HP Color Works Tour 2006-07

Latest Pictures on Snapfish.com

2006-08-25T19:40:00.000-05:00

The latest pictures are uploaded on Snapfish.com.

Click on the link here or go to the "Links" section in the side bar.
Enjoy!

HP Mile High: The Denver Grand Prix

2006-08-25T18:44:00.000-05:00

There is always something electrifying about being at a sporting event. The presence of talented athletes, the energy of the crowd, the rumble of the cheering… There is a palpable feel of excitement in the air. But there is something else; something extra when the sporting event is a car race. The high pitch whining of the engines, the furious speeds and the smell of gasoline mixed with rubber all contribute to creating a feeling that is best described as… adrenaline crawling on your skin.
The Color Works Tour was graciously invited to be part of the much acclaimed Grand Prix of Denver. A mile high. 200 mph fast. The Denver GPX is a circuit like no other. A three-day long event, the Denver GPX attracts thousands of people who cannot resist the need for speed.

What a better opportunity than this to show-off the wonderful line of fast HP printers?
The Color Works Tour broke out the greatest and the newest HP Color LaserJet and InkJet printers in partnership with Office Max. The line up included the LaserJet 2600n, the 7360, 7410 and K550 of the InkJet Family. Local Denver resident and HP District Manager Alex Botham, spearheaded the project and worked tirelessly with the collaboration of Infinity Marketing Team’s Julie Weihaupt and the entire staff of Office Max. This was a powerhouse lineup, reinforced by the talented personnel from Market Source headed by Roland Ramadan.
While the champ cars were practicing on the course, the HP/Office Max team was preparing the technology tent. Everyone worked really hard in making the display look good -and succeeded. On Friday the track opened to the public and it was a great opportunity for rehearsing for the big days ahead. By Saturday morning, we were in full swing, looking great and in the midst of the flow of spectators.
Special events like this generate huge attendance and we planned on making the best of it. With a very experienced team in printing and photography, we went on to do what we do best: showcase the wonderful line of HP printers and cameras.
The lure of a free picture brought a lot of eager individuals who wanted to see the result of their action shots. The PhotoSmart 7360 was quite the attention getter with many being impressed not only by the quality, but also the speed of the prints.
The day was not just all about photos. We had several business owners who stopped by to ask questions. In particular, a member of the Champ Car management stopped by to ask questions about laser printers. He said he had just gone through his budget and found out he had spent a great deal of money in printing fliers and catalogs. He said: “I am tired of the tyranny of the presses.” He wanted to be able to print his own catalogs and manuals, in small batches and whenever needed. He also wanted to see his costs shrinking. We were glad he came to see us. We talked about the Color LaserJet family and the low cost of operation. We showed him samples of what he might be able to print and the ease of creating collaterals. He was impressed. He was even more impressed when he learned about the low cost of ownership and how well the printers do even when in a mobile office, logging miles –the Color Works Tour knows all too well! We also handed him a copy of the HP Marketing Tool Kit an Office Max coupon and encouraged him to take printing in his own hands.
Whenever possible, we took the time to look around. An avid open wheels car enthusiast, I got a chance to look at a few of the wonderful Champ cars in the field. In particular, I was allowed to be up close and personal with the CDW car, powered by HP. It was a fantastic experience, thanks to Henry Rischitelli and RuSport who gave me a tour of the team’s paddock. I was really impressed with the team. The amount of technology and organization that goes into running a Champ car team is amazing. Mr. Rischitelli reminded me that HP is powering more than the car: the timing, the telemetry and many other functions run on HP computers and printers. He also invited us to form a closer partnership with the team for future events. How wonderful!
So. When can I drive?

Latest Pictures on Snapfish.com

2006-08-04T15:55:00.000-05:00

The latest pictures are uploaded on Snapfish.com.

Click on the link here or go to the "Links" section in the side bar.
Enjoy!

Latest Pictures on Snapfish.com

2006-07-14T21:46:00.000-05:00

The latest pictures are uploaded on Snapfish.com.

Click on the link here or go to the "Links" section in the side bar.
Enjoy!

Would You Like Ink or Toner With That?

