Oh, the Humanity! Of Personal Biases and Printing

We wear ourselves down into puddles of exhaustion dissecting the specific qualities that print customers demand of their print providers—when, in the end, it all comes down to personal biases. Doesn’t it??

Yes, I’m exaggerating to make a point, but no one wants to talk about/blog about/speak about the personal biases that may help you in business, no matter what you’re selling.

You know what I’m talking about: those very personal things about an individual that make them who they are—their history and culture, their pastimes and passions.

In the spirit of transparency, here are some of my own biases:

People from New Jersey
People from Madison, NJ (or at least Morris County)
People who’ve summered at the Jersey Shore
People who’ve summered at Manasquan, specifically Italian Americans
People who went to parochial schools (and lived to tell)
People who love to bake
People who love to bake pies
People who exercise daily
People who love Zumba
People who have dogs
People who have mini poodles
People who have teenage sons
People who are in the printing industry
People who were in the printing industry
People who love movies
People who love the Godfather movies – and Tom Hanks movies
People who love to dance
People who are great at word games
People who have a terrific sense of humor

You’d get to know some of these biases if you were a family member or a good friend. Over time, they’d come out one by one, like stars in a dark summer sky. When I meet someone who shares one of these biases—or a bias “surfaces” by chance in a conversation—I am absolutely delighted! Then I sink my teeth into it like a dog with a bone. Our conversation takes an immediate detour. A bond has been made.

I know...in a business relationship, where print reps are trying to get a prospect’s attention, personal biases don’t typically reveal themselves for a long time, over numerous conversations or email exchanges.