How To Onboard Your Print Partner

Hiring the right print partner can have a huge impact on your business.

You may already know what to look for in a print partner, but once you’ve made your hire, it’s essential that you get them up to speed and set them up for success in order to get the most out of your new relationship.

Here are some tips on how to onboard your print partner:

Train Them On Your Policies and Procedures

The first thing you’ll need to do when onboarding your print partner is get them up to speed on your company policies and procedures. Every company has a different way of doing things, and your print partner needs to be in the loop on how everything runs.

So, for example, what’s the procedure for submitting invoices? Do they need to be submitted on a weekly or monthly basis? Who should they submit them to? How long do they take to be paid out, and who’s the correct contact to reach out to if they have any questions or concerns?

Or, as another example, what’s your company policy on submitting print jobs? Should they only accept requests from you, or are there multiple managers within the company that are authorized to order print?

Making sure that your print partner has a clear understanding of the policies and procedures within your business will be critical in avoiding miscommunications and misunderstandings down the road.

Establish Communication Expectations

It’s also important to establish expectations for communications.

Everyone has different communication preferences, and it’s important that you and your print partner get on the same page from the get-go on how you’re going to be communicating. Do they prefer to communicate primarily through email or do they also want a weekly touch-base over the phone? Do they prefer revisions to be submitted on email or through an online customer portal? What’s the expectation for how quick they’ll respond to requests or last minute print needs?

Squaring this off at the beginning of the relationship will help things flow smoothly and make sure that everyone feels they’re being communicated with in a respectful and mutually beneficial way.

Setup Systems

If you want a successful (and low maintenance) relationship with your new print partner, you’re going to want to establish systems off the bat. Systematizing as much of your print processes as possible will ensure that your relationship with your print partner runs like a well-oiled machine and will minimize the amount of involvement you’ll need on a day-to-day basis.

Set up a meeting with your print partner, review every aspect of the print process and develop a system that both of you agree on. You’ll want to have a system for everything: how to submit new print requests, how to submit revisions, what to do if an order is misprinted and what to do if you have a request you need completed during off hours.

Write every system down in a manual and have your print partner sign off on it. Having systems in place will eliminate any confusion and enable things to happen quickly and easily as your relationship progresses. Having all of your systems in place (and in a document) will also help make the transition smooth if you need to hire a new print partner or your current partner brings a new team member on board to manage your account.

How Can We Help?

At Rogue Print and Mail, our proven track record of delivering the highest quality graphic design and print services to professionals speaks for itself. With fast turnaround times, industry specific templates and designs, an online portal available for any groups that wish to work with us to be able to store and manipulate their templates, and an in-house team to guide you in all of your branding, design and printing needs, Rogue Print and Mail is the preferred design and print partner for many hundreds of professionals across Australia.

I sincerely hope that you found this information valuable.  For advice on effective branding, design and cross media marketing, please don’t hesitate to call me on 1300 65 85 00 or email me at paul.stenhouse@rogueprintandmail.com.au  to arrange an obligation free 10 minute discussion with a member of our expert team.