INDUSTRY TIPS / THE ONLINE PRINT COACH 57 www.printmonthly.co.uk September / October 2024 - Issue 350 Suppliers can provide everything from paper, ink, equipment, software, and print services ▼ TAKING A BALANCED APPROACH WITH TRADE SUPPLIERS This month I wanted to shed some light on an everyday issue I witness within the printing industry — conflict between printing companies and their trade suppliers. I’m very fortunate to have sat on both sides of the fence and so the aim of writing this article is to get you thinking a little differently the next time something goes wrong. Having a good relationship with your suppliers is vital to your success, whether it be for paper, ink, equipment, software, or print services. These partnerships, however, are not without their challenges as I am sure you well know. Breakdowns in communication, delays, and quality issues are all par for the course in our industry yet we don’t always react in the best way when things do go wrong. Threatening to leave or to move to another supplier or taking the issue too personally can often lead to negative effects for both you and the supplier. Sadly, things do go wrong from time to time and hopefully after reading this article, you may have a more balanced perspective in the future. Quality Control: Colour inconsistency, print quality, poor finishing, or items being badly packaged are all things that can reflect badly on a supplier and as such can result in reprints, extra costs, and delays which can have a negative impact on your client. Timeliness: Deadlines seem to be getting shorter and shorter these days so if your supplier is late, it can result in a dissatisfied customer who perhaps loses trust in your ability to deliver on time. Communication Breakdowns: Miscommunication or lack of timely updates can be frustrating. Finding out a job isn’t going to be there too late in the day, leaving you no time to find an alternative solution is a common problem. Pricing Discrepancies: Sudden price changes or misquotes can be problematic if you’ve already quoted a job. Supply Chain Issues: External factors like material shortages, something we experienced a lot during Covid-19, can affect your suppliers’ ability to deliver on time. As I mentioned before, I’ve sat on both sides of the fence, so I like to think in my time as a trade supplier, I was able to understand the impact of issues and have more empathy for different situations. Sometimes it can only be natural to respond with frustration and finger wagging. Taking these issues personally, and let’s be honest, reacting emotionally, can lead to conflicts that are detrimental in many Colin Sinclair McDermott, aka The Online Print Coach, offers his advice and notes to remember when dealing with trade suppliers in the print industry Having been in the print industry since the mid-late 90s, Colin Sinclair McDermott entered the world of self-employment in 2004 and over the years that followed, experienced a number of highs and lows running his own print company, learning what does and doesn’t work. In 2022, he trained with The Business Coaching Academy to become a fully certified corporate coach with the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches. Through The Online Print Coach, industry members can access an online training platform, Print Mastermind and private 1-to-1 coaching with Sinclair McDermott. www.theonlineprintcoach.com Common Issues with Trade Suppliers The Negative Impact of Taking Things Personally
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