Recent Release: HP Sales – DesignJet Large Format Printing (2014) Certification
The world of professional printing technology has always demanded a specialized kind of knowledge from the sales professionals who represent it. Selling large format printing solutions is not a matter of simply presenting a product catalog and waiting for a purchase decision — it requires deep understanding of the technology itself, the industries that depend on it, the workflow challenges that customers face, and the specific ways that HP’s DesignJet product line addresses those challenges better than competing alternatives. The release of the HP Sales DesignJet Large Format Printing certification for 2014 is a direct response to that reality, giving HP’s sales community a structured pathway to develop and validate the expertise that effective large format printing sales demands.
HP has long recognized that the quality of its sales force is as important as the quality of its products in determining customer satisfaction and market success. A sales professional who genuinely understands large format printing technology can have meaningful conversations with architects, engineers, photographers, and marketing professionals about how DesignJet solutions will improve their workflows and output quality. A sales professional who lacks that understanding is limited to surface-level product presentations that rarely address the specific concerns of sophisticated buyers. The 2014 certification is designed to close that gap systematically across HP’s sales organization.
What Large Format Printing Actually Involves
Large format printing refers to the production of printed materials that exceed the dimensions typically handled by standard office or commercial printers. In practice, this means prints ranging from posters and banners to architectural drawings, engineering schematics, fine art reproductions, retail signage, and a wide variety of other applications where size, detail, and color accuracy matter in ways that conventional printing cannot address. The technology required to produce these outputs reliably and at professional quality levels is substantially more complex than the technology in standard printers, and the customers who purchase large format printing equipment have correspondingly more sophisticated requirements and expectations.
Understanding the breadth of applications that large format printing serves is essential for any sales professional working in this space. An architect using large format printing to produce construction drawings has very different requirements from a photographer printing fine art reproductions or a retail marketer producing point-of-sale displays. The ink types, media options, color management approaches, and connectivity solutions that matter most vary significantly across these different use cases, and a sales professional who can speak knowledgeably about all of them is vastly more effective than one who treats large format printing as a single undifferentiated product category.
The HP DesignJet Product Line and Its Market Position
HP’s DesignJet product line has been a dominant force in the large format printing market for many years, earning a reputation for reliability, print quality, and breadth of capability that has made it the preferred choice for professional users across a wide range of industries. The DesignJet family spans a broad spectrum of products, from entry-level large format printers suitable for small offices and design studios to high-production professional systems capable of handling the demanding output requirements of large engineering firms, reprographic service providers, and professional print shops.
The market position that DesignJet occupies is built on more than product quality alone — it reflects the comprehensive ecosystem of software, media, ink technology, and support services that HP has developed around the hardware. Sales professionals who understand this ecosystem and can articulate its value to customers are able to position DesignJet not just as a printer but as a complete large format printing solution that addresses the full workflow from design to finished output. The 2014 certification equips HP sales professionals with the knowledge they need to have these comprehensive conversations effectively.
Core Knowledge Areas Covered by the Certification
The HP Sales DesignJet Large Format Printing certification covers a range of knowledge areas that together give sales professionals a complete picture of the technology, the market, and the sales skills needed to succeed in this specialized area. Technical knowledge about how large format inkjet printing works, including the role of print heads, ink formulations, media types, and color management, provides the foundation that makes all other knowledge meaningful. Without this technical grounding, sales professionals cannot credibly discuss the differences between competing products or explain why specific DesignJet features matter to specific customer applications.
Beyond the technical foundations, the certification covers market knowledge including the key industries and customer segments that represent the most significant opportunities for large format printing sales, the typical workflows and pain points that customers in each segment experience, and the competitive landscape that HP’s DesignJet products operate within. This market knowledge is what allows sales professionals to approach customer conversations with relevant insights rather than generic product information, which is the difference between being perceived as a trusted advisor and being treated as just another vendor trying to close a sale.
Why HP Invests in Sales Certification Programs
HP’s investment in sales certification programs like the DesignJet Large Format Printing credential reflects a strategic understanding of how product complexity affects the sales process and ultimately the customer experience. Complex technology products with diverse applications and sophisticated buyer communities require sales forces that can engage at a level of technical and market depth that goes well beyond what general sales training provides. Certification programs are the mechanism through which HP builds and validates that depth systematically across its sales organization.
