The conversation started with what seemed like a simple question. While pursuing a Fortune 500 prospect, Priority Group asked how the company’s current label supplier was performing. The response quickly moved beyond labels. Delayed shipments. Missed deadlines. Late fees. Inventory challenges. Cash flow disruptions. Operational inefficiencies with significant financial consequences.
Most printers might have responded by talking about faster presses, additional capacity or expedited production schedules. Priority Group took a different approach.
“We asked, ‘How does that impact your business?'” recalls Joe Straka, President and CEO of Priority Group.
The answer revealed a business problem, not a printing problem. Instead of simply producing labels faster, Priority Group integrated with the client’s ERP system, maintained a small inventory position and created a fulfillment model capable of delivering orders within 48 hours without constant emails, phone calls or manual coordination. The results were immediate. On-time, in-full shipment rates improved. Late fees disappeared. Cash flow strengthened. Internal teams spent less time managing orders and more time driving value.
“They don’t view us as a vendor or a printer,” Straka says. “They view us as a trusted business partner.”
The story reflects a broader shift occurring throughout the print industry. As products become increasingly commoditized, competitive advantage is increasingly found in helping customers achieve business outcomes.
“Print companies today manage much more than ink on paper. We manage supply chains, fulfillment, personalization, inventory, compliance and increasingly integrated customer experiences.“
– Sherwin Poorsina, VP of Business Development, B&D Litho California
“Our belief is everyone wakes up with a problem to solve,” Straka says. “No one wakes up with the problem, ‘I need to print something.’ They wake up needing better market share, greater margins, stronger shelf appeal, clearer product differentiation or enhanced brand awareness. We seek to understand the real problem our clients are trying to solve and help them solve it.”
This type of mindset changes the conversation. Rather than focusing on specifications and pricing, Priority Group starts by asking what the client is trying to accomplish. “As we enter the solution development phase, the question is not, ‘How do we print this the cheapest?'” Straka says. “The question is, ‘How do we design a solution for easy, effective deployment by the client?’ Many times the print cost is smaller than the client’s ancillary costs to execute the campaign.”
Becoming indispensable requires more than one successful project. Straka believes regularly scheduled business reviews are essential for creating opportunities about future initiatives, strategic goals and emerging challenges.
“Decision-makers invite people into the room who help them think, rather than people who just take orders,” Straka says. “They want people who are a source of insight rather than a source of quotes. When we can speak to what keeps our client’s CEO up at night, we stop being someone they manage and start being someone they consult.”
Earning that role sometimes means recommending ways to spend less on print—something the Priority Group is willing to do to achieve better outcomes. The same philosophy goes for data integration, fulfillment, inventory management and logistics. “When a client is being told to do more with less, the most valuable thing we can offer is fewer things for their team to manage. When you take the operational burden off your client, you become an indispensable member of their team.”
Ultimately, Straka believes becoming indispensable starts with people. “The consultative mindset is different from the production mindset. You need people who are genuinely curious about a client’s business and comfortable having a business conversation. If we can uniquely make our clients better and more successful, we’ll have a seat at the table for a very long time.”
The Foundation of Trusted Advisors
Sherwin Poorsina believes strategic conversations can only happen when a foundation of expertise already exists. For Poorsina, VP of Business Development at B&D Litho California, one of the industry’s biggest misconceptions is that sales and customer leadership can be separated from operational knowledge.
While technology continues to evolve, print remains a manufacturing business. “When I evaluate talent, the first thing I look for is whether someone understands the fundamentals or has the discipline to learn them,” Poorsina says. “Paper, prepress, color, press capabilities, finishing, mailing, logistics, workflow, scheduling, inventory, postage and cost drivers all matter.”
Developing that level of expertise starts with exposure to the entire operation. Rather than treating production and customer relationships as separate functions, B&D encourages team members to gain exposure across the entire operation.
“Once people understand production realities, they stop becoming order takers and start becoming advisors,” Poorsina says. “A trusted advisor should be able to explain why one format works better than another, where cost can be removed, what risks exist in a schedule and how manufacturing decisions affect outcomes.”
For Poorsina, this is where real value begins. While technical expertise may earn credibility, the ability to translate that knowledge into customer outcomes is what ultimately strengthens relationships and differentiates today’s print professionals.
“As we enter the solution development phase, the question is not, ‘How do we print this the cheapest?’ The question is, ‘How do we design a solution for easy, effective deployment by the client?“
– Joe Straka, President and CEO of Priority Group
“Print companies today manage much more than ink on paper,” Poorsina says. “We manage supply chains, fulfillment, personalization, inventory, compliance and increasingly integrated customer experiences. The future belongs to professionals who understand both the craft and the technology.”
Building those capabilities requires more than training programs. It requires a culture that rewards growth, accountability and continuous learning. Poorsina believes the strongest organizations create opportunities for employees to expand their expertise, take on greater responsibility and learn from experienced mentors. In the process, companies build teams capable of earning trust not only within the organization, but with customers as well.
“Leadership comes from knowledge, credibility, accountability and earning the respect of the people around you,” Poorsina says. “Great teams are built when experienced people share knowledge, develop future leaders and create cultures where expertise is valued over politics. That approach not only drives revenue—it builds trust internally and externally, and customers feel the difference.”
In an industry where products can often look similar, relationships have become the true differentiator. The printers earning a lasting seat at the table continue to combine expertise, curiosity and a relentless focus on helping their customers succeed.
