Author: Methena ／ Release Time: 2026-08-21 ／ Pageviews:
In July 2026, Gondor's export team received an inquiry from Methena's website. The inquirer was Josh Martinez, a US food service provider operating a ground beef burger shop in Blaine, Washington.
The buyer's inquiry was brief and specific: "Hello, I am very interested in this product from your company. Can this product be made into 3-ounce patties?"
At the time of the inquiry, Martinez was hand-packing ground beef—kneading each 3-ounce portion by hand and then flattening it in a skillet to form burger patties. His need was not for an entire industrial production line, but for a single machine upgrade: an automated patty forming machine capable of producing 3-ounce (approximately 85-gram) patties, maintaining a stable output during business hours, and meeting the power requirements of US restaurant kitchens.
Communication Process and Key Milestones
The entire evaluation process lasted 11 days, from the initial contact on July 20th to the final follow-up on July 31st. The qualification review phase was fast-paced—from the initial response to capacity confirmation, both parties communicated back and forth for two consecutive days—followed by a relatively calm week in which we maintained a structured follow-up rhythm.
Our export sales representative, Niki Zhang, confirmed the Gondor meatball forming machine product category less than three minutes after receiving the inquiry and immediately sent a video of the equipment in operation.
Niki raised a key question: “I understand that you want to produce meatballs weighing 3 ounces; what is its size?” Martinez replied: “The size is approximately 1.5 inches—size is not important, weight is important.”
This answer confirmed that the machine must achieve a weight of 3 ounces, and the geometry could follow the machine's standard mold.
Niki inquired about the recipe's ingredients other than beef and then confirmed with the production department overnight. She reported that a 3-ounce weight was achievable, and at this weight, the formed product would have a diameter of approximately 8-10 centimeters, round rather than spherical.
The buyer inquired whether the machine could make spherical patties; the answer was clear: "It can't make spherical ones." Niki didn't stray from the topic but instead explained: the customer needed a patty machine to make burgers, so she sent a video of a 93-gram capacity machine and a link to Gondor's product.
Martinez demonstrated his actual workflow: “I make ground beef burgers with beef…yes, first you make the patties, then you flatten them on a griddle to form the burger.” Nikki confirmed she understood the process (flattening the meatballs into very thin patties and placing them on a griddle) and adjusted the machine's position accordingly: the machine can directly form the patties, eliminating the need for manual rolling—provided the patty thickness is kept under 2 centimeters.
After three rounds of objection handling, the buyer accepted the anti-stick solution and implemented it in his own workflow (using existing 6x9-inch storage trays). He then raised the business question: “What is the price of this machine? What is the shipping cost to Blaine, Washington, USA?”
Niki confirmed the voltage requirements (the buyer uses both 110V single-phase and 220V three-phase power) and issued a quote: Machine price $1,360 + door-to-door shipping $600 = Total $1,960, noting that the machine price included variable frequency drive (VFD) speed control and voltage regulation.
The buyer's final technical question: “How many pieces can it produce per minute?” Answer: 120-160 pieces per minute, 3 ounces per piece – confirming it met the buyer's precise requirements. The specification confirmation process was now complete.
After a week of relative calm, Niki proactively followed up on July 30th, directly inquiring, "Are you currently dissatisfied with the features or price of our machine?" On July 31st, they sent photos of the same model of machine taken before shipment as supporting evidence. These follow-ups rekindled the buyer's interest, ultimately leading to an order; we received a 50% wire deposit and arranged production.
During the communication process, the client raised three different objections. We provided specific and honest technical answers to each objection, and these answers led to the deal being closed.
Martinez initially wanted a 3-ounce meatball and then asked if the machine could make spherical patties.
Answer: The sales engineer didn't exaggerate. She frankly pointed out that the machine makes round patties, not spherical ones; truly spherical patties require a different type of machine (a meatball forming machine). She then steered the conversation towards a practical application—making hamburger patties—and demonstrated how the patty machine precisely produced the patty the client needed, without the need for additional manual pressing steps. Result: The client ultimately chose the patty machine and redefined their needs.
When Niki suggested submerging the shaped patties in water to prevent them from sticking, Martinez retorted, “Yeah, but you’re not going to put the ground beef in water, are you, haha.”
Instead of defending the suggestion, Niki acknowledged the inherent stickiness of ground beef and offered alternative solutions: spraying water on the mold or using a tray lightly oiled to catch the patties. The buyer then revealed his existing solution – using 6x9-inch storage boxes – which the sales engineer approved, rather than rejected. Result: The sticking problem was resolved by addressing the customer’s existing kitchen workflow, not by addressing a proposed change.
