Marketing Aquaculture Products — 1

and if they don’t have one, ask them to write
down their contact information on the back of
one of your cards.
Be honest in your communications. For example,
if you have been having recent trouble with
a production system, work that into the conversation,
but stress the positive that you have your
supply covered. Th is shows your client that
you are sincere and open and also that you are
on-top of potential problems and can handle
whatever may come up. Your clients will want
to work with someone who they feel can handle
the regular ups and downs of the real world.
If you have problems, always predicate them
with what you are doing to solve the problem,
preferable within a time frame. “Sometimes
we have a shipping delay, due to our process
having labor problems, if that happens, it is no
more than a day or so and the product is on its
way,” goes a long way to assure a client that they
will have product when they need it.
Never allow communication issues, contact
correspondence, or misunderstandings to
continue to go unresolved. Immediately take
care of any issue. It shows that you care about
your customer and your business. If you think
there is the slightest misunderstanding over
any detail, delay in fi lling an order, or a billing
problem. Call or E-mail your client, discuss
the issue and let them know that you are doing
your absolute best to resolve it to their satisfaction
and that it has your immediate attention.
Never think that it’s “probably OK since you
22 — Marketing Aquaculture Products
haven’t heard from them.” A burned or frustrated
customer will talk about their unhappiness,
this is human nature; it is also not good
for the reputation of you, your product or your
business.
No one likes to talk about salesmanship; it
has bad connotations that conjure up images
of twisted arms and unsavory deals. Th e best
salesmanship is honesty. Whether you are
focusing on an emerging or established market,
establishing your product requires some fl ag
waving. You need to sell a problem (their lack
of your product and need for it), and your great
solution (your product). Establish the perception
that you are an emerging market leader by
driving conversations with respect to industry
standards and where your product occupies a
unique position. If you believe in your product
and are enthusiastic about your enterprise, the
energy will transfer to your client.
If you have a problem meeting or presentation,
relax and to the best of your ability, put
your contact at ease. Be persistent, but never
be pushy. If rejected, never take rejection
personally. Buyers simply cannot buy everything.
Th eir rejection can stem from a number
of internal issues. Probe to fi nd out the right
approach to this buyer and why they perceive
that your product does not fi t their needs (their
system). Never get angry. Now that you have a
solid contact with the company it is not the end
of the road, even in a worse-case scenario, you
can regroup and come back with a new pitch
or revised approach to the product your are
marketing. Be patient, it takes time to cultivate
a relationship. You may not want to push a
sale on your fi rst meeting. It may be better to
introduce yourself and your product, discuss
the client’s needs and then ask for a follow-up
meeting over lunch to discuss some possibilities.
A great deal can be done to improve your
reception by simply being appreciative of the
client’s situation. “Sell before you arrive” by
sending a note or E-mail to confi rm the meet-