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Whether hand-applied, mechanized, or as today increasingly digitized, the embellishment of printed materials to give eye-catching effects has always been an expense on top of the basic print. They are time-consuming and may use more costly materials than standard pigments—but how exactly do you accurately estimate those costs in advance? WhatTheyThink contributor and Taktiful president Kevin Abergel looks at some strategies for creating estimates that won’t scare off the customer or cause the print provider to suffer a loss.
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About Kevin Abergel
Kevin Abergel is a 18 year veteran in the Graphic Communications industry. Upon graduation from the University of Florida and subsequently the Florida Institute of Technology with an MBA; Mr. Abergel joined MGI Digital Technology in 2005. He attributes his long and highly successful career in digital and sensory embellishment to his keen focus on its markets -dedicating his work entirely to solving customer business problems through the enablement of innovative technologies and team building. Mr. Abergel’s unique, customized approach to each customer, reflects his deep belief that no two customers are alike, anywhere in the world, nor are the needs of their businesses.
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Discussion
By Robert Lindgren on Nov 02, 2022
If the purpose of estimating is to determine the price, isn't the reality that the customer and the competition sets its upper limit? Otherwise, we could charge $1,000 for 500 business cards and get away with it.
The proper definition of the right price is "Charge as much as the customer will pay, but also get the order." If we don't do that , we leave money on the table and if we don't get the order, we get nothing. The pricing focus should be on customer relationships (we're a trusted source or an also ran). It also needs to center on value to customer (key to new product launch or throw away).
Estimates are the starting point of the pricing process as the likely reflect the competition, but they're not the critical part as they are internally focused and ignore the customer and the project's importance to them. Because of this, extensive focus on detail is a waste of time and focus.
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