Reflection –  Storytelling

Challenge and selection

The first tool I used when a situation arose was Storytelling. I have been working in a governmental  institution in charge of providing a little help in the food area to the population of my country with  scarce resources. To be more specific, we sell milk subsidized by the government. That is: normally  milk in my country has a price of $18-$20 Mexican pesos for the entire population, what this  organization does is to open the possibility that people who need it can buy milk for $5 Mexican  pesos, having the right to 4 liters per week who approves to be on the list of beneficiaries. This is a  great help for thousands of people since they can receive vitaminized milk at a very good price,  because the people who receive this help do not have the possibility of having a balanced diet.

The problem that arose was that for some weeks the beneficiaries stopped going for the liters of  milk. This started to stay in the dairies, which became a problem because at the end of the day the  liters sold and not sold are reported (this to know if the beneficiaries are going for the liters that  correspond to them and if they stop doing so, the government subsidizes less milk). As was to be  expected, this drew the attention of the vendors and even the farmers because less milk was being  bought from them. No one was benefiting from what was happening.

Aplication

There was talk that the milk might be out of date or that people were simply no longer interested  in food aid. I am one of the salespeople who makes the morning sale to the beneficiaries and what  I decided to use was Storytelling, to inquire and listen to the "client" (beneficiary) who did not stop  going if they had heard anything about those who no longer showed up for their benefit. There were  quite a few people that I listened to, but they all came to the same conclusion: The milk had changed  flavor, it tasted different and had a slightly yellowish color as if it was "vanilla" flavor, they  mentioned to me that those who had not stopped going was because they really liked the new  flavor, but that they had heard from many people that they hadn’t liked it and their children hadn´t  liked it either.

Insight y approach

This was a great help because we were able to have contact with directors and laboratory managers.  In fact, they informed us that they had changed the milk flavoring but that it was thought that the  new flavor would be more appealing, but thanks to the narrative we were able to learn that only a  very small part of the population liked it and that instead of being a benefit it was becoming a  problem. The previous flavoring was introduced and the milk began to have normal sales again.

Narrative seems to me is the most important thing when selling a good or offering a service, as  Professor Jeanne M. Liedtka mentioned, you not only have to sell the product, you have to get into  the customer's life, what they do after they buy  the product, how they use it, where they use it.  Listening to the customer is the key to success because it is precisely to them that we address the  customer and not listening to them can be a big cost: failure.

In the case of this organization, failure was because on the one hand there was the possibility that  the government subsidy would begin to decrease, people were no longer acquiring a benefit to  which they were entitled, and farmers were also no longer selling milk from their cows, which had  a direct impact on their families and their income. The next time there are changes in the demand  for a product or service or when there is customer dissatisfaction, it seems to me that the best thing  to do is to listen to them carefully and find out what they really want.


Reflection – Storytelling Challenge and selection The first tool I used when a situation arose was Storytelling . I have been working in a governmental institution in charge of providing a little help in the food area to the population of my country with scarce resources . To be more specific , we sell milk subsidized by the government . That is : normally milk in my country has a price of $ 18-$20 Mexican pesos for the entire population , what this organization does is to open the possibility that people who need it can buy milk for $ 5 Mexican pesos , having the right to 4 liters per week who approves to be on the list of beneficiaries . This is a great help for thousands of people since they can receive vitaminized milk at a very good price , because the people who receive this help do not have the possibility of having a balanced diet . The problem that arose was that for some weeks the beneficiaries stopped going for the liters of milk . This started to stay in the dairies , which became a problem because at the end of the day the liters sold and not sold are reported ( this to know if the beneficiaries are going for the liters that correspond to them and if they stop doing so , the government subsidizes less milk ) . As was to be expected , this drew the attention of the vendors and even the farmers because less milk was being bought from them . No one was benefiting from what was happening . Aplication There was talk that the milk might be out of date or that people were simply no longer interested in food aid . I am one of the salespeople who makes the morning sale to the beneficiaries and what I decided to use was Storytelling , to inquire and listen to the " client " ( beneficiary ) who did not stop going if they had heard anything about those who no longer showed up for their benefit . There were quite a few people that I listened to , but they all came to the same conclusion : The milk had changed flavor , it tasted different and had a slightly yellowish color as if it was " vanilla " flavor , they mentioned to me that those who had not stopped going was because they really liked the new flavor , but that they had heard from many people that they had n’t liked it and their children hadn´t liked it either . Insight y approach This was a great help because we were able to have contact with directors and laboratory managers . In fact , they informed us that they had changed the milk flavoring but that it was thought that the new flavor would be more appealing , but thanks to the narrative we were able to learn that only a very small part of the population liked it and that instead of being a benefit it was becoming a problem . The previous flavoring was introduced and the milk began to have normal sales again . Narrative seems to me is the most important thing when selling a good or offering a service , as Professor Jeanne M. Liedtka mentioned , you not only have to sell the product , you have to get into the customer 's life , what they do after they buy the product , how they use it , where they use it . Listening to the customer is the key to success because it is precisely to them that we address the customer and not listening to them can be a big cost : failure . In the case of this organization , failure was because on the one hand there was the possibility that the government subsidy would begin to decrease , people were no longer acquiring a benefit to which they were entitled , and farmers were also no longer selling milk from their cows , which had a direct impact on their families and their income . The next time there are changes in the demand for a product or service or when there is customer dissatisfaction , it seems to me that the best thing to do is to listen to them carefully and find out what they really want .