In preparing to create and/or update your strategic plan, a good place to start is with one of the five key Planning Objective Categories: Strategic Growth.
Growing your company’s account list should be done by plan and directed and monitored by the Senior Leadership Team. Growing with intention is of critical importance and not to be delegated to members of the sales team. Building long-term relationships with key accounts begins by creating and delivering unique value. The best way to identify prospects for growth is by examining your existing customer base and identifying your best relationships. What is it that you are doing for these key relationships that keep them loyal? What outcomes are they getting; how are your products and services making what they do better, easier, more convenient? That done, you begin to examine other industries, professions, and organizations who are trying to accomplish the same things.
Not all customers are your best customers: It seems counter intuitive to suggest that a good way to grow is by pairing down your customer list. We teach our team members to provide world class service to our customers. Which customers? All of them and paradoxically, that is part of the problem.
Read Joseph’s full column on Printing Impressions, a publication of PRINTING United Alliance, ASI’s Strategic Partner
