Following The Process

The three potential clients may seem like nothing, but together they have the potential to pay yourself a decent monthly salary wherever you might be living in the world.

This week will be another boring week with a wait and see game as the packaging samples are delivered. Boring but at the same time very important as this part is when you guarantee the business through the work and time you spend with each client. I have 3 potential clients at this stage all at the same time which is rather rare and a great position to be in. Boring in the sense as this is not a process that can be sped up and it takes the time to test the product and evaluate.

The chances are rather high that all 3 companies will place orders within the next week to ten days and the funny part is I have never pushed either client and this is entirely their own decision. I have not spoken to any of them directly yet and will only be seeing them for the first time when I drop off the samples.

Each client has a very different type of operation with one being manual and the other two a mixture of automation and manual so there is some education that needs to be done on my part to help them create more savings. I could just give them exactly what they are using now which in one case is the cheapest on the market yet cheap does not always equate to savings. With this particular product going for a thicker micron may look more expensive at first, but once it is used correctly will save an extra 10 or 20% off their monthly expense.

When you look at a customer you have to think bigger as one customer can create other opportunities not just by word of mouth, but through their organization. As a supplier you could also be on a test case and not even knowing what the customer is thinking as this has happened to me in the past on numerous occasions.

The strange thing about this scenario is not having met the people involved yet as normally you can gauge where you stand with a client through just talking with them. The trust element will only come once you have sold them a total package and this is not just about price which it currently is right now. Price has got me through the door which is the best news as I know this has opened their eyes and I will need to open them some more and wake them up.

If you do your job correctly a client is not for 6 months or a year, but for however long everyone is in business. All of my suppliers I regard as more than just business acquaintances as my business relies so heavily on them and it is more of a partnership. The idea that what you are offering is far more valuable than just a product and your input into their business helps yours and their business grow.

The clients are all getting more than one type of sample with various specifications which will hopefully educate them on the product and only then come up with the right decision on what their order is going to be. I have mentioned this in a previous post that the one client would already be saving R30K or nearly $2K monthly and it would be easy to just offer exactly what they are currently using, but you have not really benefitted the company except for the obvious savings. Maybe there is another 10% or 20% if they use the correct specifications on how they work. This is an unknown until I see them in action and only then will I know that answer.

There are very few true specialists around in the warehouse packaging field who have physically worked hands on with the products. Packaging companies do not care as long as you buy from them, but miss the point of guaranteeing the client for life through the assistance they can provide and what makes them stand out above their competitors.

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