TMC: Best Practices
Practice makes perfect. It can get you to Carnegie Hall and it can get you print customers. TMC is starting to wrap up with an overview by three printers on best practices, which by definition, don't happen overnight, but with alot of dedication and-- well, practice.
Rick Schildgen, CL Graphics (Crystal Lake, IL), uses consistent marketing to stay front of mind with customers. As a result they tend to think the company's larger than it is, which doesn't hurt. One of his key tools is an annual "wow" package as well as monthly update written by him to clients. In his updatek, he even writes about going to conferences like TMC, because customers like to know that he's staying up-to-date.
Bill Woods, Jr., EPI Companies (Kennesawk, GA), says his role as CEO is really to be chief cheerleader. He says it's his favorite role. Employees get caught up in fighting fires, but as the face of the company, he feels it's his job to show perspective and let them know that regardless of all the daily challenges, overall they are doing well. He calls it "Damn It Control."
Bill Gilmer, Wordsprint (Wytheville, VA), talked about his company's incentive plan. Wordsprint is smaller, entrepreneurial site and he concentrates alot on sales. He doesn't look at labor as a variable expense. Like the tides, he's the gravitational pull for the numbers. If he's out selling, guess what? All sales efforts rise.
Other cool ideas:
- Schildgen has a key supplier program and takes his suppliers to lunch, not the other way around.
- Gilmer went out every afternoon in '06 to see customers. He says you get what you focus on and he focused on sales and it grew by more than 20%.
- Schildgen believes in giving back. He looks to give 1% of sales to community service, some through in-kind services. He specializes in nonprofit markets and having a good heart helps endear him to them.
-- Rhona Bronson
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