Lessons from the BAPC Conference
This conference is not about surviving but thriving," was the key message of the BAPC Conference held in Marlow this past weekend and hosted by the BBC's Working Lunch presenter Declan Curry, who stressed: "There is plenty of opportunity out there for those nimble enough to go and get it.
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"I worked with Ipex in the summer on a survey of global print which showed that 15% are growing sales. That's exciting - that 15% are actually growing in recessionary times. How are they doing that?" said Nick Devine of theprintcoach.com, one of the speakers at the event, who was joined by Peter Lancaster from W2P, independent industry consultant Chris Jordan and rally champion turned motivational coach Penny Mallory to expand upon the 'go get' theme of the conference.?
Between them they delivered some key 'must do' measure for improving business:
- Be customer centric and think about delivering solutions they want to buy not print you want to sell.
- Focus on winning bigger customers that bring in more profitable work and devote less time to the large percentage of clients that don't really make you money.
- Recruit a sales force that understands the brief.
- Change the terminology you use.
- Brand your business more effectively.
- Use new media to better effect.
- Keep a close watch on emerging communications technologies.
"Print is not dead but are we're not really prepared for the changes that are happening in communications," said Lancaster. "Print is not an industry it is a communications medium and we need to react to new communications methods. It's not about being a technical geek, it's about building intelligence and using it to have a strategic conversation with customers about where you can deliver them the best solution available."
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