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"Maybe Smaller is
Better"
by Dale Minard
President/CEO of Smith-Dale, Inc.,
an international sales representative and fulfillment company.
In the aftermath of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, there has been an
outpouring of patriotism and charity never before seen in American history.
However, the big question remains – how much will these events change our
country as they relate to our personal and professional lives? The answer,
while not entirely obvious, is that our personal reactions will shape how we
move about in the marketplace.
Given the fact that consumers drive two-thirds of our economy, it makes sense
to focus first on consumers. Then, after making an assessment (or guess) of
what matters most to consumers, we can stand back and analyze where, what,
when and how we direct our businesses.
To make this assessment work from a business viewpoint, I feel we need to
review not only what has happened in the wake of September 11th, but also the
year 2001 overall. I submit that the retail sector of our economy was in big
trouble prior to September 11th, and there is plenty of evidence to support
this contention. Thus, the impact of September 11th had the effect of making a
bad situation worse. Or did it?
Initially yes, but in the 6 weeks or so since the terrorist attacks, I think
we all would agree that America did a magnificent job of getting back to
business. And it’s the indomitable will of Americans, and our ability to adapt
rapidly, that is key to the assessment I'm about to make.
Let’s start out simply with a blank page, at the top of which we head up two
columns. Then let’s start filling in the columns with what trends appear to be
emerging. I've "flavored" my list with what I see happening in my company’s
business:
Rising in favor
Main Street
Compact cars
Little league
Family gatherings
Fireman and policeman
Motels
Roadways
Small towns
Small people (namely children)
Local merchants
Red, white and blue
Trips to Grandma’s by car
Small buildings
Smaller regional trade marts
Strip centers
Outdoors
World Wide Web
Diminishing in favor
Wall Street
747’s
Big league
Crowds and events
Movie stars
Hotels
Runways
Big cities
Big people
Big box stores with white vinyl floors
Purple
Trips on holidays via jet
Tall buildings
Major city trade marts
Snail mail
Malls
Indoors
TV
Go ahead and come up with your own
list, adding your own "flavoring". After all, your perspective may be quite
different from mine, depending on the nature of your business and your
observations of our society today. What’s really important is that you look
for patterns when you're done.
In the case of my list, the primary pattern I see is "smaller is better". One
of the messages this may have for my business is to focus more attention in
our company’s sales and marketing efforts to sell family and home related
product lines to specialty retailers, by relying more on our sales reps and
the Web than on large trade shows.
One word of caution is in order. Anytime you re-think your business, be
careful not to implement strategies that end up "throwing the baby out with
the bathwater". It’s always best to make evolutionary, not revolutionary,
changes to your business. Don't abandon your existing business. Instead, build
on it.
And finally, try to turn the negatives into positives – from the jar half
empty to the jar half full. There are silver linings out there. You just have
to look for them
About the Author
Dale Minard is President/CEO of Smith-Dale, Inc., an international
sales representative and fulfillment company he founded in 1978.
Mr. Minard has served on the board of directors for the Kansas City Gift Mart,
as the Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Atlanta Gift Mart, and most
recently as Co-Chairman of the Atlanta Market Center Global Trade Partners.
Mr. Minard retired from 20 years active duty in the U.S. Air Force as a
lieutenant colonel in 1979. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he
also holds postgraduate degrees in electrical engineering and business
administration.
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