Don Klumbach’s print journey begins in New York, but now he finds himself in Texas. Transition and change is at the heart of his business story. While he started out simply in the print world specializing in flat bed printing, roll-to-roll and beyond, he saw where the industry was heading: being a complete service provider for his customers, which meant becoming affiliated with Counselor Top 40 distributor Fully Promoted (asi/384000) and adding promotional products to the business.
“It was always a nice mix, because we could help customers tell their story in a variety of different media,” he says. “It’s all visual communication. It’s all something in front of them that they can hold onto, that they can visualize. They can help the client’s brand become part of the individual customers and the community.”
Since adding promotional products to his business, Klumbach says he’s taken extra care to approach each job with a curious mindset and ensure he’s really understanding what the customer wants to accomplish through their products. It’s not just selling a product, he says. It’s selling a service and fulfilling a need. It could start with flags and banners for a grand opening, but then might evolve into apparel and other promotional products – especially once you’ve proven yourself trustworthy as a distributor.
“Once you have built that trust level and understand their brand and how they want to show up, then the sky’s the limit at that point,” he says.
Podcast Chapters
0:08: Don Klumbach’s background in the industry
1:36: Adding promotional products to the business
3:29: Creating a cohesive brand with print and promo
5:30: The power of brand convergence
8:18: Overcoming client roadblocks and tight turnarounds
10:40: Advice for distributors, keeping promises and using AI
