WE’RE ALL PART OF THE SALES TEAM

The skin is the largest human organ, covering the entire surface of the body. The skin protects but also transmits information about the environment through the sense of touch. Skin to skin – could there be a more intimate situation? And of course, this sensation can be either good or bad.

In business, being skin to skin often refers to customer orientation. This business philosophy emphasises the importance of taking the customer’s needs, wishes and expectations into account in every aspect of the business. It seeks to ensure that a company’s products, services and practices are designed to meet customer needs and that the overall experience is positive. However, “to get under the skin” can also mean the opposite in everyday language. But does the same apply to traditional customer-supplier relationships? Can you be skin to skin without feeling uncomfortable? Where is the line – or is there one?

In this case, it might be a good idea to let the other party draw their boundaries where they see fit for their own operations. Roughly speaking, the boundaries of customer relations can be drawn somewhere between the two extremes of partnership and opportunism. And to this I would immediately argue that there is hardly any one-off trade at Chemigate. When the customer industry is as well defined (narrow?) as ours, what goes around comes around very quickly. And this is true in both good and bad. Even if prices were agreed on a monthly or quarterly basis, this thought is ALWAYS in the back of your mind: “What happens after this contract period?”

But does anyone benefit from the partnership, does it make economic sense, and if so, which party does it benefit?

In ordinary times (you could ask ChatGPT for a definition of this as well, but I guess it’s too hard a nut to crack even for AI...), the benefits are probably a bit harder to see. What is clear is that every company must, first and foremost, concern itself with its own competitiveness; this is stated clearly in the Finnish Companies Act. And that’s good – it ensures that there will also be a partner tomorrow. But I would still argue that a supplier should not forget the customer, not even in good times, or vice versa.

Because, in part, partnership is a bit like insurance. And quite often, especially in times of crisis, the customer-supplier relationship is weighed up. This may sound somewhat corny, but it often seems that the warmest experiences of partnership and cooperation occur in the middle of a crisis. This is when the importance of cooperation becomes clear, and objectives align. When two heads are better than one. This can also be considered an improvement in efficiency – when the objectives are speed and results, it’s certainly most efficient to “be on the same page.”

Chemigate has always aimed at being a reliable partner. It’s a matter of hon- our for us to be the one to call when there’s an emergency. And we feel especially good if we can be of service. It’s good to remember that this is not just a question of resources, but also requires knowledge and skills – not only about knowing the back of your hand but also the back of your customer’s hand. There needs to be “just enough skin to skin.” Of course, we also have good examples from recent history of how a customer has continued to push forward with us when the product wasn’t as finished as we thought, or has offered a helping hand when we’ve tried to understand together where the shoe pinches the tightest. I can also say from my own experience that, quite often, the customer’s worries are our worries – but we also appreciate the other’s success. Our organisation is so flat that I think every employee of Chemigate understands who ultimately pays our salaries. In the end, what is best for the customer is also what is best for us. Whatever our position, we are all part of the sales team.

We wanted to know what our long-standing customer, Sonoco’s Debra White, thought about this. Debra’s title is Senior Director, Global Category Management, Paper Products. Sonoco is a global company providing packaging solutions, hailing from South Carolina, USA.

Debra’s take on the subject is clear as glass. “There is no such thing as too much interaction when it comes to strategic suppliers. A good supplier must have multiple touch points, not just purchasing.” She lists quality, operations, and development as equally important points of contact. “The supplier needs to be ingrained in the customer’s business as well as its current and future needs.”

“The supplier and customer need to drive value together. Value is key, not price.”

Debra feels that Chemigate has been successful in doing this. “Chemigate understands the cultural differences of the companies well. They have understood the needs of the American company. Chemigate listens to the needs and responds well even when occasionally both parties leave without being altogether happy. Chemigate’s responses are creative and not me too type of solutions.”