Educating the Paper Leaders of Tomorrow
Innovation | Andrew Snyder, Clampitt Paper | July 29, 2020
The Market thirsts for knowledge and education. As The Paper People of Clampitt Paper, we are fortified by the amount of education needed and desired from both our printer customers as well as their designer and end-user clients. The Clampitt Paper School is a result of that demand.
Spend some time training a new employee at a paper merchant, or a new buyer for a corporation, who has no prior knowledge of paper. Try to explain Paper Math to a programmer who is working on your Paper E-Commerce Website. These concepts may seem like common knowledge to many of us, but a surprising number of people in our industry who consume our products are under educated in paper knowledge.
The Clampitt Paper School began 65 years ago. Today in Dallas it is a quarterly event that predictably fills up weeks before it begins. We host paper schools in all of our markets across the southwest and we take Paper School on the road to visit smaller markets as well as larger organizations. We have had particular success with universities where we educate future designers and hopefully, in the process, create delighted future customers who hold the memory for the rest of their careers. It is not an over exaggeration to say thousands of people have attended the Clampitt Paper School over the years.
We cover subjects such as coated paper, text and cover, business paper, paper math, paper making, digital paper and printing, and sustainability. Every employee in the company plays a part; we are all actors in the Clampitt Paper Play.
It doesn’t stop with Paper School; education is built into every facet of Clampitt Paper. We start by training our employees rigorously. Every sales and customer service employee progresses through several weeks of paper training, learning about all of the products we sell and the services we provide.
We also provide continuous education to our team every week through our Monday Morning Sales Meeting. Every sales person, manager and customer service representative congregates at 7:30 in the morning in The Max, our conference room. There, a Clampitt salesperson or a trusted vendor makes a presentation about a new product or service or simply refreshes the team on the finer details of a familiar product. For our newer salespeople, this is valuable presentation experience, to a raucous and unforgiving group of peers. For our more experienced salespeople, this is a chance to impart years of knowledge. All of it is overseen by Don Clampitt, the second-generation owner of Clampitt Paper, who adds passion, guidance and support. As our founder, Max Clampitt said, “Passion is Knowledge on Fire”. Each week we charge out of that meeting on fire.
Our fine paper salespeople and specification team are constantly educating our customers with information about a new product or service. Often it is what we learned that week in the Monday Morning meeting.
In addition to all of this, we have regular vendor seminars that educate us on new products, custom capabilities and industry trends. We give monthly tests to our customer service team about products, service and policies, to verify that the knowledge and information that we share with our customers is correct.
The Sample Room is a great educational tool with thousands of samples of paper for a customer to touch and feel. As paper is tactile, this is invaluable in gaining new insight into what is possible. In conjunction with the Sample Room, our Creative Center is at the forefront of our educational effort. It is a special place, displaying myriad printed samples and exhibits. Some pieces are one of a kind, while others are mill promotions; regardless, every piece showcases the possibility of paper and print. The Creative Center is an educational haven for all designers and end-users.
As paper professionals we use tools and knowledge every day that would be considered arcane by 99% of the population. But, for those who buy and sell paper, and those who create printed visual communications, this knowledge is essential. For the uneducated, revealing the history and usage of these tools and knowledge can be a delightful experience, transforming paper from a commodity into a representation of value and worth.
Getting a customer a timely quote is one thing, but being able to discuss different options and why they are valuable and how they enhance the end user’s brand is invaluable. This is what we strive for at Clampitt Paper. Education is the key to these kinds of discussions.
If you have to explain the following to a paper buying customer, would you be able to?
- What is the relationship of basis weight and caliper?
- What is the implication of brightness on paper quality? How does brightness relate to shade? What effect does brightness and shade have on reproducing printed images?
- How do characteristics like smoothness, formation, bulk and body pertain to perceived quality?
- What’s the difference between recycled fiber and Post-Consumer fiber? What is the importance of forest certification? What is the impact of alternative fibers (i.e., cotton, hemp, eucalyptus, etc.) in terms of sustainability?
Anyone who purchases paper or designs materials for print knows just how important these concepts are. When considered thoughtfully in specifying paper, they can create an end product that enhances brand consistency and reflects a company’s ethos.
Many of these concepts don’t have one definitive answer. However, a knowledgeable paper merchant can discuss all of the variables, giving you the confidence to make an informed decision.
As a paper merchant, when we take the time to thoughtfully and thoroughly educate our customers, we elevate our industry and show respect to our craft as well as our customer’s craft. Our goal is not only to help our customers to make better decisions, but also to pass on the passion for paper and print.