Published: August 29, 2024

Welcome back to my next Blog+ article. This time, I would like to describe some experiences and facts about our support to European distributors. Actually, we have already provided this kind of service since 2001.

Click below to read past blogs.
  My Start At The European Office And How Our Marketing Tactics Evolved
  My Start At The European Office And How Our Marketing Tactics Evolved (Part 2)

My first European trip to our distributors in 2001

My first European trip to our distributors was dated in 2001, but our initial schedule was brutally disrupted due to the September 11th attacks in the United States. Our headquarters instructed us not to use any flights for travelling until further notice. So instead, we were allowed to rent a Swedish luxury car, large enough to accommodate three persons + luggage, and scheduled the long road trip from the Netherlands to Germany, Switzerland, France and back to the Netherlands. In fact, renting this luxury car was much cheaper versus the same trip for three persons using flights.

Our schedule was to visit our two German distributors in Hanover and Germering, our Swiss distributor in Neuchatel, Switzerland and finally, our French distributor near Paris. It would take about two weeks for this trip, and we were in a good mood for this adventure. We would take turns driving the car as it would be a long journey; the Japanese members were excited to drive on the German autobahn, where there are sometimes no speed limits. However, even with this car, trying to beat the Germans on their autobahn is not an easy task. Even at speeds of over 200 km/hour, they are always behind you with flashing headlights to encourage you to pull over. It is just a useless attempt, and at the end of the day, you feel exhausted; it is better not to challenge them. We were received with all regards in Germany and had a nice dinner with typical German beers.

Figure 1. European Trip to Our Distributors in 2001

Next, we headed for Neuchatel in Switzerland. It is a lovely village with great views of the mountainous area, and we even had a short boat trip on a lake. At night, we enjoyed cheese fondue at a cosy restaurant. During the weekend, we planned to visit Grindelwald, which is a very scenic area, and I was very surprised to see that many Japanese tourists often visit this village. Road signs and the menu card in the restaurant were also in Japanese, and even a Japanese information bureau was present; it was a weird experience for me.

Figure 2. Neuchatel in Switzerland

Later that weekend, we went up a mountain by a cog railway train to visit a famous glacier on the Jungfraujoch mountain, in the past it was filmed in a James Bond movie. It was a fascinating view from the top, but we made one mistake by not wearing sunglasses to prevent snow blindness. When we went inside, we suddenly experienced a temporary blinding effect due to the exposure of too much ultraviolet light reflected by the white snow at high altitudes. We had to wait a bit to recover and moved on that day.

Figure 3. Jungfraujoch in Switzerland

Next on our schedule was to travel to Paris in France, which was quite a long trip, and we had to find a hotel along the road at the end of the day. It was strange, but all the villages were so busy, and no vacancies were available in the hotels. Then, when we were in the countryside, we spotted a remote hotel. It looked a bit obsolete, but we had to find a room. We decided to ask if they had rooms vacant, and we were lucky. Inside the hotel, it was comfortable with a nice restaurant, and they even had a local winery. It was good for my colleague to taste some wines, and he purchased some bottles for his collection. To my surprise, the hotel had a photo on the wall of former UK prime minister Margeret Thatcher, who also stayed here before, as mentioned on the image. It was a wonderful trip, and I think we all still remember this journey with pleasure.

 Figure 4. Countryside in Paris

Of course, nowadays, we still have regular face-to-face meetings with our distributors, but we have also moved to a new way of online meetings, which is less adventurous but more efficient and more friendly for our environment. Some may think that a business trip is leisure only, but in fact, it is always a tough schedule, and travelling is exhausting, not to mention that our performance always needs to be the best.

Role of Distributors

Back to our business, Nisshinbo Micro Devices sells products through a worldwide distribution network, including various authorised local distributors and sales representatives, as well as online distributors.

What are the reasons for us to visit the local distributors?

• Strengthen our mutual relationship.
• Discussing current business and solving issues
• Introduction and training of new products
• Explaining our roadmap for future scheduled products
• Scheduling joint visits to current customers
• Seeking for new potential customers

What are the purposes of local distributors?

• Maintaining direct contact with customers in their regional language.
• Keeping their customers informed about new product launches.
• Supporting designers during the design and ordering process.
• Processing sample and evaluation board requests.
• Monitoring the ongoing design process until a final purchasing decision has been made.
• Service to stock local inventory, optimizing the customer’s lead time requirements.
• Selling a range of complementary products of their portfolio that buyers require.

In short, the local distributor boosts our business with their customers, saving us effort and manpower for our sales department.

Who are our local distributors and sales representatives, and where are they located?

On our website, we have provided a complete overview of both local and online distributors, as well as our partner for EOL products which are obsolete or not recommended for new designs (NRND).

How long are your products available, and do you have a specific discontinuation (EOL) schedule?

For this purpose, we have introduced a so-called Product Longevity Program (PLP). It provides a list of products selected for long-term availability. By selecting products from the PLP list, customers can make a long-term production plan with peace of mind. More details of the Product Longevity Program and the list of selected products can be found on our website.