Shop Around
If you print it, they will come. Print buyers are sure to flock to your proverbial field of dreams if you give them what they want and need. But if demand continues to dwindle, and clients expect more for less, will there be anyone left to make that all-important purchase?
Margie Dana, a former print buyer and founder of Print Buyers International, LLC, and its member-based organization, Boston Print Buyers, said the recession has posed a serious problem for this profession.
"Think about it: print volumes are down everywhere. With less print to produce, companies are questioning whether they really need in-house expertise. Layoffs have been taking place all year in marketing and corporate communications departments as budgets have been trimmed," she noted. "The larger issue faced by professional buyers is simply this: what's to become of the career? As corporations mix up their print campaigns with newer, digital media—including social media—what role will full-time print production specialists have?"
For the printing industry to stay relevant, she argued, print providers must acknowledge the various rising trends pertaining to market media, and assist buyers in developing programs for their companies that transcend isolated print projects. The same logic applies to buyers and distinguishes the savvy from the average.
"Print is not, nor will it ever be dead, but it must make room at the table for newer media," she insisted. "The most successful print-buying professional will help his or her employer develop a communications strategy that integrates print projects successfully with other efforts like e-mail marketing, PURLs, web-to-print campaigns, Twitter presence and so on."
In addition, it is the print buyer's role to source printing in the most cost-effective and appropriate way for their employers. However, Dana stressed while buyers must be sensitive to price, smart buyers also need to focus on the product at stake. For instance, they must inquire whether the printer can deliver what's expected, when expected. Is the company reputable? And, will a printer explore alternative avenues to achieve optimal value for the project? "Believe me, these are not examples of lip service. I have interviewed hundreds of buyers in depth, and they look for real partners in their print providers," she added.
Unfortunately, the situation isn't as cut-and-dry as the industry would like to imagine. One problem Dana mentioned she is aware of is how few professional buyers rely on print distributors/brokers. She clarified, saying: "print buyers equate print distributors with print brokers, and I would agree with them. If your company owns printing equipment, you are a printer. If you represent companies that own equipment and sell their products/services—plus manage projects for your customers—you are a broker. The term 'print distributor' is not a common one." A fact which may be surprising to those who identify themselves as "distributors," she confessed.
Outsourcing also needs to be on the minds of professionals in this industry. Sending print work to an outside party is definitely a trend Eric D. Belcher, chief executive officer of Chicago-based InnerWorkings, has noticed. "Increasingly, end-users of print are seeking a professional third-party to manage the print procurement function on their behalf. Very few, if any, end-users of printed materials claim their organization's core competency is in print procurement and production management. As a result, executives are open to the concept of outsourcing the function to an organization, like InnerWorkings, whose sole core competency is the ability to source and distribute print and print-related materials," he said.
In fact, for almost a decade, InnerWorkings has been developing print procurement technology. "We are adding tens of thousands of searchable jobs (detailed specifications and corresponding pricing) to our historical database on a yearly basis. This database, and the algorithms that mine it allow us to determine what we should expect to pay for a job even before we bid the work out to our supplier community. ... Ultimately, the goal of our technology development is to provide our clients with more transparency into the print procurement process than they have ever had before," he enthused.
To survive and even thrive, Dana suggested distributors become more proactive in dismissing any premature judgments, including the "overpriced middleman reputation." "In my experience, many buyers think brokers/distributors will cost them more money. Buyers tend to work directly with a manufacturer—especially the more experienced buyers. New buyers are a different story," she said.
So what's a print distributor to do? Give the buyers what they want.
"The biggest challenge distributors and brokers have is not a new one: convince the print buying market that you offer stellar services and will work on their behalf; that you offer effective, relevant solutions; and that you do so without costing them more money," Dana continued.
Larry Zavadil, CEO and founder of Glenwood, Minnesota-based American Solutions for Business (ASB) is doing just that through a customer-centric business philosophy. "It's all about people, relationships and solutions. [ASB] operates under the philosophy of being the most proactive, non-threatening partner, serving as an extension of the customer while offering a variety of unique solutions that solve client needs to help it grow and prosper," he offered.
ASB is equipped with an expert staff able and willing to prove they're more than a mere gateway between buyers and suppliers. The company has recognized how the sell of print has changed, and knowing that helps them retain business.
For example, ASB sales manager Jerry Bryant has noticed a difference in the way print is sold, which sometimes proves problematic. "In the old days, you could go in and discuss process changes with the company, walk through the process, make suggestions and produce forms designs. This has totally changed with the advent of [the] Internet and downsizing," he remarked. "There's very little process discussion and very little forms design anymore. Products are available over the Internet, which drives down the pricing. However, specifications are not always adhered to and there's little chance for relationship building. 'Service' is put on the back burner."
Billy Ayres, an ASB sales associate who sells print and items in the southeast, agreed, noting a vast growth in print-on-demand over the last few years. He expanded on Bryant's point. "There are fewer people in the purchasing departments now, which is creating a 'do-more-work-with-fewer-employees' situation," he said.
To enhance the print-buying experience for his customers, ASB sales associate Jay Harman supports utilizing both a product-oriented model and a solutions-based model. Placing sole focus on one model will fail to reach the potential of maximizing the buying effort. Whereas, incorporating a solutions-based model will cultivate new ideas for increased savings and allow for a move toward new products, he said.
Sure, salespeople have their unique approach. But, in line with Harman's idea, successful ones substitute creativity in place of a traditional, one-sided view. Bryant elaborated, offering the following example. A major client needs to purchase a large amount of marketing brochures for distribution throughout the United States to potential customers. The pricing is ideal for this four-color brochure due to the quantity being ordered.
"The problems are: the brochure becomes obsolete very quickly, there's a high cost of storage and distribution, and it's very difficult to customize to geographic segments of the country. Solution: print-on-demand, with a custom message by geographic region, personalized and mailed on-demand. This approach has not only enhanced the marketing effort, but also eliminated costs in a number of areas," he explained.
Finally, flexibility is key—especially when a distributor must satisfy the purchasing needs of old-fashioned buyers who are set in their ways, yet simultaneously appeal to the new blood of the industry.
"We can provide for the needs of the traditional buyers in a status quo environment while ensuring that we have all the newest technology and products. If you do not provide both, the competition will," said Ayres. "In presentations and sales calls, always protect the status quo while showing the new and the creative. The choice remains that of the customer. They drive business."
In other words, give them a reason to come to you. Then, there's no need to shop around.