2006-07-11T16:20:00.000-05:00

Certain things are meant to go together. To achieve the maximum performance out of a printer you must have a “printing system”, which includes paper and toner or ink.
With the current multi-functionality of many HP products, consumers are doing more than ever with their printers. Recognizing that supplies are an important portion of a sale is paramount. Supplies connect customers with a product and allow them to get the most out of it time after time.
We like to tell customers that the HP ColorSphere toner, HP Vivera ink and HP paper work together with HP printers to maximize the printing experience. We explain that our supplies are engineered to maximize color vibrance and sharpness when used together. When selling a printer, we try to size its average job not only to recommend a particular model, but also to make targeted suggestions for additional toner, ink or specialty paper. Often times, while collecting information about a customer’s needs, we realize that the printer selected is just as important as the paper it will use: the desired final outcome is as dependent on the printer as on the media. An example is the wonderful marriage between the Color LaserJet family and the Brochure and Flier Paper. We are just as successful in promoting the wonderful waterproofing abilities of the ColorSphere toner as the paper the demos are printed on. The pairing of the K550 with HP Advanced Paper is also a winner for the long-lasting, bright quality printing needs of many small businesses. We find ourselves talking about the quality of a print in relation to the paper used. Real estate agents positively love the idea of printing fliers that can withstand the weather. And so do church congregations. We are very successful in closing sales on printers that include specialty paper.
Other times, it becomes clear that the amount of printing a customer does will require a trip back to the store very soon. One of the most asked questions about a printer is regarding the page yield of the ink or toner. We have learned that customers find it very aggravating to run out of supplies quickly after purchasing a printer –whether they realize the volume of their printing or not. It becomes a necessity to help customers plan for their usage and encourage them to be proactive in the stocking of supplies. More often than not, the suggestion is well perceived. The customers are happy to have the issue brought to their attention and, usually, purchase the recommended supply.

Extra! Extra! New Sales Record.

2006-07-07T23:33:00.000-05:00

We did it again, and again, and again!

This week marked the breaking and making of new records.

First, we set the new record on Thursday with 17 printers sold in a day. Then, we set a new one on Friday with 25 printers sold in a day. Then we set the new weekly record, with 56 printers sold in a week.

Thanks HP! We cannot be any more happy or proud!

More on this coming soon. Stay tuned!

Latest Pictures on Snapfish.com

2006-07-07T22:41:00.000-05:00

The latest pictures are uploaded on Snapfish.com.

Click on the link here or go to the "Links" section in the side bar.
Enjoy!

Turning Bad into Good

2006-07-07T22:32:00.000-05:00

Our HP printers are known to have such a legendary durability that often customers have expectations well exceeding the design envelope of the model they purchased. We have come to see our job not only as bringing color to business but as a way to help consumers (home or office alike) select the correct printer for the size of their job. We have learned that the very few complaints about HP reliability are often connected with use well beyond the product’s specifications. Unfortunately, it is not easy to tell customers that they bought the wrong printer for the job. To the average consumer, any HP printer is supposed to do any job.

A typical example was a business man who came to an Office Depot store in Miami with a malfunctioning HP 1200. He was upset that the printer was no longer working only 7 months after purchase. This was an important unit for his Wireless Contracts and Billing department. Since this printer was mission-critical, we knew that the business needed immediate relief. We also sensed that the HP name was at stake: the balance of this interaction might affect the future of the relationship. So, we decided to mount a full rescue mission. We explained warranty procedures and options and immediately offered an Office Depot gift card towards the purchase of a new HP unit. While this approach was a direct way to appease a disappointed customer, it was also a backhanded way to talk about their business in order to size up their printing needs. The “Contract and Billing” name had tipped us off that the business might be printing high volume and might be a candidate for a LaserJet. Our suspicions were confirmed: this business printed copious amounts of customer billing pages.

An upset customer can be a force be reckoned with, but can also be a great potential for a sale. Not only turning around a bad situation, but coming on top as the savior of the day, this type of sale can create a renewed and stronger relationship with a brand. So, we went to work on carefully guiding this customer to a printer better suited to his business needs.
The 2600n and the 3600n were the likely candidates. Unfortunately, this company used a Citrix Server that, apparently, could not agree with those two printers. After an exhaustive research on compatibility issues and a few calls to their business network engineer, it became clear that there was only one printer that could do the job: the K550. It was a step up from the 1200, but unfortunately, right at the capacity limit of the 5-6,000 pages per month this business needed to print. There was no choice: it had to do. They needed to go back to printing immediately.
We talked about considering being proactive about maintenance and support. It was clear they would be wearing out the K550 just as quickly as they did the 1200. So, we suggested the Office Depot extended warranty as an additional insurance to a quick replacement. They liked the idea a lot. They bought the K550, several sets of extra ink, the extended warranty, ordered the additional paper tray and went back to work happy, with renewed faith in HP. We like happy endings!

