for the average consumer, the phrase “industrial printing” recalls images of smokestacks, machines of frightening complexity and robot-operated plants processing paper through the long night. However, the business of commercial printing has many facets. Between any two companies, there are vast differences in product and procedure, even when filling almost identical consumer needs. But, there are also great similarities. Specifically, the way to look at the process, from project inception to delivery, so every aspect of the commercial print industry can be analyzed simultaneously.
Regardless of a commercial printer's niche in the industry, it is unlikely that “caring” would become a befitting word to define success. But, why not?
Businesses that last provide necessary and top-notch service to clients. The key: the relationship is symbiotic. Clients cannot survive and be competitive without commercial print solutions. For the distributor of commercial print products, this way of thinking just may lead to increased sales and a stronger client basis.
Kim Sanders, sales executive at Eagle Web Press in Salem, Ore., agrees with this, insisting that being a distributor requires more than just making sales. “It’s not a matter of simply selling the job; you have to follow it all the way through.” For Sanders, this means being an integral part of the process, checking the production and making sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. But, things don't always run smoothly.
In any business, especially one such as commercial printing, which relies on machines and computers, problems are inevitable. For a distributor, it is important to be prepared for issues and to let clients know problems can come up. This much honesty may seem frightening when trying to make the sale, but it is good business. “Each customer has different things that are important,” said Sanders. So, if a client's priority is color, speed, quality or delivery date, then put extra effort into this crucial objective, particularly when problems occur. Sanders recalled instances when, due to a machine being down, her company had to split the job and have sections printed by another company. She, herself, drove one shipment to the client to meet the deadline. In other cases, to save time when problems arose, she explained it was necessary to skip the proofing process or glue a binding instead of stitching it, when on-time delivery was the priority.
John Adams, director of the distributor sales division at Document Solutions in Boston, Mass., echoed these thoughts: “Everybody knows a problem is going to occur sometimes. I mean, there’s no perfect world. It’s how you handle it. Customers are appreciative if problems are handled and communicated properly—it will usually gain you another order.”
On the other hand, problems can destroy a distributor’s reputation if they are dealt with poorly. Adams urges distributors to be honest with the client. “The worst thing you can do if you’re really working under a deadline,” he stressed, “is to tell the customer something that you know right out of the gate you’re not going to hit. That’s just wasting everyone’s time.”
A distributor can capitalize on a competitor’s failure to deal with problems well. “The hardest thing is when you know you can do better,” stated Sanders. Even so, a buyer may be reluctant to make a change.
Here, Sanders noted, a commercial print distributor must build a relationship with a client. “Convince them to make a switch from what they’re currently doing,” she said. And, distributors should remind potential clients that their company is as invested in the work as they are. “Your product is your bread and butter, but it’s also ours,” Sanders noted.
Adams stressed a keen eye. “Distributors have got to be observant and see what products the customer is using.” Being able to gain a clear picture of a customer’s procedure and potential ways to improve upon it is vital for a distributor.
“Also, all sales people need more product training,” Adams said. His company regularly brings distributors to the plant to better understand the processes involved. This allows them to ask more poignant questions of the customer and reduces problems down the line. There is significant work well before a project is ready to become a reality. Adams stated, “We ask a lot of questions and that’s why we have very few quality problems.” Some examples of questions to ask include: What kind of job is it? What features will the job require? Are there bleeds? Is the client going to affix plastic cards to carriers? Under what circumstances will the product be stored? What is the turn-time? What software does the client use?
Asking the proper questions also extends to quoting a job, as well. Sanders faces potential clients who want job quotes in seconds. She simply says, “No.” Without the proper information she knows any quote is worthless. This integrity is important and serious clients can tell this when she begins to ask questions about the project and asks for 24 hours to come up with a realistic figure.
The consistent objectives are integrity and honesty. When Yvon Chouinard, author of “Let My People Go Surfing,” started Patagonia, he made decisions that were considered business suicide. Yet, every time he made a business decision based on integrity, he strengthened his business and made money.
Although frightening, honesty with a potential customer will strengthen business for years to come. “Printing is emotional,” said Sanders. “People put a lot of heart and effort into what they’re doing.” Shouldn’t a distributor do the same?
- People:
- John Adams
- Kim Sanders