Business Management - Productivity/Process Improvement

In the highly competitive production printing marketplace, it can be difficult to persuade customers to buy from you if there is a perception that you offer similar products to competitors, but with a higher price tag. Furthermore, trying to beat competitors on price alone is cutthroat, risky, and not recommended. This strategy attracts bargain-hunters who are all too ready to defect to competitors for a better deal.  

Service providers must focus on the real value that they are delivering to customers to attract and build a loyal customer base. There is a reason that people buy designer-label clothes and luxury cars... and that reason is perceived value! In this Webinar, you'll hear from experienced service providers about building a value-added pricing model. Topics to be discussed include:

• Pricing models for value-add
• Communicating your value proposition
• Bundled versus unbundled pricing
• Effective responses to customer "pricing objections"
• Creation of an effective proposal

Richard’s wife had come to him all upset, insisting he take charge of making sure their sons cleaned their rooms. He’d heard me say many times how we need to “manage the system, and let the system manage the people.”

We have all had bosses who may have been reasonably good in running their companies, but rarely gave us even a “one-minute” coaching moment. Don’t be “that boss.” Employees want to know how they are doing.

“Leonard was a timid guy and not confident in doing his job. He was constantly calling the office asking for direction. The very first time I introduced Leonard to the system—a Control Checklist—his eyes lit up and he said he couldn’t wait to try it out in the field.

It’s normal for entrepreneurs to see opportunity around every corner. But as business owners/managers, we need to focus on one “butterfly” at a time, rather than chasing every new idea. Too much “flapping” around might just lead to chaos.

This business owner was not going to leave his ideas—OR his customer’s satisfaction—to chance, so he incorporated great service right into his checklist and required his lead techs to follow them and check off the action items, prompt by prompt.

Dear Franchisee: We know what we are doing. Our model gets results when you follow it. Instead, you have decided to go it alone. You make excuses for your lack of participation and tell us we don’t understand “your unique set of circumstances.”

“Drive-by Shooting? Excuse me?” I said to Joe, the owner of a printing company with whom I was doing a Webinar demonstration of our software. I had told Joe a related story about owners or managers walking through the shop or plant and being repeatedly stopped by employees asking many of the same questions, time and again, in trying to deal with the same old issues. 

It sounds like a job anyone in their right mind would jump at! In fact, you’d think candidates would be jumping OVER each other for a job like that. But, truth is, only a very few will answer THIS ad.

One-third of the year has flown by. Assuming that you crafted a business plan for 2012, it is a good time to rethink your plans for the balance of the year. If the year is not living up to expectations, this is a good time to figure out why and what to do about it.