Simms – Not for polish anglers

 

Kliknięcie myszki na ikonę poczty e-mail i mym oczom ukazała się nowa wiadomość od Simmsa przedstawiająca kilka nowości.

W trakcie przeglądania katalogu produktów w mej głowie zrodziła się myśl, idea, by spróbować sciągnąć Simmsa do Polski. Wykonałem szybki telefon do brata (speca od marketingu i sprzedaży). Przedstawiłem sytuacje na rynku, potrzeby wędkarzy, plan działania, omówiliśmy zagadnienia z dziedziny marketingu  oraz przedstawiłem ludzi – a konkretnie przyjaciół i kolegów z którymi moglibyśmy zrealizować ten pomysł. Po dłuższej rozmowie brat zgodził się na taka inwestycję po czym przystąpił do analizy rynku oraz badania firmy Simms. Po kilku dniach podjęliśmy decyzję o wysłaniu zapytania do Prezesa firmy Simms dotyczącej chęci współpracy. Zależało nam by ewentualnie wejść na rynek na początku Nowego Roku 2016. Po kilku poprawkach i przetłumaczeniu listu wysłaliśmy go do Prezesa Simmsa.

 

To whom it may concern,

For many years we have been watching SIMMS introduce innovative solutions and technology into the world of fishing, creating gear and accessories for the most demanding anglers. Having the opportunity of utilizing your products, we have appreciated their quality, usability and durability on number of occassions.

Judging upon the history of SIMMS as a brand, we are more than certain that where the company is right now derives straight from devotion and experience of a group of professionals who are more than passionate about every moment they spend fishing.

Please allow me to explain the reason for directing this email to you. We are also a group of enthusiastic, passionate anglers. Poland’s population is around 38 million, 2 million of which are anglers with different levels of engagement and experience. This number keeps growing.

Since the fall of communism over 20 years ago there has been a significant development in all aspects of business and life in Poland, accompanied by the urge to learn from the best. Many new companies are being pioneered to our market, they introduce new solutions, products and know-how, thus resulting in making the customer more aware and raise their urge to develop and be the best. This is what fishing looks like nowadays, it is a world in which beginners, enthusiasts and professionals can be found. Sooner or later every one of those people face the very same problem, that is lack of adequate offer of products which can satisfy their needs on our domestic market. Those people very often need to supply outside of Poland, which is both time-consuming and very problematic.

SIMMS products are well-recognized, but at the same time hard to acquire in Europe, and almost impossible to acquire in Poland. Therefore, since demand for your products is high, we would like to introduce them to our market.

What distinguishes SIMMS products from what other brands offer is comfort, fit, extremely high quality with exceptional stress on details, but, first and foremost, practical usability. This makes up for the significant factors important to us, anglers, which have direct influence on the success of any fishing trip, especially in extreme outdoor and weather conditions.

Facing mediocrity in products for anglers on daily basis, we would like to introduce the notion of highest quality to our market. Having many years of experience in marketing and sales of premium- class products, we are aware of how important it is to listen to the customers’ needs and thus provide them with products which satisfy their demand. Moreover, we are characterized by our devotion and passion for angling, along with photography of animals. Hundreds of hours spent over the last years waiting for that one perfect moment, no matter what the weather is, have taught us about the importance of being dressed right and having the right gear which make up for the successful outcome.

As a group of experts we specialize in many areas, but what connects us is professionalism, passion and friendship. This drives our thoughts, discussions and ideas to implement and execute. Our marketing and sales specialists have great experience and knowledge of both our domestic and US market. They would be responsible for establishing the directions and ways to advertise SIMMS products, starting with their promotion, to placing SIMMS products in public space.

It is a well-known fact that angling has many forms, depending on the method, ways and techniques of fishing as well as targeted fish species and places of their inhabitance.

Having the above in mind, our marketing department would focus on preparing various marketing campaigns, depending on the target group and marketing channels.

We would like to divide those actions into two groups:

-off-line actions:

• branch and trade fairs
• fishing events
• fishing and angling magazines
• main company store
• cooperation with angling stores in Poland
• -on-line actions:
• website
• newsletters
• social media (Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, etc.)
• angling blog
• on-line store
• angling forums and message boards

Through means of large-scale marketing actions we would like to emphasise the existence of SIMMS brand on our domestic market, and acquire new customers and business partners.

