My First Full Container Load (FCL) Customer

Ten months after joining the company, I encountered my first FCL customer—a 74-year-old gentleman. I discovered him through an old inquiry in our email history that had gone unanswered at the time. His email was brief but precise, so I decided to give it a try and replied. To my delight, he responded the same day, and we quickly connected on WhatsApp.

During our subsequent exchanges, both sides showed strong initiative. I actively sent him videos, provided samples, and he promptly gave clear feedback, affirming the quality of our products. I also quoted him a price, but it still took some time before we finalized our first deal. The client was a kind and warm-hearted elderly man who loved both life and his work. Every morning, he would greet me at a certain time, and we maintained this daily routine for a month. I also answered his technical questions about the product.

To be honest, I wasn’t very familiar with this particular product before engaging with him. However, through our conversations, I worked with our engineers to deepen my understanding so I could address his concerns—this turned out to be a great learning opportunity for me. After resolving all his doubts, he simply asked for two days to make a decision. Fortunately, two days later, he requested a Proforma Invoice (PI), and just like that, we secured our first deal—my very first FCL customer.

This experience taught me a lot, and I’ve summarized some key takeaways:

1.Proactiveness: Show sincerity to the customer. Whether it’s sending samples, negotiating, production updates, or post-shipment documentation, keeping the customer informed at every stage builds trust.

2.Adapting to the Customer’s Personality: Maintain engagement in a way that suits them. Since this client was an elderly man who enjoyed sharing snippets of his life, we often exchanged casual videos and maintained our daily morning greetings.

3.Professionalism: As a salesperson, solving the customer’s problems is crucial. Continuously improving product knowledge and providing reliable solutions strengthens the relationship.

This client not only marked a milestone in my career but also reinforced the importance of patience, adaptability, and expertise in sales.