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It doesn’t always follow that having a massive multi-national on the doorstep with a regular requirement for the sort of products your company sells, will automatically result in easy business. And that of course, is how it should be. None of us can ever take anything for granted – all business has to be won and nearly always in the face of severe competition.
Now that we are receiving regular work from a multi-national less than 500 metres from our door, is nothing more than a reflection of the hard work put in by our
sales team over many, many months.
The first sizeable order came as a result of some tenacious negotiating by one of our Account Managers, Richard Franklin. Items on that first manifest included
complicated bespoke training and HR binders. Each binder required purpose
designed inserts and dividers. Company logos and corporate colours had to be
reproduced faithfully, badges needed to be made, pens and calculators had to
be ‘logolised’. All in all, the work required in-put from virtually every department
in our organisation. From digital design to Docutech, from Indigo printing to
laminating and from gluing and binding to finishing.
The result – several departments working full tilt at the same time for the same
customer. A lot of tooing and frowing for approvals, submission of samples
and finally the receipt of an official purchase order. So, what is the point of telling you all this? Well, apart from blowing our own trumpet, there is a lesson in business here for all of us.
Forward movement and growth only comes to a company via the acquisition
and retention of new customers. Customer Service needs to be held responsible for the retention of existing customers and a system needs to be in place so as to identify customers who leave the fold and establish why it is they have decided to go elsewhere.
Our experience with this customer proves just how important it is to keep
‘knocking on the door’. As print processes change and improve and new machinery is installed, customers, potential and existing, need to be kept up-to-date with developments. |
