Key Account Manager at robos-labels
Since October 2020 Frank Laux supports the sales team of robos-labels. As key account manager he is in charge of brand customers from different industries, consults interested parties and contributes to the optimization of internal procedures. In interview Frank Laux tells about his professional life and what counts for him in life.
Mr. Laux, since when are you at robos-labels and what professional experience do you bring along?
Over 30 years of experience in the printing industry: at the beginning there was an apprenticeship as a typesetter, followed by an advanced training for print technician. I worked for 9 years in an offset printing company, had a job in a publishing house and employments in two label printing companies. During these years I have acquired a lot of knowledge which is very useful today. I am happy to be active in the labeling sector again, because I gained quite a bit of knowledge. And I really enjoy this topic, while the offset printing is on the march back. Labels and their applications are more interesting, because they will be required in very different areas like e.g. automotive, medical technology or food industry. In addition, there are different functionalities and requirements to materials and standard compliances.
What do you enjoy most in your job?
To communicate and to cooperate with customers directly. They describe their matter and we try to solve the tasks and to bring in all our knowledge. Complex tests in regard to material, imprint, and die-cutting come into action for sampling procedures and labeling solutions. It is then very gratifying when the project succeeds and results in an order.
Is there a labeling area, which is especially dear to your heart?
These are special labels which have to meet high requirements, which are not so easy to implement. Special material combinations, special die-cuts and functional labels, as well as VDP jobs with variable data and serialization, which cannot be offered by every label printing company. Especially the colleagues in our department “technical calculation” have a longtime experience with materials and the possible resulting combinations. Here we cooperate daily and consolidate our knowledge.
In what way the customers of robos-labels can profit from your know-how?
In my opinion it is very important that there is someone on the phone who knows what he is talking about and the information holds value. The customers shall notice already at the beginning that we have ideas and really know the ways around matter. I can communicate to the customers that we do not only want to sell something, but really help and can find a very good solution for every requirement.
Which three things you could personally do without?
Errors, mine and also those by others (laughing), unfriendly people and getting up in the morning. The ideal beginning of work for me would be 10 am.
What do you not want to do without?
Competent colleagues, this is extremely important. People, who make efforts and put their back into it are very important to me. Only with ambitious people you can make difference. Personally, my friends are very important to me.
What do you like to do most in your leisure time?
This has changed. I used to play handball and run half-marathons. Now I hike with friends, play a bit soccer and we go to parties together and have a beer.
What motivates you?
A chance to get an exciting order and to win a new customer. I am proud when we offer our customers a really good service.
Complete the sentence: communication is…?
That you really express what you want to say – mention everything and do not omit anything. That there is no information missing, which subsequently have to be gathered tediously.
Where do you see the particular challenges for the labeling industry in next years?
Not to be bought by large corporations. At the moment there is a trend that large corporations want to have more customers in portfolio. As an independent company we can react individually and be flexible to requests and make our own decisions.
What are your personal strengths?
Spoken and written communication and teamwork skills. The cooperation with other colleagues and areas functions very well. Especially when one thing is important, it works very well because then everyone pulls together.
What is your greatest personal achievement?
I ran a half-marathon twice under two hours. I have once played against “Frischauf Göppingen”, they were Bundesliga team at that time. I have finished my professional baccalaureate with 1.2 and in the technician exam I was the second-best, it has motivated me a lot myself. As a thirteen-years-old I rather had the motivation to go to the sports field daily then to learn. By that I could later give something for the future to many young people as a handball trainer. That was a great time for me.
Who would you swap with as a child?
Actually with nobody, I have never emulated anyone else. People, which I think are really good today, are people like Lech Wałęsa, Nelson Mandela, and Mahatma Gandhi, who prevailed against a supremacy, mindsets, and racism with nothing. I admire them. They have risked everything and overcame their fear. These people are really brave.
Thank you for the conversation.
The conversation was conducted by Christine Hartmann (corporate communications)
