As a pioneer of the Christmas Tree industry in the mountains of North Carolina, my dad dedicated countless hours into growing the businesses of his competitors, as well as his own. This was a selfless pursuit, but as he saw it, the right thing to do. While developing the science of growing Christmas trees, he was also growing the relationships that would fuel the industry for decades to come. These relationships ran the gamut of society, from government officials and retail distributors, both large as small, to landowners and general laborers.
At Bremo Trees, relationships are the backbone of our sales strategy. Common ground is a good place to start and it is rarely hard to identify. Respect is the key word and ultimately this leads to genuine, lasting friendship. While you must be conscious of the motives of others, it does not pay to wield judgement based upon petty differences. It is that diversity of thought that makes us stronger as a society. The more diverse the web, the greater its strength.
It is easy to focus upon potential customers alone, while ignoring interactions that bare little hope for financial gain. We are all guilty of this. However, extending a welcoming hand in every interaction often pays in ways that cannot be initially calculated.
The most difficult aspect of my dad’s marketing philosophy is sharing business with competitors. We often refer our neighbor nursery when we cannot provide requested trees. This feels right at the time, but the sting comes when you end up splitting the next job with that very same competitor. My father’s response is that you want everyone in the industry to succeed, not just your own business. The internal battle between selfish and selfless continues.
One thing is for certain. Treating people with genuine respect is the key to living well and finding success, and this includes selling trees. We greatly appreciate all the relationships we have grown during the past decade, even those with our competitors. We can always find room for more. We look forward to meeting you soon.
Ed Yates
Manager
