What Print Buyers Want -- Solutions, Not Sales Pitch

IS THE PRINTER a one-stop-shop? Is work completed in a timely fashion? Does the sales rep keep his/her promises? Is the printing company financially sound? These are some of the questions that Gretchen Morris ponders as the director of Global Catalog Production—and print buyer—at Edmund Optics (EO) America. EO is a leading producer of optics, imaging and phototonics technology for the electronics, pharmaceutical, biomedical and military markets. The company mails more than 2.5 million catalogs annually, reaching customers across the globe at least two times per year. Commercial web offset printers in the United States, Europe and Asia are contracted to produce these catalogs.

In addition to the catalog program, EO’s in-house design department is responsible for creating all marketing collateral, including large-format trade show displays and posters, sell sheets, packaging, newsletters, logos, letterhead, postcards and other direct mail pieces, package inserts and product labeling.

Morris purchases these myriad graphic communications services from the firm’s Barrington, NJ-based headquarters, in support of its offices and facilities worldwide. As a veteran print buyer, she asks a lot of questions of anyone pursuing her business, and she is open about what she expects from the printers that want to obtain—and maintain—it.

What do you look for when considering a new print provider?

I like to match up printers by their area of expertise. Do they have a niche? For example, we recently printed a calendar for the first time, so we sought out a printer with extensive experience doing that. The printer was able to guide us through the process, and was very helpful in answering our questions and heading off potential problems that we wouldn’t have thought about.

I also consider how much a printer is actually doing itself under one roof vs. what gets outsourced. I like to keep a job as simple as possible and am not fond of too much transferring of materials between remote locations. That being said, consideration must be given to the printer’s expertise in the various stages of a job. One thing we don’t want is for a printer to say they can do it all, then find out they don’t actually do it all very well.

What’s the top thing you expect from a print provider?

I expect timely communication, even if the news is bad. This affords me the opportunity to make the call on how to proceed as opposed to hearing after the fact what went wrong and how they “fixed” it. When I’m notified of an unforeseen development, I like to hear all of the options available, the ramifications of each and suggestions for the best course of action.

When meeting potential print providers, what determines whether they get your business?

I don’t like printers that make a sales pitch, but lack any knowledge of my business and what we do. Too often they claim they can provide anything we need or do anything our current provider can do, but, when we get to the details, that turns out not to be the case. They should first listen to our program details, then be up front about what they can and cannot handle. Also appreciated is any suggestion where we might consolidate our production and, of course, save costs.

What are some things that turn you off about a print provider?

Not being up front about all the costs associated with a particular job. One large catalog printer we worked with would provide a quote for a job, but when the invoice arrived it was significantly higher.

Their response was to refer us to the “binder” that accompanied the contract. This was a complicated document containing technical info that we weren’t even aware applied to our job. That was a lesson learned: Read all materials and ask pointed questions. In the end, we negotiated a reduced payment.

What causes provider “disconnect” and how do you resolve it?

Lack of communication. It’s imperative to keep in constant contact, not just via e-mail, but by picking up the phone. Face-to-face meetings are even better; more can be accomplished and potential problems averted if you talk directly to those responsible for the job. PI