Major clients in a variety of industries use both promo and print products. And they want the one-stop shop experience.

That was the crux of the conversation among panelists during “Proof Positive: How Distributors Have Profited With Print,” a Power Session during ASI Fort Worth.

From left: Denise Gustavson of PRINTING United Alliance moderates the “Proof Positive” panel at a Power Session at ASI Fort Worth, featuring Ashley Beall of CSI Printing (asi/165214), Carla Sisk of ColorMix Graphics & Printing (asi/165002) and Sophie Hudson of Kash Imprints (asi/125286).

Moderated by Denise Gustavson, editorial director for the media brands under PRINTING United Alliance, ASI’s strategic partner, the guests shared their experiences with offering both print and promo.

Gustavson explained that, according to NAPCO Research (part of PRINTING United Alliance), 94% of top brands appreciate print for its quality communication; 92% cited print’s ability to cut through the noise of digital media as part of its appeal; and 88% said print enhances their brand credibility. Additionally, top markets for promo, including education, healthcare, construction and finance, according to Counselor’s annual State of the Industry report, are also top markets for print products, like direct mail, marketing collateral, packaging and wide-format printing.

“Customers want a one-stop experience,” said Gustavson. “They want one person to deal with, so offering both promo and print is an opportunity to enhance the customer experience.”

Gustavson then introduced the three print/promo panelists: Ashley Beall of Texas-based CSI Printing (asi/165214), Carla Sisk of Texas-based ColorMix Graphics & Printing (asi/165002) and Sophie Hudson of Virginia-based Kash Imprints (asi/125286).

“Clients were asking for things, and we kept saying no – so we started offering the print they were asking for,” said Hudson. “In the last couple years, we started doing more paper print after doing a lot of banners and signage.”

Sisk started in print more than 30 years ago at Kinko’s. When she started her own print business in the early aughts and clients would ask for things she wasn’t familiar with, she would ask for 48 hours to figure it out.

“YouTube has a wealth of information,” she told attendees. “You can also find a local print shop and ask for a tour. Find a good partner who will teach you new things because you have to educate your client as well. Ask someone you trust who they work with. You don’t need the answers; you just need to know who to ask.”

Beall’s family has owned CSI Printing since the 1980s – one of its largest clients since almost the beginning has been Whole Foods, a relationship the company has nurtured for about 40 years.

“You have to be able to pivot, but the biggest thing is relationships,” she said. “Partner with a printer you trust. And remember that print can be a whole new language for distributors – paper, for example, is the hardest part of the job, with the different textures and weights. Develop a relationship with a paper rep, and bring them with you when you visit clients.”

At the same time, printers have to strike the right balance when it comes to sharing behind-the-scenes details on how product is created.

“A client is interested in the output, not the process,” said Hudson. “It’s over their heads. They just want their trifold to look good. They can get lost in the details.”

Beall said in her experience, clients over 45 want to know all the nitty-gritty; those 45 and under aren’t interested and just want their products to look good.

“Don’t overwhelm them, but let them know all the things you can do,” said Sisk. “And remember whether it’s done in-house or out-of-house, the buck stops with you.”