Increase Profits by Going In Through the Out Door

Comprehensive print management of outsourced work can boost sales and increase volume.

Faced with stiff competition from major direct-selling manufacturers and the onslaught of rapidly advancing print technologies, many distributors have been looking for a magic arrow to slay the beast of increased competition. However, some distributors have figured out that this competition is not going away. One alternative, then, is to beat the majors at their own game by providing comprehensive, or start-to-finish, print management services.

Unfortunately, not all distributors see it that way, and many others are unwilling to gamble their reputations in an unfamiliar area. But distributors who have successfully delved into print management would say they have not only increased their business but have flourished as a whole.

Warner Mason, president, Webb/Mason, Hunt Valley, Md., has built a $45 million company largely by offering his clients these kinds of services. For Mason, offering comprehensive print management is a way to increase his bottom line while also expanding the kinds of products and services his company provides. "Comprehensive print management increases a distributorship's volume dramatically because not only does it provide account penetration, but it al-lows the distributor to handle everything from beginning to end," said Mason.

As more and more companies look for ways to trim the corporate fat, outsourcing print work has become increasingly popular. Rather than worry about the headaches involved in designing, printing and distributing a direct mail piece or membership letter, many companies prefer to contract the work out to one experienced distributor.

The distributor, then, shepherds the piece through the print-and-fulfillment process, saving companies both time and money. What the distributor gets is a satisfied customer and a bigger piece of the overall pie.

Jim Feldman, president of FORMost Graphics, Rockville, Md., pointed out that when distributors offer print management, they're also opening up two much broader revenue streams—personalization and fulfillment.