PPB December 2019

Mark Graham Co-Founder/Chief Platform Officer commonsku If you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing that would make a huge impact on how you work today, what would that be? Surround yourself with exceptional people from day one. I spent too many years in the early stages of my business trying to figure out myself. This does not necessarily mean hiring people, it could be as simple as connecting with fellow business owners inside and outside the industry. Describe the promo industry landscape in 2028. What will we need to be teaching now that will make a difference? The industry will be primarily split between transactional ecommerce companies (35 percent of the industry) and agencies (55 percent of the industry) that offer value-added experiences to their customers. The remaining 10 percent will be transactional/relationship sellers. We need to be teaching creative selling, how to embrace technology so it enhances the customer experience and how to be curious about a client’s business. If we can do that now, our industry will continue to add huge value to the buyer journey. Patrick Black CEO/President Perfect Imprints If you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing that would make a huge impact on how you work today, what would that be? Create daily lists. Due to my scattered nature, if I don’t create a daily list of goals to accomplish, I will not be very productive because I’ll get distracted by menial tasks. Describe the promo industry landscape in 2028. What will we need to be teaching now that will make a difference? By 2028, there will continue to be growth in the industry with increasing market saturation of distributors and suppliers. Consumers have multiple sources now, so why should they buy from us? We have to clearly define our value as a distributor or supplier. Those who fail to offer more value will eventually become lost in the overabundance of competitors. We need to teach people not only to identify their strengths but also how to promote those properly. Russell Bird Owner The Promo Addict If you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing that would make a huge impact on how you work today, what would that be? Always make sure to say “thank you” to everyone around you. A little bit of appreciation goes a long way in helping you get your own job done better. Describe the promo industry landscape in 2028. What will we need to be teaching now that will make a difference? There are going to be a lot more “makers” selling to end users. I think that, as distributors, we need to find a way to make something to keep ourselves relevant. Carson Roncketto COO Creative If you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing that would make a huge impact on how you work today, what would that be? That I have more time than I think I do. In our business, it is easy to get caught up in the fast pace, demands and fires that result in that ever-present, too-busy feeling. It is that feeling that prevented me from spending time on key development areas both personally and professionally. I am now better prioritizing where I spend my time to see the greatest impact. I am also pushing myself to say “yes” to the right kinds of things and “no” to the wrong ones. The lesson is that it is important to push myself outside of what feels comfortable and to say “yes” to things that matter. Describe the promo industry landscape in 2028. What will we need to be teaching now that will make a difference? Let’s start talking about how focusing and investing in design add measurable business value. Being design-focused has been a key differentiator for our company in a highly competitive promo space. Buyers are becoming less interested in simply placing a logo on a product and we are seeing a shift in focus on the user experience. FEATURE | Looking Back, Looking Forward 30 | DECEMBER 2019 |