News 24 October 2014
6-step action plan to grow your business
Peter Muir, president of U.S.-based Bizucate, laid out a six-step plan to improve business performance at the most recent meeting of the Digital Imaging Association. More than 100 print industry reps gathered to hear him at the Xerox Research Centre.
Peter Muir, president of Bizucate
Muir drew chuckles when he pointed out that the traditional three marketing differentiators—price, quality and speed—have been replaced by client demands for: free, perfect and now. “So how will you differentiate yourself? What will you do?” he asked. In answer, he laid out six areas to consider:
1. Forward focus— Figure out what changes you need to make today to be ready for 2020 and focus on what your potential clients will need. He suggested those needs will include events, social media, responsive design, and database management. “Print is tucked into each of these,” said Muir.
2. Marketing automation—What gets measured gets done; what doesn’t get measured doesn’t get a budget. Figure out how marketing initiatives can be measured, and master the new programs that do it, because it affects the relevance of print.
3. Engaging content—make your marketing communications relevant, targeted, engaging, and valuable. It’s going to be a key differentiator.
4. Customer focused services led—Muir stressed that the traditional selling approach of: “Do you want to buy what I sell?” needs to change to: “I’ve looked at what you are and what you do, and I have some ideas for you.” Get curious about clients, learn all you can about them so that you can create services for them—some of which have not been thought of yet.
5. Develop workflows—printers, Muir pointed out, already know how to do this, but they have to go even further.
6. Stir up the talent pool—develop processes for finding, hiring, and developing workplace talent you will need to develop the services of the future. Pay attention to generational values and perspectives and balance those in your company.
Bizucate is a consulting and training organization that offers a variety of services, including coaching, strategic consulting, training, marketing and sales strategies and events managements. Muir, president, brings more than 18 years of graphic arts expertise to the task.
Peter Muir, president of Bizucate
Muir drew chuckles when he pointed out that the traditional three marketing differentiators—price, quality and speed—have been replaced by client demands for: free, perfect and now. “So how will you differentiate yourself? What will you do?” he asked. In answer, he laid out six areas to consider:
1. Forward focus— Figure out what changes you need to make today to be ready for 2020 and focus on what your potential clients will need. He suggested those needs will include events, social media, responsive design, and database management. “Print is tucked into each of these,” said Muir.
2. Marketing automation—What gets measured gets done; what doesn’t get measured doesn’t get a budget. Figure out how marketing initiatives can be measured, and master the new programs that do it, because it affects the relevance of print.
3. Engaging content—make your marketing communications relevant, targeted, engaging, and valuable. It’s going to be a key differentiator.
4. Customer focused services led—Muir stressed that the traditional selling approach of: “Do you want to buy what I sell?” needs to change to: “I’ve looked at what you are and what you do, and I have some ideas for you.” Get curious about clients, learn all you can about them so that you can create services for them—some of which have not been thought of yet.
5. Develop workflows—printers, Muir pointed out, already know how to do this, but they have to go even further.
6. Stir up the talent pool—develop processes for finding, hiring, and developing workplace talent you will need to develop the services of the future. Pay attention to generational values and perspectives and balance those in your company.
Bizucate is a consulting and training organization that offers a variety of services, including coaching, strategic consulting, training, marketing and sales strategies and events managements. Muir, president, brings more than 18 years of graphic arts expertise to the task.
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