This seems to be a recurring theme in my blog. In 2017 we visited quite a number of vendor events, both great and not so great. My dear vendors, we love you dearly and we also think very highly of the opportunity to network. But please make it as easy as possible for us!
1. No exotic locations arrivals! In Europe it is easy to travel to Frankfurt, Berlin, Vienna, Stockholm, Milan, Copenhagen, Paris, London and so on. Unfortunately, it is not so easy to get to Mykonos, Cyprus, Malta, Faro, etc. It is usually your event agency who recommends these locations, and always either right before or right after the summer season flight schedule. That is precisely when it is very inexpensive, but hardly any airline still flies there.
2. No exotic locations efficiency! Yes, you are the most important vendor in the world, but your customers also know other people. In reasonable city locations it is possible to even meet in local offices or to visit customers in the vicinity. Remember, you want distributors who think efficiently.
3. The best local hotels! Your event agency books the hotel. That is bad, because these people know exactly where their best profit margin lies. Plus, these hotels are often under renovation or not popular at this time of the year. If nobody else wants to stay there, then we do not either.
The hotel should have at least 5 stars. Yes, that is expensive. But then, in case of doubt, let the guests pay. You want the top decision makers to come. And they need the best Internet, sometimes room service here and there, to have a shirt ironed or perhaps even want to receive a customer. And how often have we stood in the evening in front of a hotel bar which closes at 22:00 hours. Not good for networking!
Oh yes, and if the conference is in such a hotel, each of us has an excuse for why he needs to stay there. If your corporate heads in the US headquarters consider the hotel too expensive for your own people, then book the lower quality place next door for your own people. But why does your customers CEO, whom you want to impress, unfortunately suffer just because the hotel budget is not high enough for your technicians?
4. Conferences and dinners in the same hotel Your customers do not want to ride the bus. We all do not go to school anymore. And we want to go to our room in between, and sometimes even skip one of the conference sessions. This is bad if the hotel room is far away by bus.
5. Ever heard of Late Check-Out? If your conference lasts until 14:00 hours, then you make a deal with the hotel that guests may use their rooms until then. This is possible! It does not make a good impression when your best customers are sitting on their suitcases on the second day of the conference, because the check-out has to be in advance.
6. Stop using PowerPoint We gladly look at your numbers on a few PowerPoint slides. But then please stop it! Instead, give us products for touching, please. And none of the people who come to your conferences are interested in technical data. Then invite product management.
We want to know how we and our resellers will make more profit margins, with you. And also, how we can improve the cooperation with you and where there are new markets. And that's what you have to tell us, nothing else.
We also like to learn more about your strategy. But if you want to engage in secrecy in this direction, then we will also tell nothing about our strategy.
And if you show numbers, then please make it stuff that we do not already know from your website. We are competitive animals. We want to know how we stand in comparison to our competitors, so give us the information!
7. One-on-one discussions One-on-one discussions with decision makers, please. No distributor or dealer of yours discusses his marketing plan or gives you great ideas in a room with his competition. Oh yes, and please bring the decision makers with you. If your conference is so important, then a senior manager from Japan, USA or wherever else can come, too.
8. Fun, fun, fun Yes, it's fun to do a city tour together, go to a whitewater park or climb a mountain. Right. That is: with your own family! But not with you. Each of you is always planning a half-day for something "fun". That only causes us problems with the tax office. Please give a recommendation on what you can do after the conference. Save the money and instead book the better hotel.
9. Awards We are very pleased to receive the award for best growth and best marketing at every vendors' conference. Thank you very much! But these awards do not fit in any luggage. Especially because Jarltech always gets so many. How about handing over the pieces and collecting them again? "We have already arranged for the award to be sent to you afterwards". That's service!
10. Personal interests If your CEO or European boss does not come to to your presentations - or is present, but is just looking at his laptop or his mobile phone instead of listening - then the session is not interesting. Just terminate it. Your corporate people do everything to look good in the eyes of their bosses. Then also plan your lectures like this.
11. Timing You want your resellers and distributors to network at the bar in the evening? Okay, but then maybe the session should not start at 8 o'clock the next morning.
12. Products And once again, because it matters soooo much: Leave us alone with products when there is nothing really disruptive to report. We read data sheets and test products better in our own lab. It gets tough when a technician explains to guests what a 2D barcode really is or in which markets one may use a mobile printer. Hello, what have we been doing for the past 25 years? That's almost rude. And it happens again and again! Please also leave out the slides about which projects you all won in Namibia, Argentina, Taiwan or anywhere else. You can send it by e-mail, then we can even forward it to the sales department.
13. Time frames If there's nothing new to tell, then make the meeting shorter. You do not have to use "gap fillers" just because somebody has come up with the idea that such a meeting always has to last two days.
