Margie Dana

It Seems to Me (Musings on the Current State of Print Buying)

I was just thinking about what I’m seeing in the print buying world these days. Here’s a random collection of my musings:

– Knowledge gaps are getting bigger. The elite print buyers are light years ahead of those entering the field.

– On second thought, they’re not really entering “the field” anymore. They’re likely in a marketing or media or creative position that now includes overseeing and managing print sourcing.

– This means they’re not choosing to work with the print industry. It’s assigned to them. What does this say about their interest in learning more about printing? I shudder to think.

– Elite print buyers are more interested than ever in keeping up with technology and trends in the print industry. The stakes are higher now.

– Plum jobs for senior-level print buyers/production managers are extremely hard to find. I don’t see an end in sight.

– If ageism is alive and kickin’ in the field, woe is the employer who chooses a young inexperienced print buyer over an older, seasoned one.

– In networking and other social settings, print buyers are on the alert for printers who don’t know when to stop selling. (If you’re guilty, dear sales rep, please take notice.)

– Come to think of it, print reps could use an On/Off button for Selling.

– Print buying pros aren’t into Twitter much. They are into LinkedIn.

– But if you’re searching for print buying pros on LinkedIn, don’t assume their info is current. It’s not always the case. Take my word on this.

– 99% of graphic designers are print buyers, though they don’t cop to it.

– 67% of print buyers polled will look to their peers for references of print providers. How are printers making use of this statistic?

– Experienced print buyers consult a printer’s equipment list before they contact the printer. If you don’t have the heavy metal (etc.) they’re looking for? They’ll move on.

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Comments (8)

Kevin Nielsen

November 21, 2011 at 12:14 pm

I’m with you Margie, only three days to Thanksgiving and looking forward to that hallowed American tradition.

I love your musings; here’s one from me. I’m on the print provider side and moved into the sales role two years ago after 26 years of operations roles. My recent musing is I’m a bit vexed that I’ve not been able to do more problem-solving for my customers.

As I envisioned moving to full-time sales, I had a notion my operations, problem solving and P&L experience would be a regular and rewarding aspect of print-sales. In most cases the focus is on getting the order, running and delivering according to specifications. Admittedly conformance to requirements is what matters most. I feel like I’m playing an integral but not impactful role in the supply-chain.

A client recently spec’d a First-class package that would have weighed 2.2 oz. I engineering it to be 1.9 oz and they appreciated saving the postal surcharge. This is a small example of solutions I’d like to provide.

Knowledgeable creatives know their stuff and build solid print specs. To your point about the knowledge gap and those who are assigned to buy print; my desire is to be a solution provider to these folks. Perhaps I’m being impatient.
- Margie Dana
  
  November 21, 2011 at 3:37 pm
  
  Kevin, thanks loads for your comment. It must be a challenge selling print today, no matter who the customers are! I encourage you to promote your problem-solving skills/ideas any and every way you can, without (of course) “over selling.” I believe most print customers, especially newer ones, place high value on reps who can offer solutions such as the one you cited. Even if your customers build great, fool-proof specs, there are likely ways you can offer ideas to help improve some or all of their projects.
  
  I hope that in your sales letter/introductory emails to prospects, you point out this is one of your specialties. If you find that many of your prospects/new customers are new to the field of print/print buying, definitely play up this talent.
  
  Do you ever contact your customers just to talk shop? I’m curious to know how many printers do this, just to build on the relationships and learn more about each customer.
  
  Thanks, and don’t get discouraged! I like your style Let me know how I might help.
Diane Toomey

November 21, 2011 at 3:18 pm

Thanks for some valuable insights and statistics, Margie! I too, like Kevin in MN, am working to be a solutions provider to my clients, many of whom are designers. If I work with a “media buyer” (“print buyer” titles are virtually non existent here in So Cal), they are not usually so involved with print as they are with other media. I find that I am one of the few of my competition (sales reps, not companies), who can offer technical expertise and production “what ifs” to assist clients in the process. I am the one they call on for advice where print production is concerned. It’s just not very often any more. So we are expanding our services and I my knowledge base so I can continue to be the expert consultant in the evolving world of graphic communications. I appreciate your perspective on this work, Margie!
p.s. I have an “OFF” button. it’s usually in the OFF position. I prefer to get to know a prospect and learn their challenges, so I know what to learn more about.
- Margie Dana
  
  November 21, 2011 at 3:42 pm
  
  Hi, Diane! thanks for posting! I am not at all surprised to hear that you are the “go to” expert in all things print production for your clients. I am sad but not surprised to know that print buyers are giving way to media buyers – what interests me is that you say it’s definitely a SoCal trend; I haven’t seen this so much on the East Coast. Not that the title “print buyer” isn’t shrinking, but it’s not quite going-going-gone. I think it’s destined to happen, though.
  
  Glad to know you have an always-on Off Button. That, too, doesn’t surprise me. In all the times we’ve communicated, you’ve never been in a Selling mode. It made a big impression on me, Diane
  
  You’ve given me an idea for a future conference session or panel discussion…..thanks for that!
  - J. Nicosia
    
    November 22, 2011 at 4:32 pm
    
    Hi Margie, I agree with your musings above. I’m one of the “seasoned” print buyers, been doing so for over 30 years (I even rubbed elbows with the good ‘ole boys in the 80’s!). I’ve seen this field, unfortunately, change first hand. Production departments are now far and few between.
    
    Plum jobs for seasoned pros are extremely hard to find. If you have one, you don’t leave. If you do (retire or die), then usually the job is put upon someone else as an additional responsibility, rather than spend the money on a pro (the company “thinks” they are saving money by doing this!). The more the “service provider”/printer steps in to help a novice buyer, the more the seasoned pro is not needed in the eyes of the company. The job gets done. Especially in this era of the big box print procurement companies, who help to diminish the internal position.
    
