Persistence pays off
for both parties

Nils Jäger | 14. October 2020

Winning a customer is rarely an easy way. And this often requires a certain tenacity. Sometimes it takes what feels like an eternity to find the right contact person in a company. But sometimes this persistence pays off.

Obstacles always cross your way

Sales activities can certainly be looked at from several points of view. I myself was already on both sides. On the part of the salesperson who is trying to “sell” his product and on the part of the customer who very often has neither time nor patience for strenuous sales talks. And these talks are really important.

Of course, I also know the situation from the customer’s perspective. “No need”, “No time” and sometimes simply not in the mood to listen.

Build trust

The art for us is to persist without becoming obtrusive. To be remembered by the customer without leaving a negative impression. We want to build trust and assist. This is possible thanks to the necessary expertise, reliable products and an authentic image.

It often takes years before a customer is ready to switch to other products. What is important here is the benefit to the customer by this switch. This also requires great trust and is achieved not only through reliable products but also through our actions.

For the customer, on the other hand, the behaviour offers great security. Because there is nothing better than having a contact person you can rely on in the event of unseen difficulties.

Why doesn’t the customer order?

A customer’s decision to express “no need” often has completely different reasons than this one. In very few cases is there really no need. Sometimes you are too expensive. Some customers have done well with the competitor to date and see no reason to switch. When I think of my electricity provider or mobile phone operator, I can even understand that. The effort to compare products, obtain quotations and make a decision is often high. And it is very difficult to find time in everyday life.

When does the customer order?

Here too, there are different stories and backgrounds. In some cases, a machine failure leads to a rethink by the customer. Frustration about the stoppage and the fact that one has to deal with the subject matter anyway makes the customer open for new things. Also against the backdrop that they can save costs. Another reason for changing suppliers is the delivery times. We can help in this respect.

Persistence pays off

In one particular case it was like this:

Our customer, a Chinese manufacturer of LCD test machines, has only used Japanese cables in his e-chains in the past. These cables were specified by the Japanese head office, which is why they did not want to change the cable manufacturer.

Nevertheless, our sales team in China did not give up. Many discussions and visits to the customer’s premises took place, in which the advantages of the chainflex cables were presented.

In 2019, the customer developed its own machine in China, in which accelerations of up to 10g are possible. Since the customer now knew that chainflex is particularly suitable for highly dynamic applications, he shortlisted us.

When comparing the data sheets, the decision was made in favour of our CF99, CF11 and CF10 series, among others, because they are optimal for the application.

Conclusion

Sometimes, at first, it doesn’t look like we can offer the customer an attractive solution. It is nevertheless worthwhile to actively assist the customer in order to offer reliable solutions in the right situation.

Are you also sceptical about a switch? Do not hesitate to carry out a technology check and compare. Our colleagues will also be happy to visit you personally to find out in detail about the possibilities for your applications. You are welcome to use the service life calculator on the home page in advance to get a clear guarantee statement.