When the director participates in... livestream to sell products

Directly, business executives and CEOs participate in livestreams to introduce products and sell them. The chairpersons and CEOs of companies take their products abroad to participate in exhibitions and introduce them directly to visitors, seeking new markets...

The above is just a few highlights in a diverse picture that demonstrates the efforts of Vietnamese entrepreneurs in finding orders, with the constant worry of ensuring salaries to retain their employees, especially in a global economy and the Vietnamese economy going through a difficult period after the Covid-19 pandemic and political instability in some regions around the world.

CEO participate in livestreams to sell products

The competition among technology retail companies is becoming increasingly fierce, especially in these challenging times. To sell their products, every company has to find creative ways, such as organizing livestream sales with the participation of KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) and even CEOs of the company. "I don't feel hesitant when participating in livestreams to introduce products and provide service advice," says Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Dat, CEO of the Di Dong Viet retail system.

Explaining the reason for "going live," Mr. Dat believes that in this difficult economic era, reaching out and expanding sales channels is an essential need for any company, especially as the trend of livestreaming sales has become an important part of the company's business strategy. "As the head of the company, if I can't sell the product myself, how can I lead and spread the positive spirit and passion for sales to my team of employees?" Mr. Dat shares.

As a startup in the technology sector, Mr. Tran Viet Quan, the chairman and founder of the digital transformation company Tanca.io, says that going to companies or meeting with customers is a routine part of his job.

According to Mr. Quan, everyone in the company has the responsibility to sell, including the CEO. "We are trying to sell day and night. Foreign customers can arrange meetings online at any time, even at night," Mr. Quan says.

For Hoang Huong, CEO of the startup Unikon, a company providing artificial intelligence application solutions, the time spent "out in the field" far exceeds the time spent in the office. "CEOs and directors, everyone is directly involved in the battle. I bear the highest responsibility for organizing and flexibly adjusting resources to ensure the progress of customer projects and to achieve the company's long-term development goals," Huong says.

According to this CEO, in the current turbulent market, founders, managers, especially in the technology startup sector, all carry a lot of concerns. CEOs must fight on multiple fronts to develop products and sell them, to build and develop resources in conditions of limited resources. "All of this requires concentration, enthusiasm, determination, and a lot of sacrifices," this female CEO emphasizes.

Companies scrupulously secure each order

As one of the industries with a significant decrease in orders, and simultaneously employing a large number of workers in Vietnam's key export sectors, according to Mr. Pham Van Viet, the CEO of Viet Thang Jeans, the textile and garment market has shown some warming signals recently, but the overall picture is still a prolonged difficulty, with orders remaining below the production capacity of companies.

This company itself used to target high-quality fashion segments, producing premium fabrics for export to demanding markets like the US and the EU with higher export values. However, when the economies of these markets faced difficulties, people tightened their belts, and high-priced fashion items became a hindrance due to the trend of reduced consumer spending and a preference for cheaper products.

Therefore, Mr. Viet said the company had to "shift gears," producing simpler, less elaborate products with lower costs. In addition to changing designs, the company is also seeking new markets such as Canada and Australia. Thanks to these changes, short-term orders for the company have increased by about 5%, and production capacity has reached 85-90% for short-term items, while fashion items have only reached a production capacity of about 60-70%.

Mr. Dinh Hong Ky, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Secoin Joint Stock Company, said that both the domestic and export markets are facing difficulties, so manufacturing companies of building materials, such as Secoin, are experiencing a reduction in orders. For this company, as exports account for a significant proportion, when the international market shrinks, many of the company's product categories have decreased by 60-70% compared to the peak in 2018-2019.

According to Mr. Ky, the most important issue for these companies is how to maintain orders so that workers have jobs, with a priority to retain core workers, even when there is no work, they should have a minimum income. Therefore, Mr. Ky said that he, like many other entrepreneurs, has to put in more effort, carefully secure each order, without considering profit but prioritizing retaining the workforce.

"Getting an order for the factory is a joy for the company, entrepreneurs, and even the workers. I hope that we are at the bottom of the recession, and I hope that next year the situation will improve, recover, helping manufacturing companies warm up, and we are ready with the human resources to meet new orders," Mr. Ky says."

Doanh nhân Lê Mai Hữu Lâm (bìa phải) giới thiệu sản phẩm cho các đối tác quốc tế tại triển lãm ở Nhật Bản - Ảnh: H.L

Exporting to Explore New Markets

In recent days, a group of entrepreneurs representing more than 20 companies in the supporting industries of Ho Chi Minh City have traveled to the Land of the Rising Sun to seek new orders. In Japan, the chairpersons and CEOs of these companies have directly introduced products produced by Vietnamese intellect and hands to partners, not only in Japan but also to international partners participating in the Mtech Osaka 2023 exhibition.

Despite having recently undergone foot surgery that hasn't completely healed, Mr. Le Mai Huu Lam, the CEO of Cat Van Loi Industrial Electrical Equipment Production Joint Stock Company, carried 45 kilograms of sample products to the exhibition to seek new partners.

At the exhibition, Mr. Lam personally introduced the quality, design, and pricing advantages of the company's products to visitors. These products ranged from industrial electrical accessories, hanging systems, supports, to lightning protection and grounding equipment. Over the past two years, Mr. Lam has traveled to various exhibitions in Cambodia, Japan, and now to emerging ASEAN markets, all in search of new orders.

"I have to roll up my sleeves and find new export partners, distributors, and new orders to have outlets and create employment opportunities alongside our existing domestic orders. I have to adapt and change my approach, as the market is currently challenging," Mr. Lam said. Thanks to these efforts, the company's orders have increased, and they now have enough orders to maximize production from now until next year.

In fact, the factory is operating at full capacity to serve large projects such as the Lego factory in Binh Duong, Terminal 3 at Tan Son Nhat Airport (Ho Chi Minh City), Long Thanh Airport, Nhon Trach 3 and 4 thermal power plants (Dong Nai), and Quang Trach thermal power plant (Quang Binh). Furthermore, Mr. Lam mentioned that the company is preparing to put their second factory into operation in the Automobile Mechanical Industrial Zone (Cuu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City) to double production capacity and capability.

"We have prepared very carefully. While many places are facing difficulties, we are fully prepared and ready to utilize all resources when the opportunity arises. Building the second factory is also a way for us to proactively seize the upcoming investment opportunities in Vietnam," Mr. Lam shared.

Quotation: Báo Tuổi Trẻ