-term success, whereas countless others do not.
Sauers is the host of the Marketing Matters radio show in Atlanta that later becomes a global podcast. He also is the host of the Community Connections TV show that comes out in video and podcast form. Sauers is the author of the best-selling books, Everyone is in Sales, and Would You Buy from You? More info at RyanSauers.com or call (678) 825-2049 or email Ryan@RyanSauers.com
