Businesses and employees can do just about anything virtually. Even with all the technological advances, the research still shows that nothing beats a good old fashioned  face-to-face meeting . This is why The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) events are crucial to building and maintaining our business relationships. 

 

We all know how hectic our day to day lives can be. We don’t get the chance to meet with our customer base as much as we’d like. The annual PMA events give us the opportunity to have discussions in person and allows you to really engage and connect with a customer. Meeting with a customer or prospect in person demonstrates that you value their business by putting in the time and effort required for a face-to-face meeting. They’ll leave feeling like they really got to know you and your company as people—which rarely happens via virtual meetings or phone conversations.

 

At the recent PMA Fresh Summit, our Assistant Manager Morgan Underwood and our BDS Manager Braden Goodere met with one of our customers, Mountain View Cold Storage. While they were talking with MVCS, the director of purchasing for a huge retailer, LIDL, approached them and MVCS mentioned how they love our service. Braden introduced them to each other and this created a huge opportunity with both MVCS and LIDL. Braden was even able to discuss rates for potentially new business. This was really cool. Something like this would have never happened if they hadn’t been in person. 

 

This year there were 1,200 vendors and over 24,000 people in attendance at this event. This is such a great opportunity to network and stay updated on current produce news and issues. It’s also crucial for business because it keeps us informed and helps us understand our customers' business as well as yours. In turn, this will help you learn what it is that your customer needs so you can better service them. Some of the topics that are covered at this summit include the following: 

I suggest checking out the  PMA website  for more detailed and in-depth information.

Taking the time to attend the summit’s such as the PMA is definitely the right move for connecting with customers and building and growing these relationships. As the old saying goes,  people buy from people . An in-person meeting might not always be the most convenient option, but the extra effort is definitely worth it. 

Jovita Chase

Transportation Broker, ALC San Francisco

Jovita Chase started working for Allen Lund Company in December of 2017, as a transportation broker in training for the San Francisco office. In October of 2019, she was promoted to a transportation broker. Chase earned her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Rutgers University.   

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