Reality Cheick:
How to Ditch Your
Inferiority Complex
By Paula Fargo
Owner of Curry Print quick
printing company in
Baltimore, Md
Paula Fargo has managed tens of
employees and satisfi ed slightly
more customers than that over the
past 29 years. In Reality Chick, she
draws on her experiences to offer
blunt, honest, and hopefully witty
observations and advice for fellow
printing veterans who think they’ve
heard it all. She can be reached at
paula@curryprint.com or
410-685-2679.
I’m not a printing consultant. I don’t even play
one on TV. I don’t represent a printing industry
manufacturer or soft ware developer. I am but a
simple printing company owner. Like you.
Having been profi table in this business since the
1980’s at the same company, in the same location,
and serving some of the same clients over that
time period, I proff er my observations with passion,
self-assurance and, oft en, ruthless honesty.
And because I tend to be brutally straightforward,
I’m here to lay some hard truths on you.
Our industry suff ers from a severe inferiority
complex, coupled with a paralyzing fear of
confi dent pricing. Th e fi rst causes the second.
Based on some pricing activities I’ve witnessed in
our printing marketplace, we must not think very
highly of ourselves.
Why do I off er such a grim portrayal of our
industry? Glad you asked. Here are a few reasons:
• You roll over like a dog getting his belly rubbed
when asked to lower your price
• You give away high value services
• You won’t pass along your legitimate cost
increases
• You’re afraid to price jobs based on what they
are worth to the end user
Th is list of shame goes on and on.
Why, as an industry, are we so afraid of the
pricing aspect of our jobs?
My theory is that owners are reluctant to engage
in robust pricing of their goods and services
because they are not confi dent in their shops and
products, and are afraid to put them up against
lower priced competitors, for fear they will hear
“You, your company, your staff , and your products
are not worth the premium price you quoted me.”
Why are you afraid? Do you:
• Have confi dence in your team, that they can
off er excellent customer service?
• Believe in the product you sell, knowing that it
looks good and is at least meeting the expectations
of your client?
• Satisfy or exceed your deadlines on a regular
basis?
• Keep abreast of industry changes and news, so
as to alert your clients about new off erings?
• Stay one step ahead of your clients, with the
appropriate equipment to fulfi ll current and
future needs?
• Have a website created this decade, and keep
it updated with varying information to please the
search engine gods?
I could ask questions like this all day, but I’m feel
like I’m badgering the witness.
It would be cruel of me to only tell you about the
things you’re doing wrong and not provide any
solutions. I am, actually, mean; however, in this
case, I will off er some answers.
Rather than trying to fi x the “symptom” (weakkneed
pricing), I’ll go right to the root of the
problem: Fix your shop and lose your inferiority
complex.
• Train your staff to do what needs to be done.
Work with them directly and show them what you
expect.
• Make sure your quality control procedures are
up to snuff , and that your jobs don’t get bounced.
• Check your on-time delivery, ensure you are
meeting or beating deadlines, and then boast
about it!
• Regularly read industry and business periodicals
and books (obviously you can cross that one
off your list).
• Look at your competitors’ websites, get some
good ideas (don’t copy and paste them, for crying
out loud, that’s just not cricket!) and make some
changes.
Th ere, you’ve done all that, doesn’t that feel
good? Now you’ve got the assurance to price your
jobs confi dently. When you are asked by a prospect
or client for an estimate, you can loudly and
proudly state your premium price, knowing you
have the best staff , the most thorough quality control
procedures, and the stainless on-time delivery
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