You Have WHAT on Your Bookshelf?
Books. From the time we’re babies, they surround us, with their bright pictures, big words and thick cardboard pages to chew on. Who doesn’t love a good book? What lines your bookshelf will no doubt change and evolve throughout your life, but there will always be titles that withstand the test of time (and teething). […]
Print 17 and Label Expo Europe Provide Industry a Clear Path for Print Business Success
Fall tradeshow season is in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere. This post is about two that I attended so far, and why I believe they should matter to you. PRINT 17 aka GRAPH EXPO in Chicago To start, I have it on good authority that the organizers of Print/Graph Expo are going to stop […]
Workflow Wisdom From Print 17
There are only a few tradeshows that attracts not only printers and print buyers, but an entire range of hardware and software providers. This year the organizers for Print 17 attracted new and existing exhibitors and in the neighborhood of 20,000 attendees to browse the show floor, meet with their current suppliers, identify potential new […]
What You Missed at Print 17
What’s that you say, my friend? You didn’t make it to Print ’17? You were too busy to make it? You didn’t want to spend the money? Hmmm. Well. All I can say is, in the eternal words of Vivian from Pretty Woman, “Big mistake. HUGE.” I am sorry to tell you this, but you […]
Print 17 May Be Over But the Printerverse Continues!
As previously announced, I rode a CMYK rainbow of fun and friendship to Print 17. It went fast, but I’m still savoring the afterglow of the camaraderie, information sharing, and alien-approved ridiculousness. I got exactly what I wanted out of the event: met the fleshy avatars of digital #PrintChat friends, made new connections, opened new opportunities, […]
How Many Printers Does It Take to Print a Light Bulb?
Q: How many Printers does it take to print a light bulb? A: You don’t know, you don’t print light bulbs… right? Because anyone can print a light bulb. You don’t want to be in the light bulb business. If you are, then you compete with everyone – including online discount light bulb printing factories. […]
The Day the Workflow Stood Still
The print hardware often gets the blame when there is a shop slowdown. Misfeeds, wrong stock loaded, paper transport issues, and even finishing equipment glitches can pose some challenges. But when the workflow has a problem the challenges can be greater because sometimes no one notices until nothing is flowing. You never want your workflow […]
Dear Best Client, Ever: An Open Letter to Inspire Your Greatness
In my illustrious 7- year career as a consultant/coach/headhunter/social media ambassador/advisor to the C Suite/Chief Bottle Washer and Overall Team Player, I have been fortunate to work with many awesome graphic arts companies from sea to shining sea. I have met with all different kinds of companies, all kinds of managers, CEOs, and sales people. […]
2017 Print Buyer Survey Says: When it Comes to Driving Print Sales, Stay in Your Lane
Greetings Citizens of the Printerverse! As promised in my post last month I will be rolling out results from my 2017 Print Buyer Survey. The survey background info can be found here. If you haven’t read it please do that first, then come back to this post to absorb the information in context. Normally I would put a […]
Waving a Workflow Wand for Magical Onboarding Success
Most print providers (commercial, in-plant, corporate) won’t need a wand or cape to discover that some parts of their workflow are in better shape than others. Over time new software tools are added and job flows are re-worked to take advantage of faster print and finish options. While all of that is happening new work […]
For Sales and Career Success Try An Optimists’ Mantra
Scarcity: A noun meaning the state of being scarce or in short supply; shortage. Abundance: A noun meaning a very large quantity of something. When it comes to looking at a person’s outlook on life, people are often lumped into one of two categories: optimists or pessimists. You know – the old “glass half full […]
Color, Quality and Consistency: 2017 Print Buyer Survey Results Are In
For the past two years I have sent out some poignant questions to the print buying community with two goals in mind; first and foremost to find out what they care about, and second with my Print Buyerologist hat on, help printers and suppliers understand what they care about, in a manner that will resonate. The […]