Goodwill: HP and Infinity Marketing Team Make The Difference

2006-07-07T22:27:00.000-05:00

Occasionally you are handed an opportunity to do something bigger than you. Something that is bigger than the sum of all parts. You would expect that such an act of heroic proportions could be performed only by highly trained knights in shining armor. It ain’t so. Unless you count Infinity Marketing Team as the knight and HP as the noble steed.

In Athens, GA we met with a very nice gentleman who was browsing for a laser printer. He stopped by our display and asked us a lot of questions about printing fliers. He was from the Georgia Department of Labor. Mr. Atwater’s job is to work with the many employers who offered employment opportunities through his office. He was captivated by the HP Marketing Tool Assistant: the software did exactly what he needed to develop his welcome kits. Coupled with a 2600n, he had the package he needed. We developed a flier for his upcoming project and showed him the ropes of the software.
We also talked about how HP is such a wonderful partner with many educational and governmental institutions. This captured his attention.

Mr. Atwater worked with the Summer Leadership Academy at Cedar Shoals High School. The purpose of the program is to engage approximately 60 high school student in seminars on leadership qualities and skills with the overall goal of providing the students with a positive mean for achieving success as well as increasing their chance of completing high school. The program cosponsored by the Athens Area Employer Committee and the Athens Career Center of the Georgia Department of Labor needed some help. Mr. Atwater asked if HP could donate some of the HP-branded flash USB drives we give out as premium. A few phone calls and e-mails later, the Summer Leadership Academy was powered by HP. Mr. Atwater e-mailed us enthusiastically: “Thanks so very, very. very much!!! You made the impossible become possible.” You are welcome, Luther. We love happy endings.

Making New Records

2006-07-07T22:16:00.000-05:00

The road to bliss sometimes takes you through a rollercoaster of experiences and the most unexpected turn. During the first 4 weeks on the road, we worked hard and fought hard for every sale. Some days we would be begging for customers to come in the store; we would be making rain dances and sacrifices to the printer gods; we would be singing mantras. Passing through hurricane-devastated regions and recovery-ravaged economies, we encountered some of the savviest customers, whose budgets had to contend with differing priorities, most of which included having a roof over their heads. Printers were a low priority to them.
We did not let the hard times discourage us. They taught us some good lessons.

Tough customers honed our skills in listening, eliciting information and finding creative solutions to match their needs. We also learned about different businesses in an ever-challenging world.

Once we moved out of the hurricane recovery regions, we found a much more fertile ground for our sales pitch. All of the sudden we had a surge of sales that caught us by surprise. We found our presentation techniques to be persuasive and winning. We experienced a “sales high”.

We knew there was a daily sales record. We had nearly equaled it on our first day, but since then it had eluded us. 15 printers! What a target! We knew we had to beat it.
Jacksonville, FL proved to be the town to support us in our endeavor. The first day in Jacksonville teased us with tantalizing sales, falling short of the record only by 2 units. On the second day, we were determined to set the record: we could taste it. The Color Works display was brimming with eager customers and printers were ahoy. However, by day’s end, we had equaled the record, not broken it. The Office Depot evening manager, Jerome, was just as entrenched as we were on the record breaking quest and wished we could have broken it.
Just as we were about to leave, the opportunity came in a form of a distinguished gentleman, who happened to need a printer. He had heard of the HP Color Works Tour from a friend who bought a printer from us earlier in the day. We knew it was our chance and we did not let it pass us by. Record broken!
We went on to also break the record for weekly sales.: 47 printers.
But we are not done yet. The quest continues for setting new records

Latest pictures are on Snapfish

2006-07-06T23:23:00.000-05:00

The latest pictures are uploaded on Snapfish.com.

Follow the link here or click on the link to Snapfish on the side bar.

Enjoy!

Miles and Printers

2006-07-06T23:16:00.000-05:00

It has been a month since the Color Works Tour has hit the road. The time has passed fast, the miles furious. We decided to pause for just a moment and reflect on our experience.

We must admit: we knew HP was a household name, but we didn’t know how passionate HP users were. Everywhere we went, we met with nothing but praise and appreciation for our products. “I have always had HP printers. I will never own anything else” told us a gentleman who owned several HP products. This fervor of the consumers was only echoed by the adamant loyalty of store managers who appreciated the relations they can build with clients thanks to HP’s legendary quality and reliability.
It’s not just the every-day applications that excited such strong feelings —after all, everyone loves a partner they can depend on– but it was the one-of-a-kind, off-the-beaten path users that often came to us with most ardent passion for their HP printers.

