Hoffman says large-format digital printing, which isn't limited to vehicle wraps, is easy to sell and often is needed by the services and hospitality markets. Earlier this year, Hoffman began working with an Ohio bank to wrap 4-feet poles in the bank's parking lot. The bank hopes the "dressed-up" poles, which include its logo, will catch people's attention and bring it more business. "The bank gets to market itself as people notice the poles," says Hoffman, who's finalizing the project details.
The key to successful large-format digital printing applications is commitment, Hoffman says. "We don't just say that we wrap vehicles, but we also show clients how well we wrap vehicles," he says. To make that happen, it's important to work with a vendor that provides excellent quality. Hoffman says the first commercial printer that wrapped a delivery van for him didn't provide acceptable quality. "There were scratches on the art," he says. "The printer asked me to view it from a distance, and said we wouldn't see the flaws. But that's not what you want."
Hoffman says it's equally important to pick the right materials and know how long they'll last. Also, find out if inks used for the job can withstand local weather conditions, and find a capable graphic artist. "You can wrap something that can look awful if not done right," he says.
Overcoming the Odds
Recognizing a decline in the demand for continuous forms six years ago, James Older, president and owner of BFL Printing Inc., a distributorship in Pembroke Pines, Fla., added commercial printing to his firm's product mix. Today, commercial printing accounts for 25 percent of the company sales, and Older is confident BFL's sales in the segment will increase "big time" in future.
But market conditions have been tougher than many expected: According to Formtrac 2002, a study of the document industry published by DMIA and Los Angeles-based consulting firm Sarkans & Associates, commercial printing didn't meet previously expected growth rates in distributor sales in 2001 because of the struggling economy and restructuring of commercial printing operations by major direct-selling companies.
When Older tried to sell commercial printing for the first time, he introduced himself as the president of Best Forms and Label Printing Inc. The prospective client immediately said he "sounded like a forms guy," Older says. He had a tough time convincing the client about the distributorship's commercial printing capabilities, and didn't gain the order. That led Older to change his company's name to BFL Printing Inc. and add a logo with the slogan, "Commercial printing on time." "They know if you're green," he says. "You just have to know the basics about commercial printing. If you don't know the basics, the end user will know right away."
In February 2002, Older landed a job to supply a 2-color, 44-page catalog to the Florida Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. He describes the experience as nothing short of the horror movie Nightmare on Elm Street. The association gave him a disk with text and pictures for the catalog, which is published every six months. "The disk just didn't work," Older says. "It couldn't be used with a printer. The pages needed to be reset from scratch, and the pictures were awful."
Today, as Older supplies the association with a catalog for the third time, he laughs at the experience. He says it was extremely frustrating and taught him a few lessons. "Don't even start work without checking if the disk works," he says. Compare fonts, pictures and type sizes on supplied disks with printouts of their contents, Older says. Clarify potential problems with the client immediately, he suggests.
Gaining an Edge
Like Older, Walter Berry and Beth King started selling commercial printing four years ago because of the sluggish forms market. Berry is president of Business Partners Forms & Systems Inc., Albany, N.Y., and King is a partner at the distributorship. They've worked together for 11 years. "Albany is remarkably competitive, and we needed an edge over the competition," Berry says.
As King was scouting for opportunities, the athletics department of Siena College in Albany was looking for ways to promote its fund-raising campaign for athletes. The college sent 81ˇ2 x 11-inch letters stuffed in #10 envelopes to a mailing list of 25,000 prospective contributors. Berry and King designed two 4-color, saddle-stitched, 51ˇ2 x 81ˇ2-inch, 8-page brochures. The college provided text and pictures for the brochures, and an independent commercial artist helped design them. Each brochure included a folded BRE. The distributorship offered to mail the brochures through a local mailing shop.
"The college wasn't used to that kind of service and picked one design," says Berry, who has been supplying the college with brochures since 1998. "The brochures have been very, very effective in increasing donations," King says. The college received $50,000 in athletics department donations in 1998 and $250,000 in 2001.
Adopting a Full-Service Mentality
King and Berry say they face considerable competition from local commercial printers selling direct. In spite of that, commercial printing accounts for 25 percent of Business Partners Forms & System's sales, and the percentage has grown steadily. Once distributors begin selling commercial printing, they can double their sales in three years, Berry says.
King and Berry say their distributorship offers full service, joining the know-how of a manufacturer, a professional designer and a mailing house. (The distributorship outsources design and mailing.) The distributorship doesn't depend solely on large-volume orders. "We're not that competitive on quantity," King says. "Our niche is smaller quantities."
Berry says a major challenge of commercial printing jobs is that clients wait until projects near completion to finalize designs. "Then the burden is on you to do the job on time," he says. To complete orders on time, the distributorship works with three manufacturers Berry trusts. "They know we're loyal to them," he says. "We tell them we want something done by a specific date, and they deliver on time."
King says commercial printing "isn't any more difficult to sell than anything else."
The driving demand for commercial printing is the need for businesses to generate cash flow, Berry says. "A college is looking to raise funds, and so are insurance companies that want people to buy their services," Berry says.
Commercial printing has opened "a whole different avenue" for the distributorship, Berry says. "By offering the capability, you become a problem-solver," he says.
Preeti Vasishtha is assistant editor of Print Solutions. Email her your comments at pvasishtha@printsolutions
mag.com.
[Sidebar]
Overcoming 4 Commercial Printing Challenges
Distributors selling commercial printing often face similar problems. Here are three common challenges and ways to tackle them:
1. Start with smaller clients. Stiff competition exists between distributors and direct-selling manufacturers, says James Older, president and owner of BFL Printing Inc., a distributorship in Pembroke Pines, Fla. "You'll give a price of $2,300, but someone selling direct will quote $2,000," he says. It's better for distributors to start with smaller shops and businesses as clients, Older says. "Get friendly with them and build a rapport."
2. Work with new clients. One way to break the ice with new commercial printing clients, Older says, is to show them a price list for commercial printing jobs from major 4-color companies. Clients then might realize you're not overcharging them.
3. Offer unmatched quality and communication. Work with commercial printers and manufacturers who produce quality work, Older says. Keep customers involved too, he says. Tell customers "the text they sent is OK and how long the job is going to take," Older says. Once that's done, the end user is likely to choose you again.
4. Expand your offerings. Distributors shouldn't focus solely on 4-color jobs, Older says. Two-color and 3-color jobs in large volumes are simpler to handle and profitable, he says.
