In the best of times, you are constantly dealing with finding ways to cover the payroll, pay the bills, and still be competitive. Unlike some industries, the average printing company (especially smaller companies) works on a very small profit margin – the type of margin that could be wiped out by having to reprint one or a few large jobs. Sales reps are unhappy, customers are irate; it’s a lose/lose problem.
Believe it or not, it’s not an unusual scenario. Our studies have found that most of the profitability problems in printing companies have 4 root problems:
1. Lack of a workable business plan.
2. Inadequate production systems and/or equipment.
3. Inaccurate estimating, planning and/or scheduling, followed by inadequate costing and billing.
4. Lack of knowledge of the print process by customers, sales reps, and CSR’s.
For now, let’s just talk about sales reps and print buyers. Our survey of sales reps shows an amazing spectrum of individuals. They run the gamut from former pressmen and managers, to good-looking people with the gift of gab, to well-trained sales professionals. All of them can sell printing, but are they maximizing their sales as well as the company's profits.
Print Buyers are similarly diverse in their backgrounds. There are nice ones, and there are not-so-nice ones. There are buyers who understand the print processes and fair pricing, and those who just know when they want the job and how much is in the budget for the project. They all buy printing, but, with a little education, can be an asset to the company, not a drain on your profits.
We can assist you with all the above problems. We can provide training for sales reps, customer service reps, estimators, planners, and schedulers on your premises, one at a time or in groups.
We can also train your print buyers! Invite several buyers for lunch, and we’ll present a training workshop for buyers. They will learn more about the printing processes and gain a better understanding of what it takes to produce a job from estimate to delivery.
We can also work with you to evaluate your customer base, target the type of work and customers that are a good fit for your capabilities, and develop a marketing campaign aimed at selling your company to customers from whom you can derive numerous profitable accounts that keep your equipment running and money in your bank account.
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