The following post was originally published by Printing Impressions. To read more of their content, subscribe to their newsletter, Today on PIWorld.
The need to grow organic sales in the printing business has never been more important, nor challenging. And, the way customers want to buy and the expectations they have continue to change. One of the key areas to revisit is what your company is doing for lead generation and new business development. Not what the sales reps are doing on their own, but what the company is doing to be present and relevant when a potential customer is ready to engage.
Just do this one thing … isn’t the answer I’m going to give you. There are many ways to build a successful, ongoing lead generation program. The basic components include social, search, outbound (email and direct mail), newsletters, and lumpy mail. Each company that I speak with usually has a combination of these elements that they use to target, attract, inform, and engage with their ideal prospects. The right combination will be the one that works for you. The key step here is to try something, do something. You need to invest some time, money, and resources to get this off the ground. Some will manage this effort internally, while others will use an outside provider. It usually just depends on the resources you have available to lead the effort.
Please don’t make this mistake — this does not replace the work that the sales team is doing. The sales team should still be networking, prospecting, earning referrals, and deeply engaged in new business development. They should be active on social media, promoting themselves and your company as the go-to providers and sharing their point of view on matters that are relevant to your prospects. And, they should be continuing to nurture and grow their existing customers.
Managing a business in this industry has never been more challenging than it is today. The people issues and departmental silos, the technology choices and the ever elusive clients all seem to keep executives laser-focused on their ability to keep their staff energized, execute flawlessly, and make the right clients happy. Making sure that there is a solid pipeline of new business opportunities should also be one of these key objectives. What’s your lead generation strategy look like? If it’s not what you’d like it to be, maybe it’s time to take a hard look at your team, your processes and the structure of how you run the business. Please share any thoughts or ideas you have on this. Good luck and remember, doing nothing is not an option.
Mike Philie can help validate what’s working and what may need to change in your business. Changing the trajectory of a business is difficult to do while simultaneously operating the core competencies. Mike provides strategy and insight to owners and CEOs in the Graphic Communications Industry by providing direct and realistic assessments, not being afraid to voice the unpopular opinion and helping leaders navigate change through a common sense and practical approach. Learn more at www.philiegroup.com, LinkedIn or email at mphilie@philiegroup.com.
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Mike Philie leverages his 28 years of direct industry experience in sales, sales management and executive leadership to share what’s working for companies today and how to safely transform your business. Since 2007, he has been providing consulting services to privately held printing and mailing companies across North America.
Mike provides strategy and insight to owners and CEOs in the graphic communications industry by providing direct and realistic assessments, not being afraid to voice the unpopular opinion, and helping leaders navigate change through a common sense and practical approach.