All of these points come from a mix of experiences: nobody needs to feel addressed personally. Always keep in mind that as a vendor, you save on travel expenses by having us coming to your events, instead of the other way around. You have control of our limited spare time, so please make it as nice as possible!
Complaining – the national pastime of the Germans
Let’s be honest, we Germans love to complain – about the weather, football, the economy, politics, etc....
Let’s be honest, we Germans love to complain – about the weather, football, the economy, politics, etc. This unites us all – regardless of our social class or political affiliation. Complaining is a national pastime in Germany. We love to grumble about high prices, the shortage of skilled workers and the weakening economy, while at the same time discussing our next holiday or the four-day week. Please don’t get me wrong, I am all for everyone taking a lot of time off and having a good rest – the only thing that bothers me is the fact that we love to see everything in such a gloomy light! We have to start working together to find solutions, because what we forget amidst all the moaning are our own abilities.
No, Germany is not falling apart! Germany still has a lot of untapped potential. We have people with great ideas, curious and inquisitive people (yes, even among Gen Z), a high average level of education, a high degree of legal certainty, a consistently strong industry, very good research ... and yes, we also have the capital. But we have to stop complaining and focus on our strengths. We are capable of innovation, we can be or remain market leaders in many areas, but, at the same time, we have to be open-minded. Even if one area collapses, we can successfully develop and expand a subsequent one. These are our strengths. However, we have to accept the challenge – be it in society, in politics or in the economy. Burying our heads in the sand won’t help us.
We are once again facing enormous opportunities for our future – whether in medical research, industry, the energy sector or, of course, across the board in the field of AI. And that’s just what comes to mind. There is, of course, much more. Let’s work together to develop new ideas that will advance us not only as a society, but also as a business location. There is potential out there, it just needs to be tapped! And by the way, we’ll have less reason to complain!
The road to success: do we really have to get worse at everything?
Last week I had a conversation with a customer that left me speechless....
Last week I had a conversation with a customer that left me speechless. Our sales department asked me to speak to a customer on the phone who doesn’t buy from us because we supposedly supply end customers.
No problem, I thought. I called and explained that this is exactly what we don’t do, and that this is a key promise to our dealers. There are extremely rare exceptions – only if a vendor forces us to or a retailer explicitly asks us to. But that almost never happens.
Then it turned out that there was a misunderstanding: the customer said that we also supply small retailers. My answer: »Yes, we do and we have to, based on our contracts with the vendors. Our competitors do that too.«
»All correct«, I hear, but then it got exciting: »Your large competitors are not interested in small customers, so they are poorly served. At Jarltech, small dealers feel comfortable because you provide great service.«
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry ... A customer doesn’t buy from us because our service is too good? I hadn’t expected that.
But don’t worry, contrary to the headline: We will continue to endeavour to offer every customer the best service we can!
Why is good service so important again?
I'm writing to you today from China. Here I have learnt once again why good service is so important....
I'm writing to you today from China. Here I have learnt once again why good service is so important. If you want a customer to pay more than elsewhere, then you have to make the difference! You have to know what they like and anticipate their wishes.
Here in Shenzhen is the Grand Hyatt Hotel – I was here at least six times a year before Corona – and even stored some luggage in Shenzhen, so that I only had to fly with hand luggage. Liquids and such ... that was difficult on the plane.
It’s been over three years since I was last here, and I arrived to be greeted by an armada of hotel staff. My beloved Coke Zero was waiting for me in the car outside the airport. My luggage, which I hadn’t expected to see again, had been stored for three years and completely cleaned for my new stay. Everything was hanging in the wardrobe and the bathroom was neat and tidy. My razor was charged and my chargers stood on the desk. Of course, the fridge was full of Coke Zero and the white wine I had last drunk three years ago. Even the room service knew what I liked to eat.
That’s what hospitality really is. And we have to do the same at Jarltech. Always write down what our customers want and like. And when I go out to dine with a customer, I need to know whether they are vegan or if they don’t like pork, for example. Some customers want to be called and courted on a weekly basis, whereas others find this rather annoying. Some still prefer paper catalogues, others believe it’s environmental pollution. And all the better if a customer returns after three years, and I still have it all written down somewhere. Jarltech may not be a hotel, but we are a service provider that has to differentiate itself The difference is always in the details.
The world's smallest chef gives a guest performance in Usingen
It's finally back on: Our 3D projection dinner show »Le Petit Chef« will be back in our restaurant »Uwe and Uli« (www.uwe-uli.de) from the 11th of October...
It's finally back on: Our 3D projection dinner show »Le Petit Chef« will be back in our restaurant »Uwe and Uli« (www.uwe-uli.de) from the 11th of October 2023 to the 30th of April 2024. Personally, I always have fun enjoying delicious food with a bit of a show. Come by sometime – it's also great for Christmas parties with up to 20 people. And if you're a customer of ours, why not have your sales contact invite you next time you visit Jarltech? 😊
Have fun with the little chef!