Reply No. 208
Reply No. 207
Voice of the
After spending nearly 30 years in the Industrial Fixings & Tool industry it seems like only yesterday when I would be reaching into the glove box to grab that bag of loose change to phone the office and give the girls in sales my orders for the day - that’s when I could find a telephone box that was working! Nowadays all we need to do is use the mobile phone provided by the company and make the call in the warmth and comfort of our company cars. In today’s world it seems we have every possible means of communication at our finger tips via our mobile phones, E-Mail, Text, Facebook and Twitter and as I am reliably informed by my children, there are many more available. There are many Hand Tool Brands that have stood the test of time growing from strength to strength throughout the difficult times we have seen in our industry. Some have changed direction, some have changed their image and some have changed the way they focus on their particular market. However the power of the consumer will always remain the overriding consideration. Over recent years many Manufacturers are focusing their marketing efforts on reaching the consumer in order to gain the confidence and support for their Brand. As important as they are, the Wholesalers and the Retailers are just the springboard to get the Brand in front of the consumer. I hove lost count of how many trade shows I have attended and someone has said “ I did not know this tool did that or when did you start selling that tool?” Without the Manufacturer engaging with the consumer where will our Brands be in the next ten years? Yes, I agree effective strong communication is vital in today’s world and this is achievable through the printed page and our modern multimedia. However in my younger days I was always told, “people buy from people”. In my opinion it is even more important for the manufacturers to engage face to face with the consumer in order for them to maintain and increase their market share. Yes we can all sit behind our desk and send an e-mail, fax or a promotional flyer hoping to gain that extra bit of business, but engaging with your customer on a face to face basis selling your companies features and benefits and maybe demonstrating your latest product would show your valuable customers that you really do care about their business.
2010 was a fantastic year for Telesteps AB achieving all its targets and goals especially here in the UK where we increased our market share, not only by value, but also by volume. This was achieved by connecting with the consumer and working with the retailers in order to secure valuable business on their behalf. Since the last general election all we have heard from the media is “cuts, cuts and more cuts” and without doubt 2011 is going to be a tough year, not only for the consumer, but also for the Wholesalers and retailers in our industry. In my opinion if we all start to communicate on a more frequent face-to-face basis not only will we be able to put a name to that voice but we will also start to develop more valuable relationships with our valuable customers. As BT have told us frequently, IT IS GOOD TO TALK. So can I wish you all a very successful 2011 and leave you with this thought: - If all you ever do, is all you have ever done, then all you will ever get, is all you have ever got. Derek Gray, European Sales Manager, Telesteps AB
telephone 01444 440188
ToolBUSINESS+HIRE 5
Industry
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