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I've found many obstacles with this myself.
Hey John,
so I'm the sales director for a small roastery in NC. And what I'm about to dish feels like stuff that I ought not to, but I think it needs to be said. To answer your question, yes... I like to keep in touch as much as possible and we're trying to make customer service and support as much of a focus in our sales and marketing team as gaining new accounts and partners. It's essential to our company but my biggest obstacle comes from ego...both mine and theirs.
Truth be told, some accounts have been brewing coffees and pulling shots for a long time and have an attitude of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". And while I'd like to smack them for that attitude, I think we all need to admit to thinking that from time to time or at least being tempted to think that way. Some people, especially small business owners and entrpreneurs who've put their entire lives and finances on the line for their business, simply don't take any criticism well no matter how positive it is. Couple that with them not wanting to take advice from a 29 year old "newbie" (I'm only 6 years into the industry).
And there's your truth. And it's really hard. Because I know that those shops are doing a disservice to the quality of the coffee that comes from our farmers and our lead roasters. But I also see the huge potential in those shops and so it comes back to relationships. If I don't have a decent relationship with those shop owners then they're never going to even give me the time of day.
Hey John,
so I'm the sales director for a small roastery in NC. And what I'm about to dish feels like stuff that I ought not to, but I think it needs to be said. To answer your question, yes... I like to keep in touch as much as possible and we're trying to make customer service and support as much of a focus in our sales and marketing team as gaining new accounts and partners. It's essential to our company but my biggest obstacle comes from ego...both mine and theirs.
Truth be told, some accounts have been brewing coffees and pulling shots for a long time and have an attitude of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". And while I'd like to smack them for that attitude, I think we all need to admit to thinking that from time to time or at least being tempted to think that way. Some people, especially small business owners and entrpreneurs who've put their entire lives and finances on the line for their business, simply don't take any criticism well no matter how positive it is. Couple that with them not wanting to take advice from a 29 year old "newbie" (I'm only 6 years into the industry).
And there's your truth. And it's really hard. Because I know that those shops are doing a disservice to the quality of the coffee that comes from our farmers and our lead roasters. But I also see the huge potential in those shops and so it comes back to relationships. If I don't have a decent relationship with those shop owners then they're never going to even give me the time of day.
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