From “Not Good Enough for Germany” to Orders Again After 12 Years – What Our Digital Mixers Taught Me About Old Customers

I’ve been in export sales for many years, focused on digital mixers for the overseas market.But if I’m honest, my story in Europe didn’t start with success – it started with failure.

🚧 BACK IN 2013: WHEN WE WEREN’T READY

In 2013, I was brand new in foreign trade when I first met two German partners: Tommy and Jorg Bockel.

We did two small orders together. For a young salesperson, that already felt exciting.

But there was a hard truth I couldn’t escape: our products at that time simply did not meet the extremely strict standards of the German market.

Quality issues and performance gaps meant they couldn’t confidently sell our mixers to their customers. The cooperation had to stop, and it ended in a quiet, regretful way.

After that, I spent years trying to grow overseas business. I tried different products, different approaches, different markets… and got almost no results.

I was anxious and frustrated – like walking in the dark with no idea where the exit was.

📩 TWO MESSAGES THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

One ordinary afternoon, sunlight was falling lazily across my desk. I absent-mindedly opened WhatsApp… and suddenly saw a message from Tommy.

He was asking about our latest digital mixers. In that moment, my heart skipped a beat – it felt like someone had thrown a stone into a perfectly still lake.

At the same time, I had just sent the 4th email in our new T18/T24 digital mixer EDM series to Jorg Bockel. To be honest, I didn’t expect much.

But just before leaving the office that day, my email notification sounded. I opened it casually – and it was a reply from Jorg.

My heartbeat shot up. My fingers tightened on the mouse. Twelve years after our cooperation had stopped, both of them were suddenly back in my inbox.

🤔 MIXED EMOTIONS: EXCITEMENT AND DOUBT

At first, my feelings were very complicated.

On one hand, I was genuinely excited. To have a second chance to work with such demanding German partners after 12 years was something I never dared to dream of.

On the other hand, the doubt was heavy: their requirements must be even higher today. Are our current mixers really good enough now?

I sat at my desk, frowning, tapping my fingers on the table, going back and forth in my head.

✅ WHAT CONVINCED THEM – AND ME

As our conversations deepened, their questions became more detailed. They asked about every part of the product: sound quality, stability, DSP, control, reliability, service.

Their professionalism and seriousness were very clear. But this time, I finally had confidence when I answered.

I walked them through how our digital mixers had improved over the years – from hardware design and DSP algorithms to usability and stability in real projects:

• More accurate and musical processing

• More stable performance in demanding environments

• Better control options (touchscreen + web + app)

• And a much more mature QC and support system behind the product

Step by step, I could feel their attitude changing. In their replies, I saw recognition – not just polite words.

At that moment, I realised something: it wasn’t only our products that had grown. I had grown too.

💳 THE MOMENT THE SAMPLE PAYMENT ARRIVED

Then we came to the payment stage.

When I received their message saying they were ready to pay for samples, I caught myself clenching and unclenching my hands in front of the keyboard.

I wanted this deal to go through so badly – not only for the numbers, but to prove that all these years of improvement were worth it.

At the same time, old memories surfaced: the failed cooperation 12 years ago, and all the doubts that followed.

After a long moment of thinking, I reminded myself:

• Today’s product is no longer the product from 2013

• We’ve redesigned, tested, and refined it again and again

• If even I don’t believe in it, how can I ask my customers to?

So I took a deep breath, put my hands on the keyboard, and replied with full confidence to confirm everything and push the process forward.

When I finally got the email saying that the sample payment had been made, I almost jumped out of my chair.

It felt like the heavy clouds above my head had suddenly opened. Sunlight really did come in.

🌍 WHAT THIS MEANS FOR OUR DIGITAL MIXERS TODAY

This new cooperation with Tommy and Jorg is more than just “two sample orders”.

For me, it is proof that:

• Our latest digital mixers can stand in front of very strict European customers

• Long-term product improvement will always find its audience

• Old customers are often sleeping gold mines – if you dare to knock on the door again

Now, when I talk to new distributors about our T-series digital mixers, I’m not just listing specs.

I can confidently say:

“These mixers have gone through years of real-world testing, and even old German partners who once left us have come back to give them another chance.”

That’s a very different level of trust.