printer

The three places most people never visit on a print factory tour – and why you should make a point of inspecting them

I love exploring unusual places when I go on holiday.  The well known tourist sites are very impressive.  But everyone goes there.  They are geared up for visitors.  You rarely get an insight into the true culture of a place.

I prefer to try and discover less well known places.  This often gives me a much better idea of what a place is really like.

Print buyers should think like travellers

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How supplier evaluation forms prevent wasted meetings with print sales people

Have you ever sat in a meeting with a supplier staring at the clock?  Have you ever wished the meeting would end quickly?  And regretted ever having agreed to it in the first place?

This used to happen to me quite a few times.  A supplier would ring me up.  They would sound interesting.  So I’d invite them in for a chat.  And I would then find myself enduring a lengthy sales pitch.  Even though I had realised in the first five minutes of the meeting that the supplier was not going to be a fit for what I needed.

Now I never have pointless meetings like this.  And that’s because I find out lots about potential suppliers before I meet with them.  I make sure I already know how they work.  And exactly what they offer.

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Why project planning helps you achieve the right print results

I love my adventures out in the mountains.  I can be away from civilisation and be entirely self-dependent.

But mountain travel requires careful planning.

I need to make sure that I have the right equipment.  I need to make sure that I have enough food.  And I need to make sure that I have planned my route carefully.  And that I will have alternative routes if the weather turns bad.  But I don’t just use planning in the mountains.

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How a four line e-mail can save a print buyer £12,000

“I’m sorry Sir, we have no record of offering you those prices.”

I bought a new hi-fi system recently.  I had been into my local shop a few days before to discuss the different options open to me.  And I had taken the opportunity to negotiate some good deals.  A few days later I went to the shop to buy the system.  But it appeared that those prices had been forgotten.

Fortunately I had been prepared on my previous visit.  And I had asked the sales person to write down the prices that they were prepared to offer me.  So now I was able to show this written agreement to the shop.  As a result, I was able to buy my hi-fi at the price I had hoped.  But I was very glad I had had a written agreement.

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How using a personal strategy will help you choose the best print company

How do you choose your print suppliers?

Many people do a quick internet search.  But how can you be really sure that you have found the best print company this way?  There is a far better way to narrow down your initial search.

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