As I continue my calls with CEOs it appears that many sense a return to a growth mode. My question to them is, “are you running your old pre-pandemic playbook for growth or has your new plan changed?”
The responses I received makes me wonder if you know your post-pandemic plan for growth. What I heard is hire a sales person with contacts and accounts and move those relationships to your business. This seems less likely to succeed today because transitioning heavy hitters to your team is always problematic. You usually inherited a series of bad habits and you never know on cultural issues whether they are a good fit with your existing team.
Through this Covid crisis most recruiters I speak with have been consumed by searching for Operational hires to reduce operating cost. The usual transition for salespeople to move their business contacts between facilities seems more difficult today. Why does a move make sense for that candidate? Most feel they would be better to “live with the devil they know” rather than jump into something new.
My recommendation is to build your business through demonstrating expertise in your area of competitiveness The skills necessary to succeed in sales have changed. Getting an existing salesperson to realize their cheese has been moved is tiresome. But people respect expertise and knowledge. They want the project to be run by an experienced individual but the relationship entry point does not need to be developed from someone with those experiences.
The simple fact is our industry has migrated to more of a business development model. That entry point person can have experience in building content and being involved online and the new forums for networking popping up. I would focus on strategic growth not just revenue for growth. Watch your concentration in your market place, make sure you have multiple targets you know need to be perused with your equipment set or experience.
As always don’t just grow, make the most profit you can from growth. This is challenging for many CEOs to see because they can be focused on details and not the bigger picture. It’s key to have an advisor to help work through these issues. Talking through your plan can allow you to vocalize your concept and determine your plan if you want to grow. An outside prospective can allow your firm to flourish.
While the last few years have been difficult, this time can be considered a reset for companies that have avoided difficult and expensive transformations. Finding the courage to make bold moves in a fast-changing market can sometimes require an advisor to help develop a clear vision of how and where you need to evolve, plan for that change, and execute.
Hart Consulting Services has been working with companies to make those plans, make connections and help determine the final execution. Trying to do it all yourself or sticking to the “same old same old” is always an ineffective strategy. This is a moment in time that demands a fundamental revaluation of your business, assess the new market and look at your strategy to identify new opportunities.
HCS has been working for CEOs to retool their growth plan and if you’re ready to take those steps and redefine your strategy, call us for more information about how we can help you reach your new goals.
About HCS
HCS is teaching graphic communication companies (GCCs) how to thrive through challenging shifts in the marketplace. We have deep expertise formed over 12 years of marketing and business process consulting to this market segment. Our team guides businesses on how to get started – or grow their reach – with custom developed digital content marketing. We know the graphic communications industry from the inside out, and we help businesses of all sizes face down challenges in order to truly thrive. With HCS, you get streamlined service from six experts – for less than the cost of one in-house hire. We can’t wait to help you get started!
