Hello! This is Orcel Saito.
Yesterday I had a meeting with a client for my first consulting session.
We received some kind words from customers saying that they had always wanted to receive consulting services and were finally able to get started.
This customer has been using e-commerce for six years, but their sales have remained the same.
That's why they approached us with the determination and hope to change this at all costs.
We must do whatever it takes to live up to that determination and hope.
This customer's product lineup can be broadly divided into three categories.
The categories are A, B, and C.
<Category A>
It's a purchased product with an extremely high profit margin.
It would be great if this could grow.
However, after doing some research, we found that these customers have already accounted for 100% of the market.
There are no other rivals.
So, although it is possible to continue making profits, on the other hand, unless the market expands, there is nothing that can be done.
Therefore, Category A will remain the same.
<Category B>
Purchased products with low profit margins.
This category has a medium market size and is a market with many competitors.
In my experience, this category is one in which people have been successful not with the product itself, but with developing a related product and turning it into sales.
So this will remain the same as it is.
<Category C>
Therefore, the category that needs to be expanded is Category C, which accounts for around 10% of sales.
And this category C is the customer's main business.
Upon investigation, it turns out that this business is actually a potentially huge treasure trove, estimated at 8 trillion to 10 trillion yen.
However, most of the people involved in this business are either working individually or as a side job.
So I researched this business and found the business plan of a company that had opened a store in Ginza just over two years after starting its business, as well as the story of someone who had established sales channels overseas, and presented them to them.
Together with our customers, we learned that there is a world of difference between a business that does only what you can do, only what you like, and simply does what is in front of you, and a business that responds to customer needs and designs in a planned manner.
Our clients were shocked to learn the differences between their own business plans at the time of founding and those of successful companies, but they also told us that they were excited and saw new dreams and hopes.
yes.
You can always correct course.
Your homework until next time is to carefully read these business plans, do some research, and give a rough idea of how to build your business.
By the way, the success story mentioned earlier is a company that started with almost no capital.
E-commerce is ultimately just part of the business.
No matter how much you tinker with SEO or product pages, you won't get any results if the original work isn't done properly.
He said that he felt like he could solve a fundamental problem that had never been discussed at any study group attended by store managers.
Looking at many of our customers, I see that they are straightforward, energetic, humble, and unexcusable CEOs who are growing their businesses, and I have really learned a lot from them. This customer is also a person with the same personality.
The customer is from the Kansai region, but we will do our best to support them so that they can open a store in a place like Ginza.
Learning from our customers: How to get back on track
