Bargaining Skills 101

by Tatyana Sinioukov

What is truly negotiable in terms of print contracts? Almost anything, according to Barbara Hagen, senior product specialist, C.J. Krehbiel, Cincinnati, OH, who spoke on the subject at the BookTech West session titled "The Clever Negotiator: Everyone Wins" session.

Book publishers, she continued, just have to know how to better negotiate with vendors about a job. Hagen gave her audience a few pointers on perfecting their bargaining skills

* Pick the right vendor for the right project. Make sure your vendors can provide all necessary services in house, Hagen suggested. If your cover is four-color, or, say, requires lamination, the vendor should be able to accommodate you without outsourcing these services.

* Find out as much as you can about the vendors. Call them, look them up on the Web, ask for referrals, etc. "Make sure they are who they say they are and do what you want," Hagen explained.

* Be specific. "The biggest negotiable item of your job is paper," she noted. Always specify the purpose of the book so the vendor can make stock suggestions. Sometimes they can provide the same quality paper for a lower price, she said.

* Choose great quality service. If you have several vendors to choose from, side with the one who has a good customer service department, Hagen recommended. Pick a knowledgeable sales person or an in-plant estimator, and don't hesitate to ask them their opinion on how your book should be printed.

* Define what is more important for your project. Is it schedule or price? How you negotiate depends on your priorities, Hagen remarked.

Tell your vendor ahead of time what run length to expect. The more you print, the bigger discount you get, Hagen pointed out. Every printer has downtime; use it to your advantage. If the schedule isn't a priority, find out what time of year is the slowest and consider getting your project done then. You may get a discount, and you're guaranteed a lot of attention from your vendor.