Mauro Ferrero

How did you come to ReeR?
I have always worked in sales. I came to ReeR contacted by a recruitment agency that already knew my professional profile. So here I am for more than six years.

What are the qualities of a good salesperson and what skills do you look for in your employees?
I consider it essential to have the ability and willingness to understand what the customer needs and, in addition, to be able to respond to their needs in the most logical, rational and economical way possible. The customer wants to dialogue with someone who knows the subject and who is able to provide him with adequate solutions that are compatible with his budget.

How is your sales force composed and what advice do you give to those in it?
The team is divided between those who follow the Italian market and those who follow the foreign market. In Italy we work with internal staff and a pool of sales agencies in the territory that cover the areas of interest in a capillary manner. Abroad, in recent years we have opened offices in the markets that are most interesting to us and where we did not find distributors that were right for us. We have thus opened branches in China, South Korea, Brazil, Spain, the United States and now we are also coming to India. Where we do not have a direct presence we rely on local, non-exclusive distributors whose products are not in direct competition with ours.

The advice I always give my employees is to be able to listen and approach the customer with courtesy and humility. And that is what differentiates us the most from our competitors, who also often have a less flexible approach to the customer than we do.

Who is your typical customer?
Most common are those who produce machinery to be combined with safety devices and do so continuously and repetitively. Equally important are integrators, companies that work on systems and make, for example, robotic islands or work lines by combining different devices and machines. We also address the end customer directly. And finally, we should not underestimate the channel made up of distributor partners, who can often serve customers we cannot reach directly.

What are generally the most frequent requests they make of you? And what is the most unusual one they have ever made to you?
In this ‘exceptional’ phase of the industry, everyone is concerned about delivery times. In a normal market scenario, however, the most frequent request is to adapt one of our catalogue products to specific customer requirements. This is a possibility we offer and which is very welcome. As an unusual request, I recall that we were asked to use our measurement light curtains to automatically calculate the correct toll at motorway toll booths. The request, which we fulfilled, came from an Indian company.

What, in your opinion, are the elements that most build customer loyalty?
I think it is our ability to listen to them and help them solve their problems. ReeR doesn’t sell a product and then disregard it. ReeR always stays close to the customer with the desire, patience and willingness to listen to him in order to respond to his needs and solve any problems he may encounter during installation or use of the product.

One often hears the motto: ‘Before selling your product, you are selling yourself’. So there is a human factor in sales activity even in a sector as technical as yours?
Without a doubt. Knowing how to listen, understand and find solutions calls into question the most human aspect of the relationship between company and customer. There have been cases where, before arriving at the sale, we worked with the customer for years to find the most appropriate solution to his needs, as well as the necessary product adaptations.

How strong is the Italian market for ReeR and how are you positioned?
For ReeR, with the current product range, the Italian market still weighs about 50% of sales. Within the Anie (federation representing Italian electronic and electrotechnical companies) subgroups in which we are included, we have the highest share in the safety light curtains sector and are second in the safety controllers sector. At European level, depending on the basket of products considered, we are in second or third place.

What are the current dynamics of the sector?
The market is constantly growing: industrial automation, and not only, is going through a very interesting period. The sector is extremely active and dynamic and there is a continuous demand for products. It is a euphoric moment from the point of view of numbers and demand. Even excessive, I would say: I think it is difficult for it to continue at this pace for much longer. We will probably see a slowdown in growth in the future, but not a decline.

What is the most interesting market for ReeR today and where do you plan to expand your reach?
The single market with the highest value for us is certainly the Italian one. Turning our attention abroad, the markets in the Far East, particularly China, are growing very interestingly. The same applies to the North American market, which we are entering with increasing strength and attendance. The same goes for India, where the market not only justifies but also requires a local attendance of ReeR. We also believe that there is further room for growth in several other countries including Europe, where we can increase our share at the expense of our competitors.

Is sustainability a selling point in your industry?
Not only is it a topic: it is a requirement held in high regard by ReeR. And it is a commitment that involves all of us, starting with ownership. The CEO is very attentive to environmental issues, not only in his business decisions but also in his private life. I tell you, just to give you an example, that he comes to work every day with his electric scooter. And it is a concern, his, that he spreads throughout the company at all levels.

ReeR is certified by various bodies as a company with the lowest levels of emissions into the atmosphere. For years, we have been buying electricity produced only from renewable sources, we constantly monitor emission levels in the air and water, and we have a careful handling of waste. It is also our biggest customers who ask us to be this way: they prefer companies that adopt sustainable strategies.

What is the best-selling product category?
We produce two macro-families of products: safety light curtains and controllers.
The latter, in particular, are growing at a faster pace. Both because it is a younger, more open market and because we have been in business for less time, which gives us more room for growth.

How is customer care handled?
Our customer care service is attended by four people, active in two areas of support. The first involves training and support in the use of the product, particularly for controllers, a product that is more complex than light curtains because it requires a software and because it has an infinite number of applications in different contexts. Customers therefore often need to be supported with training activities, configuration support and definition of operating parameters. These are very important activities, which qualify us and differentiate us from our competitors. Moreover, we offer this service on an ongoing basis and free of charge.
The second area, the more traditional one, concerns technical support in the event of breakdowns and problems that may arise over the years.

What do you like best about ReeR?
One of the characteristics that most distinguishes us is the great respect there is in the company for the individual and for the professionalism of each of us. We work well here: our energies are directed towards solving work problems. The climate is always very serene, and that is fundamental. I will say more: it is the owners’ precise wish to put the company and those who work here in the best conditions to succeed. In recent years I have never heard anyone say no to an investment that was aimed at improving the quality of our work and the growth of the company. And those who come to visit us realise this: many are surprised by the excellence and quality of our work.