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The first quarter of 2022 for SILS is characterized by the arrival of no fewer than seven new warehouse customers. Three of these seven are from the UK. The aftermath of Brexit made them decide to move their warehouse activities from the UK to the continent. We also welcome an American client. Added up, this means that in Q1 we will welcome four international customers and three from Dutch soil.
We recently started taking new customers through our redesigned ‘on boarding’ process. During an intensive start-up period, we get to know each other well and from our customer service we carefully coordinate all activities to the agreements made. Sometimes a new client already has its own logistics organization in order and connects it seamlessly to the services of SILS like a puzzle piece. But also, especially with smaller new clients, logistics and warehousing are often relatively unexplored territory for these customers. In the extensive ‘on boarding’ period, SILS draws on a broad sample of services. From setting up a fiscal representation to arranging a detailed digital report of our services for the customer.
SILS is a flat organization with a lot of impact. We have confidence in the professional knowledge of our employees and give them a lot of decision-making power. For new customers, we switch very quickly if the new relationship with them immediately starts with an acute challenge. We also make this flying start possible if a new customer asks for it. For example, the (contractual) confirmation of all agreements made with a new customer is relevant for the “go-live” date, but sometimes we decide that for a new customer with an acute challenge goes: practice for paper. Because sometimes progress starts with confidence in each other.
We have a clear approach: every new customer, large or small, and experienced in logistics or not, receives maximum attention. In that sense, we always go the extra mile for every new client. We can also do this, because we try to estimate the potential for continuity and growth already in the prospect phase of a possible new client. This primary process is also instructive for prospects who want to become a customer of SILS. We take the trouble to really delve into the potential new customer during the prospect phase. Who do we have in front of us? What moves them? It is precisely because of this effort that we can sometimes advise prospects to first organize certain (logistical matters) internally before they even look for an external logistics partner. Or vice versa: we estimate that we cannot provide the right services from SILS that this customer needs and therefore cannot add the requested value. After all, SILS cannot be a champion in everything from a logistical point of view. For example, we do not do (large-scale) storage of chemical goods or refrigerated storage. We notice that this independent approach in the prospect phase is appreciated. So, on the one hand, SILS is easily accessible for new customers and on the other, we try to advise them as much as possible in their logistics growth, even if this does not directly lead to a customer relationship. Frequently, we see these kinds of prospects later on become customers of SILS. And we say wholeheartedly: come on board!
You have read it before, and not just in this blog; we are getting more and more clients from the UK. Their motivations are often Brexit-driven. An important link in the arrival of this client is our English sales manager. SILS would like to let him speak in our next SILS blog. So, I would say: stay tuned!
Willem-Jan Cramer
