INTERVIEW WITH MANUELA REICH,
SALES MANAGER SWITZERLAND

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT KUHN RIKON?
It feels like a lifetime. But it's really been just 6 years. A great employer. You can achieve much and make a big difference, if you want.
 

WHAT ARE YOUR TASKS?
I and my 50-member team are responsible for the entire Swiss market. This includes sales in shops, in department stores and our own four outlets. Coordination with the customer service and support for our sales consultants are also part of the job. I also work very closely with other departments, especially marketing, communication, purchasing, design and production. This interplay is important to meet the expectations and needs of our customers.
 

WHICH ARE THE MAIN QUALITIES OF A GOOD SALESPERSON?
A good salesperson is able to identify the client's needs and meet, or ideally exceed, these expectations. A good salespeople can empathize with the customer. They persuade through sincerity, know their products inside out and have a good expertise. A good salesperson always offers alternatives. And, crucially: a good salesperson keeps his or her promises.
 

ARE THERE NEW PRODUCTS, FOR WHICH YOU KNOW FROM THE OUTSET THAT CUSTOMERS WILL LOVE THEM?
That’s a tough question. There have often been products in the past that we were convinced would do well, but which were received warily by customers. On the other hand, we have seen products become bestsellers, which we did not necessarily expect to do well. Ultimately, it is secondary whether I like a product or not – after all, the products are made for our customers. However, with our Colori pans I immediately had a good feeling, which was then confirmed in practice. And our new Universal Cutter Easy Cut also has bestseller qualities, in my eyes. Ask me in one year again – then we’ll know if I was really right.
 

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE KUHN RIKON PRODUCT THAT NEEDS MOST EXPLAINING? AND HOW DO YOU MAKE CUSTOMERS UNDERSTAND ITS APPEAL?
Since our products always have more functions than similar products, or also special features, they actually need more explaining. This is often challenging for the sales process. Especially in today's world of self-service. Alongside our thermal cookware, the pressure cooker Duromatic Comfort is probably our most sophisticated product at the moment. But how do I explain to customers that they can cook with their smartphone from now on? With how-to-use video clips, informative packaging, appropriate stickers on the product, a special presentation at the shelf, POS materials and training courses for dealers, we have so far always managed to successfully convey complex functions easily and intuitively.