Memoirs of Kenny Teo 2008 - 2011
From the day I was offered the job of Lexmark product manager, I knew my life will never be the same from another sales person. I have picked the product from day 1, where it was doing nothing and no one wants to be associated with. My first job was to reduce the inventory and grow the business to 1 million per year. I knew nothing about product marketing, it seems to be glamorous job.
We started off at the Sitex 2008, I was having my reservist at the same time. I finished my night shift and came to office and do up the necessary work for it. It was very tough, but it proved to be an exciting experience for me. I was physically tired, but I was so ready to take up the challenge for it. We worked with 2 resellers and we did not manage it to the best. Due to this date, I still hope that it was done to the expected standard I hoped. In this world there is no rewind button for anything you did wrong. I worked with people like Joe Cheng who was experienced and guide me thru the process. Jacq who gave me my first lesson on how to do up promotions and competitive analysis for show.
Then came another challenge, in the PC Show 2009, we confirmed the resellers on the show. However on 2 days before the show, reseller backed out, and we have a void on the placement of the reseller. In the end with the support of our finance, operations and admin team, we did our first direct selling. Andrew employed his team of part timers to support us. It was really very tough as we had no time to prepare; we managed to scrap thru with a record sell thru of close to 500 units, which we never came close after that.
During the H1N1 incident, TTSH wanted T644dn urgently and requested for weekend delivery. Adele and I drove a van to office and picked up 6 of them and deliver all the way to CDC2 on a Sun Morning. Thanks to Kim who helped to open the gate, and I destroyed the funz club door single handedly. Fortunately, Patrick did not asked me to pay for it. And I was glad as it was about 1.5k for it. It felt good as I think I value added to it. After that Toh Lik came to us with an email from TTSH to get us to buy 400 units of work group and toners. After which the goods arrived and he quitted after that. It was a very valuable lesson for me that I should never too eager to sell and not to trust them 100 percent. We kept the stocks in another warehouse for half a year. Fortunately, Ryan and Patrick was very supportive during the stocks clearing period. Till now we still have many of the toners with us. I never managed to clear them. Anyway I never learnt 100% of the lesson, as I was also made to believe from Mars that he will buy 100. In the end he did not honor it again.
We started our journey to open up retail resellers; it was hard as the legacy left behind from previous team was bad. They sold stocks to the resellers and left them to rot them. With a brilliant product with horrifying legacy, there was no negotiation space. We stood outside the doors of the resellers like Challenger and Best Denki for 1 year. They let us into their place with difficult conditions in place for us. With Edward we managed to open up challenger and opened up many outlets. Best Denki we still only managed to have 1, and the buyer constantly pick on us. Till Kelvin Ong left, we are still only allowed to have 1. Carrefour along the years have been supportive, and Popular with the blessing of the 01 Computer Team and Popular’s Nancy, Jason and Kok Weng we managed to sustain a very cordial working relationship which till this day is still worth keeping.
Francis got to know Suresh thru a meeting, we started to ship to Suresh’s customer in Iran. We shipped the printers in thousands, in order to sustain the business. We don’t make money from it, but with it, we balanced the sales to them and GP to us. Francis managed to keep this business to us, but seriously I am not very keen on it.
In 2010, we received news that they are looking to appoint a new distributor in Mar. Richard and Francis helped to push it back and to keep us as the main distributor. They came clear to us on Nov 2010 that we are not in their master plan of 2011. And on this day of the road show, Sitex 2010, would be the last show I will be doing for them. Luckily we have been told that we can return the stocks to them in Jan/ Feb period. From there we can move on, at least I can.
Many people asked if I am sad. I always thought I am professional enough to handle this form of emotional loss. However at this moment, this is a feeling of loss. I wonder from Day 1, from the presales portion, to the training, the customer management, the shows and the work we have done. We act as representative of Lexmark, and proud of it. This sense of loss was nothing I have ever felt. I looked lost and tired, but I knew that no matter what I do anymore will matter anymore. Lexmark as a product, made me many true and worthy friends, like Tracy, who constantly helped me with the physical work and emotional baggage that I carried. Edward, who though many a times gave me tons of marketing ideas, helps to push out stocks. Jacq, who gave me 200% of free play. Patrick who never questions me on my decisions made. On behalf of Kenny Teo, I thank all that was not mentioned but worked in the same capacity. I thank you for your effort and help.
This day I will learn to let go, as this young toddler which I grow from infant will be taken care by someone who will bring it to teenager and more. I trust that there is always someone who is more capable and smarter than me, who will make a bigger difference in bringing it to the next level. Instead of saying we shall see, I will say, I hope all the best for it and hope that one day when it really made it big, I will be able to look from far and be proud to say that I was part of the effort to help.
Good Luck to my young toddler and hope you will be able to define yourself in this world like just a eagle soaring in the blue skies.
Kenny Teo 2010
