Good morning!
Imagine telling your customer, “Great news! Your rush order will be ready in three weeks!”
Believe it or not, those words have crossed my lips. When I first started selling and standard delivery times were 8 to 10 weeks for some presses, a three week rush order was indeed great news!
Then there was the “Super Rush Order.” That was 10 days. Ah, the good old days. Except…
Are your customers prepared for the new reality of a growing backlog and the subsequent increase in lead-times?
I have a label sales rep I am coaching whose plant is at six weeks. Six weeks! He is busy calling his client base to give them a heads up that if they have a need coming in the foreseeable future, they better not wait until the last minute.
No one batted an eye when we told them there order would not ship for a couple of months. Why? Because we sent their expectations. You need to do the same thing.
This is almost a reverse of the effects of digital printing. When I came around, eight weeks turned into eight days.
And then five.
Then three.
Soon, when you asked someone, “When do you need it?,” They responded, “What time is it now?”
If the economy picks up the way it is expected to, so will your business. That’s good. However, before that happens, I urge you to set the expectations of your client base and add some time as a cushion.
The good news is, a strong economy is predicted. But with it will come challenges not seen in decades. Be prepared.
Meet the new boss. The same as the old boss.
