Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1491557
7 2 G R A P H I C S P R O • J U N E 2 0 2 3 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M A W A R D S & C U S T O M I Z A T I O N In the case of perpetual awards, you may be sur- prised at how difficult it can be to extend an exist- ing award. Respectfully suggesting that you create a new, higher-capacity piece can do two things: It allows you to produce a finished piece everyone is happy with, and it will probably tie your customer to your business for the length of time now available on the larger plaque. As an added benefit, using a brand-new piece can result in some extra profit, too. Suppliers ere are many suppliers available for you to choose from. Only experience will teach you which suppliers really work well for you, particularly if you venture into cus- tom designs and unusual materials. As I mentioned pre- viously, even the best suppliers can run out of inventory on occasion. Some suppliers maintain different locations, so if your normal location is out, ask if the material is available at other locations. In some cases, your supplier will check this automatically. For large orders, always ensure you have enough material on hand to replace incorrect pieces. Producing a large volume of similar pieces with subtle changes can lead to mistakes. In the case of awards dedicated to a number of individ- uals, I would recommend having somebody else check for spelling mistakes, missed or mistaken numbers, etc. I've always found that, in reading something you wrote, it is easy to read what you thought you wrote and not what appears on the page. Margins Event organizers will have a relatively slim budget for their awards. is can work for or against you. In only a very few cases have I found that I had to reluctantly use off-the-shelf blanks simply to meet a budget (or, of course, the customer's wishes). Going back to the beginning, you can almost always arrive at a compromise on price simply by using your imagination and coming up with different materials, designs, or a combination of the two. Something I have long threatened but never actually done to my customers is to add a premium for short lead times. e threat is often enough, although there will always be some who are so busy with all the different aspects of an event that they get off schedule. Unfortunately, it can happen that a customer gives a lead time that is simply not workable, even with working long hours to try and get over the line. In the past, I have worked several 12-, 14-, and even 16-hour days to finish an order for a special customer. at is obviously not sus- tainable, and even your best customers should be gently warned that you won't do it again (although we probably would for that most special or long-time customer). 4 Always try to get editable artwork from your customers and remind them that what they can draw may not be reproduceable on a laser.