Is your company a winner or a loser?

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FreshXpertise, by Ron Pelger

In all sectors of life, there are winners and losers. For example, in sports there are no “second” or “third” place winners, no “runner-up winners”, and no “co-champions.” There is only “one” winner and all the rest are losers. It’s about those who take home the top prize and the money that matters. There are no celebration parades for a losing team. Nobody ever pays any attention to who was second, third, fourth, or last.

Just as in sports, the produce business has winners and losers. But in this rugged produce arena, it’s a different ballgame played on a very challenging field. There are companies that make money and others that lose money. The companies that play the game using new techniques and strategies will be better competitors in the marketplace. Tapping into those sources will make them winners.

Then there are companies that are using the same old operating methods from the past and continue to get beat by their competition. They are stuck in the mud with out-of-date ideas. That’s why they will never become winners.

Here are some easy ways to lose in the produce business today:

• Don’t change – just keep doing things the same way.
• Keep emphasizing price – forget about quality.
• Copy your competition – never be self-creative.
• Concentrate only on your company – overlook customers.
• Don’t be flexible – stand your ground.
• Spend all you can – buy, buy, and buy – money is no object.
• Rely on your name – bypass quality and service.
• Be all things to everybody – always say “Yes.”

Losing is never fun. Does this sound familiar? “I can’t understand it. Why did they buy from our competitor? We gave them a nice long PowerPoint presentation, showed some great photos of our product, joked around a bit, and took them to lunch.”

Well, it just doesn’t work that way anymore these days. Those old humdrum approaches are considered incomplete and unproductive now. Besides, they eat up too much valuable time for the customer. You can’t play by old rules anymore. Companies that prefer to carry on with the same selling routine will simply wind up on the losing end.

Here are some easy ways to win in the produce business today:

• Communicate with customers – listen to what they want.
• Offer only the best quality produce – sell up, not down.
• Deal honestly and reliably – it’s the best policy.
• Be consistent – stick with a standard.
• Price for value – don’t sell cheap and inferior product.
• Be a creative innovator – “new” always gets attention.
• Train employees – knowledge is powerful.
• Get out in the trenches – see the action, get your hands dirty.

It’s easy to recognize a winner. They seem to overcome impediments and road blocks with their superlative attitude. When you have employees on your company team who are concerned about winning, it can become a very powerful competing team. Great winning attitudes will come out on top all of the time.

Keep your company ahead of the curve. The produce business is not as simple as it used to be in the past. Customers have redefined themselves today. They want solutions on how to win the game. Your ability as to how you communicate with them will decide if your company product sells or not —— and if it makes money for you.

Move up to be a leading-edge operator. Let FreshXperts help your company move forward into the future with newer and better-operating methods. We have the knowledge and the experience in all levels of the produce industry.