Jan. 1, 2007—Jan. 1 is a time for resolutions-for looking ahead and making decisions about how to spend the next 12 months. Granted, the cliché that most plans do not survive the first encounter holds as true in business as anything else, but the firms that have a plan will be the ones to adapt faster and more efficiently than the competition. When you start to make your resolutions for 2007, it never hurts to have some advice from industry experts. Our advisory board offers their thoughts on what to look for in the coming year, and how to plan for a successful and profitable 2007.

Cynthia F. Wollman
What business development tactic do you feel is the most important for graphic communications companies to pursue in 2007?

Offer more services to your clients, like mailing, and focus targeted new accounts for the new year.

How do you feel the role of marketing will continue to come into play in the next 12 months?

Marketing is becoming imperative to printing companies. More clients are sending out requests for proposals, and you have to know how to answer the questions well.

Is there a technology or device that is a must-have this year?

Always. We are looking into some prepress and press equipment.

What is the most important thing printers should keep in mind, in your opinion, as they plan for this year?

Unemployment is very low-invest in your people over the next coming year. Human capital is what will differentiate companies in the next five years.

Richard Schielke
What business development tactic do you feel is the most important for graphic communications companies to pursue in 2007?

Relentlessly improve employees-penetrate key customer relationships, and move away from unprofitable business dragging you down. Make five key customer contacts per day.

How do you feel the role of marketing will continue to come into play in the next 12 months?

Online marketing beats all else, and always will. Get used to it and use it now.

Is there a technology or device that is a must-have this year?

Extreme, and the iGen3 Plus when it gets here.

What is the most important thing printers should keep in mind, in your opinion, as they plan for this year?

Grow profitable business with your best customers-create new unique services and offerings-and either fix or forget the rest.

Christopher DeSantis
What business development tactic do you feel is the most important for graphic communications companies to pursue in 2007?

Put into practice what you preach by creating customized multi-channel communication programs that will increase client retention ten-fold.

Utilize the technologies of data driven collateral for your own initiatives. Printers will improve their chances of getting clients on board with what really works.

Nothing is more powerful than experiencing it first-hand as opposed to just a pitch with other client's samples.

How do you feel the role of marketing will continue to come into play in the next 12 months?

The role of marketing is becoming more critical with all of the technology being introduced. Solutions must be marketed so clients and prospects can be educated on how they can increase the effectiveness of their marketing spending.

Drive variable-data printing market expansion by re-branding yourselves as customer acquisition and retention specialists. To do this, develop deeper expertise in data analytics and creative concept development, either organically or through partnering.

Is there a technology or device that is a must-have this year?

I don't look at technology as a device, but more as a solution that helps clients gain greater share of their client's wallet. This is achieved through integrated, data-driven programs utilizing print, e-mail, the Web, and wireless devices.

It is not about what medium to choose, but how to use all of them as effectively as possible given the needs and desires of the client.

What is the most important thing printers should keep in mind, in your opinion, as they plan for this year?

Expect things to change, not only from a technology standpoint, but also from an economic standpoint.

Times are rapidly changing, and printers need to take heed and change, as well. Whoever decides to stand still will become road kill on this super highway we are on.

Take some risks and go out on a limb-that is where the fruit is.

Bill Martin
What business development tactic do you feel is the most important for graphic communications companies to pursue in 2007?

Focus on maintaining your current client base and exceeding their expectations.

There are the obvious business rewards. If you wow them they will be your best sales force.

How do you feel the role of marketing will continue to come into play in the next 12 months?

Marketing consists of many departments-market research, market development, market planning, and market communications-and plays a vital role in a company's strategic plan and direction. It also provides sales support. I can't imagine operating without a marketer on staff.

Is there a technology or device that is a must-have this year?

Technologies that help you grow and maintain your customer base, such as a CRM database.

Also technologies that improve workflow, reduce costs, and improve turnaround time. Some things never change.

What is the most important thing printers should keep in mind, in your opinion, as they plan for this year?

What are the major issues? Sustainability is certainly one of them. Hybrid technologies is another. How will printed electronics impact commercial printers, and what are the opportunities for this multimillion-dollar market-some will say multibillion-dollar market-in the next few years?

David Lindsay
What business development tactic do you feel is the most important for graphic communications companies to pursue in 2007?

Multimedia marketing is advancing both as a service offering, and as an effective way for printing companies to promote themselves.

Not only are many printing companies in the business of generating response for their customers, they can use today's technology to draw responses to their own offerings.

For firms that have built out-or built partnerships for tools such as purls, Web design, e-mail marketing, and digital printing-there is a good opportunity now to connect with prospects, invite them to learn more about your business, and provide some tangible examples of how your company's marketing services will have positive benefits.

How do you feel the role of marketing will continue to come into play in the next 12 months?

Marketing will be more important than ever.

In many, many niches, the value of a printing company's work is tied to its ability to generate response to a customer's pitch. Printers are increasingly being driven to become the marketing arm of a client's business, and printers that effectively market themselves can show they are in the business to win.

Is there a technology or device that is a must-have this year?

I don't know if there is anything that is a must-have today that has not been critical in the recent past; you could argue that when the industry was at its lowest point, the need was even greater for investments in automation, digital printing, and other technologies. Those are still vital, and the next step may be the tools that foster a deeper understanding of customer relationship management and databases.

It may not be a technology or device that does this-it may be an expanded staff that has new skills in this area.

Anything that will help your firm know your customer's customer better is going to be of value.

What is the most important thing printers should keep in mind, in your opinion, as they plan for this year?

Plan for success, just do not plan for it to come in the same ways it did in the past.