At a previous NATCOM held in June, a new long term vision, strategy, and plan for the Essential Group Members was presented to a well attended National Committee. It was at this event that many paradigm-busting, big-picture plans were tabled and discussed at a high level. With the breadth and depth of the strategy being as far-reaching as they are and the time constraints of the meeting, the NATCOM requested that an interim progress report be presented within 3 – 4 months.
Fast forward to the recent NATCOM held in October during our charity golf day, 4 months after the previous NATCOM. The requested “progress report” culminated in a comprehensive, detailed preview of what was in the works and what had already been achieved, such as:
- Growth Solutions – An entirely new business unit had already been formed
- New, specialist personnel that complement the plan had already been employed.
- Many of the industry sector corporates had already been approached, with new business likely from a number of them, further supporting the reality of the vision.
- The importance of the Essential Membership footprint was highlighted. It was noted that in areas where we lacked a presence, we’d take steps to fill the void should no members wish to do so.
- The concept of a “Wild Dog Team” was introduced to indicate the success of teamwork.
- Branding – The importance of branding your store was stressed. Sales through the “Growth Solutions” division will only be filled by meeting a series of retail maturity measures…one of which is being branded. The ROI for stores is the realisation of the vision that offers exponential growth and a protected channel for the long term.
- Suppliers – Exponential growth and new routes to market channels will be the outcome for suppliers that come on this journey with us.
The net take-aways from the sessions were:
- The roadmap presented in June had been fast-tracked and the big picture concepts were already underway.
- It was clear that “The Time Is Now” to get properly branded.
- The new logo and signage flexibility should satisfy the needs of any member.