Scott Whitten, CEO of Marietta, GA-based Proforma OnePoint (asi/490798), was introduced to the print industry through art. With a bachelor’s degree in fine art and double major in graphic design and photography, his education allowed him to take a consultative approach to selling print.

“I actually started out in print making deliveries at a small print shop and quickly realized that I loved it and the manufacturing process,” he shares. “I eventually worked my way through most of the departments, including prepress and design, to get to sales.”

After spending more than 20 years in the print industry, Whitten joined Counselor Top 40 distributor Proforma’s (asi/300094) network in 2018. Asking what pushed him to transition to the distributor side of business, he says it was two things: He was tired of telling clients no, and the burnout of only selling print became real.

“I think some distributors don’t realize that a lot of promotional and apparel buyers also either buy print or work closely with a department that does. I also know from my years of selling print, promo and apparel that most people would rather deal with less suppliers and welcome one contact for all three. That is value to a client.” Scott Whitten, Proforma OnePoint (asi/490798)

“I wanted to solve all my clients’ problems, and I was limited to the equipment I had at the printing company I was with,” he explains. “Being a distributor that offers print, promo and apparel, we are only limited to our vast vendor network and imagination. In other words, we find the equipment that solves their problem instead of trying to change their problem to fit a limited set of printing presses. We have complete freedom to meet their needs.”

Proforma OnePoint capitalizes on a movement gaining traction across the industry: convergence. As buyers look for that one-stop solution and businesses look for new revenue streams, the print and promo worlds continue to collide. Whitten aims to be that one point of contact clients look for in a partner.

“I think some distributors don’t realize that a lot of promotional and apparel buyers also either buy print or work closely with a department that does,” Whitten says. “I also know from my years of selling print, promo and apparel that most people would rather deal with less suppliers and welcome one contact for all three. That is value to a client.”

The Smartest Way To Start Selling Print

Looking at what distributors need to add print to their promo offerings successfully, there are a few must-dos across technology, relationships and expertise.

First and foremost, Whitten says a distributor’s order entry software must be able to handle print jobs. Operationally, promo distributors are often only set up to take on promo and apparel orders.

“If your software can’t handle print, you will need to decide to ditch it and get one that does, or maybe figure out a work-around within that software,” he says. “The second thing I would suggest is lining up your print suppliers. You need to know who to go to when you get a quote.”

Proforma OnePoint (asi/490798) offers print, promo and apparel to clients.

Having the right software and vendor network in place means quicker quoting. Once you have those two areas covered, hiring the right skill set is next.

“That is much faster than trying to learn printing,” he adds. “If you must learn it yourself, take every print course offered by your print suppliers and spend as much time as they will let you on a plant tour. Go see how this stuff is made and have someone with you from the plant that will take the time to explain what you’re seeing. Exposure is priceless.”

The smartest way to start selling print? Whitten says hire someone who already knows it – someone who can handle requests, spec orders out and who knows the best paper, ink and specialty finish for a job.

“The ROI is there to justify the hire in most cases, especially if you have existing customers asking you to do their printing,” he says. “You might even find a virtual CSR that knows print – start them on a part-time basis. Get creative. This allows the distributor to immediately recognize sales and revenue in print. It also allows the distributor to learn print from that person.”

Once the foundation is there, it comes down to simply presenting it at every chance.

“We know that if a prospect or a client calls us about a uniform opportunity, there could be an opportunity for printing as well. So, we always ask,” he continues. That means positioning print in every discovery call or presentation alongside promotional products or uniforms.

“If they call us about a specific need like uniforms, we always address that first, but you can bet that before that call ends, we have brought up that we can help with vendor consolidation because we offer all three,” he explains. “We also mention that we can roll them into an online solution for easy ordering and brand control. We make sure during the selling process that any one of our offerings opens the door for another. Really it comes down to making the client aware of all that we do. It just flows from there.”

The great news is that what can be an overwhelming category to tackle doesn’t have to be. With the right supplier partners, associations like PRINTING United Alliance and a little gumption, it’s more than possible.

“Whether we want to admit it or not, print is more involved than promo and apparel,” Whitten adds. “It’s not easy. I think that pushes people away from taking the time to learn it. However, it’s a huge ROI of the time you put into learning it.”

Proof It Works

Last year, OnePoint completed a million-dollar acquisition, which allowed the company to enter a new vertical market that, Whitten says, hadn’t been on the company’s radar.

“They were a promo and apparel distributor that stayed away from print,” Whitten says. “Just by letting the customers know we can now offer them print will add hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales over the next year.”

All because those customers want to deal with one less contact. It’s proof the print and promo distributor model works. No more silos. No more separate buckets. Offering the triple threat of print, promo and apparel is the competitive advantage – the differentiator – many distributors are looking for.