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New markets -- dealing with unknowns

Last week, we had a strange visit to the farm.   An American firm approached us to sell our butter in the US in ultra-high-end shops.   We did see such supermarkets in the US but did not pay attention.  Now, 100% of our butter is for the restaurant trade, it was created to compete with the best butters in the business.  Our butter is not sold on price but on quality.   

So this US company (Jennifer spoke to them) came to us and asked if we would sell them our butter with a 50% discount so that we could "penetrate the US market".  We have no appetite for developing foreign markets, especially in the butter segment, because we already do not meet domestic market demand.  In addition, they are asking for us to cut our sales price by half, effectively selling the butter at a loss.   

Their solution was to cut input costs to raise profits, in other words, destroy what has been our product's value proposition.   To enter into a market that offers no attraction.   Needless to say, the answer was a polite "no", but this is the most amazing part, they contacted two of our "competitors" and said that we were on board.  How do we know, it's easy, they called us to inquire about our appetite in the US butter market.  

Jennifer took all the calls (two of our "competitors" and the American exporter).   Her answer "Fu$king lying Yanks".    

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