Great Debate
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Margie Dana
I've watched several televised political debates among the presidential candidates. Aside from the finger pointing and constant attempts at one-upsmanship, they manage to take an occasional stand on important issues from time to time.
It got me thinking. Imagine if we had to vote for top printers. We could hold a ‘print'idential debate for an audience of buyers. How would your printers fare?
What I wouldn't give to be the moderator! For the fun of it, I came up with a list of questions I'd pose. That led me to develop suggestions about what print buyers should look for — and look out for — during said hypothetical debate.
What's your platform?
I'd ask the candidates to answer the following questions:
Why should a print customer choose to work with you and not your opponents?
Imagine I'm brand new to print buying, and I have no background in printing whatsoever. What would you do for people like me?
What's your professional background, and how should it influence my decision to work with you?
How do you keep up with printing technology and trends, exactly?
Print is clearly suffering from the gains of new media like e-mail marketing, Web sites, podcasts and the like. How can print compare?
What emerging trend(s) in printing and other media do you think will be most significant to your customers — and why?
Without using the words “price,” “service,” or “quality,” tell me why I should vote for you as my preferred printer.
Where does your firm stand on sustainability in print?
Tell me about the team at your facility — who backs you up and in what ways?
What kind of relationship do you have with the people in production?
What kind of quality control processes do you have in place?
What and when was your company's last major investment in equipment?
Know your candidate
My questions could go on for another two pages, but these cover the important issues. Here's how I'd listen and judge the printer candidates:
Pay no attention to looks. Gender, race, age, and religion should be ignored — and certainly, do not judge a candidate by his or her hairdo or pants suit.
By all means, pay attention to the printer's demeanor as much as the quality of his or her product. If it's a rep debate, vote for someone who seems honest and forthright, because the rep usually will be your primary contact.
Vote for printers that deliver customer education. Ask for proof of this — what programs, events, webinars, newsletters or tips do they offer their customers? If you're a new buyer, you need all the help you can get.
Look for a company that stays current. Your printers don't have to own all the newest equipment, but there's value in working with a printer who knows what the current and emerging trends are. Printers whose feet remain embedded in the past won't bring you fresh ideas. And you always need those.
Work with a sales rep who has a good rapport with the production team. One who is cold and distant with the press operators will have little or no clout with your jobs when needed.
Gravitate toward printers who are professional, experienced and energized. Passion for one's work makes a world of difference. If you sense apathy in a printer, he or she doesn't deserve your vote.
Look for printers who have experience with your products — even your industry. Get samples of work that matches your projects. If a printer does a lot of work in your industry, that's a bonus.
A ‘print'idential debate would put your top contenders in an interesting position. It would never take place (I can dream, can't I?), but you can still pose these questions to every printer who claims he or she deserves your vote.
Contact Dana at mdana@printbuyersinternational.com.
