I know your name and your voice - 10 years later
Build your contacts over years, even decades and keep them.
I used to work in the Toy Sector, decades of working alongside Independent Toy Shops, tourist attractions, suppliers and manufacturers. The excitement of a new, much sought after toy for Christmas, the stress as the ships were moored outside in the Channel due to 'Weather Conditions'. The relief as the containers arrived at our warehouse, and the distress as that same warehouse was snowed in 2 weeks before Christmas. It didn't happen year after year, in fact, I seem to remember it only happened twice, however it taught us to man up and insist on that deadline for Christmas deliveries to stick at end of July latest. The last thing any of us wanted was toy departments and warehouse raking full of unsold stock until March when the country comes alive again.
You may think what on earth has this got to do with the children's magazine Primary Times. As with every business, marketing is such a massive priority and in those days pre-social media, when advertising in any shape or form took up a large portion of our budget, we were friends with many editors. We learned quickly to get on with our favourite editors. In fact a couple of them, I still see at Business Networking in and around Basingstoke. I did wonder when we extended our brand and marketing services further afield, over 5 years ago whether we would ever keep in touch with the excellent people we had worked side by side for so many years.
Primary Times magazine had been a favourite, distributed to schools throughout the UK and Ireland, my children loved the traditional magazine, quizzes, and games and I saw the value of advertising in a children's magazine that was taken home to parents. Leap forward at least 15 years and our Children's Author Tina Stubbs of Life's Little Bugs is one of our most motivated clients. Whom did I know in the media? Where would her stories using her little bugs help create healthy habits, be seen as fun? I raked through my contacts looking for THE person I always talked to, the chances of them still running Hampshire was remote, to say the least. I found that this UK magazine has grown to 18 million copies a year.
"I know your name and your voice, I just can't remember where you are"
It took me less than 5 minutes and a moment's hesitation on the phone as he said 'I know your name and your voice, I just can't remember where you are. As the years shed away, you would think we had never lost touch. The next phone call was to a toy buyer, and again it was 'hello Gill, what are you up to?'
The next phone call was to a toy buyer, and again it was 'hello Gill, what are you up to?'
I love the fact that decades later even though we are still now in different sectors we still have something of value to help each other. Contacts whom we have made more recently can now work with long-standing companies who have stood the test of time and they, in turn, welcome the contact of new business owners willing them to succeed.
There is a lot to say for the traditional companies and long-standing buyers, they encouraged us along the way, helping us to build and get to high street level. They now support our fresh new Business Owners helping to keep the toy sector alive and develop our children's - and now grandchildren's childhood memories.
If you would like to know about our journey 30 years on see www.38partnership.co.uk , during that time we have between us run a Printing Company, Graphic Design Studio, Toy Company and now 38Partnership Brand Management and Marketing Consultants - We've been busy.
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