VietNamNet Bridge – The owners of Trung Nguyen coffee, Vinaxuki automobile, My Hao cosmetics and Bibica sweets brands have been going to retail markets to survey the purchasing power, assembling cars and selling products themselves.

Mr Bui Ngoc Huyen, General Director of Vinaxuki

As soon as hearing that the US Starbucks would be present in Vietnam, the owner of Trung Nguyen coffee brand “took action.” He decided to open some more shops to increase the presence of Trung Nguyen brand in the domestic market. And especially, he went to go marketing for Trung Nguyen products at the Ben Thanh Market, the biggest traditional retail market in HCM City.

In the uniform of Trung Nguyen Company, Dang Le Nguyen Vu, the owner of Trung Nguyen, gave consultancy to customers about Trung Nguyen’s products, about prices, quality and taste.

The man called the “Vietnamese coffee King” said he has been trying to increase the domestic sales from 1.2 kilos per capita per annum to five kilos.

Prior to that, some Vietnamese enterprises also succeeded with the campaign of “strengthening confidence.” My Hao, for example, saw its sales increase in 2011 by 50 percent over 2010.

Refusing to sell My Hao brand to the foreign enterprise in 1995, My Hao decided to develop the distribution network itself. However, the program was not successful as expected.

Since 2009, Luong Van Vinh, General Director of My Hao, came to every sales agent to discuss with them about how to boost sales. The trips of Vinh then help increase the sales increase by 10 percent in 2011. Since then, Vinh decided to go surveying the market once a month.

Like Vinh, Trinh Thanh Nhon, General Director of ICC, who recalled the golden days of Da Lan toothpaste products, has decided to resume the production of the toothpaste. Nhon personally together with his staff brought products to traditional markets to introduce the new products.

Nhon has revealed that he wants to restore the Da Lan brand he once sold to the foreign enterprise which then erased the brand later.

Truong Phu Chien, General Director of Bibica, also joined the team of salesmen Two or three years ago, when Bibica’s Choco Pie and Goody products first hit the market, Chien not only went to the markets in HCM City, but also went further to provinces in the west of the southern region to advertise the products.

In the economic recession, which makes products unsalable, business bosses have to go selling products themselves. In the past, approaching clients was considered the job of sales agents. However, nowadays, Nguyen Trong Kien, Deputy General Director of Thach Ban Company, also has to look for customers himself.

Thach Ban specializes in making bricks for construction. However, since construction projects have become stagnant due to the lack of capital, it has to cut down the production scale.

Only two officers were seen at Vinaxuki’s stall at the Vietnam Motor Show 2012. The third person was the boss – Bui Ngoc Huyen, General Director of Vinaxuki, a 100 percent domestic owned automobile manufacturer.

Especially, Huyen also acted as the speaker panel who could introduce the features of the automobiles and gave advices to customers. Huyen himself drives a car assembled by Vinaxuki. Huyen’s work showed that he understands the products very well, which may help people believe in the high quality of the products.

It’s obvious that one should not avoid to do anything, if the things can help them obtain what they want.

NCDT