His whole spirit and thinking permeated Swedish companies and their employees. Today, we would need a new Janne Carlzon who has the ability to inspire Swedish companies and their employees to active international sales work where the focus is on the customer's needs, creative sales and service work.
He or she would make no Swedish companies feel that if they invest and dare to think service, customer and international we will reach success despite some setbacks.
We are worlds best in innovation and development of products but internationally mediocre products that exist in companies with a focus on customer service, sales and marketing are often seen.
I have been in contact with many Swedish medium-sized companies that have excellent products/services and do not have the ability to let the world take part of these creations. In many contexts, they act as Ad Hoc exporters. In other words, they sell the product on the national market and suddenly one day a foreign customer views the product and makes contact with the company and wants to be their agent. The company appreciates the offer and then it continues with additional customers.
These Ad Hoc exporters get more and more requests and the company struggle to cope with the production, organization, service, after-sales, etc. To begin a structured export activity is not on the agenda at all, but then one day it turns out that you cannot do more and the whole organization turns into a mess and nothing works.
Sometimes, they begin a structured export work but sometimes, and way too often, the work continues and struggles but they think things are good the way they are and are not even aware of all the sales they lose.
Right now I am working with a Swedish company that undoubtedly has the most effective product on the international market in regards to water saving. The innovator has developed a product which he believes is perfect. Sure, it may be the best product today, but the competition is close behind.
So far, they do not have great products but they have a better export mentality and more service-oriented sales focusing on the customer.
The water problem is becoming more apparent. More countries have obvious water problems and the demand for water saving products will only increase. How do Swedish companies think in this situation?
- Improvement of the product´s technology or development of new products are excluded because their product is perfect according to the innovator himself. They do not believe that their technological advantage perhaps will decrease.
- The design, why should it be changed? It is a good the way it is. They do not care about the fact that the market search for new design and technology.
- Their products have been available on the market for over 30 years with both positive and negative experiences on the international market.
Their conclusion is that the best strategy to avoid setbacks is by not investing in exports, not to improve and expand production capacity, not hire, not spend money on either a sales, marketing or export activities, etc.
The fact that bad experiences give an accumulated knowledge that can and should be developed further in a continuation of export development is not included in their analysis.
To scan the international market in order to quickly and briefly identify where the needs and competitors are, and then select the country they most believe in, then deepen the knowledge about the market and spend a large part of the budget to find the right dealer, agent or distributor is not even in their imagination.
The focus on customer needs and demand has been replaced by an "our product is best, do you want it go ahead and buy, but it will be on our terms "focus.
This is a strategy that makes me angry, sad and disappointed especially in a world where the demand is huge. Competitors' products with lower efficiency, cost savings and quality are sold worldwide.
A Norwegian company within water saving has changed owners, the products are not close to the Swedish quality of products but the new owners are investing in service, sales and marketing. It is highly likely that these products will be more profitable within a relatively near future.
It is too bad and sad that these Swedish inventions that also are quite right in time are not part of companies that have an export determination and service mentality.
The question is, would a new Janne "export" Carlzon be able to lift the Swedish innovators to a more service and sales-oriented mentality? If it is possible, we need to find him soon.
The international market certainly needs our products but we need the market more than it needs us.