THERE WAS NO such thing as a print-service provider in the fourth century B.C., but Aristotle’s wisdom from that time period rings true for the profession today: “Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution.”
All three of those things seem rather important in skilled vocations that require a lot of face time with the public. So, with the idea of building a check list of best practices for PSPs, we recently asked our Brain Squad members, “What’s one thing a PSP should never do?”
Your peers delivered with practical advice that comes with years of experience and track records of success.
Never …
1. “Underestimate your competition.” — GARY SCHELLERER, ER2 IMAGE GROUP, HANOVER PARK, ILLINOIS
2. “Argue about pricing. The price is what it is. Why customers ask, ‘Can I get it for less?’ and expect no sacrifices is beyond my reasoning.” — DREW VEACH, CORPCOLOR, WYOMING, WISCONSIN
3. “Tell clients to expect the world from you then only deliver an ‘OK’ product.” — CHRISTINE WALSH, ALPHA GRAPHICS, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
4. “Assume the client can visualize the final product. Media/substrate selection, finish and color should all be confirmed with the client before anything goes into production.” — ROB MATTHEWS, M3, GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA
5. “Poach customers from a trusted vendor partner.” — WADE NEFF, STRATEGIC FACTORY, OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND
6. “Make a promise that you can’t keep.” — CAIN GOETTELMAN, FLS BANNERS, STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN
7. “Stop improving processes.” — SHAWN O’NEAL, CONESTOGA DPI, MANHEIM, PENNSYLVANIA
8. “Take their employees for granted.” — BRIAN ADAM, OLYMPUS GROUP, MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
And then there’s the comedian to remind us that even business has its light side:
Never …
9. “Sleep! Never sleep, you should be working on that rush job that your client forgot to send you!” — RYAN CLARK, DIRECT EDGE, ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA
Can you add anything to the list? Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts.