23: How did CEO Alberto Voltolina grow MGG North America from $0 to $1.5 million in one year?

paris_vega: Welcome to the first customers podcast. today we have Alberto Voltalina, the C e O and president of M, G, G, North America, an American Italian company that is a world wide leading equipment supplier for paint brush and paint roller manufacturers, like Sherwin Williams Bear, and more, They went from zero to about one and a half million dollars in about one year. Alberto. welcome to the show. alberto_voltolina: Thank you, parents. Nice to meet you. Is a pleasure to be here with you today, and I will be glad to share my experience with you and all the other days. paris_vega: Thank you for being here. Um, how did you get your very first customers for M g, G. North America? alberto_voltolina: So let me tell you the story, paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: as you can listen, from my accent. I'm not from New Jersey. I am Italian, so as you can imagine, you have already said that Mgzis, an Italian company born in nineteen eighty Nine, in near by Venice, and they have been working actively in as a supplier for paint brushes and rollers, Kibben, and they supply everywhere in United States, India, China, So for so one year ago they decided to open an American company because they are trusting. We still trust a lot in the American market. I, actually, I was working for a different company in a different sect of like in the steel business, and they, I have been approached by M. D. G, and I joined them as a partner as well for the North America, and we started with the Historical business of M J. G. So just a few customer in United States, just to mention a few, like serving Williams, and is one of the mature customer actually for us in North America, So I paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: started really from Stretch. The case department in Italy, provided me for with with a list health correct, half, not so much. And we started with Like the idea was to have in United States Like twenty twenty five supply customers, but we were not so much correct. Actually, the paint brush market is very interesting, like in seventies, United States would count like seventy producers. But then the production has been so to China. Okay paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: of set to China, and right now in the market we just have like I would say to have no more than twelve Players. big and small players. Like serving Williams expanded a lot through mergent acquisition. So we started with this kind of list, but at the end of the day we supply as I told you, paint, brush and roller acivment, so we cannot supply a kipment to the people that want to produce brushes and mops. This is not our business. So this list included a lot of knives for brushes and mops, so paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: I started literally with a list Leaning cold calls. Okay, sitting paris_vega: Wow, alberto_voltolina: on a table and tried to catch. as much as business is possible. Started from the major relationship that we had at that time still have is shavin William, So I implemented the relationship with them and I tried to find the other customer all around the United States. So this is was the first, the first approach, and I think that after one year, I mean, the Sas activity was practice Cessful, because as you said, we were used to sell fifty thousand dollars before opening Emdesinnorth America, and right now we're heating one and a half million in the next in the next few few months. So yes, so we are very happy. It paris_vega: That's alberto_voltolina: was not paris_vega: awesome alberto_voltolina: simple and it will be not simple, because now customers are expecting from us more and more, paris_vega: Right. alberto_voltolina: but I have few secrets that we can share paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: during the view in order to know facile Those kind of relationship with a customer. paris_vega: Yeah, so you started off pure cold calling based on a list. Uh, give us some more details about your process there. alberto_voltolina: Okay, so my opinion is the matter to like. cross check information information that you find on the website of the customer and certain other websites that you can find in Google Blast. Calling them. The problem is that in United States, and also, for instance, I have an biggest pile in socially Mexico, but from paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: this part of the war, when you call and you go and you, if you call the mobile form Of the major players, they are not so much willing to interact with you, And sometimes you have a secretary replying to you, or you have a voice mail. So is. sometimes it's very frustrating paris_vega: Right. alberto_voltolina: in being able to find the right communication channel. paris_vega: Did alberto_voltolina: so paris_vega: you already alberto_voltolina: I, paris_vega: have an established business in Italy? They had some kind of reputation that you could leverage here alberto_voltolina: Yeah, paris_vega: in America. alberto_voltolina: absolutely a paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: yeah, absolutely paris_vega: okay, alberto_voltolina: yeah. as I told you, M g. G. born in nineteen eighty nine. So paris_vega: Got alberto_voltolina: they paris_vega: ya. alberto_voltolina: have like thirty years, even more, thirty five years of history, And the paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: name is very well known everywhere paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: in the United States as well, so there were certain customers that unfortunately did not know us. so for those customers was very tough in getting contact with them, and I can tell you that I started like Humber, Mote, Very humaremote. like Colin and cling and cling. paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: Somebody picked up the phone and was willing to talk to me. I can tell you even that the trade show, the American Brass Association trade show, that usually is in March this year for instant will be in San Diego in two weeks. Last year was in Bonita Spring in Florida. That was a very good event to attend and to start creating the net working. So at least I war Cast One were able to see a face in front of them. the same face that was calling them a lot in the previous paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: month, so we started discussing together and we start drafting a sort of strategy to implement together with them for what concerned capital eqeement, and also after Sae, ecuivement, and consumebles. paris_vega: Okay. So you had cold calling and then even networking where you were meeting people in personal events. Do you remember the very first company that you were successfully able to close alberto_voltolina: Yes, paris_vega: during that alberto_voltolina: I paris_vega: time? alberto_voltolina: remember, I remember, and is is very important company For us is a bar, the California group, paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: that is very important company for painting coatings, And they decided recently to enter in the paint, brush and roller market, and we were able to close that one who was the first case in the United States, okay with one of the most important machines that we can supply to the mark In terms of even volume, is very important space for us. And really we did like a very aggressive say strategy because like we draft a specific deal for them, like we offered a machine with a possibility to reject the machine if they don't like, which is very, very grassy, I would say, paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: and very. It Shows a lot how much we're confident of our equipment. paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: So they were like, very astonished the first time, and then pleased to see this kind of opportunity because they saw a company like as willing to do well, Ted states, and sure of what we offer all around the world, paris_vega: So that alberto_voltolina: so paris_vega: was like alberto_voltolina: that paris_vega: a guarantee alberto_voltolina: as paris_vega: for them to reduce the risk on their part, alberto_voltolina: Absolutely, because they did not know, as we did not know both of us, and that was the right key in order to wet diurappetite, paris_vega: Right alberto_voltolina: but at the same time to show that we are confident of what we do, because says you know, you can be a very good carpet seller, but at the end of the day you need to land your ideas, your safe ideas on something solid. something paris_vega: Right? alberto_voltolina: real. Otherwise you Don't have. You cannot create the right kind of the right kind of relationship with a custom. paris_vega: So let's zoom an even further to that sale if we can. Um, you said you were very aggressive, so you had that really convincing guarantee as part of the offer And did you start with a cold call to bear and go, if you can alberto_voltolina: Yeah, paris_vega: remember, go through that whole process of getting that customer. alberto_voltolina: Yeah, we started with. I started with like cold. Course. we get in contact with one of their employ and he informed us that they were actively looking for expanding the keep ment the machinery portfolio. That they are accorrently in their workshop, And specifically they identified the need for this kind of machine which we call Headaembly machine, and I visited them in November, Two thousand, twenty, one, year, twenty one, And then I presented the machine. I presented the company and the equipment that we can supply. They were the first. I mean, meeting was not easy. I mean, for two reasons, First of all, they were attending like ten of them and just myself. So paris_vega: Wow, alberto_voltolina: which is fine, I mean, I'm not paris_vega: yeah, alberto_voltolina: scared about that. The problem paris_vega: yeah, alberto_voltolina: is that I'm not coming. He Time. my knowledge on paint, brushes and rollers. Akibment was like almost zero. Now they started with technical question, paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: and these kind of things I mean, when I go to a meeting, I try to be prepared, so I studied a lot before doing that. I was, I would say from zero to ten, probably seven and a half prepared. Okay, For sure. I'm also young, So sometimes you know American custom. Are they liked to see? They liked See gray hair. So it is I in an aspect that is not so. That is very important to take in consideration paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: something that is already happening to me Is an all this story. When you talk about paint brush Is you go like, like very far in the history like paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: