Margie Dana

If I worked for a printing company (never have), there’s no way on God’s green earth I’d be selling ink on paper. Every printer can print. And provided you know how to choose printers wisely (i.e., pick printers who are comparable), you’ll be sending out for bids to printers whose prices are in the same ballpark. So many printers are so very alike.

Here’s one perk that a lot of printing companies supply to their customers: access to other professionals.

I’ve lost track of all of the connections I’ve been offered by printers in my career. Whether or not a print rep makes a dime off of this “social largesse,” he or she is deepening the customer relationship every time a connection is made.

Here are just some of the connections printers have made for me when the need arose –

Graphic designers
PR firms
Videographers
Web site designers
Photographers
AV firms
Direct mail experts
Promotional items specialists
Marketing consultants
Mail houses

If I sold print, I’d be this kind of salesperson – known for my generosity of spirit and always willing to help my clients out no matter what they needed.

That’s what I would sell. My resourcefulness. My connectedness. My willingness to help customers come what may.

Printers are well connected, especially in creative services. Take advantage of their network. It’s an under-reported service of most printing companies, in my opinion. So if you’re a customer, look for this benefit from your printers. If you’re a printer, encourage your reps to be resourceful in this way, and then work it.