Printing Education, Career Pathway
Joe Rickard
CTC Leads with Innovative Graphic Arts Career ...

Central Texas College instructor, Bobbi Waddle conducting her graphic communications class

CTC Leads with Innovative Graphic Arts Career Education

"Commercial Printing"

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The Future of Newspapers

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Within a group who work with Intellective Solutions, we have been exchanging emails about the implications of the purchase of the Washington Post and the long term prospects for newspapers. Here is in the thoughtful email shared by SEO expert and Web strategist, Matt Robson on the his view of the future of newspapers and how they will evolve. As many of our folks are dedicated to print, his opinion elicited some lively discussion from within our Intellective Solutions extended team.

 

"As the younger generation's demographics shift to living in cities, they don't have a front stoop that begs for delivery. We might pick up a paper here and there if we lack a book or device on the train or coffee break, but, it's not a daily appointment with these titles the way the older generation had them. Smart phones with Facebook and twitter nix the desire to have news pushed to us. If we really want news, there is Google news, and any number of blogs

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Stop Spinning and Start Selling #Printing

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With the advancement of digital printing, W2P and the gradual acceptance of cross media printing solutions, many printing salespeople have a lot of new products and services to offer their customers. There is a great deal to learn and a much to do.

The key question is “are printing salespeople and their management up to the task?”  During our sales and marketing consulting engagements with graphic communications organizations, we find many are.

Here is the challenge. Large customers have continued to reduce expenses and in particular marketing budgets. Many small and mid-size customers have suffered the most. They have been especially hammered by uncertainty and a slow recovery. It is tough enough to sell printing in a good economy; it is really rough to sell in a bad one where there are lots of less expensive digital and social media choices

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#Sales Management and Infoparalysis

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A new trend is taking shape in sales management

Over the last few years, we have seen more and more companies move to a control sales management style. This is particularly evident in larger companies. The theory here is if you determine all the steps necessary to generate an order and then manage the sales force to those steps, sales will increase. An added benefit is it helps executives provide more fact based revenue and  profit forecasts.

Using sales automation software or CRM systems, sales management and executives count how many prospects are in the pipeline and what sales activities are being generated to produce orders. It is science over art.

A good compensation plan and a “kick in the pants”

For a long time, we worked with companies whose sales management program could best be described as a good compensation plan and a “kick in the pants”. In this scenario, the sales people determine where the prospects are and what needs to be done. Everyone is happy as long as business is coming in.

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Poor Content and #Printing of Product Documentation Is Bad Marketing

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Am I the only person who gets frustrated with poorly designed, poorly written and poorly printed product documentation? It never ceases to amaze me how companies can invest so much money into the development and production of their products and then not take one additional small step to ensure that all their marketing is first class.

Here are two examples of many that I have recently uncounted:

I recently bought a high end car. There were four manuals provided. Sitting in my car and attempting to learn all the features and capabilities was daunting. The content and graphics depicting and explaining the car elements were not clear enough. Using my laptop within my car was not a viable alternative. I learned most of what I need through trial and error.

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Substrates and the Selling of #Printing

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Here is an email I received from a great printing executive and legendary nonprofit fundraiser, Frank Regnante. He is one a number of pros who have urged me to write more about the importance of substrates in the selling of print. I completely agree

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#Printing After All Is a Personal Service

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Most print providers get most of their new business from existing customers. With so many commercial printers trying to compete in a price sensitive and commoditized world, customer service is often the only differentiator among competitors. Providing outstanding customer service is a critical necessity.

I recently ran across an old 1922 ad for a large NY Printer, Charles Francis Press in Printer’s Ink Magazine. The title of the advertisement was “Is the Charles Francis Press Too Big?”

The gist of the ad was that this large printing company was easy to do business with. The copy of the ad written by owner, Gus Oakes, emphasized that any customer was welcome to come to the plant and ask any employee what was the status of their job. The promise was that the Charles Francis Press will treat every job and every customer special. 

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Social Media and Commercial #Printing

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At Graph Expo 2012, I participated in two education events where the topic of social media was discussed vigorously. Essentially the question came down to two key points. Should Commercial Printers be using social media in their sales and marketing strategies? The answer is YES.

In a July, 2012 poll conducted by Social Science Research Solutions (SSRS) published by the AARP Bulletin, 69% of ages 18 to 49% and 38% of ages 50-plus use some type of Social Media.  These represent big numbers that will likely get even bigger.

At the very least, just like with any communications media, Printers must know how to integrate social media and print. 

Here are two important to do’s for every Printer.

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