couple of Andre years ago, So people want to talk with somebody with gray. So the first meeting was not so easy. Where then a few back and forth discussion with them myself and the Italian colleague, The technical office. Especially so at the end of the day they saw that we know what we're talking about, and then we draft the first proposal in December. we sent to them that was a little bit out of their scope than we find tune and song of support. And then at the end of the day we came out with this nice idea to be aggressive and to offer the machine in this, paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: for in this particular Condition this was the first case and the only one for which we can apply this kind of condition. paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: Because it was a very peculiar situation, We closed the deal in February to Thousand Twenty Two, and paris_vega: Wow, alberto_voltolina: we recently stole the machine. Thanks God that the machine work and they did not reject the machine. So that was the fuel that allows us to start working in North America paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: And to have a successful experience. paris_vega: So that was about a five month sales process, roughly five alberto_voltolina: Yeah, paris_vega: or six months. alberto_voltolina: potentially yes, from November, I would say paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: ober, November, December, January, February, five paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: months, paris_vega: okay, and what role was that first employe that you called called? alberto_voltolina: I is a technical, paris_vega: where? alberto_voltolina: is a technical consultant, So I paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: directly spoke with a technical with technical specialist and he immediately appreciated the quality of the machine. So I have been living and working United States since then twelve years. so, in my opinion, at a certain point you need to talk technically and you have to paris_vega: Hm, alberto_voltolina: present. technically. what you are talking about is not we sell B, T, B, We sell achievement, So we need to know how to technically offer those kind of machineries to our customer. paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: And probably it was luck because I found the right channel in the right moment. So the technical guy, Okay, paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: talk to him and he was. I was pleased to see this kind of cevement and that was the right. The right person. For paris_vega: So alberto_voltolina: sure. paris_vega: that was so that was somebody who was on the list. That somebody had kind of pre qualified that this was the right person to call, Because I know that's alberto_voltolina: Yeah, paris_vega: a big part of a lot of sales people's jobs as prospecting, alberto_voltolina: Absolutely paris_vega: trying to find who even the right person is. alberto_voltolina: Absolutely. that's the reason why. In the past, not now, because we're already idetified the mage player, But in the past, when I was used to talk to our first customer, the first idea was to talk like, make a phone call and then ask for the operational guy, like the Director of operation or the director of the technical office. So this is in my opinion, The right way to communicate, because probably the owners or the co, or this kind of level the C sits, is a little bit too high to talk paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: about those things. but you need to stay like in the technical level with a director of operation or technical office, paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: managing paris_vega: and how many calls did it take to get to a physical meeting? alberto_voltolina: Well for for this customer, I would say one paris_vega: Wow, alberto_voltolina: for other customer, I would say, even now we did not have a physical meeting, so for is for certain customer, I know who they are finally. but we did not have the charge to met physically, which is. It's a pity, unfortunately, and but now, as I told you, in three weeks from now, two weeks from now, we will have the aid The three show, and that that will be the right time finally to see certain customers that paris_vega: Right. alberto_voltolina: we didn't have the chance to talk with in the last twelve months. But now we have something to put on the top of the table because we have one are successful track record. Wait six or seven, Machine three already stole and the other four or five already sold. So paris_vega: Yeah, so alberto_voltolina: we have some good score cars. Ink. paris_vega: yeah, So with manufacturing and equipment sales, is it usually the situation where you have to be in person at some point before sale closes? Or can you do like virtually over video or alberto_voltolina: Look, sometimes I can do even virtually, but I don't like paris_vega: Okay? alberto_voltolina: and I'm not waiting for them to close it. I mean if they tell me, let's close a deal. Virtually. sometimes I prefer to take a flight and to go there, because paris_vega: Really alberto_voltolina: I, he is the way to show the commitment, the presence. Okay and then there is something cloudy in between Is not. Is white nose black? Now I mean space has to be. Space is something like is Artistical stuff. Okay, a case guy is an artist, but it as to be an artist who does not create, travels in the company, because if you say something wrong, paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: it it will be a mess. so I don't want to have gray areas with my customer. I won't. I mean, you will always say grey area with a customer, but paris_vega: Right alberto_voltolina: I try to be a ninetyfy ninety nine percent precise of what we say now, so that's the reason why I want to be face to face in front of them. There are certain part of our business like after Sae spare parts, consumable paris_vega: Right. alberto_voltolina: parts that you can easily sell like from from the desk, But those kind of ecpment that can cost half a million dollars. You need to be there. paris_vega: That makes sense. Yeah, that's that's a big check to write to somebody you haven't physically met, so that's understandable. alberto_voltolina: Yeah, yeah, paris_vega: Okay, and so now that you're you're more established. it sounds like you're going to depend more on the in person of vent marketing. Are there any other tactics that you're using or have used to try and get customers like are using advertising digital marketing. That kind of thing. alberto_voltolina: We're pushing a lot on on marketing and advertising. That's the reason why I told you before. finally. I'm going to meet face to face certain customers that at that hey don't know us, but they saw a lot of our publicity and advertising, paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: so at least they saw that there is an North America. Now they can meet a face. What I'm pushing a lot right now is where Ouse that we recently implemented in Chat For the consignment, stalk the sale of, as I told you, after sale, per parts and consumables. In my opinion, paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: service service is a very important part of the business, which is the key to keep selling machinery. So right now I'm working together with my service department. I would say I'm more focus. Now help in the service department in sale, because machinery you can sell seven and machine The car. But the the base line, Okay, the strong base line of the company with good with good margin. Okay paris_vega: Hm. alberto_voltolina: is service. So we need to apply to what we are offering to our customer in terms of safe and after save, in terms of service and after service, market, Okay, paris_vega: So how are the Uh? The sales process for the service and the parts? How does that differ from the equipment sales? alberto_voltolina: Uh, there are two way to make service. The one is the productive and the other one is the reactive way. The reactive way is you stay in front of a laptop and you wear the customer asking spare parts. Okay, and you sell what? Sixty thousand hundred thousand perier. But there is the right way in my opinion, to do service, which is you know. which kind of a keepment you sold in the past, you on Lies, you make a trouble shoot list, you make like you analyze the machine, you understand, which are the parts that can be like, more sensitive to be broken during the years, paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: you make a kind of list, You go to the customer, and you say to the customer, He, if you want to make the right men to your machine, those are the spare parts we recommend to you to buy. you can buy either like a direct says, So you buy We voice set, or we can even offer consignment stock for those parts that repeat ability in failures. Okay, so they buy, I would say every, let's say one month paris_vega: Hm, alberto_voltolina: they. they commit a certain quantity of pure parts, and we emboice them every month as soon as they clear the bottom. So this is the way in our opinion, to be not reactive, but pro active in in in Vice, And we saw that making business making service in the reactive way was like. just to make a number ten. paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: The productive way is twenty, So paris_vega: Got ya. alberto_voltolina: you still have the reactive way to do business, which is fine. That Give you so like the ten for the for the rest of the year, but you can add other ten on the top of that is if you are more more productive than reactive, paris_vega: Okay. Um, So we work with through, I'm part of a marketing agency and we have some customers and kind of manufacturing, and uh, equipment suppliers and service providers, And that's a really interesting tactics that you're talking about there, like waiting for customers to need service or repairs, versus pro actively going out, and kind of pre selling them on what you know they're going to need, And you're saying you've seen just about Double the sales alberto_voltolina: Absolutely paris_vega: taking that approach, alberto_voltolina: absolutely, and it is going to cost a little bit more because you have to sit on a plane and go there, but sometimes even not because you can present a list in front of a laptop. I mean, is not always take a flight, But we did the first. the first I would say around of visits together with one of our colleague. we did this this approach. we plemented this approach, Sit on a plane, we prepared the list. we went with a plane to visit Customer. We offer the list in front of them, we explain the list to them and we identify together the pair part that could be critical for them to buy with a certain repeatability. paris_vega: