Art Post, founder,
Print4Pay Hotel
Sometimes, it is the back story of an individual’s career that can truly portend his or her future. That is certainly the case with Art Post, a 35-plus year sales veteran of the office technology space and the CEO of the Print4Pay (P4P) Hotel, a knowledge-sharing repository for the imaging industry.
Post is surely no stranger to these parts; he’s a frequent blogger with P4P, ENX Magazine and other outlets, and tales of his exploits and of those he has met along the way have made for fascinating copy. And the story behind this 2018 ENX Magazine Difference Maker honoree’s foray into selling copiers and MFPs is no exception.
In 1980, Post answered a classified advertisement to be among a group of about 20 individuals who would be trained to become copier technicians. He narrowly missed the cut, but when one of the initial choices bowed out, Post was selected as an alternate.
“Those of us who are long in the tooth in our industry remember that the early 1980s were not a time to refuse a job offer,” Post related. “I accepted an offer that paid me $3.50 an hour to learn about copiers, and was offered a position as a copier tech at the end of the 12-week training period.”
Change of Plans
His six-month review, however, was a mixed bag: Post was highly adept at taking copiers apart, but putting them back together left a bit to be desired. The dealership was letting him go. However, the owner left a window open in the form of a test. He offered $300 to Post that he could earn by either working through the balance of the week or by talking the man out of his money. Post took a shot at the latter. After 15 minutes of offering reasons why the owner should just give him the $300, Post was unsuccessful.
Or so it seemed. He didn’t get the cash, but he was offered a job in sales. “I’ve been there ever since,” Post quipped.
Post has made a fine career for himself in following the dollar, and he loves the freedom of having “the ability to make what I want, when I want it.” He especially gets a charge out of helping other salespeople grow and thrive to match his own personal success, which is reflected in his P4P Hotel blogs.
Key Influencers
Post is really just paying it forward. He credits his first boss, Sonny Green, with teaching him how to get the job done. And it was his mother who taught him the value of remembering those people along the way who helped him achieve success. Post also took a page from the book of Jack Carrol, who instilled in him the notion that “the harder you work, the luckier you get.” That’s a life’s lesson for all in appreciating that, through our actions (or inaction), we create our own luck.
After a year in which Post was able to secure three net-new accounts for the P4P Hotel, he rolled into 2018 with a game plan of becoming a guru for label presses. It’s a product of wanting to follow the migration of print while continuously sharing his knowledge through the P4P Hotel.
“I just keep working hard,” he added.
Art and his “most excellent” wife, Kathy, have been married 29 years. They have a grown son who served in the National Guard before becoming a police officer in their hometown of Highlands, NJ. The Posts enjoy visiting Sandy Hook, NJ, and the Bay-area beaches. An avid gardener, Art also loves making jewelry from the items he finds on the beach.
