Just Diaries Buyers Guide/2

Just Diaries Buyers’ Guide/2

By now, you will have contacted some diary suppliers and already the desk is covered with packages. If only you had not fired off so many emails to diary companies! Especially with large orders, some suppliers will send you just about their whole range. So it is a good idea to contact no more than three suppliers initially and provide the outline of the requirements: how many, what format, colour of the cover, gold or silver foil blocked, or blind embossed cover, whether there are company insert pages to include etc. (All tips presented in the just diaries buyers guide/1)

Diary Samples

It is most important to make sure that any samples are immediately logged against the correct supplier, otherwise you will have a stack of diaries and be not quite sure where they came from. At the risk of stating the obvious, there are so many variations of each diary and it is quite easy to mix them up. If the samples are not already labelled with product/supplier details it is a good idea to add your own. In addition to appraising the products, you will also by now have a feel for the style of each prospective supplier, speed and accuracy of servicing the initial enquiry, usefulness of any advice given, timely delivery of the samples, presentation of the offer, amount of contact and follow-up. The care you have taken to check the samples should be matched and exceeded by the suppliers’ diligence – after all, getting delivery of the right diary specification is what you require them to do.

What is included in the price?

Purchasing decisions may pass to your boss, however, you will probably be confident enough in this to be able to prepare an assessment if called for. Usually, for personalized corporate diaries the cost of foil blocking the diaries in one position on the cover is included in the unit price. Production of the metal die is a one off cost as this can be used in future years. Carriage, normally described as to one address, should be itemized separately. If you have multiple sites then the supplier can usually estimate the shipping costs prior to having the final numbers for each site.

Diary Production Lead Times

The lead time for a diary order will range from 3 to 6 weeks for foil blocking on stock diaries supplied within the home country. For extensively customized diaries allow 10 weeks, and 16 weeks if production is based in the Far East for delivery to the UK/Europe. This lead time is linked to your approval of factory artwork, and only after the job is signed off can a shipping date be confirmed. So if an email proof arrives while you are on leave and two weeks later you are back to sign it off- this will probably delay the order. Large Orders The busy season for the diary factories starts in mid August and bulk corporate diary orders continue to come in right up to early December. For the major orders of calendar year diaries, above say 3,000 units, the buying decision is best made between January and June for delivery in the Autumn. Even so, the factories are prepared to accommodate orders at late notice – anything is possible but early planning is better all round. If the order is going to be a large one, and you are starting early in the year, then the stock diary samples are a good start. You can also allow yourself the opportunity to specify the diary cover material and styling. Like the fitting of a bespoke suit, your specialist supplier can visit and show you a vast array of diary covers, to achieve a perfect match with your corporate brand. The maps section is also worth a look, and these can be supplied to suit. Many diaries include the public holidays and anniversary dates. If you want to highlight your own dates then this can be accommodated on big runs.

The Contract

Read the small print on the diary order, and any print/promotional merchandise order for that matter, and you will see a note about quantity variation. This will say that the delivered quantity may vary +/- 5% and sometimes +/-10%. Well, you know how many items you need – why would you want more or less than this figure? This is what it means..... If the diaries covers are foil blocked with your logo, the factory will block a few extra, and then quality control will check for faults. Any diaries that are found to have blocked badly or are damaged in the process are pulled out. By and large the variation is minimal on orders below 1,000 but on the bigger quantities and on extensively customized diaries there is more likely to be a variation. Mostly likely the quantity will come in high, and either your invoice will reflect this, or sometimes the supplier may waive the charge for the “overs”. In some cases there is an opportunity for the client to specify “exact quantities” or “no unders” and a premium is charged for this, but it is not always possible.

The next buyers’ guide will take you through the stages following placement of the order. Just Diaries Buyers’ Guide/3.