do you have the same issue-Sales does not understand PDF workflow.

[Chasfinch]

Hello

I am trying to find way for our sales to understand receiving a good print ready PDF (we are on a pdf workflow duh) is less problematic and quicker then getting native files. I could go on about this but does anyone have suggestions on how to show sales why for most of our jobs a print ready PDF is preferable. the owner himself has said that a PDF is preferable yet there is more resistance then a trump nominee

 

[Dov Isaacs]

Hello

I am trying to find way for our sales to understand receiving a good print ready PDF (we are on a pdf workflow duh) is less problematic and quicker then getting native files. I could go on about this but does anyone have suggestions on how to show sales why for most of our jobs a print ready PDF is preferable. the owner himself has said that a PDF is preferable yet there is more resistance then a trump nominee

Why not put together a set of examples that prove your point? For a particular job, show what is involved in submitting source (i.e., “native”) files including all referenced graphics, ICC color profiles, fonts (remember the licensing legal issues here!), etc. versus submitting a press-ready PDF/X-4 file with all fonts embedded, ICC color management, live transparency, etc.

Show examples of what can and often does go wrong when native file submission isn't quite right, different versions of fonts are used, and/or different versions of applications are used.

Before doing this, you may want to ascertain that your organization's directions for the customers in terms of PDF file creation and submission are something that mere mortals can follow and are from this century.

- Dov

 

[gordo]

Hello

I am trying to find way for our sales to understand receiving a good print ready PDF (we are on a pdf workflow duh) is less problematic and quicker then getting native files. I could go on about this but does anyone have suggestions on how to show sales why for most of our jobs a print ready PDF is preferable. the owner himself has said that a PDF is preferable yet there is more resistance then a trump nominee

First you have to understand why they prefer supplying native files.
Then you have a sales meeting where you describe point by point why they, or their clients, prefer supplying native files.
Get consensus on that.
Then describe how clients/sales supplying PDF files instead of native files would be a better process for them - not you.

 

[Chasfinch]

First you have to understand why they prefer supplying native files.
Then you have a sales meeting where you describe point by point why they, or their clients, prefer supplying native files.
Get consensus on that.
Then describe how clients/sales supplying PDF files instead of native files would be a better process for them - not you.

we did something similar with the owner of the company - he gets it. sales is resistant. what is funny when we have had things go south because of using a native file- then the customer sends a print ready pdf all is fine generally you would think they would see that

 

[Puch]

Make a distinction based on input file format. PDF input means base price. Native files need much more time to handle, they're larger etc., so they will cause a 20 percent uptick on the quoted price. Any alterations on the data means 50 USD per hour. I guess you will receive PDFs after that most of the time.

 

[gordo]

we did something similar with the owner of the company - he gets it. sales is resistant. what is funny when we have had things go south because of using a native file- then the customer sends a print ready pdf all is fine generally you would think they would see that

The owner of the company may not be the best person to deliver the message.

You make the assumption that the customers are capable of making a print ready native file and then exporting it as a print ready pdf. They may not have that skill or be able to do it 100% of the time. So now you have a print ready pdf which isn't actually print ready and you've got a problem. If you fix the pdf then the client's native file and your fixed pdf are no longer the same and so they now have a problem.

As I said, you've got to whiteboard with sales, as a group, in bullet point fashion the reasons why supplying native files is the best - and what the downsides are. Then do the same for supplying pdfs.

Then tote up the positives and the negatives and the winner should be obvious.

You should be able to do this without sales eyes glazing over and without going into the technical weeds.

If pdfs files win then create a simple how to make a pdf cheat sheet that sales can give their clients.

If native files win then create a simple how to prepare a native file cheat sheet that sales can give their clients.

In any case, to help convince them to change their ways, always start from the customer's point of view not yours. If at all possible it's best if your arguments for making a change puts them into thinking that they came up with the idea to make the change rather than you cloberring them with your reasons.

If all that fails, I know some good bars.

 

[Chasfinch]

good points.

 

[Magnus59]

1: Sales guys resist anything that involves them actually having to communicate with their customers.
2: They don't see the benefit of asking for PDF because they give Prepress time away free anyway (because that mythical "other printer down the road" does the same)
3: Even if you do convince sales to request PDFs, they will then expect you to make alterations to the PDFs because they don't understand how stuff works, so then customer has a version of native file that doesn't include final alts and your having to do battle with PDFs
4: Half the customers won't understand how to export a PDF correctly with bleed, so the half of your day that your not making alterations to PDFs will be spent trying to explain to customers how to export them correctly.
5: Once you've resolved 1-4 you should have a workable solution, next challenge will be to get sales to learn how your online Prepress Portal works and convince them to get customers to use it (that's where I am at the moment)

 

[Joe]

Since the owner understands...have him to deduct 25% of the sales persons commission and give it to you for every job where natives are supplied. The problem will go away in record time.