Point in case was a gentleman who came to see us in a store in Georgia. He owned a small business consulting corporations on the design of circuit boards. To etch his circuit board prototypes, he used a specialty paper manufactured to work “just with HP toners”. He relied on an aging HP 4 LaserJet for this process. He wondered if the new toner would work as well as the old B&W to print on his special paper. He would have liked to be able to step into the color zone and do more with his printer. We invited him to run a test, so he went home, got his paper and came back. We ran the test and… success! Needless to say, he went home with a 2600n, excited about being able to print in colors and excited about the possibilities for his business. It is this kind of experience that makes it all so exciting for us. We were just as happy as he were to see what HP can do for small businesses.

Office Depot Grand Opening in Peachtree city, GA

2006-07-06T22:27:00.000-05:00

Georgia, the land of peaches. What better town than Peachtree City to be visiting for the Ribbon Cutting ceremony at Office Depot # 2530? The new store opened in a beautiful, brand-new shopping center. It represented well the spirit of the brilliantly laid out and meticulously manicured, planned community of Peachtree City. The Color Works Tour was graciously invited to be part of this wonderful event and we were determined to show our appreciation for their interest in our road show.
We reached the store bright and early to have a chance to connect with the spirit of the event and get to know the store crew. The store manager, Jason Cole, greeted us with a nice, wide smile and invited us in, with the wonderfully charming, southern hospitality Georgia is known for.
By 11:00 AM the store started bustling with business. The town Mayor, Harold Langdon, and the members of the chambers of commerce arrived to commence the ceremony. The store manager had a podium set up with a PA system. At 11:30 AM he officially begun the opening ceremony with a brief speech, during which he acknowledged several business partners. In particular, he singled out HP: “HP is such a good partner with our business, we are happy to have them here today” he said. We felt really proud. The speech was followed by the introduction of a variety of charities with which the store partners benefiting the local community. The city Mayor took the podium next.
At noon, the ceremony reached its peak with the Mayor and the store manager cutting the ribbon at the front of the store. After that, it was back to business as usual and HP business is what we did. We talked to a lot of people and performed many demos. The LaserJet printers were the star of the day, with many interested in the 2600 and even more in the 3600. We sold two 3600 in the first two hours following the opening festivities. Many business owners were impressed by the monthly volume capacity and the speed of the printer in color. And they were even more impressed and pleasantly surprised by the price. A few new businesses in Peachtree City are now powered by HP.

Hurricane Recovery in the Gulf Coast

2006-07-06T20:15:00.000-05:00

We all heard the news of hurricane Katrina; however, the images on TV did not prepare us for the real devastation we saw. Even 70 miles north of the coast, in Hattiesburg, we felt the impact: just trying to find a hotel was a challenge. The hotels that were still standing were all booked due to the relief efforts. The worst destruction was along the coast with nothing but FEMA trailers parked where homes once stood. All that was left of a once thriving community were the signs of businesses leveled by the 28 foot storm surge.

What was left of the Grand Casino and live oaks that lined the beach road, gave us an idea of what a quaint beach-town Gulfport had once been. However, mother nature was already springing back with lots of wildlife taking residence. Seeing the devastation of hurricane reminded us that no matter how much we progress as humans we are still vulnerable to the powerful forces of nature—a glimpse into our place in the universe .

Hitting the ground... sprinting!

2006-06-13T22:01:00.000-05:00

After traveling 2,800 miles across the nation we reached Alexandria, LA for our first day of the Color Works Tour. We were excited to be in the store and test our knowledge of the printers. The store manager and staff were accommodating and happy to have us. Little did we all know how popular the Color Works Tour would be that day.
While setting up our station, a man approached us about laser printing. Immediately we plugged in the 2600n and printed him a demo . He was so impressed with the printer quality, affordability, and instant-on technology. He bought it. We were ecstatic to have made a sale within the first 10 minutes.

- He was so impressed with the printer quality, affordability, and instant-on technology. He bought it.-

The day continued to be a success with HP printers flying out the door. At the end of the day we had sold 13 printers, 5 of which were color lasers. In fact, we completely sold out the store’s inventory of 3600n and one man had to go home empty handed; he had to order his printer in the store from OfficeDepot.com. We were overjoyed to have made such impressive sales on our first day, and the store was sad to see us leave. The store manager, Richard Young asked us back in a charming southern drawl: “Y’all come back soon. You hear?” We came to hear that a lot from most of the stores we visited: the store managers seemed to really appreciate the Color Works Tour coming to them.