Overhaul required?

I was talking to an MD of a company supplying and installing building products and systems. He asked me how he could improve his sales. From the information I had it was clear that he needed to improve the customer experience. He looked at me totally blank and did not understand what I meant by this.

This is common in many manufacturing and building products/service sectors. Retail and hospitality sectors “get it” but others think the process begins and ends with an agreed sale.

Retail also understand the different types of marketing whereas, some sectors failing to understand and through lack of knowledge see marketing as a waste of money and only think that it is advertising.

When I mentioned research and feedback the reply was “what for? Waste of time and money”

If this were the case all these multi-billion pound companies with investors demanding returns would not do it would they?

This is a classic case where someone with trade skills has set up a business and has developed it as far as he can but lacking the business skills required has reached a plateau beyond which he is lost.

The thing is though they are afraid to spend money because they do not comprehend what is required and are risk averse to the point of detriment. It is hard to admit that you have reached the extent of your abilities and need to hand over the reins to someone else to develop the business further. However, it does not mean that your input is valueless just that you have been smart enough to recognise the additions skills required to achieve further success.