We came, we saw, we talked

Special Markets Dialogues was last weekend. It was my fifth time in the Facilitator's chair and even though we had fewer people than in prior years (chalk it up to the economy) the discussion was livelier than ever.

Here's the "Cliff's Notes" version of what we discussed:

1) Things are bad--real bad. In particular, the promotional products market is in a world of hurt and there may be a serious shakeout once the new year arrives. Many suppliers and distributors stayed in business in hope of a rebound. It isn't coming. After the first of the year many will merge, or sell, or close.

2) But as bad as things are, there's reason for cautious optimism. Employees are "keeping score", taking stock of how their companies are treating them. When (notice I said "when", not "if") the jobs picture improves there may be an exodus from those companies that do not appreciate their achievers.

3) This year's way of doing things isn't gonna cut it next year. Get out the clean sheets of paper, kids, because there will be more people chasing fewer dollars in 2010. The Innovative Bird catches the Worm.

4) The market needs to speak to our stakeholders with a common voice. We are being buffeted by different forces over which we have no control as individuals and precious little as a group. Between grandstanding Congresspeople trying to legislate us out of existence to trade associations seeing us as "collateral damage" (as the pharmaceutical companies did with promotional products), we're under siege. We cannot continue to whisper as individuals--we need to shout as a group.

Lots of other things as well, from the future of the independent rep (tenuous) to the future of the Special Markets Manager at Branded products companies (endangered) to the need to find new customers and/or new ways of selling current ones (essential).

A great conversation and hopefully the attendees are going back into their organizations, and to the associations they serve, with a renewed sense of urgency and purpose. Now, more than ever, Benjamin Franklin's words are true--"we must all hang together or surely we will all hang separately".


Pete

PS: I did it. I signed up for Twitter. It's @peteincent and I'm not sure who wants to hear about me but I've decided that if my idol Paul Bellantone of PPAI can tweet, then by God so can I...