Interview with Mirco Sorbo, Sales Director of Riba Mundo and B2B Sales Consultant

Mirco, how did you start working in our sector and what did you do before consumer electronics?

I started working in electronics at the age of 17. Consumer electronics was one of my first work experiences in the early 1990s, when it was a new and developing sector. My curiosity for new things led me to focus my attention on this sector, choosing first to collaborate with some shops as an agent and, after a year, opening my first store.

We know that you recently arrived at Riba Mundo. But why Riba Mundo, and why now?

I had known the owners of Riba Mundo for some time because I had both working and friendly relationships with them. 2020 was a difficult and complicated year for all of us, and I realised that I was not completely satisfied with my work situation. Therefore, I decided to change my life with the prospect of creating something that was more aligned with my personal idea of a company. At Riba Mundo, I found the ideal conditions to fulfil my personal expectations. I went into business with a group of friends, and here I cultivate current and future work projects and feel that I can express all my commercial strength and experience with people who understand and share my way of thinking.

What is your contribution to Riba Mundo?

I offer twenty-seven years of experience and knowledge of the market, as well as a group of customers and suppliers consolidated over time thanks to the professional integrity I have demonstrated throughout the years. I will put all my commitment and effort into ensuring that this “young” company can reach the same level as its main competitors. Together, we all make available our wealth of knowledge gathered over years of experience in the sector.

Would you like to share something with us about Riba Mundo’s unique approach to business? What distinguishes your company from others, in your opinion?

What distinguishes Riba Mundo is its approach to customers and suppliers. We try to build lasting relationships that go beyond the work and commercial aspects, seeking to enhance the interpersonal sphere. We follow the customer not only at the time of sale, but also in the subsequent stages, providing them with an accurate customer care service. Our main objective is to build customer loyalty by trying to offer a range of products and prices updated daily. In addition, we try to adapt to the customer’s needs by carrying out targeted studies on the various market situations and also recommending dedicated products depending on the geographical area. At Riba Mundo, our customers will find a dynamic and helpful team, operators who speak different languages, a range of selected products with updated and competitive prices, a dedicated credit service with the main insurance companies, and an express shipping service with delivery within 24 hours.

What opportunities do you see in the near future?

In the near future, I see room for improvement for the company in terms of the development and expansion of the corporate structure. We have just finished developing a management software created by us, designed to offer an increasingly wide range of products and categories in direct relationship with the best brands. In addition, the management software allows us to calculate, through historical data from previous months, the market trend in order to try to anticipate it, ensuring competitive prices, high-end products and fast deliveries throughout Europe. It also promotes access to credit for insured customers. Our goal is to provide excellent service to all our customers, from the smallest to the largest.

What are your most immediate goals for Riba Mundo?

The short-term goals for Riba are, on the one hand, to continue maintaining and expanding our customer base and, on the other, to expand more and more the brands we handle, thanks to direct contracts with the parent companies. In June, we will launch a B2B website for all European shops and resellers, who will therefore be able to see our availability and continuous stock updates and new arrivals in real time. Every day, we will launch specific promotions based on our customers’ purchase history, and we will also launch website advertising in each country to make it known to everyone. We will therefore be present at all the fairs that will be organised in order to have direct contact with our customers. The company is dedicated to serving the customers who allow us to grow every day. Precisely for this reason, and to offer our customers a more impeccable service every day, we are looking for a new 4,000 m² warehouse and have automated the process of receiving and fulfilling orders until 4:30 p.m. on the same day, guaranteeing delivery the following day. We apply a daily price update policy to be competitive, sacrificing our margin but allowing our customers to find excellent prices and a wide range of products in large quantities.

What is the European market generally like these days?

The market has started well since the beginning of the year and is receptive. Allow me to say that our policy explained earlier is bearing the fruit we expected. In any case, every day we try to improve and give our best to increase our service and achieve the goals we have set for our customers. We closed the quarter positively, achieving what we expected, although we had to deal with sudden price changes. April started more slowly, but now the market is moving more regularly and prices are also stabilising. This is a market moment not based on large volumes but more on small and medium-sized orders. I expect growth in the second half of the year, also considering the easing of anti-Covid measures. Furthermore, I believe that the market, and consequently customers, reward companies like ours that are consistently present, with a large warehouse, and with a policy mainly based on customer care and assistance, both in terms of price and daily presence on the market.

What do you think will be the greatest impact of the pandemic on our sector?

By now, I hope that the pandemic will gradually fade over the course of this year and that in the second half it will be almost imperceptible. The impact has been absorbed by the market, but now we must continue working to return to having direct relationships with customers through physical events and fairs. For me, human contact is very important, and direct relationships have always distinguished me over the years, allowing me to get to know my customers and suppliers, grow and build solid relationships.

Do you believe that after the pandemic there will be a permanent change in the market, or will we return to working as usual?

I think we will return to normal work after the pandemic. Certainly, the major players and those who, like us, want to become major players, once this moment has passed, can aim for a better future. Customers certainly appreciate the stability of a supplier that always guarantees, despite adversity, a service that is always open, with a wide range of products and that is constantly searching for the best solutions for its customers. Our mission is to grow together with the customer by creating an important bond with a 360-degree relationship that is not sporadic. I hope that next year I will be able to do an interview in collaboration with customers, talking about the great milestones achieved all together thanks to our work and sacrifices.

Thanks to you, the business is growing. I imagine recruitment is an important part of your work. When you recruit, what do you look for in people?

Yes, recruitment is the most important part. At Riba Mundo, we are a family that is expanding, but we are still a large family that first and foremost respects the work of others. Here, we work side by side every day with enthusiasm to make our dreams come true. What I look for most in a person during interviews is the desire to grow, to commit to the project and to feel part of it. Then come sincerity, honesty and respect for colleagues’ work. This is because goals are achieved only if you respect others and if you work with heart and soul, without envy and with everyone aiming for the same objective.

To conclude, what advice would you give to young people who want to enter our sector?

Certainly, for the new generations, our sector is not an easy one to enter. It is not easy to enter and manage to do something good, because it is a sector in which, if you do not know the market trend, you can easily become demotivated. When new generations start, they are always looking for the important customer and large sales volumes, and this is one of the main mistakes. My advice is to try to be yourself, start with small sales and know well what you are selling. This sector is based very much on professionalism and not on price leverage.