    It’s a shame that we are a dying breed. Print buying/production is an art,
    a creative skill. Our seasoned eyes can spot 10pt type off register at a glance. We don’t approve orange skin. We know how to tweak color on press to get that “just right” look. Our client is our main concern (not a commission check). A sales rep can’t just schmooze us over, we want knowledge. Vendors who know as much as, or more than, we know to help our projects be the best they can be as well as ourselves. We pride ourselves in our negotiating skills.
    
    Seasoned pro’s have a lot to offer, cheers to those firms and people that realize our value. Now, time to update my LinkedIn profile….!
    - Margie Dana
      
      November 22, 2011 at 5:23 pm
      
      Hi there, J, and thanks loads for weighing in. You seasoned pro’s have tons to offer. Your value is (sadly) not always recognized & cherished, and I will do whatever I can to keep fighting the misconception that anyone can get printing done. Make sure your linkedin profile accurately defines your worth, your skills, and your professional value! Cheers…
Michael Therrell

November 25, 2011 at 3:11 am

Margie, I just stumbled across your Musings and the comments from everyone resonated with me. I started in the business running large sheet fed, then on to 36″ and up six and eight color webs. In between these jobs I was a color scanner operator and cameraman, learning the old methods, making the transition to new technology very easy.
I worked my way up in a large fortune 500 company, starting as the plant manager for the city’s largest in-plant printing, mailing, storage and fulfillment center. With 16 associates and a 100k sq. ft. building, it was larger than many of the small to medium printers I had worked for over the years.
Perfect fit and was soon promoted to the corporate headquarters, where I continued to manager the in-plant center, purchased all printing that couldn’t be produced internally, became packaging manager for over 200 products, requiring corrugated and plastic container knowledge and the flexo world. My next additional responsibility was to manage all trade show property and of course the graphic panels for the displays.
I was the direct liaison to all national account customers, like Lowes, Home Depot and regional big box stores as well, developing and producing large POP’s ( point of purchase) displays…..
I also assisted each corporate department with their printed materials and directed all photo shoots and directed and produced all videos. Most of these skills were learned on the job. I wasn’t asked if i wanted these new managerial roles, I was told I was the “Go To Guy”, so it was a natural fit.
When the housing market took a nose dive, so did our business, being the second largest manufacturer of drywall in the country. My jobs was outsourced back to the vendor or supervised by two clerical people that worked in marketing, so I feel the pain of not being thought of as adding value to the company, even when I tracked all the savings realized from the projects I produced, thus justifying my position as much as ten times over my salary.
I’m well known in the graphic arts community as a tough, but fair project/production manager. With the knowledge of packaging, trade shows and apparel decoration, there’s not too many projects I have not managed or been part of, working with free lance and advertising agencies. No matter who produced the artwork or developed the creative, I managed all production, saving my company the traditional 18 to 25 percent mark ups, all documented for my annual reviews.
From where I sit the main problem is the Director level and up, have no clue as to the expertise required to manage these projects effectively and economically, but rather it’s handled as if someone were buying pencils and office supplies. Corporations will always chase where their marketing dollars are going, as long as they don’t recognize the difference in an order taker and an order placer, versus someone who knows how a press prints and what a bleed is and how to adjust art to accommodate for heavy coverage. The man or woman placing these orders should be required to take an exam before they can touch a printed piece or ask a photographer to take photos in a native file or a RGB. They have no clue and can’t answer the vendor to ensure projects are produced with the future in mind, not to mention the language or terms we use to describe the process. How does a director get his or her hands on an image from a brochure, to use in a PowerPoint presentation to the executive committee? Share-Point, but who manages it and ensures the correct file formats are available and downloads new images and removes the old? They end up spending two to three times what they should have spent and didn’t understand why they gave instructions for a project the way someone suggested or how the file describes it was produced last time. God help them if it’s a new project, or they get the agency involved running the meter the entire time, where if they had an in-house graphics manager there would be smooth sailing and on-time delivery at a fair price for all parties involved. Building relationships, instead of always shopping price. Vendors remember being beaten up when you hit them with a rush project in the twelfth hour and you can count on the price to reflect their memory when there’s no one else that will commit to your deadline.
Have you ever seen an executive’s face when he sees an invoice from an ad agency for a 16 page brochure 6/6, 50k copies? You better know what you are talking about so he understands the cost and what’s involved. A good production manager will take his supervisor or a marketing executive on a short field trip to one of his printers or related vendor. This always helps to explain the budget and any future charges your company will receive, as well as what’s involved. They are always shocked that so much effort takes place behind the scenes. They definitely come away with a much better appreciation for your job and knowledge.
I’ve been looking for over two years now, selling cars and brand ambassador for major dog food company, jobs I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I from the old school I suppose, but only 57, with plenty to contribute.
Thanks Margie for the work and articles. I can only pray that someone gets it some day and realizes every company or corporation needs an in-house expert.
Do you know of any company’s that might need an experienced marketing/graphics professional?
Thanks Margie
J. Nicosia

November 29, 2011 at 12:47 pm

Thank you Mike, for elaborating on my summary, you brought up great points (i.e. the savings we obtain covers our salary), that deserve to be mentioned. You hit the nail on the head when you wrote upper management treats the position as if buying pencils. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one where this subject strikes a nerve. Margie, this might be a good panal to put together for your next print conference, it will certainly be lively!

It Seems to Me (Musings on the Current State of Print Buying)

J. Nicosia

Margie Dana