Wide Format Imaging

But first, Inkjet International has to get past the gatekeepers. Learning a name, employing courtesy and making timely and manageable requests of gate-keepers opens a lot of doors, Sarna says.

In a customized job environment, knowledgeable customer sales representatives are key to giving corporations what they want. In addition to this human interaction, which Inkjet International believes is the preferred method of ordering and follow-up, the emergence of Web-based marketing, workflow management and order tracking are also helpful in forging alliances with corporations.

When it comes to turnarounds, Sarna believes the challenge in this age of digital printing is to make deadlines with uncompromising quality. "We have found that a quick turnaround time of one to three days is expected, but to an extent, has also become self-imposed," he adds. "It's just as important to allow the supplier the required time and space to deliver the job right as it is for that supplier to meet expectations. Close customer communication, with a healthy dose of grace, is a tasteful recipe."

Can shops pick up more corporate work once inside the door of a corporation? In Sarna's view, they not only can, they should. Good salespeople ask for the order or the opportunity, he says. Inkjet International provides detailed tours of its plant operation with the intent of showcasing all the technology, personnel, and logistics that go into its finished product. That serves to build opportunity, Sarna adds.

Pictura Graphics

Minneapolis-based Pictura Graphics in the past three to five years has emerged as one of the nation's higher-ranked digital companies, based on capabilities and revenues, says president and owner Paul Lilienthal. "When I purchased the company, I saw as the real opportunity the chance to expand and grow by attracting additional corporate clients, particularly in the retail sector," he says.

Gaining entry into corporations and obtaining an audience with key decision makers can be daunting, he notes. "A lot of companies in our segment all do basically the same thing," he says. "You have to be able to come across as having a solution to prospective clients' needs. You also have to know whom you're calling on. You better know their business. A simple cold call is not going to be returned."

Lilienthal finds corporations are much more advanced than smaller companies in their technologies and communications. And while he says Pictura doesn't have all the latest and greatest technologies, it does possess technologies competitors don't. Pictura tries to leverage those technologies to meet the needs of its corporate clients.