Ahh, the '90s—a simpler time when like, you know, Hanson was a household name, video guides were a thing and AOL was king. And, in 1997, a guy named Fred Collins began his career in print as the new business development manager for a supplier then known as The DFS Group.
The big wheel of business has turned a million times since then, and shifting consumer habits, along with a crippling recession, claimed many casualties. While we may not hear "You've got mail!" or "In an MMMBop, they're gone" as often, the same cannot be said for "You. Unlimited," the tagline of the recently rebranded DFS. Collins, who assumed the role of company president in 2008, doesn't take his success for granted. So, what's the key to his longevity? A consultative approach.
"It is very satisfying to me when I meet with customers to understand their pain points and offer solutions," Collins said. "I'm pleased that many of DFS' top major accounts today are accounts I helped land, and many are growing with us."
Read on as Collins shares his thoughts on the industry, DFS' rebranding efforts and the future.
Print+Promo (P+P): How do you set goals for yourself? For your business?
Fred Collins (FC): I enjoy strategic planning with my leadership team. We look at the current situation and trends, identify growth opportunities and then define strategies and tactics to achieve our plans. I believe in SMART goals: Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.
P+P: How does the economy continue to affect the industry?
FC: I'm pleased that DFS continues to perform better than industry trends in terms of core products, like checks and forms, and that our W2P program continues to achieve high double-digit growth. In both a good and sluggish economy, marketing is critical to driving activity and something we know resellers struggle with. That's why we launched myDFShub.com this year. With a library of online banners and microsites, personalized marketing materials, plus a powerful email tool backed by Vertical Response, it's giving our resellers a free and easy way to better market themselves. Feedback, so far, has been fantastic.
P+P: What do you expect to be some of the biggest challenges the industry will face?
FC: We all need to be focused on evolving and finding ways to introduce new products and services to our customers. Both suppliers and resellers need to be asking: "How can I differentiate myself?" [and] "What added value can I bring to the table?" We hear from our customers all the time that their challenge is getting customers to understand the full range of their capabilities.
P+P: What keeps you up at night?
FC: We're known as the best "check and form" supplier, but DFS is much more than that. We're a traditional wholesale trade printer with a significant and growing focus on full-color printing. We've leveled the playing field for small- and medium-sized businesses to compete in the competitive full-color space and created an easy-to-use site at DFSfullcolor.com that they can access 24/7. There's a huge selection of popular and custom products, and you can get quotes immediately. Plus, you can archive artwork to use for future reorders and save your quotes. Educating resellers about the new products, services and support that DFS can offer is a big focus area for us. The faster we can educate, the more of an impact we can have with our customers.
P+P: What do you think is the most exciting, cutting-edge thing your company is doing right now? Why?
FC: We have been fortunate to be able to develop some cool, new ways for our resellers to do more and sell more. In terms of providing resellers more support, myDFShub.com helps them improve their websites, easily access effective, personalized marketing materials and execute email marketing campaigns for free. In terms of exciting new products, eChecks are a product not many people know about yet. DFSecheckspro.com creates a new revenue stream for resellers and allows them to be on the cutting-edge in the payment solutions space.
P+P: What would people be surprised to learn about you?
FC: I'm an avid mountain biker. It helps eliminate the day's static and gets me thinking about new ideas. I had an opportunity to ride some great trails in Moab, Utah and would love to get back there again.