Focus On Career Paths: The Role Of The Print Broker
Do you possess strong customer service and outside sales skills? Would you enjoy working in an environment that was anything but routine? The career of print broker might best appeal to you. A print broker serves the printing needs of his or her clients by coordinating and managing specific printing projects. To the customer, she or he fulfills two critical roles, as a project manager and as a printing industry expert. The print broker fulfills both of these roles by buying each component of the printing project from vendors that provide the best quality and value for the specific project.
What is the difference between a commercial printer and a print broker? A commercial printing company, in essence, is selling the capabilities of its equipment and people. In order for a particular print job to be completed, it must pass through several processes, including preflighting, electronic prepress, proofing, platemaking, presswork, and finishing. The print job travels from start to finish, in an assembly line manner. Print brokerage, on the other hand, approaches the printing process from a much different perspective. Instead of contracting one commercial printing company to complete the entire print job, the print broker buys each part from a different vendor. Since individual parts of the project are bought from varying vendors, the print broker can negotiate the best cost from each party, which provides the client with a quality job at a reasonable price. Print brokers, who have no capital equipment, focus on the demands of their customers, which include value, quality, and customization. Print brokers may be able to employ the latest technology by utilizing the best equipment and processes from multiple plants. And, some brokers may specify processes that least harm the environment. One print brokerage company, Gregory Watson Print Brokerage, has an environmental policy posted on its website, www.gregorywatson.com. The policy promotes the use of soy-based inks, recycled paper, and direct-to-plate technology, among others. Additionally, print brokers may also promote effective and efficient project management techniques to their potential clients. The Ballentine Corporation, for example, emphasizes such customer benefits as working with existing vendors with whom the client already deals, keeping costs within budget, low vendor turnover, and completing press checks for the client, if desired. Learn more about their overall promotional strategy by" visiting www.ballentine.com.
Does print brokerage spell the end of traditional, full-service commercial printing businesses? While one might be inclined to say ãyes,ä there are reasons why full-service commerical printers will continue to exist. First of all, many business have already established a strong working relationship with specific printers, and would not want to alter a relationship that works best for their interests. Second, commercial printers possess internal controls that decrease the possiblity of miscommunication that might impact the timely delivery of finished print jobs to their customers. Overall, for customers whose printing needs tend to remain consistent, commerical printers deliver known quality and consistency, time and time again. This, in and of itself, is a benefit.
If print brokerage sounds like a possible career option for you, please remember that strong outside sales and project management skills alone will not make you a successful print broker. In order to best serve the customer, you will need to be well versed in various kinds of printing processes, so that you will know what to look for in a potential vendor. If you are willing to devote the time and energy to learn the ãtraditionalä side of commercial printing, you may successfully make the transistion to print brokerage.