This week, our sales team held an internal sharing session. Olivia walked us through a topic that matters to everyone: how to avoid common pitfalls in the early stage of an order - from understanding customer needs to signing the contract.
She highlighted a few things that are easy to overlook:
Needs confirmation is not a one-time conversation. What the customer says they want and what actually works on our end can be two different things. It takes back-and-forth to get it right.
Internal checks before quoting are critical. Not every function combination is feasible. Some seemingly simple changes involve mold or process adjustments. Checking internally before quoting saves everyone time.
Don't ignore the fine print in contracts. Lead time terms, change rights, sample fee ownership - the earlier these are clarified, the fewer disputes later.
The content wasn't complicated, but it came from real experience. And some lessons only stick once you've actually been through them.