For this, I enlisted the help of Mr. Gene Alcorn and Ms. LinAnne O’Brien , two gurus of the trade, who have honed their craft in a village of the far out west….I’m sorry, that should read the West Village, which as we all know, is pretty far out.
Gene and LinAnne invited me out to their world and as I began my journey (cab ride) to their habitat (office), I thought about the thousands of variables they have to consider in the print estimation game. Paper weight, ink coverage, coated-stock, bleeds, graphics, trim-size, binding options recycled or recyclable paper, self-mailer, FCS Certification, turn-times, traditional print vs. digital…it really is survival of the fittest.
As I arrive at my destination, I strive to clear away the hearty brush (well, more of an over-watered office plant) to witness these Estimators working in their natural habitat. Whoa…just look at that! They loyally protect their company-den, while fiercely arming their Business Solutions Salespeople with the pricing information they need to do battle in the competitive setting that is the financial services community. You certainly don’t get to see this sort of thing every day.
I convince the gatekeeper (executive assistant) to let me meet (keep my appointment) with the local leaders. With a combined pedigree of over 35 years experience between them, Gene and LinAnne have never met a project they couldn’t bag and mount, both accurately and thoughtfully.
“What are the top estimating dangers that spring to your mind?” I ask. Like a roaring tiger about to pounce on a grazing gazelle, Gene responds. “I’ll answer you if you lose the bad Australian accent.” (Knowing I have taken the metaphor to its furthest extent, I agree).
“Our toughest challenge is trying to understand our audience.” Gene said, “Of course we need to get as detailed as possible with the project specifications, but it goes much deeper than that.”
LinAnne continues, “The bottom line is that we are here to help. We need to understand the end-usage. There may be a better, faster, more cost efficient way to accomplish your goals. We can shoot out numbers all day long, but in the end, having the best understanding of what the client is looking to achieve is where we can show our real value.”
In response to the question of determining cost-benefit analysis of a price estimating expert, Gene adds, “We know as well as anyone that resources are tighter than ever. However, people should understand that there’s much more to estimating than plugging a few numbers into a spread sheet and having the system pop out a price.”
LinAnne, who has been on the client-side of the table says, “A blown budget is never a good thing, but by providing us details beyond just specifications, we can explore ideas that wouldn’t necessarily be discovered by specs alone. Again, that’s where we can really be an integral and valuable partner in the process. Just give us a full view of the project and some time to process it, and we will show you the CBA.”
I thank them for giving me this new found look on the process, and in a last ditch effort to recharge my metaphor, I offer them a sip from my canteen. They decline in favor of the water cooler in the hallway.
As I return home, I realized that I have a fuller understanding of this world now. Their tools of the trade are pencils instead of swords; calculators instead of shovels; and source material instead of stone tablets, but a print estimator’s goal is to help their client survive the environment they are in, and for them to accomplish this, they need to have ALL the information they can.
So, the next time you need a well-thought-out price for a project, instead of just giving just the specifications, communicate on what the meat of the project goals are, and your Merrill Estimating Expert will help you navigate to the promised land.
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Tony Anzivino hails from the greatly misunderstood state of New Jersey. He's worked in Financial Shareholder Communications world from the age of 12, starting with Janitorial duties at his Father's firm. He likes biking, hiking and ketchup.
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