Print Trends
NAPL's Howie Fenton tackles digital printing, workflow management, color management, process control and emerging digital technologies.
Great Customer Service
I heard a presentation once about sales and customer service in which the presenter said that someone well trained and good in sales and service could work in any company with any products. Although some people might disagree, I tend to agree because I have many clients who hire based on attitude and work ethic and not based on previous experience. Here’s a person I would love to hire to wo ...... Read More
Comments (2)PSP to MSP Controversy Emerges
At NAPL’s recent Top Management Conference (TMC) I learned about a controversy brewing about printers offering and becoming marketers. Most printers know that the value and volume of printing services alone is difficult to sustain. As a result, most try to offer more value-added services such as design, variable data printing, mailing, fulfillment, etc. However, a natural extension of vari ...... Read More
Comments (2)At GOA Business Issues Cross International Boundaries
Last time we discussed the unique advantages of the GOA (Graphics of the Americas) show. In this blog we will discuss how sales, profits, and value are universal themes faced by companies throughout the world. My seminars were well attended and I was pleased by the interactions. My three presentations were: Building a Practical Workflow That Works Profiting From Digital and On-Demand Printing Serv ...... Read More
Comments (0)Warmer Weather and Good Content Attracts People to GOA 2010
I had the privilege of making three presentations at the recent Graphics of the Americas (GOA) in Miami. It has been a long time since I made presentations at GOA and I was happy to see that the show retains its unique advantages and the business concerns that we face in the U.S. are not unique. The first advantage became clear to everyone on the first day of the show when yet another huge winter ...... Read More
Comments (0)TMC 2010
Andy Papparozi launched the NAPL Top Management conference with a rousing State of the Industry speech. Andy is NAPL’s Vice President and Chief Economist and if you have never heard Andy you should find a way. In my mind there is no one better who talks about both the macro and micro sides of the economy and our businesses. Andy confirmed that not only is the worst of the recession over for ...... Read More
Comments (0)Canceling Flights - When the Remedy is Worse Than the Disease
Over ten years ago, a winter storm in Detroit stranded hundreds of people for up to eight and a half hours. About 5 months ago passengers aboard a jet in Minnesota were trapped overnight. Usually, the cause for these delays is bad weather - planes fill with passengers and queue for takeoff, with the hope the weather will improve. When it doesn’t, they sit. As these cases continue to appear ...... Read More
Comments (1)A Book About Travel Tips
After seeing the movie “Up in the Air” I have been sharing some travel tips. Over the years I have debated if these tips are worthy of writing in a book. Fortunately for me, writing and publishing a book has never been easier. Gone are the days that you had to make a business case with a publisher to get a book contract. With self publishing anyone can write a book. One of the things ...... Read More
Comments (0)Fasting to Overcome Jet Lag
OK this is the third blog about traveling so I will put this on the back burner after this one. But this is pretty interesting for those of us who fly often. It is a new way to combat jet leg. Most people already have their own strategies when they fly across many time zones - meaning flights to Europe or further. Some people take sleeping pills or drink on the plane and try to sleep. Other people ...... Read More
Comments (0)Flying with Baggage
Last time we talked about a new book idea I had entitled “Fly Like Pro.” This is becoming more important lately as flying is becoming much more challenging. Lately there have been changes in both carry-on policies as well as baggage fees. For short stays, it’s always better to carry-on, if you don’t have much. However, sometimes I travel with another consultant who has ...... Read More
Comments (0)Fly Like a Pro
These days, with the economy down, many consulting assignments are emotionally challenging because attempts to return companies to a financial break-even requires monitoring expenses and implementing cost cutting strategies. For those companies that have been struck hard by the recession this can lead to an inevitable conversation, “What would you do if you had to sell the company?” ...... Read More
Comments (0)MIT Study Deflates Online Ad Advantages
I am a big fan of the web site Print In the Mix (http://printinthemix.com/). I think Editor-in-Chief Pat Sorce, from RIT has done a great job with her team in promoting the role of print in the media mix. I have had the opportunity to work with Pat and find that she and this web site are great resources for our industry. In fact, the web site Print In the Mix is becoming an invaluable resource for ...... Read More
Comments (0)Profitability and Prepress
No one likes to admit that they have unprofitable customers. But the simple fact is that all companies have them, they are just not all aware of how many there are or how much of an impact it has on the bottom line. This is one of the toughest conversations to have with companies. Whenever I bring this subject up I sense frustration because they know that some customers are less profitable but are ...... Read More
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