So what would you say is the most important thing for a new business in your industry to focus on? Maybe if you could do what you've went through the past year or so. if you could do it over or anything, you would do different, Or what would you say is the most important thing for alberto_voltolina: Ah, paris_vega: a new business like yours to focus on sales wise? alberto_voltolina: Let me tell you something. sometimes we Italy, we produce the machine in Italy. paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: Here, So far we have the same department, Project management service department, so I would say we are like Sae and after say support office in North America plus hour, whereas facility where we do talk of sprat, but in Italy, we money Up to the aqibment, paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: So there is the excitement. When you start. we start in genually, two thousand twenty two excitement. Everybody. S happy. everybody with American flag. Okay, we will land the United States. Okay, Amazing, we saw the first project. We saw the second one and the third one, the fourth one. And and then who is going to produce the acivement, Because keep in mind that Italy. Okay, your mother company. Let's in it all your Where they have to serve the remaining part of the world, so they work while so the same Indian or Chinese or Russian or whatever customer as the same im portant of your American customer. paris_vega: Sure, alberto_voltolina: And you cannot make like, you cannot defering shade, like more, this or like or that paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: one. So you can sell three, four fives, have a machine and everybody, they want to kiss you, But at the end of the day you need to produce a machine and paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: it can be Something that is creating a negative momentum towards your American customer if you sell a machine of half a million dollars, but you have a long time of fourteen, fifteen months, just paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: because there is other customer waiting for their own machines in our Italia workshop, paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: So this is the is not a secret. Okay, everybody paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: knows that, but the suggestion recommendation is if you want to open a company everywhere in the world, but your man factor Different country, be sure that where you have your Ed quarter, you are ready to feed properly your paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: after sales and safe office. wherever it is, otherwise you are making a mess. Mean you think that Okay, we are good, because we are in the United States, but paris_vega: Right. alberto_voltolina: you are jopardizing your presence. United States. paris_vega: So did the global supply chain issues affect that exact issue? Because of the past, you know, alberto_voltolina: Yeah, paris_vega: two or three years there's inflation and shipping costs and alberto_voltolina: Yeah, paris_vega: you know factories were shut down for a little while there around the world, alberto_voltolina: Yeah, paris_vega: so speak to that a little bit, alberto_voltolina: Our lines are very ultimated, so we are talking about full electrical and ultimated lines with a lot of vision systems. A obotics, So you can imagine, for the electrical and a components, it was like a mass, and especially paris_vega: M. alberto_voltolina: for certain Pl, C staff, M, s and P. staff. Our sub supply are notify as like fifty two weeks of the away. So we were For at a certain point to look at different options with all the risks that can. these can bring on the top of the table like a new product that you never tested. the cast. Former That don't like what you are now offering to them so absolutely we were like, I would say that thanks God after Ovid was amazing for us like in terms of manufacturing volume and pose, So our ly time that usually Was like eight months. it extended to like ten, but on the top of that we were impacted a lot by these electrical ndotomacio supply chain disruptions and these like is, I would say, hitting for a couple of months more on the late time of the on regularly time. paris_vega: But you are able to maintain your customer relationships and the sales, even alberto_voltolina: Yes, paris_vega: though alberto_voltolina: yes, paris_vega: got pushed alberto_voltolina: yes, paris_vega: out a little farther. alberto_voltolina: we're able, because in my opinion we comply what we said. The quality of the equipment is amazing, so they tend to wait three or four months more. But if you sell a Ferrari, they have a Ferrari. This is what this is. Thanks. God is what is helping a lot. paris_vega: So it gets manufactured in Italy. a piece of equipment. And then is it containership alberto_voltolina: Yeah, paris_vega: shipped across? Okay, alberto_voltolina: Yes, we usually ship D d P from Italy to Florida or whatever. We take care of the transportation if they want. paris_vega: This is really interesting. I love talking to manufacturing companies. I think that's such an industry industry because you've got so many moving parts you know, sourcing alberto_voltolina: Yeah, paris_vega: materials and supplies from around the world all to bring it together to make something for your customer and then ship it alberto_voltolina: