Some of the most valuable work in print happens before a finished piece reaches the customer. It can be found in the questions asked during planning, the production issues prevented, the workflow decisions that improve turnaround, and the technical knowledge applied throughout a project.

However, that expertise does not always receive the recognition it deserves. During the OPIA PrintPulse Live webinar, From Production to Influence: The Visibility Advantage in the Print Industry, Sheena Yap Chan and Begum Walji explored how print professionals can communicate their value more clearly, strengthen client relationships, and turn technical expertise into greater business influence.

Here are five key takeaways from the session.

1. Great Work Does Not Always Speak for Itself

Many professionals have been taught that working hard and producing excellent results will naturally lead to recognition. Sheena challenged that assumption by explaining that opportunities often go to the person whose value is understood, not necessarily the person with the greatest technical ability.

Visibility does not mean being everywhere or promoting yourself constantly. It means ensuring that your expertise is present in the right conversations, particularly where client decisions, operational priorities, and business strategies are being discussed.

For print professionals, this may involve speaking more clearly about a successful project, contributing an idea during a team discussion, sharing a client success story, or explaining how a production decision helped protect a deadline or budget.

2. Confidence Is a Business Competency

Confidence is sometimes categorized as a soft skill, but the session positioned it as an important business competency. When people lack confidence, they may remain silent during important discussions, avoid recommending a better approach, or hesitate to raise a concern before it becomes a larger problem.

Stronger confidence supports clearer communication, better collaboration, and more productive client relationships. It also helps professionals trust their experience and act before every detail feels completely certain.

Sheena’s VISIBLE™ Framework provides a structure for developing that confidence through seven areas: Voice, Identity, Spotlight, Inner Work, Belief, Leverage, and Elevation. Together, these pillars encourage professionals to understand their value, address internal barriers, make their work visible, and connect their contributions to larger outcomes.

3. Translate Production Language Into Business Outcomes

One of the clearest lessons from the webinar was the need to close the gap between the language used inside a print operation and the language clients understand.

Print professionals naturally discuss presses, substrates, colour calibration, automation, workflow steps, and production speeds. Clients, however, are generally more concerned with consistency, turnaround, engagement, brand protection, reduced risk, and whether the project achieves its intended purpose.

Begum illustrated the difference with practical reframing. Instead of saying, “I calibrated the press,” a professional might explain, “We ensured consistent brand colour.” Rather than focusing on workflow automation, the conversation can centre on how the improvement reduced turnaround time.

The technical work remains important, but its value becomes clearer when it is connected to the customer’s business priorities.

4. Move From Service Provider to Trusted Partner

Visibility becomes influence when clients understand not only what a printer produces, but how the printer helps them make better decisions.

A trusted partner anticipates potential issues, recommends appropriate solutions, protects budgets and timelines, and helps safeguard the client’s brand reputation. This moves the relationship beyond order fulfilment and price comparisons.

The webinar also connected this idea to artificial intelligence. AI is making information and new capabilities more widely available, but human judgment, interpretation, and trust remain important differentiators. Simply telling a client that a company uses AI is unlikely to create meaningful value. Explaining how the technology shortens a three-week process to 24 hours makes the benefit understandable.

Print businesses can strengthen their position by consistently translating technology and production capabilities into outcomes clients value.

5. Leaders Play an Important Role in Making Expertise Visible

Visibility is not solely the responsibility of individual employees. Managers and leaders also help determine whether people feel comfortable sharing ideas and contributing their expertise.

During the question-and-answer discussion, the presenters recommended providing multiple communication channels for team members who may not be comfortable speaking in a group setting. These could include one-to-one conversations, email, internal messaging platforms, or anonymous suggestion methods.

Psychological safety also matters. People are more likely to contribute when they believe their ideas will be considered respectfully, even when those ideas are not ultimately adopted.

Leaders can also move beyond mentorship by actively sponsoring people for opportunities, placing them in leadership situations, and publicly recognizing their successes. Recognition can build confidence and encourage employees to take more initiative.

Putting Visibility Into Practice

The webinar concluded with a practical challenge: choose one technical task and explain it in business language, then have one conversation focused on value rather than process.

This is a useful starting point for anyone working in print, imaging, packaging, or graphic communications. Visibility does not require a major personal branding campaign. It begins with helping clients, colleagues, and decision-makers better understand the value already being created.

When print professionals communicate that value clearly, they can strengthen trust, improve collaboration, and create opportunities for deeper client relationships and long-term business growth.

Watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/-UDlKfPHLqg

Images by Sheena Yap Chan and Begum Walji