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LIQUI MOLY, the leading oils and additives specialist, has restated its commitment to step up its game and move ahead with full force despite the 25 per cent drop in profit after tax recorded at the end of the first quarter of the year.
LIQUI MOLY Managing Director, Ernst Prost, restated this determination in his latest memo to the staff, customers and stakeholders of the company, saying this is not the time to look back but to forge ahead with plans already mapped out for the company.
“Naturally, we also keep an eye on our earnings situation, but if things don’t go smoothly from time to time, we don’t immediately shout “man overboard” or throw away our action plans. Why do I say that? Of course, we were also affected, and in the first quarter our earnings before taxes fell by 25 per cent.
“But that does not prevent us from continuing to step on the gas. Quite
the contrary! We are now activating the afterburner and switching on the turbocharger. Sounds crazy, but now is the time to go full throttle,
throw everything we have into the battle – to outpace our competitors
and show the industry who is holding the position and who is running away, ” the amiable Managing Director of the German leading lubricant brand , who is fast becoming a role model around the world, for his exemplary leadership style, especially at this time of global challenge, stated .
According to Ernst Prost, “We are currently investing a few million euro more in the image and
awareness of our brand than we really planned two months ago. Right now, right in this crisis. We will still be benefiting from this in ten years’ time.
“I’m not passing up on this opportunity! Hold your head
high and get into the saddle is what I was taught. In general,
everything used to be quite different and with “much more tinsel”, to quote the German comedian Loriot. ”
Maintaining that “Bad times are good times for good people,” adding “This has always been the case,” Ernst Prost, who described himself as “really of the old school,” said, “Work gives you satisfaction, recognition, self-affirmation and the good feeling of having achieved something.”
According to the Managing Director, “I would even say that work is an essential part of a fulfilled life. Ask any unemployed person – regardless of the money and social contacts one has through work. If only leisure time is sacred and the opposite is perceived as drudgery or something bad, something is wrong with our society. Is boredom useful? I do not like this formula for work/life balance. It’s plain wrong. As if life and work were opposites. Work is a part of life. And an important one at that. I think every person should have a job that fulfills them and that gives them pleasure and satisfaction. ”
Encouraging the staff whom he fondly refers to as “my colleagues,” further in his regular motivational messages, he said: “Work gives life meaning – also for other people and the general public (just think of the care professions).
“Of course, the proportion and the time required must be right. And that’s why I have banned overtime. In my wild years, I always waited for our competitors to enjoy a long weekend, close down for company vacations or otherwise be absent, leaving their “castle” unguarded and abandoned. We always made good use of these moments.”
According to Prost, “Whenever our competitors were on vacation, we wowed the customers with the best offers. On some public holidays, we came out with surprising campaigns and activities, and were able to use the time to best advantage.
“By the time the others went back to work, we had already achieved our sales goals. I still love this tactic of using a surprising move to get ahead during the opponent’s absence. ”
He maintained that “Even now in the crisis, we are playing our game to these rules,” adding,”It’s crazy: Most companies take cover, cut their budgets and put all kinds of activities on hold, or simply sit at home and wait until it’s all over.”
Prost stated further: “WE do the opposite: exploit the opportunities that every crisis offers, take an anti-cyclical approach, and invest in markets, people and our brand right now. 200 TV spots extra … this surprise effect alone is worth a lot!”
Calling on the workers to redouble their efforts while working to achieve set goals, objectives and targets, even in the midst of obvious challenges, the Managing Director said: “Now is the time to strike! Let us use the field advantage – and the time advantage – together with the element of surprise. Let us make the most of what we are doing right now. We can still enjoy it later – when we have won the game.”
