Follow Every Rainbow by RASHMI BANSAL

Author:RASHMI BANSAL [BANSAL, RASHMI]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mobilism
Publisher: Westland Books
Published: 2012-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

They would invariably reply, “Madam, we already have very good suppliers.Please don’t bother us!”

But Paru was persistent.

“I will telephone again and I will telephone again. Then I will request, please at least test my sample.”

With lots of persuasion, after a year or so, a couple of companies agreed to test the sample. But the samples were promptly rejected.

“It is absolutely useless. Don’t come to us again”, they would say.

And yet Paru persisted. She realised, just speaking on the phone would not be enough. It was important to physically meet clients to convince them. But getting an appointment was not easy.

“Many times it happened that I go there and come back without meeting. So that way the first three… four… five years were really very very very tough.”

Paru’s first export order came in 1996 from a Taiwanese company called Everlight Chemicals*.

“My first customer,” she beams. “And still my best customer.”

So how did they get convinced?

“Well, I realised our product was not good enough, so we put a lot of work into improving the quality. But once I got a chance I established a relationship. My entire business is running on that relationship right now.”

It is a commodity market, there are many suppliers. So why buy from a small company based in Ahmedabad run by a woman with hardly any experience?

“I think the strength I have is that I speak the truth. That is the biggest strength. They trusted me as a lady.”

And Paru upheld that trust. In fact, she had her own brand of ethics and principles, which made her stand out.

Being a cyclic product, prices of product fluctuate – and quite wildly. Most suppliers take advantage of these fluctuations by entering into a 1-year contract for supply, but only 3-month contracts for price.

“So, what happens, when the price goes up they will make some excuse ki hamare plant mein kuch gadbad hai, aapka maal thoda late hoga. Actually, they will divert the supply to someone else willing to pay a little more on spot rates.”

Paru never ever did that. She recalls an incident which occurred with Everlight.

“We finalised a contract in March for April, May and June. But in the month of April, the price shot up, shot up like mad.”

From $2.4 per kg it shot up to $4.2 per kg.

The purchase manager telephoned Paru and said, “Let us revise the contract or supply to someone else.”

Without any hesitation Paru replied, “I don’t know whom you are talking to but I will not change the contract. I will supply in time – at the same price – however high the price may be right now”.

Thus Aksharchem fulfilled the entire order at a very low price, with perfect timing. Everlight made a handsome profit. The chairman of Everlight called Paru personally, to thank her.

“And they became my loyal customers for life!”

In fact Everlight designated Paru’s company as a ‘prime supplier’.

“We will give you 5 cents more than anybody else always,” was the chairman’s promise.

A promise that has been kept.

Working with both Everlight and Kyungin* also proved to be a great learning experience.

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