All marketing actions would be realized and supported by our group of specialists and experts which consists of international anglers, fishing guides, photographers, bloggers and authors of many press articles regarding angling as a whole.

We would like to make SIMMS brand well-recognized and emphasised on our Polish market. But what we are striving for the most, is to embed SIMMS brand into our angling world in Poland for good. Thus, we are planning for the sale of your products no to be conducted solely through means of on-line store, but also through a network of brand stores throughout Poland. We would also utilize existing angling stores to distribute SIMMS products in Poland.

We represent a group of people connected by mutual idea to give our fellow anglers, as well as any angling enthusiasts, only the best products which they deserve- that is SIMMS. As professionals, it is our duty to develop our knowledge of products constantly, but at the same time, to acquire our share of the market. We would like to come true not only in terms of angling, but also to create something which would profit for us and generations to come.

Therefore I would like to offer you cooperation on terms of distributing SIMMS products in Poland, and in the future, Europe as well.

I would like to introduce to you the creators of SIMMS idea in Poland:

Dawid Wrona

Entrepreneur,

Expert in sales and marketing

Trained by the best, including John Palumbo, Mike Bosworth,

Jack Canfield and Robert Cialdini

Dariusz Warchocki

Blogger, manufacturer of hand- made custom fishing equipment, tester of fishing gear,

author of many press articles regarding angling and hand made lure buidling.

Patryk Skorupa

Fishing guide and expert, 2^nd and 3^rd place holder in Fishing GP Angler of the Year tournament,

CEO of C&R Fishing Club, photographer.

         We trust that many years of our experience will result in mutual cooperation, and become the foundation for future development. We are all members of one big angling family, based on friendship and passion, which makes us believe we are able to achieve our goals.

Respectfully yours,

Dawid Wrona

 

Następnego dnia otrzymaliśmy odpowiedź, iż Prezes zapozna się z listem po powrocie z wyjazdu służbowego.

Kilka tygodni oczekiwania i …….. . Właśnie. Trudno to co otrzymaliśmy nazwać odpowiedzią. Firma której produkty znane są i cenione przez wędkarzy na całym świecie pokazała całkowity brak szacunku, gdyż inaczej nie można opisać sytuacji kiedy to po kilku tygodniach otrzymaliśmy taką odpowiedź.

 

Hi Dawid,

Thank you for your interest in Simms products.

Flyfish Europe is the distributor of Simms products in Poland and in Europe.

Flyfish Europe only sell direct to dealers and are not using distributors

We are happy with the sales situation in Poland and are not looking for any partners.

Thank you.

Best regards,

Roy Thue

Sales Manager

Mój brat ma na koncie kilka międzynarodowych umów, włączając rynek amerykański. Był on jednak delikatnie rzecz ujmując mocno rozczarowany takim  obrotem  sytuacji  biorąc pod  uwagę czas oczekiwania na odpowiedź jak i jej treść. Czas oczekiwania wynikał z faktu, iż po miesiącu oczekiwania na odpowiedź,  na stronach Simmsa  ukazały się  informacje  o  przedstawicielach  i sklepach w Europie, których to informacji w chwili wysyłania listu nie było na stronach Simmsa. Po takim obrocie spraw mój brat jasno określił sytuację, iż nie będzie dalej zajmował stanowiska w stosunku do firmy która nie potrafi okazać szacunku ewentualnym klientom czy partnerom. Również dla mnie ta informacja była smutna i niosąca negatywne odczucia , gdyż tak naprawdę pokazuje, że Polska  nie jest poważnie traktowana, a jej potencjał i brać wędkarska wraz z jej potrzebami ignorowana.

Tak więc nadal trzeba będzie sprowadzać produkty Simmsa z zagranicy podobnie jak to czynili nasi koledzy w okresie PRL-u. I choć czasy się zmieniły i mamy XXI wiek to w dziedzinie wędkarstwa nadal patrzy się  na Polskę jak na kraj trzeciego świata. Po kołowrotkach z Japonii, blankach z Ameryki teraz Simms z odzieżą nie przyjął zaproszenia i ominął nasz kraj bez próby współpracy.