Published Articles

Published in: IPA Bulletin, May/June 2006

Our mission is to spoil our customers so much they would never want to leave, and no one else would ever want them.

-As reported from a chain of reprographic stores in Southern California.

Relentless information gathering. Clarity of purpose. Clarity of communications. And setting the example. As leaders in our organizations, we may privately say to ourselves that the customer can't always be right, but the facts are the customer is still the customer. It's customers we are in business to serve — beyond their expectations. And it's customers who ultimately determine who is allowed to stay in business — and prosper.

Published in: IPA Bulletin, March/April 2006

"Whenever an individual or business decides that success has been attained (or what they're doing is good enough) progress stops."

Thomas Watson, Jr., IBM, Investors Business Daily, March 13, 2006

In February at the Sawgrass-Marriott, Chadwick Consulting sponsored a Business Development Conference. Attendees included an organization that is evolving from a traditional prepress service bureau. A member of his organization made a stunning presentation about a New Buyer's Guide. (Attendee presentations of exceptional practices and models with customers are the core format of our conferences.)

Published in: New England Printer & Publisher, February 2006

Customer surveys, designed, administered, and reported by experienced professionals, can produce a "four-lane highway of information" for improving company market direction and the day-to-day operational issues needing to improve.

Published in: New England Printer & Publisher, January 2006

Responses to the question on the client's customer survey: "How did you first hear of our organization?" were startling. Well over half of the 36 percent of responses indicated either, "Already a supplier when I started this position," or "Professional referral." Well down on the list in terms of original contact were, "Sales Rep contact," and "Company direct mail piece."

Implications to these two leading replies were supported by other observed market conditions. Frequent buyer turnover was causing buyers to often know less about their supplier than the supplier knew about the buyer — and the buyer's organization.

Published in: IPA Bulletin, January/February 2006

When buyers place their most treasured digital assets with a supplier, they, in effect, have invited that supplier to move "next to their heartbeat."

Published in: IPA Bulletin, November/December 2005

Customer surveys should provide a market based, comprehensive snapshot of customers' perceptions and actionable follow-up issues.

What would it be worth to you if I tell you what percentage of business your company is missing at more than 30 percent of your customers (and including most of your top 20 major accounts)?

Published in: Georgia Printer, October 2005

Most companies are in a race for printing dollars. They’re out chasing orders rather than focusing on the kinds of clients that could bring them the stability and revenue they really need.

Published in: Print Profit, Fall 2005

To find the kind of in-depth knowledge today's graphic communications companies need to position themselves more effectively — and more profitably — they must look beyond their financial statements.

While timely and accurate financial information can provide valuable insights into how a business is performing, such quantitative information in and of itself is not sufficient for today's increasingly complex graphic communications companies.

Published in: New England Printer & Publisher, August 2005

The sales rep asked to review the previous project's samples, and hopefully learn "what was really important" in the upcoming project. The buyer, who didn't really have time to see the rep, was frustrated that too many projects weren't occurring as needed or expected. What was different was that a supplier she didn't really know had stepped forward and expressed interest in areas that hadn't before been examined. Time was eventually invested in a question and answer session in the buyer's office — in hopes that results would be closer to expectations, and on the intuitive hunch that she might learn something that would be useful in the future.