Boston Print Buyers - Margie's Print Tips

Margie Dana

I'm looking for print buyers who work for the government at any level. Please get in touch with me at mdana@printbuyersinternational.com if you'd like to be on a buyer panel in September. Boston is beautiful then!

Don't forget to take advantage of our Print Buyer Forum. There's a new post about reverse print auctions. Check it out - and post your comments - at www.bostonprintbuyers.com/pbforum.

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Margie Dana

[Print this Tip]

Inquiring Minds

by Margie Dana

Evidently, I do a great job of establishing myself as a print industry know-it-all, because questions of all shapes and sizes come flying at me day after day.

I love it! The enthusiasm for print hasn't waned. The need for information about what's going on in this industry hasn't faded either, if the amount of questions, and their depth, is any indication.

If anything, the quest for answers, insights, and guidance is stronger than ever. Perhaps it's because competition is red hot. Or because the US economy stinks. Or because newer media have people confused.

I think it's all three.

In today's Print Tip, I thought I'd share with you some of the questions I get asked by print buying professionals. Here are some that I get asked regularly - that alone should tell you something:

What does it really mean when printers say they've gone green?
When should a print job be printed digitally as opposed to offset?
In what ways can we as buyers affect/impact the various elements of the print manufacturing chain?
From start to finish, how is a print job costed out, so we know where the dollars are spent?
How do you diplomatically inquire about a printer's financial well-being?
How do our skills as buyers translate elsewhere?
What are the new trends in digital printing?
What can you tell me about consolidation in the paper industry, and the need for advanced planning when I'm ordering paper?
What can you tell me about using an RFP for negotiating a contract with terms and conditions for a print partnership?
What happens to a file from the time it leaves my office to the time it leaves the printer's?
How do we, as print buyers, promote ourselves internally?
How will the new interactive media, including social networking sites, affect us as business communicators - and can they, or should they, become an integral part of our marketing campaigns?

I answer these questions as best I can, and I often rely on content experts to advise me. Many times, these experts are buyers who have 10 or 20 years' experience and who are incredibly knowledgeable businesspeople. The more I hang around them, the smarter I get.

You probably can relate to these questions if you're a buyer. If you're a manufacturer, I should think that familiarity with these questions would help you serve your customers better.

I know how I'd answer them, but more importantly: Are you prepared to answer these questions if customers ask you?

Comments? Talk to me at mdana@bostonprintbuyers.com.

Print Buyer Conference Update

September 11th - 12th, 2008

Sheraton Boston Hotel, Boston, MA

More exhibitors are coming to Boston! It's no surprise that New England firms are certainly represented, but we also have exhibitors from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey (yay!), New York, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Here's a current exhibitor list:

Thank you all!

Don't miss your chance to make a great impact on our attendees! Register for your booth (Early Bird rates end on June 1st) and a Learning Lab at the same time!

Go to www.printbuyersconference.com/exhibitors

Questions? Contact info@printbuyersinternational.com.

Conference registration will begin later this month.

Wanted: Print Specifiers for Greening of Print Study

Pira International, a leading global consultancy in paper and print, is conducting a study on "The Greening of Print" for PRIMIR, the Print Industries Market Information and Research Organization.

Today, green printing is much more than just using recycled paper, and PRIMIR wants to know what your concerns are - now and in the future. As part of this study, Pira will be interviewing people who buy, specify, or influence print.

If you're interested in being interviewed for this study, please email Margie Dana at mdana@printbuyersinternational.com. Those who participate will receive a summary of the key findings of the print buyers survey.

Jack Miller, Pira's Senior Consultant for North America, and one of the leaders of the Greening of Print study, will be at our 3rd Annual Print Buyers Conference in Boston.

Job Posting

Appleseed's of Beverly, MA is looking for a Print Production Coordinator. For details and application information, click here.

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