MARKETING MATTERS Why Should Your Customer Buy From You? Stephen Lane, Southland Metals Inc., Maumelle, Arkansas T


he customer standing in front of me just told me my metal- casting company is exactly like every other metalcaster that is competitive, ships on


time, produces quality parts, is ISO- certified and believes people are its greatest asset. “What else are you going to do to


win and keep my business over the long term?” he asks.


I don’t have an answer for him. It isn’t the end of the world not to


know the answer to this question today, but we must start figuring it out, or we are going to be left behind or com- pletely shut down in the near future. The modern OEM buyer is looking


for and demanding more—more from our products, but more importantly more from our services. We must go the extra mile to provide world class services along with our world class products. It isn’t enough to just ship a good product on time.


The Four Cs We live in a world where inventory


turns mean everything to the materials managers’ bottom line. Even though freight has increased, we have leaned our manufacturing process floor space to the point where our customers can only hold a few days’ (maybe a week’s) worth of products. They have turned the warehouse into a manufacturing and assembly powerhouse that devours more raw material and spits out more finished goods with fewer people. Our customers have changed what


they want us to do, so what can we do to respond? In addition to examining ourselves using “strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats” analysis, holding kaizen events and controlling costs, we must think about how we do business. How do we go to market with our products? How do we take orders? How do we process quotes?


40


How do we respond to change-orders? The list goes on. To address these issues—and per-


haps improve your bottom line—with- out incurring a significant expense, consider the four Cs: 1. Character 2. Chemistry 3. Competency 4. Communication


Character


Character is not negotiable, and it generally cannot be learned. The charac- ter of our company culture permeates our phone calls and emails. The first per- son to engage our customer with a will- ing, grateful attitude and courteous demeanor is as important as the last person that puts the products on a truck. Does your culture stink? Or is it welcoming?


Chemistry The remaining three Cs can be de-


veloped and improved over time. The chemistry of two companies develops like a couple going through a courtship: it’s exciting at first, but as the years go by, it becomes less exciting and the very things that caused the two companies to begin working together are taken for granted. We must treat our old custom- ers with the same passion we bring to the new big deal that promises to take us to the next level.


Competency Competency is a learned trait that we


all possess if we are willing to work towards it. We never stop learning in life or business, unless we become complacent. Trade organizations and ongoing education programs are avail- able if you don’t become too comfort-


able in your current state of mind. Your local technical school or junior college can provide hands-on training to improve your business processes and communications skills if you are willing to get off the couch and sacrifice some “me” time.


Communication We all know (or think we know) how


It isn’t enough to just ship a good product on time.


to communicate. But have we really ana- lyzed the subtle messages and signals we are sending out, from the voicemail mes- sage on our phone that is not our own to the hastily pre- pared PowerPoint presentations? Have we remembered to respond to all im- portant letters and emails? The power


of two words—“thank you”—can com- municate that you have received your customer’s request and you appreciate the opportunity to do business with him or her. As we reengineer our thinking and communicating, let’s take care of all the small things we can. The customer might know our company has years of experience and knowledge contained within its walls, but what message are we sending? Our customers expect a newer, cleaner, greener and “sexier” image. The “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mentality will keep us firmly anchored in our past instead of propelling us to our brighter future. Why should the customer buy from


our company? Because we will treat that customer right every time he or she calls and continue to learn better ways to service the needs of the company and communicate in a professional and forward-thinking way.


MC


Stephen M. Lane is regional sales manager for Southland Metals Inc., Maumelle, Ark.


MODERN CASTING / December 2010


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60