Sanpo-yoshi Communication

Uncertain Times

It is the time of year when the cherry blossoms are budding and we are excited about the start of a new fiscal year.

I congratulate you all on your new lives and the start of your new businesses, and I hope that you are all feeling even more energized.

In last month's column, we wrote about the Marushin Group's59As we begin our second fiscal year, we have reiterated our mission of "accompanying our customers in their challenges. This month, I would like to share with you some of our concrete and somewhat eccentric efforts to ensure that the word "Accompany" is not just a slogan.

We have a unique training system called "Customer Training" that we have carefully passed down from generation to generation. This is a training program in which our sales representatives visit a customer once every six months and spend a full day at the actual site (sales, factory, backyard, distribution center, etc.) to assist the customer in his/her work.

You may be wondering, "What does a sales rep for a printing company do in the field?" You may wonder, "What do salespeople at a printing company do in the field?

The main purpose of this training is to literally "see firsthand" how the labels, seals, and packaging materials we deliver are handled by our customers.

The products and goods we deliver are just "one of the materials" at the customer's site. We are also responsible for the time and effort required when ordering, the ease of unpacking at delivery, the smoothness of passing through automatic pasting machines, the ease of assembly and packaging, or the ease of sorting when finally disposing of the product (......). These are "truths" that cannot be seen only in a business meeting at a desk.

"Are you having trouble removing this sticker from its base, holding up your work?"

"Are you having trouble assembling this box and inconveniencing the site?"

Are deliveries being over-packaged and taking extra time to take out the trash?"

We work on the front lines of the field, sweating the same sweat. The "small inconveniences" and "subtle stress" that we feel through the sensations in our fingertips are the real issues that we need to resolve.

Are our products causing "inconvenience" or "trouble" at the customer's site? We must check and bring back the seeds of improvement. This is what we at Marushin believe in.

It is my responsibility to be a "companion."

There is another hidden, but very significant "fruit" of this training program for us. This is the "closeness of heart" with our clients that comes from working together throughout the day.

In everyday business negotiations, we tend to be in the position of "seller" and "buyer. However, time spent standing on the same line and working together toward the same goal can break down those barriers.

Casual conversations during breaks and honest opinions about the work site that leak out between tasks. We hope that the accumulation of such time will evolve our relationship from mere "contractors" to "colleagues" with whom we share hardships and joys.

When a customer says to me, "Marushin's sales staff understands our site very well. There is nothing more satisfying than to hear a customer say, "Marushin's sales staff understands our site very well.

We are convinced that our knowledge of the field allows us to make proposals with blood in our veins and to become a strong "team member" who supports the solitary challenges of our clients.

Now, I am sure that our sales representatives in each region will be in touch with you this quarter to discuss the implementation of this "customer training" program.

To be honest, accepting our employees into your busy workplaces is an inconvenience to you and a form of taking advantage of your great kindness. However, we will make every effort to return the insights we gain through this experience to you in the form of suggestions for improving product quality and operational efficiency.

If our sales representative should make an impolite request to you to allow us to enter your training program, we would appreciate it if you would welcome us warmly and sternly. Please let us feel the "pain" of your field together with you. And please let us squeeze out our wisdom to create a better future next to your site.

We will accompany you in your challenges in a muddled way. We look forward to working with you.

Marushin Corporation

Representative Director Yoji Hiraki