News
Think Tank Seminar, Part 2
July 15, 2009
Moore notes that, while customers are concerned with price in challenging economic times, high quality and excellent service are of even greater importance. “A great deal of dynamic change is presently occurring and in the meantime, we have to run our businesses,” he said. “Every business right now has to consider what its uniqueness is. Customers are seeking the ‘whole experience’ that you offer. It comes back to knowing what you do well, and doing it well, day in and day out.”
Claudio Guerra agrees, saying, “I keep hearing discussions about quality. I think you can make an incremental profit margin, even if you charge slightly more, if you offer better quality, and that is where you do well in the long run.” Robert Goldenberg also feels that quality is critical even in these economically uncertain times: “I haven’t cut corners. In fact, I’ve actually increased the quality of my products. I don’t consider myself a commodity anymore because of the high quality of my products.”
In the highly competitive printing business, Kevin Desrosiers finds that “quality and service are so important now. If you don’t have it, you won’t work for someone a second time. The question is: what can do really well while being profitable?” Dale Janes also stressed the importance of combining unique strengths and discipline to achieve success in the current climate. “No matter what your business, you have to focus on what you do well, and acknowledge what you don’t do well,” he said. “The companies that do well have strong discipline about what they do well, and have pricing discipline and cost discipline as well.”
In order to implement the level of service that customers are now demanding, several attendees expressed a need for a workforce that is not only technologically savvy, but “has the communication skills to translate their computer skills into effective sales and service”, according to Janes. Guerra noted that “younger Americans need to learn to deal with diverse groups of people as well as develop solid computer and educational skills.” Kevin Lynn has observed on the job that “many people looking for work right now don’t have the training, the skill set, or, frankly, the inclination to acquire them. A lot of people aren’t making that mental leap that you’ve got to change.” Continue reading...