Absolutely, paris_vega: across alberto_voltolina: absolutely. paris_vega: the world. Um, All right, Any other advice for? On the sales side of things about about your specific process, your expertise and and your experience. alberto_voltolina: Oh, I would say we discussed everything now, pushing a lot on service. I told you ready, paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: Being consistent of what you sell is the other part. paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: I think that we cover everything more or less her. paris_vega: So what would you say is the biggest uh, or the best tactic you've used? Maybe out of the different marketing things, you've tried something that. maybe he's caused the biggest spike in growth or leads or even alberto_voltolina: But paris_vega: close sales. alberto_voltolina: let me tell you secrets that I implemented not with M. J. Z, but my previous life in the steel market, big big companies paris_vega: M. alberto_voltolina: all around the ward, and specially here United States, there were a company that did not love us too much, and actually, or our track rack truck record with them was almost zero, so I started approaching them A very humble way, just like we're here to support. But please let us know where we can have you know. as usual, I would say, but uh, I try to enter very with the very Meek Mouse project. So those big companies in still they are used to buy. I don't know if you saw probably some price release, but there are companies like new corn or still paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: in as that. They buy like half billion plants From the Germans or the Italian or the Japanese, And so they are used to deal with this kind of amount, Half a million to any million, eighty million. I literally sold the project with a specific customer. I don't want to mention a name of twenty, one, twenty one thousand dollars, even less that there's mallersperparts that they can buy significantly last. And actually that was the keys, and we were Both with that small meek mouths project to enter, and then at the end of the day, after a nine months they awarded us with a product of twenty five million, paris_vega: Wow, alberto_voltolina: because with that twenty one thousand dollars, we were able to fix certain specific things in the process of producing specific product that they produce in Indiana, If I remember well, and they were so happy that leader Later, they start opening the door and probably a secret. Another interesting things. is that as we said before, Ou need to identify the right guy. Right paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: guy means the guy that speaks your same language. So technical language better because we are technical company is okay with sail paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: technical stuff, But the guy that can understand that you are solving a problem for him that is impacting S company, but his wallet. as soon as somebody here is realizing that he's fully open to talk to you because paris_vega: Hm. alberto_voltolina: keep in mind that certain production guy technical guy are paid fixed, plusverable, and the variable part is linked to the output. The outcome of the lines. Okay, So if you saw few things like with certain mechanical or electrical adjustment, it is a big same for the car Money. But but also at the end of the day is a big plus in their whole, because they receive a bigger varables, So that paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: is the right chemistry that is interesting to create to with this kind of profit. Lets. paris_vega: So that's that's about like finding the specific pain point and the incentives that that person is facing alberto_voltolina: Yep, paris_vega: so that you can help with their incentives and their goals they're trying to reach and help solve in some of those pains that they have. alberto_voltolina: Yes, these these means really know your customer deeply know your customer, which is not only okay. I call you, I know your email, but knowing what do they do, paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: which is not easy to do is absolutely not easy because it paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: takes time. it takes beers, restaurant dinners, okay and join a lot with them, and sometimes certain companies at sea sweets. They do not understand that making sacs Is like a lot. Ninety percent of these kind of things paris_vega: Wow, alberto_voltolina: is not, Is not just drinking a beer to drink a beer with somebody, is drinking a beer for sure, and join the person that you have in front of you, but paris_vega: Hm, alberto_voltolina: also trying for the company to understand which is the right way to enter in the mind and in the heart of your customer. paris_vega: So during that five to six months process of getting the first sale for M, g, G, how many of those type of meetings do you think it, too? Because I know you had the presentation meeting that you had to get kind of through the gate keeper to get set up, and then after that big presentation did you have to do a lot of individual one on one like dinners, and that kind of wining and dining side of things. alberto_voltolina: He might have been a weird. Now After one year we are in the where, in the position that, and this is what we like and what our customer like. We are in the position that with certain