There is also a competitive dimension to HP’s investment in sales certification. In a market where multiple vendors compete for large format printing customers, the quality of the sales experience is itself a differentiator. Customers who encounter HP sales professionals who genuinely understand their needs, can speak credibly about the technology, and provide relevant insights about how DesignJet solutions address their specific requirements are more likely to choose HP than customers who receive generic presentations. Sales certification is therefore not just a training activity — it is a competitive strategy that HP deploys to win and retain customers in a market where knowledge and trust matter enormously.
The Target Audience for This Specific Credential
The HP Sales DesignJet Large Format Printing certification is specifically designed for sales professionals who work with HP’s DesignJet product line, including HP direct sales representatives, reseller sales staff, and distribution channel partners whose portfolios include HP large format printing products. The credential is not intended for technical support professionals, engineers, or end users of the technology — it is explicitly a sales-focused certification that addresses the knowledge and skills needed to sell effectively rather than to operate, maintain, or service the equipment.
Within the sales professional community, the certification is relevant across different levels of seniority and experience. New sales professionals entering the large format printing market will find the certification provides an essential knowledge foundation that would otherwise take years of experience to develop organically. Experienced sales professionals who have been selling large format printing solutions for some time will find that the certification validates and potentially deepens knowledge they have developed through practice, while also ensuring they are current with the specific features and capabilities of the 2014 DesignJet product line.
How the Certification Benefits Sales Performance
The direct connection between sales certification and sales performance is the ultimate justification for HP’s investment in programs like the DesignJet Large Format Printing credential. Sales professionals who complete the certification are better equipped to identify the right customers for DesignJet solutions, have more productive initial conversations about customer needs, present relevant product capabilities in the context of specific customer applications, handle technical objections credibly, and close sales by demonstrating genuine understanding of the customer’s situation. Each of these improvements in sales effectiveness translates directly to better results.
Research across industries consistently shows that sales professionals with deeper product and market knowledge achieve higher close rates, shorter sales cycles, and better customer retention than those with more superficial knowledge. In the large format printing market, where purchase decisions often involve significant capital investment and long-term commitment to a printing platform, buyers are particularly likely to respond positively to sales professionals who demonstrate genuine expertise. The DesignJet certification positions HP sales professionals to be those experts, which is a meaningful competitive advantage in every customer interaction.
Understanding HP Ink Technology Within the Certification
Ink technology is one of the most technically complex and commercially significant aspects of large format printing, and the DesignJet certification gives appropriate attention to this area. HP has invested heavily in developing ink formulations that deliver exceptional color accuracy, durability, and compatibility with a wide range of printing media, and understanding the specifics of these formulations — including the differences between dye-based and pigment-based inks, the role of HP’s various specialized ink lines, and the relationship between ink type and output durability — is essential for sales professionals who need to match the right DesignJet configuration to each customer’s requirements.
Customers in different application segments have very different ink-related requirements. A photographer producing fine art prints for gallery display has completely different durability and color accuracy requirements from an engineer producing technical drawings for a construction project. Being able to speak intelligently about how HP’s ink technology addresses the specific requirements of each customer type is a key competency that the certification develops, and it is the kind of knowledge that customers notice and respond to positively during the sales process.
Media and Substrate Knowledge for Large Format Sales
The range of media and substrates that large format printers can work with is one of the most important and often underappreciated dimensions of the large format printing value proposition. Unlike standard office printers that work with a limited range of paper types, large format printers like the DesignJet line can produce output on an enormous variety of materials including coated and uncoated papers, canvas, film, fabric, and various specialty substrates. The ability to print on this variety of materials is what enables the diverse range of applications that large format printing serves.
Sales professionals who understand media and substrate options can have much more valuable conversations with customers about the full scope of what DesignJet technology makes possible for their specific business. A retail customer who initially approaches a conversation thinking they need a printer for paper-based signage may discover through a knowledgeable conversation that fabric printing for display applications would serve them better — a discovery that represents a more valuable sale and a more satisfied customer. The certification ensures that HP sales professionals have the media knowledge needed to facilitate these kinds of insights.
