uly 22, 2003 -- What exactly makes someone an expert? I mean, if they are so darn smart, why aren't they out there doing it themselves? I generally stop listening to any statement that starts out, "According to….", especially when the expert in question has acronyms as a part of their name. Pie charts and graphs and speculation, oh my! According to the experts, the demand for variable data is spiraling upward, there is an untapped market for digital, and four out of five dentists choose sugarless gum for those patients who chew. Yet where are these experts after the equipment is installed? If the big part of that pie chart proved beyond the shadow of a doubt clients would line up at the door and have digital printing business ready to produce, where are they? Oh, that's right, 82% of all digital files fail the first time. I forgot. The fun side of the "According to…" phenomena is getting inside the quotes and being the authority. Being a columnist makes you an instant expert. Whatever you say has an air of truth simply because it is printed (or in WhatTheyThink's case, on the screen). Personally, I think we should listen only to the tallest speakers, consultants and industry experts and pay by height. But that's just me. Ten years ago, digital printing was a "can't miss" opportunity. Talk of it filled trade shows and conference halls and pages of the trade rags. According to these sources, all we had to do was open up the doors and yell, "We've Got Digital!" and the lines of customers would form. Questions were asked, and experts emerged with their facts and percentages. Buy it and they will come. Go digital or perish. Come on, speculative facts and unsubstantiated guesses don't lie! The best quote I ever heard was the satirical "Digital printing is a zero billion dollar industry growing exponentially." We are surrounded by idiots. Fortunately, we DO have some experts around us that deserve your attention and consideration: your customers. They are the ones you should be listening to. As my friend, Dr. Joe Webb, once said, "Bill, it's your turn to get the check again." Oops, sorry. Wrong quote. Actually, Joe said "It is more important to stay ahead of your customer than your competition." Well spoken, Dr. Joe and yes, it really IS my turn. When is the last time you queried your clientele? Do you routinely discuss the direction of your client's business with them? The answers they provide will tell you where you need to be in order to properly serve them. Ask them what they know about their customers, and you will get some insight into the validity of their database. This will tell you what kind of a hassle you are heading for if you are thinking about variable data printing, and the best part is: it will cost you NOTHING to find out! Compare with that with the risk of purchasing a digital box before gaining a clear understanding of your customers' needs. See, here is the irony of it all: Digital printing IS growing and so is variable data printing. Someday, when customer education catches up to equipment capabilities, this whole thing is actually going to work. Then, once we stop thinking of the term "digital profitability" as an oxymoron, those same experts will smugly say, "See? I told you!" Remember, you heard it here first!