source
This morning after running the covid patients to the doctors room and back I had to settle down to test the waters where we currently lie with new customers. I have many hooks in the water and plenty of fish biting, but nothing definite. I must have made close to 100 phone calls to different companies during the last 5 months and have stayed in weekly contact with them. I am banking on nabbing 10 new clients and the rest would be a bonus even though it is a dismal strike rate. Not to worry as the 10 would be 80 percent of the business out of the 100 clients and very good business at that.
The first customer sounded like the next customer as they all had very much the same story. These are fairly big companies and will not change supplier whilst their is still a risk of going back into a more severe lock down. As frustrating as it is I really do understand and cannot blame them for thinking this way.
source
As a buyer and in charge of a product the company uses you don't want to be left high and dry if something goes wrong. We are open during the lock down and so are most of these companies but having a supplier you know on board during testing times is essential.
The good thing is being able to touch base with them regularly as they know who I am and have given me so much positivity about moving forward. We have discussed time lines and what the next step is and how we are going to achieve this. Unfortunately it could be two weeks or four weeks from now or perhaps even longer. The groundwork has been done and there is nothing more anyone can do as I can't control these time lines.They need a level 1 lock down which is basically back to normal with no restrictions.
These companies are not meeting and greeting anyone new and the doors are officially closed. This makes sense right now and can't complain as I tend to agree with this policy even though it stuffs me. At the end of the day as long as the business is growing and moving forward I cannot complain.
The one person I chatted to has changed their milk supplier which just goes to show they are looking for savings. Instead of buying from an online retailer they are buying direct from the dairy/factory and it may not seem like much but it adds up to $2000 per year. This is precisely why I know I will be supplying them as they are thinking how I think. If you are checking the milk consumption in your offices then what about everything else as their is money to be found everywhere in savings.
It does help that I know the owner and founder of the company as he started his business with one motorbike couriering documents himself. That was 25 years ago and today is a billionaire and has people doing his dirty work. One juicy contract set him up for life and has grown his business with that company. It helps knowing him even though I haven't used or dropped his name either. It does tell me his company is functioning like it should though which is reassuring unlike some others I have come across who don't care.
Patience and more patience is what this year has all been about and using whatever time you have wisely. There is no point in getting stressed out as there is nothing you can really change. When things are out of your hands I have learnt you focus on things that you can do and be ready for what happens next.
Any chance you can stock up on the stuff you need so you can have a surplus when things pick back up and then pass those savings along to the customers? I know your stuff is already much cheaper than the competition anyway, but it could still work to your benefit.
No as we manufacture everything we don't buy in. The raw materials are limited currently so we can't even stock pile. Whatever we make is sold immediately.