Competitive Positioning and Differentiation Skills
The DesignJet certification does not operate in a vacuum — it prepares sales professionals to succeed in a competitive market where alternative large format printing solutions from other vendors are actively competing for the same customers. Understanding how DesignJet products compare to competitive alternatives, where HP’s technology delivers advantages that customers will value, and how to address customer questions about competitive products honestly and effectively are all dimensions of competitive knowledge that the certification addresses.
Effective competitive positioning is not about disparaging competing products — it is about helping customers understand the specific ways in which DesignJet solutions address their requirements better than alternatives. This requires genuine knowledge of both HP’s products and the competitive landscape, and it requires the judgment to know which competitive comparisons are relevant to which customer situations. The certification builds this competitive knowledge and positioning skill in ways that serve both sales effectiveness and customer trust, because customers who receive honest, informed competitive analysis are more confident in their purchase decisions.
The Role of Software and Connectivity in Large Format Sales
Modern large format printing is not just about hardware — it involves a complete workflow that includes design software, print management applications, color management tools, and connectivity solutions that allow printing systems to integrate smoothly into existing customer workflows. HP’s DesignJet ecosystem includes a range of software and connectivity offerings that extend the value of the hardware beyond the physical printing process, and sales professionals who understand these elements can present a more complete and compelling value proposition to customers.
The ability to discuss software integration, network connectivity, cloud printing capabilities, and mobile printing workflows is increasingly important as customers evaluate large format printing solutions in the context of broader digital workflow transformations. Customers who are modernizing their workflows want to know that their large format printing investment will work seamlessly with the other tools and systems they depend on, and HP sales professionals who can address these integration concerns confidently are better positioned to win business from technically sophisticated buyers.
Maintaining Currency With Evolving Product Knowledge
One of the challenges inherent in any sales certification program tied to a specific product year — as this 2014 certification is — is ensuring that the knowledge it validates remains current as products evolve. HP updates the DesignJet product line regularly, introducing new models with enhanced capabilities, retiring older models, and updating software and connectivity options in response to changing customer needs and technological opportunities. Sales professionals who earn the 2014 certification need to complement that credential with ongoing attention to product updates and new releases that come after the certification’s reference date.
HP supports this ongoing knowledge development through regular product training, partner communications, and updated certification programs that reflect each year’s product developments. The 2014 certification represents a specific snapshot of the DesignJet product line and market at a particular point in time, and professionals who treat it as a foundation for ongoing learning rather than a complete and permanent statement of their product knowledge will get much more long-term value from it. The discipline of staying current with product developments is one of the habits that separates consistently effective sales professionals from those whose effectiveness peaks at the moment of certification and then gradually diminishes as their knowledge becomes dated.
Conclusion
The HP Sales DesignJet Large Format Printing certification for 2014 represents a thoughtful and valuable investment in the development of the sales professionals who represent HP’s most sophisticated printing products in one of the most technically demanding segments of the printing market. The certification is not just a credential for resume enhancement — it is a genuine knowledge development program that makes sales professionals more effective in every customer interaction, from initial prospecting conversations to final purchase decisions and ongoing account management.
For HP sales professionals and channel partners who work with the DesignJet product line, pursuing this certification is one of the most impactful professional development investments available. The knowledge it provides is directly applicable to daily sales activities, the credential it confers is recognized within the HP partner ecosystem as meaningful evidence of commitment and competence, and the customer conversations it enables are qualitatively different from those that uninformed sales professionals can have. In a market where buyers are sophisticated and purchase decisions are significant, that difference in conversation quality translates directly into business results.
The broader lesson that the HP DesignJet certification illustrates applies across the technology sales profession: specialized knowledge is a genuine competitive advantage that sophisticated buyers recognize and respond to. In every technology market where products are complex, applications are diverse, and purchase decisions carry real financial weight, the sales professionals who invest in developing deep expertise consistently outperform those who rely on generic sales skills and surface-level product familiarity. Certification programs like the HP Sales DesignJet Large Format Printing credential are the most efficient mechanism for developing that expertise systematically, and the professionals who embrace them position themselves for sustained success in markets that reward genuine knowledge with genuine business results. Investing in this certification is investing in the kind of professional credibility that opens doors, builds lasting customer relationships, and creates a career foundation that continues to deliver value long after the initial certification examination has been completed and the credential has been earned.
