Part 1/2: The DragonFly Pro 3D Printer Sales Process by VP Sales Tim Sheehan

VP Global Sales & Customer Care Tim Sheehan at Nano Dimension headquarters in Ness Ziona, Israel.

As Nano Dimension continues to expand its markets globally, designers and manufacturers are increasingly realizing the value additive manufacturing brings to the world of electronics, with the ability for companies to take control of their entire development cycle while enjoying 3D printing’s virtually limitless design flexibility.

To further empower our customers in turning additive manufacturing of electronics into reality, we recently brought Tim Sheehan on board as Nano Dimension’s Vice Present of Global Sales & Customer Care.

Tim is an outstanding business leader with over 20 years of sales experience in the engineering and digital manufacturing sector, having held senior management roles in leading global sales, channel partnership, support and marketing teams. He was a founding partner of 3D ceramic printing firm Figulo, which was later bought by 3D Systems. Prior to joining Nano Dimension, Tim was a director at Fisher Unitech, where he was responsible for driving the company’s growth.

We recently sat down with Tim to discuss some of the most frequently asked questions from customers and prospects. The following blog is part one in the 2-part series and discusses the sales cycle for purchasing Nano Dimension’s award-winning additive manufacturing platform, the DragonFly Pro.

 

Q. What’s the typical timeframe – from initial interest to closing the sale of a Nano Dimension DragonFly Pro system?

Tim: The DragonFly Pro was unveiled just a year ago with deliveries beginning earlier this year. we shall see what 2019 brings regarding cycle times. One thing is for sure: it doesn’t take but 30 minutes to truly see the value of our precision electronic system and how the technology could not only shorten electronics developer’s project turnaround times but how the technology could be leveraged for more agile workflow opportunities.

Q. How soon can customers take delivery of their DragonFly Pro after placing an order?

Tim: Great question. Our customers are eager for delivery once they’ve placed an order, so they ask this question quite often. We are focused on keeping our customers happy and our customers have been enjoying the benefits of us under promising and over delivering.

Q. How do customers receive the support and training needed to get up to speed with the DragonFly Pro?

Tim: Nano Dimension benefits from a strong, capable reseller channel to support the promotion of our product and train our customers on all aspects of the DragonFly Pro system. Our partners’ experience in additive manufacturing speaks volumes and sometimes our partners already have a relationship with the relevant prospective customers. During the installation period, we provide full and comprehensive hands-on operator training to get team members up to speed with 3D printed electronics.

Q. Where are you primarily selling the DragonFly Pro platform today?

Tim: Our current focus is global and informed by the product development clusters around the world. We are now active with channel partners in Asia Pacific and Japan, along with North America and Europe.

Q. Who is the typical buying decision-maker for this advanced technology? And which industries are showing the greatest interest?

Tim: The early indicators are showing us that once we position the DragonFly Pro in front of the electrical engineer it doesn’t take long for the buying decision maker to find the room. In terms of vertical markets, we’ve had a great deal of interest across a broad range of industries, especially within the Aerospace and Defense market. We believe that our offering of faster, more secure and flexible electronics development, coupled with entirely new ways of approaching product design are relevant to most electrical engineers whether in automotive, consumer, medical device, Printed Circuit Board or other areas of application.

Q. How much ink should customers order? Is any ink included with the initial sale?

Tim: We provide a complete kit of materials with the initial purchase, which includes ink and standard parts for preventive maintenance. When customers are ready for more, we have inks ready for our customers to order directly from their reseller.

Q: Does the ink have a “use by” date?

Tim: Unlike many materials in the electronics space that need to be used quickly after opening or mixing, our ink has a shelf-life of six months when stored under the appropriately prescribed conditions.

 

Q: On delivery day, what can the customer expect?

Tim: On delivery day the customer should be comfortable in knowing they have already been contacted by the Nano Dimension Customer Care team along with their local reseller. Site preparation documentation will already have been delivered, including the specific requirements for the equipment needed for the most efficient installation.

Q: Once delivery has been made, how long does it take the typical customer to be up and running and printing?

Tim: The short answer is most customers have their DragonFly Pro’s up in running in just days, fully utilizing the printer’s general operator capabilities that include understanding our design rules for the efficient creation of additive PCBs.  A more prideful answer is that we are glad to see customers generating new and creative uses for electrifying the world of additive manufacturing.

 

Part two of the interview with Tim, where we talk about installing Nano Dimension’s award-winning additive manufacturing platform DragonFly Pro in your office, can be found here. Subscribe to this blog to keep up with our latest content in 3D printed electronics.

 

Tim will be available for meetings during the upcoming Formnext 2018 trade show in Frankfurt, Germany on 13-16th November 2018. Contact us now to schedule a meeting.

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