How to Make a Sale: A Print Buyer Weighs In

When I Tour Your Facility:

• Some of the things I'm going to notice are the neighborhood; the condition of the building and the parking lot; how clean the reception area and plant floor are; how shiny the equipment is; how the paper and ink are kept; and how the work is handled, moved and stored. I'm going to pay attention to the employees, to get a vibe on how they feel about working there. Don't assume there's an aspect or detail I won't notice or won't care about.
• Show me your entire workflow from start to finish—from where paper is stored to where finished jobs ship out.
• Introduce me to the receptionist, press operators, CSRs, bindery workers, prepress, the mailing department, cleaners, drivers and anyone else that would handle my jobs or talk to me.
• Arrange with the shop's owner to either accompany us or sit down with me afterwards. Once I meet the owner (unless there's an emergency), he or she should be with me until I leave the building. If not, I'll feel like I'm being ditched.
• Make sure it's on a busy day. A ghost town is not going to make a good impression.
• It's not necessarily expected, but if we start or finish within an hour either way of noon—and I've driven a long way—consider offering me lunch. If I can't make it, I'll appreciate the gesture. If I can, make it very average. Bringing me back a sandwich from the local greasy spoon is cheap, just as taking me to a five-star steakhouse is overkill.

So now, your foot is in the door, and I like what I see. It's time to check out your pricing.