Technical Articles
Become Irresistible: Provide Clients With Great Bindery Advice
Published in New England Printer & Publisher
by Frank Shear
Printers can
separate themselves from the pack by helping clients select the right
graphic arts processes for their projects. Sales representatives
that spend a lot of time parroting specifications occasionally will win
some jobs, but they'll never be superstars. The best reps guide
their customers through a maze of options and focus squarely on the
solutions that satisfy individual client needs.
Learn About
The Job Before Giving A Quote
Let's assume you have a customer who is planning to produce a book on 60# offset text with a 10-point cover. If they ask you for PUR (polyurethane reactive) glue binding, wouldn't you just quote the job and if you win the bid, print it? Even though you may be tempted to do so (along with many other print sales reps), in this case, you'd help them more if you asked, "Why PUR?"
Unless this book will be subjected to extraordinarily harsh use, less costly perfect binding will be adequate for a job of this nature. Customers appreciate this kind of advice because it's clear you're working in their best interest. What would happen if you won the job and produced it only to have your customer discover that PUR was overkill? It would reflect badly on you. Good service means bringing information to the table, tweaking specifications when necessary and offering good advice throughout the decision-making process. Unlike other industries where up-selling and cross-selling are mantras, the best graphic arts salespeople provide client-focused solutions and thus are able to outperform their Joe Slick-type competitors.
Now, what would happen if you learn that this project is going to be printed on 100# enamel text instead of 60# offset? Would perfect binding still be the right solution? Although some binderies might try conventional perfect binding, the best option would be PUR glue - the strongest book binding glue available. If the inside cover has ink or varnish bleeding into the gutter, the argument for PUR is strengthened even further.
How would you respond if your client tells you that cost is very important and that they can't afford PUR? This is a trick question. Of the binding methods appropriate for this project (mechanical binding, PUR and bound sewn signatures), PUR already is the lowest cost alternative. Your bindery could attempt to perfect bind this job for you, but success would be anything but certain. Choosing a binding style that isn't up to the task isn't worth it, no matter how attractive the cost.
What if you discovered that this project is a cookbook? Even if your customer didn't specifically mention that the pages should lie flat, astute printers intuitively know that cookbooks need to be used hands-free and should have a layflat binding method. At a quantity of 10,000 books, both Otabind™ (patented flexible adhesive binding process with a detached spine) and Wire-O™ deserve mention. If the book is going to be sold at retail locations, spine printing is probably important, making Otabind a solid, cost effective option. If coated text is used, the Otabind process can be combined with PUR glue, satisfying durability requirements.
Some people want their books to lie flat-as-a-board, and for them mechanical binding is best. For these buyers, Wire-O with a wraparound cover to accommodate spine printing would make more sense than Otabind. Two-panel wraparound covers that cover the face of the product and three-panel wraparound covers that wrap around the spine both make sense. Either way, the title of the book would be seen when sandwiched between other books on retail shelves.
Let's consider a final scenario. If Wire-O is the customer's preferred binding method and the page count increases such that the book block now mikes out at more than 1-1/4" thick, a difficult choice must be made (Wire-O cannot accommodate book blocks thicker than 1-1/8"). Another mechanical binding style - plastic coil - can, but it's costly in large quantities. Although Otabind can handle thick books too, it fails the flat-as-a-board requirement. The only practical way to use Wire-O for a project like this is to use a thinner stock and get the book block thickness under 1-1/8". When working on jobs without perfect solutions, good print reps earn their commissions by guiding customers through the pros and cons of each option.
Let's
move on.
Verify
Customer Information
Do you agree with the statement, "The customer is always right?" While it's tempting to say, "Yes," you shouldn't. Part of what a good sales rep does is due diligence when gathering job specifications. Let's assume that a customer calls you for a modified reprint of a previously run book cover job. They tell you that they're going to add some text pages and want you to increase the width of the spine art to accommodate 3/4" book block. Should you just go ahead and print the covers? It depends on whether color breaks are present on the spine edges. If not, and there are no other design quirks, go ahead and print the cover. If there are, before going to press ask how they derived the spine thickness measurement.
Once printing is complete, if the book block mikes out differently than expected, either the customer will have to settle for color breaks off the spine or the covers must be reprinted. Assuming the proof was properly OK'd by the customer, the sales rep won't technically be at fault, but salesmanship was still less than adequate. The only true way to know book block bulk is to make a bulking dummy and measure it. Looking at old samples and adjusting for different page counts is imprecise. So is consulting a paper chart. When color breaks on the spine are at issue, ink should never be committed to paper until a bulking dummy has been assembled and miked.
Schedule
Is King, Quality is Queen
Schedule Problems: When scheduling issues arise, no matter how difficult it is to make the tough call to your customer, do it right away. Giving prompt, straightforward information keeps more options open for your customers. For instance, you may be able to help them outsource the job elsewhere, work out a partial schedule or arrange alternative shipping methods. The worst thing to say is, "I can't meet your schedule tomorrow. Do you want to pick up your job?"
Quality Problems: While there are literally thousands of quality issues that can arise during the manufacturing of graphic arts products, let's briefly mention just one: Cover marking (scratching and scuffing). Before printing book covers, be very careful about the inks and coatings you use. Reflex blue doesn't dry well, metallic inks scratch and some purples fingerprint like crazy. If your customer wants you to print a difficult color and doesn't specify any coating method, advise them that they may get unsightly cover marking. Identifying potential problems before sending sheets to your bindery, may allow enough time to take preventative measures, like changing inks, applying dry trap varnish or laminating your covers. The bottom line: A terrific way to help yourself is to involve your bindery early during the job planning stage.
* * *
If you provide
great advice and save your customers time and time again, you and your
company will become irresistible. Most printers know how to put ink
on paper. Differentiate yourself by guiding your customers through
the maze of post press operations. Do this well and you will win a
lot of jobs while simultaneously earning the confidence of industry key
business influencers. Since knowledge sells, invest in technical
training. Become a truly valuable resource by eliminating unpleasant
surprises and delighting your customers.
Frank Shear is President of Seaboard Bindery, a service-oriented trade bindery located in Woburn, Massachusetts. His company specializes in offering high quality perfect binding, PUR and layflat adhesive binding, saddle stitching, Wire-O™, plastic spiral, and other bindery solutions. Call Frank at (781) 932-3908 or e-mail him at frank@seaboardbindery.com.