Arno Vogelhuber is a salesman for CI Flexo machines in the German-speaking region

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today” – Arno Vogelhuber had already made this one of his personal mottos when he first began his apprenticeship as an electrical fitter in a small, all-round workshop back in 1985. And the passion behind his untiring efforts to seek the best possible solution for and together with the customer is as pronounced as it has ever been – even though he has long since left cables, switches and control boxes behind him. At least in the stricter sense. Arno Vogelhuber is responsible for sales of CI flexo presses made by Koenig & Bauer across the whole German-speaking region.

People & Professions
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After completing his training in 1989, Arno Vogelhuber moved on to a somewhat larger, but still owner-managed company in the electrical supplies trade. Here, too, as a field service technician, his particular focus was directed at communication with the end customer. In 1999, finally, another turn on his career path introduced him to the exciting world of print. As customer service technician for a system supplier to the offset printing industry, he was deployed all over the world, supervising installations, providing training, and often in the role of the responsible installation engineer. Later, as service coordinator, it was his job to ensure optimum planning of the work assignments for his technician colleagues and a team of subcontractors.

CI flexo machines such as the XD Pro are Arno Vogelhuber's speciality

In 2002, he joined the field sales organisation of another system manufacturer with a broad portfolio of print-related products. There, he soon realised that he had a particular talent for sales. His meticulous approach and technical understanding were not only useful in discussions with customers, but also highly appreciated. And another fact was already setting pointers to the future: the systems manufactured by this company are currently also utilised in various Koenig & Bauer printing presses. The next step – via a trade fair contact – was then a more or less natural progression.

As senior manager in the sales team at Koenig & Bauer, Arno Vogelhuber is responsible for the German-speaking region, specifically for the whole field of CI flexo presses – in other words, machines for printing on flexible substrates. The Koenig & Bauer portfolio comprises three basic presses, which can then be tailored individually to meet the customer’s special requirements. And this naturally means that there is a lot to discuss in advance before a deal can be signed and sealed.

But Arno Vogelhuber himself is just as flexible: drawing on experience gained from his many different responsibilities in the past, he is a veritable “master of words” – an indispensable trait for a “salesman”. At the same time, however, he attaches great importance to knowing exactly what he is talking about; only then is it possible to secure the customer’s lasting confidence in the quality of the printing presses.

The purchase of a printing press is a process that extends over several stages. Arno Vogelhuber’s work as sales manager is still far from done when a contract is signed or after the press is delivered. He remains a “trusted partner”, facilitating communication between the customer and the project team at the company. Later, once the press has started operation, it is the regular contact – not only by the service department – that contributes to a good and sustainable relationship with the customer.

With 25 years of experience in the printing industry, Arno Vogelhuber is an expert in his business - visiting customers and attending trade fairs are part of his daily routine

Arno Vogelhuber is rarely to be found in his office. Travel is inherent to the work of a field sales manager. Almost every week, he visits customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Efficient organisation is imperative for this – before each visit, Arno Vogelhuber writes countless e-mails, makes phone calls, and prepares meetings to ensure that he remains abreast of all the latest developments before setting off on what is often his long drive to the customer.

After 25 years in the printing industry, Arno Vogelhuber is an inveterate professional in his field. To be able to pass on his extensive knowledge, he arranges internal training sessions for his sales colleagues. He also explains a lot about the manufacturing process, which also allows him to add to the knowledge and technical understanding of the next generations. But if you ask Arno Vogelhuber, he is convinced that it takes much more than that to become a good salesperson: pleasure in working with people, flexibility, a healthy portion of optimism, self-motivation and inquisitiveness are just a few of the essential attributes. Above all, however, a sales manager must possess endless organisational talent – and Arno Vogelhuber has always viewed good preparation as the key to success.