When my son was nine, my wife gathered him and our daughter around the computer to show them photos of our upcoming vacation.
“Want to see where we’re going?” she asked.
“Ya!” they both shouted.
She pulled up a photo: turquoise water stretching to the horizon, white sand, a perfect tropical escape. It was the beach at a gorgeous all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic.
“Look at that ocean,” she said.
My son leaned in, eyes wide. “Look at that tree! I’m so going to climb that tree.”
The ocean was breathtaking, but all he could see was the tree.
It became a family joke, but years later, it still makes me think about how buyers make decisions in business, especially manufacturers choosing suppliers.
Buyers Focus on What Matters to Them
As a supplier, you might be proud of the “ocean” in your story. Maybe it’s your global reach, your decades of experience, or the breadth of your product line. You put that front and center, confident that it’s what will impress.
But your customers may be zeroing in on the “tree.” That might be one feature, one service, or one proof point that directly solves the problem they’re facing right now.
In other words, what you see as your biggest selling point isn’t always what they’re buying.
In Coatings, the “Tree” Might Be Color Consistency
Take coatings as an example. A manufacturer might admire the scale of your operation or the depth of your product catalog, but what they really care about is whether you can deliver the same precise color match across every batch.
They’re not buying “a wide range of industrial coatings.” They’re buying confidence that their end product will look identical every time it leaves the production line. So if you don’t highlight that capability – if you’re only pointing to the ocean – they may never see the tree they care about most. Color consistency.
In Metals, the “Tree” Might Be Supply Security
For a metals processor or recycler, the ocean might be sustainability, global sourcing, or your full suite of raw materials. All of that matters. But if a manufacturer is battling production delays due to scarce titanium or volatile pricing, the tree they’re fixated on is security of supply.
They want to know if you can guarantee on-time delivery when their operation depends on it? That detail may outweigh every other advantage you bring to the table.
In Adhesives, the “Tree” Might Be Line Efficiency
Adhesives and sealants are another good example. You might emphasize technical innovation, versatility, or regulatory compliance. But if your customer’s production team is under pressure to cut costs, the tree they see could be the fact that your formulation reduces waste, shortens cure time, or flows more smoothly through their equipment.
That improvement in line efficiency is the thing that makes them say, “We’re climbing this tree.”
Why This Perspective Gap Matters
When you market only the ocean, you risk missing the opportunity to connect with buyers on what matters most to them. They’ll walk away thinking you don’t have the capability they need – even if you do – simply because you didn’t call it out.
Manufacturers are practical. They’re constantly weighing performance, cost, and risk. They don’t have time to admire the full view unless they first see that you’ve understood the tree that’s in their line of sight.
Show Both: The Ocean and the Tree
The best suppliers find a way to tell both stories. Yes, you should show the ocean, which might include your scale, history, and expertise. However, you also need to highlight the trees: the specific, tangible benefits that directly address the problems manufacturers face in production, procurement, and compliance.
That balance builds trust. It signals that you understand their world and can deliver both the immediate solution they’re looking for and the broader reliability they need long term.
The Takeaway
That vacation photo still makes me smile. My wife saw paradise, while my son saw adventure. They were looking at the same picture in completely different ways. Your customers are no different. They’ll notice what matters most to them, not what matters most to you.
The challenge is to frame your story so they see both: the vast ocean of what you can deliver, and the one tree they’ve been searching for. Because in your industry, the difference between winning and losing isn’t whether you have the ocean, it’s whether they believe you have the tree.