Courses Help Digital Press Users Market Themselves

HP Indigo press users can take advantage of courses designed to allow printers to develop their marketing and sales skills.

A new suite of marketing courses across the EMEA region - 'Maximising the Digital Opportunity' and 'Digital Selling Skills' - have been introduced as part of HP's 'Capture' business success programme.

Established HP customers can select the courses relevant to their businesses, whilst new customers are encouraged to sign up for both complimentary courses, said the company.

The courses will be presented across EMEA with locations to be confirmed in Italy, France, Germany, ISE, Iberia and GWE.

Dates will be confirmed for September and October in the UK.

Nikki Peacock, HP's marketing manager for Indigo digital presses in the UK and Ireland, said: "The expansion of our training courses to cover these modules will enable Indigo press users to improve their return on investment through effective, tailored marketing and selling techniques.

Adapting to selling digital print can be a difficult transition for some companies, so the courses provide guidance and support in developing sales plans and marketing strategies to maximise press productivity." She added that the session devoted to 'Maximising the Digital Opportunity' will teach customers to identify the digital opportunity and give them the ability to migrate litho work to a digital press, whilst implementing new digital services and diversifying products.

The course will also include case studies from other Indigo press users who have successfully penetrated the digital market.

The 'Digital Selling Skills' course will teach print service providers core sales skills specific to the digital printing market.

The course will highlight effective sales techniques and how companies can meet the needs of their customers, added HP.

Richard Finan, an independent consultant from Improve Consultancy in the UK, who HP said has extensive knowledge of the printing industry and business practices, will run both courses.

HP said it collaborated with its customers and Finan to ensure the criteria of each course was tailor-made to the needs of the printing industry.

Finan commented: "These courses have been developed to improve the profitability, page growth, customer base and business longevity of Indigo customers.

This is achieved by adopting different sales approaches, understanding the users of print and the benefits digital printing can afford new and existing customers." Springfield Solutions, a UK label and packaging provider, took part in the pilot course for 'Digital Selling Skills' in June.

The Hull company, according to HP, has committed its future to digital printing following the installation of the UK's first HP Indigo ws4500 press because of the competitive edge it affords in an increasingly demanding industry.

Ian Lemon, Springfield's managing director, explained: "HP's sales and marketing training programme is a fantastic tool as it enables you to re-tune your business development activity and approach to ensure maximum return.

The content and delivery of the Digital Selling Skills course was of the highest quality and I commend it to all but my closest competitors.".

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