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Second Young Leaders in Print Meeting a success
Young leaders in print convened in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, in May for a workshop on marketing and sales. The event was organised by Intergraf. The participants found the meeting extremely inspiring, and are now looking at implementing what they have learned. The meeting also offered a unique opportunity for young printers to meet colleagues from other European countries and discuss current trends in the industry.
Approximately 30 participants gathered in the sunny Stratford-upon-Avon (UK) for the second Young Leaders in Print meeting on 19th and 20th May. The event’s focus was on sales and marketing, which both often are areas among printers’ weak points. The aim was to provide practical tools for printers to manage the industry’s transformation from a capacity seller to a multichannel provider. The programme was divided between an interactive workshop session and case study presentations.
The main message of the speakers was that all too often, printers are not good at communicating all the advantages of print to the buyer. Instead, the sales talk is usually limited to technical details and the printing press. This makes the price the only selling point. In order to stay in business in today’s competitive media market, printers must learn to sell their product and its qualities better, fully integrate customer service into the company, and include other services into their portfolio. For successful transformation, all the employees need to be fully involved in the process.
Participants found the meeting very interesting and inspiring. One of them reported: “I found the meeting a real learning experience. In the everyday work, it is too seldom we sit down and really think how we could market our products and services in a more innovative way. I’m now going home with many great ideas on how to gain new customers and keep the existing ones. I’ll also pay more attention to how our customers are treated all the way from the reception to the delivery.”
The workshop gathered participants from Sweden, Italy, the UK, Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium. Encouraged by the positive feedback, Intergraf is planning on organising a follow-up event sometime next year.
For more information, please contact:
Beatrice Klose - Secretary General
Tel: +32 2 2308646
E-mail: bklose@intergraf.eu