5 Pivot Questions That Will Reinvent Your Business with David and Cathy Houston (Delta Marketing)

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Is your business direction stuck? Are your sales stagnant or eroding?

David and Cathy Houston of Delta Marketing Group faced insurmountable obstacles and reinvented their business – not just once, but multiple times, and virtually every evolution was in response to a crisis.

When the market demand for printed materials became increasingly digital, the Houston’s pivoted and reinvented themselves to provide digital services through content marketing. And after losing a major client that almost cost them their business, they reengineered their purpose, turned over their entire staff, recruited a new team, and in the process, made order out of chaos.

An interesting connection in the Houston’s success story is that they have always been in the promotions business, helping customers by solving their problems through print and promotional media. Expanding their services to embrace a different medium was a transition of form and a broadening of their business direction, as well as a reengineering of their operations (no small feat).

Admittedly, David said that inbound marketing “was the hardest pivot we as an agency ever had to make” but as you hear their story in this brief 4-minute segment , you’ll see that it was a wise move:

After listening to the Houston’s story of reinvention, ask yourself these five pivot questions:

  1. Taking a long-term view of your business, what challenges are you currently facing that might represent new opportunities for growth?

  2. What categories of sales are declining that you should pivot away from (and, are there new categories of sales that you should double-down on?)

  3. What cultural shifts are happening around you that might represent an opportunity?

  4. What problems do you solve for your customers that qualify you to take risks on a new adventure? (In the Houston’s case, they were already working with businesses and solving customer problems but in a slightly different medium, the risk they took was calculated and within reach).

  5. Your best years in business might be ahead of you, but are there toxic environments or outdated business processes that are hindering your growth? What are they?

The lesson from the Houston’s is clear: if you find yourself in a crisis, it might be an opportunity in disguise.

Don’t wait for a crisis to force you to pivot. Answers to the five pivot questions above might help you determine your next move and open up a new frontier of opportunity.

Want to hear the rest of the Houston’s story?

David and Cathy generously shared secrets behind growing your business using the power of content marketing when they spoke at our skucon event in Las Vegas. To tune into the rest of this presentation and to learn how you can generate more business with inbound marketing, visit part two of this video, Unlocking the Secrets of InBound Marketing for Promo Products.

commonsku is software specifically designed for the promotional products industry. It's a CRM, Order Management, and eCommerce platform wrapped up in one sophisticated hub. With software that intuitively connects distributors and suppliers, commonsku is like a breath of fresh air for your team. Learn more at commonsku.com

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Unlocking the Secrets of InBound Marketing for Promo Products with David and Cathy Houston (Delta Marketing)

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