GASAA panel asks how to be more than just a good printer

Last night’s session looked at ‘Being More than Just a Good Printer’, and featured discussion from the likes of SOS Print & Media director Michael Schulz, Focus Press pre-press manager David D’Astoli, and Canon Finance senior general manager George Lagos. The event was moderated by GASAA executive director Garry Knespal.

Schulz emphasised the importance of communication. He said it was important to manage clients’ expectations and anticipate problems before they occur.

“You’ve got to be talking to them about what they want. It’s not just doing it and sending it out like a mass production,” he said.

Schulz also said that a key differentiator in trying to attract new business was taking the time to get to know a potential client and developing a specific strategy for their print needs.

“It does take a lot of time to go into a company and find out what they’re doing, but it seems to be the only thing that works. If you just say ‘we’re a really good printer’, they’ve probably heard that before.”

Lagos, meanwhile, said company directors should “love their accountant” and that they should know how much margin was being made on every job.

“Having a good understanding of how much money you’re going to be left with is very important,” he said.

The panel also touched on the topic of R&D. Both Schulz and D’Astoli agreed that online tracking systems were an important part a company’s offering, though Schulz urged caution.

“All these online systems are great, but there are some customers that don’t want to go online. They want ‘the call’. They want to be taken care of. Online is not a cure-all,” he said.

Knespal said topics being considered for 2011 included ‘Can Print Become Sexy Again?’ and ‘Is There an Industry Plan and Does the Government Know About it?’

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