companies we can work productively together to prepare the investment a list together. I'm not saying that we decide what they have to buy, because absolutely not they know what they want to buy, But where you are in the position. Okay, they are in the draw Aving seat. You are near by them. When you are in that position, It's okay because you listen them, and you customize the your there preferences according to your technical knowledge. So they trust to you, Because you are the consultant. You are not any more the supplier. You are the technical consultant for them. so I think I think that in the last two all for three months out of ten twelve companies in us, We are in a good position with four or five, which is good for me, because after one year is a good is a good paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: is a good scenario for us. paris_vega: Sure, but those kinds of one on one dinners and that kind of thing. that's that's like a constant part of your sales process. It sounds like alberto_voltolina: Yeah, yeah, a paris_vega: interesting. alberto_voltolina: custom part is a cause of Bart, but suggestion. it's nice to have a dinner with a customer. The customer wants to have a dinner with you, but even during the dinner five percent of the time you have to, as a case, guy, you need to give added value to him, so let's paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: spend ninety five percent of the time without boring your customer, talking about kits paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: and families and sports, and sort, of, but when you talk For five minutes about business, it has to be an added value time. otherwise, after two dinners he will not sit together with you any more because he can talk about Kith and paris_vega: Right. alberto_voltolina: family. Need somebody else paris_vega: sure, sure, that's a good point. Interesting. Okay, because I'm used to doing a lot more like over video, or maybe a phone call. Um, I'm not doing a lot of one on one myself, but I see the advantage of that and I see other people doing that and it seems to work really well alberto_voltolina: Paris making, as I told you before making, says it. some. sometimes somebody does not understand The making says means being prepare. So when you go to a diner is strange to say, because it's the relaxing moment. but you need to be prepared for those five minutes where you talk when you talk about the added value that my technology can give you is a B, C. D For this, this this with the So for paris_vega: Right alberto_voltolina: five mes, No more than that paris_vega: And is that usually I like? I like this getting into the details here. So is this like? maybe at the beginning of the conversation you're just hanging out for a while and then at the end it's that little added value. Usually, or do you do you strategically think about win To bring that up? alberto_voltolina: Usually is, there is a light motive. Usually in the last ten years of my dinners with a customer, we start talking about business three minutes and join and they wrap up at the end after two hours after five glass of wine, but still with the brain connected. paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: Okay, so it's like three minutes at the end at the beginning and five minutes at the end, So more paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: or less this is the way we deal with dinners. paris_vega: Huh, Do you? do you have other sales people on the team that you train up and go through this kind of a process? alberto_voltolina: Yes, I had the past lot with the paris_vega: Okay, alberto_voltolina: previous experience. Now we are a smaller companies, so we are significal until last year in Charlot, But paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: yes, absolutely it is. Those are the advice that I try to give them to be paris_vega: Huh, alberto_voltolina: like to be hammer, but in the right way paris_vega: Interesting. Okay, yeah, I really appreciate that insight because I've been curious about how how people execute those kinds of moments where it's a mix of entertainment and sales and alberto_voltolina: I'm paris_vega: trying alberto_voltolina: so. paris_vega: to balance that. alberto_voltolina: I like people I like says People. having methought. you need to have a methothenseles is not like a rule of time activity that you do. I mean, you need to be as I told you before, to be prepared to study when you have like a premier leg or legal football match you studied paris_vega: Hm. alberto_voltolina: like, or an fell paris_vega: Sure, alberto_voltolina: match. Okay, both of the teams they studied each one. Okay, So you do the same with you. We did, customer. paris_vega: Okay, cool. all right. this has been really interesting. Um, alberto_voltolina: Thanks paris_vega: I really like the insight into into this kind of sales process. Um, let's say we had an audience right now of a whole bunch of your target audience. So it sounds like different manufacturers of the different paint brushes and rollers. What's that pitch that you would give just really briefly? What's the reason that those companies should use your company alberto_voltolina: Because in our opinion, we are eager to keep looking at technology and right now you cannot be competitive as steel supplier, pain brasupplyer, Whatever, put the words that you want in front of producer. Sorry, put the