EDITOR’S LETTER

Alessia Venturi

Editor-in-chief Education first! The sale of a product or service is a meeting between two interlocutors whose level of knowledge and competence in the field of the sale itself is mutually unknown. This means that sales often occur when the conditions do not exist for the customer to benefit from them. Avoiding talking about the product or service itself but, on the contrary, starting from the assessment of the objectives and results to be achieved, the ways of solving any problems and, more generally, the relevant processes is therefore the most professional approach to selling any product or service. Two of the articles published in this issue of ipcm®_Protective Coatings have given me the opportunity to reflect on this. They both emphasise that realising a correct and effective purchasing dynamic requires the creation of an industrial culture focussing on the technical skills needed to assess a product and its conformity to manufacturing requirements and job specifications. This is even more necessary in a complex sector such as corrosion protection. We know that corrosion has a huge impact on the economy, the environment, and safety. Protecting a structure from corrosion effectively and for as long as possible means guaranteeing its operational safety, durability, and sustainability. Understanding the process and the chemical and physical phenomena behind it, knowing the relevant technical regulations, being able to interpret and follow a specification, and carrying out tests and validations are all prerequisites for the purchase of a product or service. Technical magazines such as ipcm®_Protective Coatings are the first tool for (continuing) education. When authoritative and of quality, they allow market players to train and be trained. They play a role in collecting and aggregating technical and analytical content, providing technical and practical guidance, broadening the technological and scientific discussion, and presenting case studies and success stories. Snubbing technical magazines by virtue of one’s own established success on the market does not seem a far-sighted choice, because the generations of technicians are changing, changing sales conditions favour those who do not sit on their laurels, and thorough reevaluations of long-established specifications can lead to rapidly changing scenarios. Being featured in a technical magazine does not just mean to advertise, but to actively contribute to the cultural growth of the whole industry.