Milton Keynes UK, 13 May 2008
Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd has launched a Customer Academy training programme for commercial printers who are new to digital print technology and want to leverage their investment in Konica Minolta equipment by exploiting the potential sales opportunities for Print on Demand, variable data output and so on.

The Customer Academy training programme has been developed independently for Konica Minolta by Understand You, a leading management and training consultancy. The training emphasis is on exploiting the full commercial potential of digital production print through proactive sales and marketing, rather than technical training.

The first programme to be released is entitled 'Profit From Digital'. It is a one day course comprised of three modules:

• The opportunity and who to target
• Sales and consultancy skills
• Gaining ongoing commitment

The cost of this course has been very competitively priced to ensure that it is accessible to as many customers as possible. Understand You can also, on request, deliver enhanced training programmes based around the three modules to meet the specific needs of a print company.

Jos Kelly, Director of Strategic Business Development, Production and Solutions for Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) said of the Customer Academy training programme, "Manufacturing the best devices but leaving the customer to work out how to get the best return from their investment is not enough anymore. This programme is a direct response to feedback from our commercial printer customers who have been saying to us 'we know how to drive the equipment, but we're not yet expert in selling digital output because our traditional customer base has often had an offset focus'. When considering this challenge we decided that practical, personal instruction from independent industry experts would be far more effective than paper based academic theory which gets placed on a shelf to be looked at a less busy time that never arrives. The training we have developed with Understand You allows print businesses to develop skills for identifying and winning opportunities for additional business and profit."

Ends.
 

About Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd

Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd markets business machines manufactured by Konica Minolta Business Technologies Inc, in the United Kingdom through a direct sales force and a network of independent dealerships. Konica Minolta digital imaging systems are manufactured in Japan and China. All are ISO9002 accredited for quality procedures. 

UK turnover for Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd is in excess of £150 million, placing the company fifth in the digital copier market with a 6.8 per cent share of the black and white market and a dominant 30.5 per cent share of the colour market (not including colour capable systems) according to InfoSource.

In Europe overall, Konica Minolta occupies the number 1 market position in true colour.

With a total workforce of 19,800 employees world wide, Konica Minolta Business Technologies generated net sales of over £3.15 billion in fiscal 2005/2006. Globally Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. has a turnover £5.07 billion. Building on its strong core of optical technologies developed over many years, Konica Minolta Business Technologies aims to be a corporation offering products and services that are essential to all areas of digital imaging.

For further information contact:    
John Howard
Head of Marketing
Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd  
Tel: 01908 200400
Fax: 08701 321751
E-mail: John.Howardkonicaminolta.co.uk
Web: www.konicaminolta.co.uk

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Glyn Pritchard
Vox Communications
Tel: 01892 825043
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E-mail: glyn.pritchardvoxcomm.co.uk