FL jubilæumsbog EN 101123 web - Flipbook - Side 52
FRODE LAURSEN – HERE
FOR OUR CUSTOMERS
The growth that Frode Laursen has experienced
over the years has not happened by chance. The
strong customer base did not simply appear
out of the blue. There has always been a clear
strategy, according to Thorkil Andersen.
“We always kept a list of about 25 customers
that we worked very hard to reach. We’ve
always been rather discerning about our customers. They have to fit into our concept. Some
of the customers we wanted to reach stayed on
our list for many years, over 20 years for some
of them, but we made sure we kept calling and
visiting them. We consider it a big part of our
success that we’ve been so conscious of which
customers we want to aract.”
“When we succeeded in geing one of the
potential customers on board, the name of the
company would be deleted from the list and
a new one added. There always had to be 25
names there.”
CHANCE ENCOUNTERS AND
ROASTED PARTRIDGES
Even the most clear-cut rule has exceptions.
Thorkil acknowledges that sometimes, other
companies than those on the list became Frode
Laursen customers.
“There will always be new customers who
are not on the list of 25 names. Some of them
contacted us, while others we became aware
50
FRoDe LAURsen – HeRe FoR oUR cUstoMeRs
of through a driver, for example. Then we
assessed whether this customer could be a
good fit, perhaps with a lile adjustment. If the
customer was ready, for example if they were
struggling with poor service from their current
supplier, if they had got a new organisational
structure, or if they had simply heard good
things about us, then we brought the customer
in – even if the timing was not optimal. The
problems that could arise would just have to be
solved. That’s how we work – we’re here for our
customers!”
“If we encountered what we call a ‘roasted
partridge,’ then we would jump at the chance.
This comes from the Danish expression ‘roasted
partridges don’t just fly into one’s mouth.’ It
refers to something big that you didn’t expect
to catch, but that appears out of nowhere. For
example, when we were given the opportunity
to bring Rockwool in as a customer in connection with the acquisition of Gunnar Henriksen.
But even a ‘roasted partridge’ isn’t worth taking
on if, ultimately, we can’t solve the task with
the right quality and profitability. And over the
years, we’ve let many customers slip through
our fingers on this basis.”
CUSTOMER FOCUS IS THE SAME
Because Frode Laursen was so selective in
choosing its customers, it lasted a long time
