Editorial - Graphic Monthly Canada

June 2007

Habits of successful printers

What sets smart printers apart from the rest? These are 10 traits I

Who do you think will survive the shakeout that’s going to hit this industry? Start any conversation and the talk inevitably turns to this question. And everyone is positive a shakeout is going to happen, maybe not next month, maybe not next year, but it’s coming. After the purge, is it big printers who will survive, buffeted by their sheer size and market control? Or is it smaller, more nimble printers, who can maneuver quickly in response to market demands? Will one-stop shops have an advantage over printers who choose to focus their operations? What about the midsize guys, who have neither heft nor agility?

I’ve had this conversation countless times. But over the years, I’ve spoken to the best printers out there and I’ve come to believe that the printers who will survive any purge are the smart ones. Smart printers come in all shapes and sizes, but here are 10 traits I’ve seen that raise them above the pack.

1. They have a vision for their companies beyond the bottom line. They believe that great companies are more than their balance sheets. These guys get involved in their communities, they champion causes, they put a human face on the company.

2. They never stop innovating and improving their services and their business.

3. They’re hard wired to win, they work hard, and they demand a lot from others.

4. They have a 30,000-ft. view of the industry. They identify big trends years ahead of the pack and figure out how their companies can capitalize on them.

5. They’ve got their eyes on the distant horizon. They know where they want to go and how to get there. The plans they put in motion today are pieces of much larger puzzles. This is a process, not an exercise.

6. They are open minded about the new, particularly, but not necessarily, new technology. You could say there are two kinds of printers. Those whose first reaction is “That will never work in the printing industry,” when they see something new, and those who say “How can I turn this to my advantage?”

7. They get involved and never stop learning. They go to industry events, trade shows, seminars. They read beyond the industry publications and daily newspapers and have a broad view of the world.

8. They excel at customer service. No matter how good you are at putting ink on paper, fixing files, or executing special techniques, if you don’t treat your customers like you prize them, they will go somewhere else. Good printers know that nothing matters more than customer service.

9. They empower their employees and have a firm eye on succession planning. Good printers hire good people, treat them well, and allow them to contribute to the health of the company.

10. They have a healthy view of competition. Sure they want to beat the other guy and probably stay up late at night plotting how to do just that. But they are also part of an industry that they care about and sometimes co-operation trumps competition.

How will you fare in the deluge?

Filomena Tamburri is the editor of Graphic Monthly Canada. She can be reached at ftamburri@graphicmonthly.ca