From Mutiny to Success!

Polygiene recovers from a disaster, and then goes on to thrive on the American market!

Background:

Some of Polygiene's brand partners

Polygiene Group, the global leader in antimicrobial technologies and odour control solutions, had the rug pulled out from under, when its entire American division jumped ship and joined its fiercest competitor. In this surprising turn of events, overnight, the former CEO, all sales reps, the global Chief Marketing Officer, and the Technical Director, said “see you later Hans” and left.

Problem:

With no industry experience, a C-minus grade in high-school chemistry, no remaining staff on the American continent, and a menace from the "defectors" that they would steal every account in favour of their new employer, Hans recognized that this assignment would prove challenging. On paper, he was easy prey, a fact that competitors eagerly highlighted to his clients. In search of a swift resolution, he found the answer encapsulated in a single word: CREDIBILITY!

Solution:

To convince Polygiene’s current clients to stay onboard (despite our competitors offering 40-60% lower prices), Hans rolled out this game plan:

Immediately met with all major accounts, à la 80/20 principle, and asked for their confidence in Polygiene and him.
Conceived "The Easy Button", and sold it internally to vamp up customer service level as weapon to leave our competition in the dust.
Established a testing lab outside NYC to enhance service to accounts, cut turn-around-time, and beat competition
Hired a Customer Experience Manager to vamp up all customer touch points, and become the preferred supplier to our clients. Ooops, I hired my ex ASSOS colleague who helped me before.
Established a small NYC office, to gain credibility and to serve Polygiene's clients better.
Aligned Polygiene's internal team: tech directors, admin and commercial directors, by establishing procedures, and abiding to CRM protocols.
Hired a rock solid person to handle the lucrative Western Territory.
Hired a Customer Experience Mgr. to take service level to level 11.
Recruited / managed a team of 6.
Launched a newsletter, uniquely for the American market.

Results:

Successfully expanded the American market, achieving a growth rate of 216% (2018-2021).
Acquired accounts: Dr. Scholl, Target, Caterpillar, Untuckit, Callaway Golf, Simons, Ciele, CCM Hockey, etc.
Defined the Polygiene Value Proposition (Trinity Model, see below)
Rolled out a Finders Award program where 3rd parties would introduce us to clients to get a 5% commission for 36 months. Target and BOSS were the results of this idea.
GAP Group selected Polygiene as preferred partner, because of its superior service levels.
Created a D2C biz plan which is ready to roll out.

Stuff we did:

Giving best-in-class product training for staff at American Eagle, New York City, USA 2019

Polygiene Value Proposition:

Defined the Polygiene Value Proposition - The Trinity Model. Essentially, the Trinity Model formed a key component of the Easy Button strategy, enabling Polygiene to distinguish itself from competitors by delivering exceptional service levels. While various other companies might claim to offer comparable products, none could match the degree to which Polygiene excelled in this regard.

GAP Group choses Polygiene!

My top notch Polygiene colleagues, deservedly received this verification from GAP that our Easy Button strategy carried fruit. In a world where products become increasingly generic, the value of exceptional service, is clearly highly coveted.