The Value of On-the-Ground Support in Artisan Production
We pride ourselves on being our international clients’ eyes, ears, and hearts on the ground. Just like being close to your final customer helps you understand their needs, having someone represent YOUR brand on the ground is just as important when working with artisans in another country. Here are just a few of the benefits we have experienced:
Navigate Differences in Culture
The first very obvious benefit of having your own representative on the ground is to bridge language barriers. Google Translate doesn’t always get the job done when you need to translate from English to Spanish to Kaqchikel—the native language spoken in Nahualá, where we work with backstrap weavers.
Beyond the literal translation between two languages is bridging two different cultures. We like to consider ourselves cultural mediators. It’s probably no secret that Guatemala has a different pace of life, a bit slower than what I grew up accustomed to in the U.S. The pace of life here is something to be celebrated and protected in a world that never stops spinning. However, we know that your customers might not understand this particular characteristic, and to run a business, you need products to be delivered on time! We usually add at least a one-week buffer when building the production calendars for our clients.
Flory working with Pascuala on a client’s sample at our office.
Navigate Logistics
We have heard many times that a brand started working with artisans they met in person during a sourcing trip, but over time, they had trouble reaching the artisan for updates. This is a challenge we face on the ground as well, but it certainly helps to be in the same time zone and to be able to travel to meet with the artisan in person when necessary. We always find an in-person visit much more efficient, and in our experience, it helps improve virtual communication over time.
In Guatemala, the artisans who live here are at a higher risk of being affected by natural disasters due to poor infrastructure in the government. So, when the inevitable rainy season returns and landslides are frequent, it can be difficult to even know these challenges are happening while in another country. It can be even more difficult to navigate these types of challenges from afar when they occur. Together, our team is in close communication to make sure that everyone is safe first and foremost, and we keep our clients informed so that they are aware and can adjust accordingly.
Build Long-Term Strong Relationships
We work with a few clients who only place one order a year. It can be challenging to maintain communication with artisan partners when orders are more spaced out. Maybe the artisan changed their phone number, or maybe their family member has taken over the responsibility of running the business. As an on-the-ground representative, we make sure to consistently check in with the artisan partners we work with, even between orders. Just writing them to wish them a happy holiday helps to keep the connections strong for when an order does come through.
Relationships require two parties. Between you and the artisans you work with, it can be hard to build confidence if you aren’t able to visit often. We are happy to be that bridge to build a deeper and long-term relationship between our clients and the artisans. We encourage our clients to come down as often as they can to visit the artisans themselves. We show our clients’ websites and product launches to the artisans so that they know how important they are to the team. We have casual WhatsApp video calls to discuss production details and so that the client can say “Hi” to Flory or the artisans while we do our check-ins. The personal connections are crucial to our success!
We like to consider ourselves more than contractors or middlewomen. We pride ourselves on facilitating deeper relationships and confidence between our clients and the artisans we partner with.
Us on a video call with our client, freaking out to see the final sample of a product using fabric we helped develop.