word you want in front of producers. You cannot be a steel producer or a pain, brass producer, or whatever, if you do not embrace technology at one other, And which means Vision, robotics soft, where pierces, and like the way to make service with like remote tablets, to show to our Italian colleagues, where is the problem and you can intervene right away with the support of the Italian colleagues. So this is the way to make business. Because only if you are able to swap to of set from Your manual production to the automated Okay, two thousand thirty, Okay, new generation production. That is the key, in my opinion, and M g. even in my preduce company, we were keen to support our customers for those kind of technological aspects, so do not rely to the company that tells you, Yeah, we can do manually Is fine. Now is not fine because in order to compete with Chinese market, Or like low cost market, unite to our formes, and this is the thanks God. what our owner of M J. Z, and founder Mrzanfranc. decided like thirty years ago to be a technological partner. Okay, paris_vega: Very cool. So you have the high tech solutions alberto_voltolina: Yeah, paris_vega: that's alberto_voltolina: so paris_vega: really alberto_voltolina: we paris_vega: good. alberto_voltolina: help our customers to produce commodities, but paris_vega: Hm, alberto_voltolina: there are different ways to producing of producing commodities, so producing commodities where the margin are limited. If you do not embrace certain kind of the business, like the technology and the automation, paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: it will not be easy to survive. In my opinion. paris_vega: Right, because their costs are going to be higher if they're using alberto_voltolina: Yeah, paris_vega: older methods or technology. alberto_voltolina: especially United States. paris_vega: Yeah, alberto_voltolina: I'm not. I'm not offering folly automated lines in Indonesia, but yes, I'm offering full, two hundred percent full automated lies in United States. paris_vega: All right, So any paint brush or roller manufacturers who need automated manufacturing equipment, you can give Alberto alberto_voltolina: We need to paris_vega: a call, alberto_voltolina: loma. we need to Ltomate. Mean, were we are here to outomatize, I would say United States, because us use osntheinfstructures. Okay, United States, our airports, United States is like Nas top notch technology. Or sometimes they have certain kinds of things that are still like pristorical things, So we find sometimes per companies that still have like a lot of banal operation with which we love Okay, paris_vega: Hm. alberto_voltolina: which they make sense for their business. Okay, but we need to teach them on how embracing the technology in order to be competitive, so yes, there are. I would say, eighty per cent, seventy per cent of our customers. that sooner or later they need to move towards that direction. So there are there are. There is still a lot of job to do. paris_vega: And are you moving into other markets other than just the paint brush and paint roller? alberto_voltolina: Were we are trying to. Yeah, we are very active, especially Europe for automation and robotics, so we motuate the about, reciprocate some robotic application that we have in the Paidbratinal roller technology in certain other markets, like medical and sports, So what we are trying to do here in orth America is to make sort of partner with a very reliable Canadian company for robotics, which is very Active in nuclear and out O motive. Okay, we can work together making Scenargies, technical scenergies, and the idea would be serving the United States and North America, Canada, Mexico, market, For what Consereabotics, for instance, even the same customer for paint, brashes like serving Williams and Bear. They have a paris_vega: Hm, alberto_voltolina: lot of painting and quoting is facility where they do not produce pain brushes, but they produce the gallows of colors okay, paris_vega: Right, alberto_voltolina: and they absolutely make Those facility more automatic compared to what they are right now. So there is the new I would say scenario that I'm looking at. paris_vega: Okay, so there's almost. It sounds like there's an option to get like custom equipment. If you have a big enough customer and they have a specific alberto_voltolina: Yes, paris_vega: need. You guys can come up with a way to alberto_voltolina: Taylor paris_vega: create. alberto_voltolina: made solutions. Yeah, absolutely yeah, paris_vega: Wow, So alberto_voltolina: fit paris_vega: you guys alberto_voltolina: pork paris_vega: make alberto_voltolina: solution. paris_vega: you make the machines that make the machines almost alberto_voltolina: Yeah, Ally, Yeah, it would be a you summarize perfectly, paris_vega: Really cool. All right, Alberto. thank you so much for your time today. Uh, alberto_voltolina: Thanks berries. paris_vega: some really good stuff. And anybody who sounds like, Uh, who's listening? Who you think you might be able to do some business with Alberto? Give Miccall will have links to their website and Alberto's linked in in the show notes, and we'll see everybody next time alberto_voltolina: Thank you, Paris. I hope that you have been clear with my New Jersey accent and I hope you to paris_vega: Now. I think alberto_voltolina: say paris_vega: it was good alberto_voltolina: thank you so much by. paris_vega: Bye.