I recently returned from Solutions 2002, an educational meeting for printing manufacturers sponsored by DMIA and IADT (International Association of Document Technologies, formerly known as IBFI). On the plane trip back from Memphis, Tenn., I realized an important truth: Of all the important aspects of my DMIA membership, the most important is networking.
Networking is one of those business concepts that's blatantly obvious, yet isn't practiced often enough. The obvious advantage of networking is increased sales avenues. Forming relationships with other printing pros is a great way to find new prospects for our products and services. It's also a great way to find new potential suppliers, ones who can suggest ways to reduce our costs and improve our product lines. Belknap Business Forms Inc. operates in a rural location, making face-to-face networking opportunities even more valuable.
The benefits of networking extend far beyond improved sales relationships. It gives you a chance to discuss mutual challenges and possible solutions. Especially when you discuss issues with companies outside your market area, you can bring up intimate details about problems and strategies. At any time, I can pick up the phone and call many of the folks I just met at Solutions 2002. I've encouraged them to do the same.
The cost of attending DMIA meetings is negligible compared with the short-term and long-term benefits you gain. Some printing pros choose not to attend association events such as the Spring Management Conference and local Trade Marts, citing travel expenses and the time away from their businesses as reasons. While those concerns have merit, the truth is that just one new client or one new idea pays for the investment many times over.
A few years ago, I participated in a DMIA FUTRENDS Committee (a think tank that studies industry trends), with several other folks, including one distributor from California. I doubted that we had partnership potential based on our geographic locations, but then he mentioned how one of his clients needed East Coast distribution. He asked if our company could help. Today, that account generates approximately $30,000 in annual sales for Belknap. When I get our annual DMIA dues notices, I take a look at that account and remind myself about the importance of participation. We wouldn't have gained the business if I hadn't volunteered for the committee and talked to the distributor. That's the power of networking.
If you haven't attended a DMIA meeting, go to one and experience its networking benefits firsthand. You'll return to the office--and to your clients--energized and determined. When I went to my first DMIA event in 1980, I didn't have a forms background. Nobody knew who I was, and I simply absorbed what I could. As I became more experienced and met more people, my networking began to flourish and my business improved.
I challenge each of you to network more often with industry peers. A good place to start is one of DMIA's local Trade Marts. Each one includes a roundtable discussion where you can kick-start your own networking initiative. Another excellent networking opportunity will be i2002 (formerly the Informservices Conference & Expo), to be held Oct. 15-17 in Rosemont, Ill. Attendees and exhibitors will leave the event with new leads, new ideas, new skills and new ways to solve customers' problems.
J. Buster Weinzierl, CDC, is president of Belknap Business Forms Inc., Mayville, N.Y., and vice president of DMIA.
