When you go to McDonalds, you don’t expect to see CEO Don Thompson at the drive-thru window.
When you buy a pair of Nike shoes, Phil Knight won’t be there to help with the sizing.
But if you went to the Graybar booth at the recent NECA show, you would find Chairman, President and CEO Kathy Mazzarella, ready and willing to talk with any contractor who came for a visit.
“I’ve participated in the NECA convention for several years now, and have found it to be a great place to connect with our contractor customers,” Mazzarella told tED magazine. tED is working on a series of stories on how to build relationships with contractors, and this is certainly one way.
“The NECA convention provides an excellent opportunity for us to interact with our customers and hear what’s on their minds,” Mazzarella adds. “We design our booth in a way that encourages customers to relax and have a meaningful conversation. We want customers to visit our booth and enjoy the time they spend with us.”
The Graybar booth at the NECA show featured couches and coffee. It was located right inside the main entrance, and was one of the largest at the show. That, coupled with Mazzarella’s appearance, allows Graybar the opportunity to maintain relationships with contractors, and also create and build new ones. This will allow the company to keep in touch with what is really happening in the contractors’ worlds.
“Many of these customers are longtime friends and acquaintances, so NECA provides us a great opportunity to catch up. It’s like a reunion. It’s also a chance to meet new faces and start relationships for many years to come,” Mazzarella said.
Photos courtesy of Joe Salimando