Monday, October 6, 2008
Oh, and did I mention…
I need your lowest bid, excellent quality, impeccable service…and it’s gotta be there yesterday?
There is not a vendor in the business that has not heard this mantra, especially those vendors who work with agencies. As we become more and more technologically savvy those words will be heard with increasing frequency. A vendor who embraces this by finding innovative ways to make the impossible happen and do it efficiently enough to make a profit will thrive and those who do not are in trouble.
As a production manager who is tasked with vendor coordination and has been on both sides of the fence I find that my choice for vendor selection mostly comes down to a gut- level comfort zone established during the initial meeting with the account representative.
Of course they all say the same words and the sample packets look nice but with intuitive listening you can get a feel for whether the promises are based on a history of performance and making promises happen. With that said (and this is the true secret) what really seals the deal and establishes a long term relationship is…. drum roll please…. there can be no “disconnect” between the promises made by the rep. and the performance of those actually producing the work.
Sounds simple and yet so often when faced with a tough timeline or project outside their comfort zone a vendor rep will immediately begin making excuses, knowing full well that when they get the project back to the shop they are going to have to beg, plead and offer up their first born to make the promise happen. This makes the selling processes difficult and since production has not “bought in” it creates an environment where failure is more assured than success. Companies that build a salesman’s “partnering” mentality throughout their organization will find no problem establishing long-term relationships with their clients built on a history of performance and true customer service. The selling process will be much more successful and the prospect that the client will return with repeated business will increase.
So, send your sales reps out there armed with the absolute conviction that they can make any promise necessary to fulfill a client’s needs, make sure that the plant embraces this philosophy and has the tools to make it happen and what you will get in return is that elusive thing that we are all searching for in business today...client loyalty and mutually profitable, long-term business relationships.
-Ron Evans
Read more!
There is not a vendor in the business that has not heard this mantra, especially those vendors who work with agencies. As we become more and more technologically savvy those words will be heard with increasing frequency. A vendor who embraces this by finding innovative ways to make the impossible happen and do it efficiently enough to make a profit will thrive and those who do not are in trouble.
As a production manager who is tasked with vendor coordination and has been on both sides of the fence I find that my choice for vendor selection mostly comes down to a gut- level comfort zone established during the initial meeting with the account representative.
Of course they all say the same words and the sample packets look nice but with intuitive listening you can get a feel for whether the promises are based on a history of performance and making promises happen. With that said (and this is the true secret) what really seals the deal and establishes a long term relationship is…. drum roll please…. there can be no “disconnect” between the promises made by the rep. and the performance of those actually producing the work.
Sounds simple and yet so often when faced with a tough timeline or project outside their comfort zone a vendor rep will immediately begin making excuses, knowing full well that when they get the project back to the shop they are going to have to beg, plead and offer up their first born to make the promise happen. This makes the selling processes difficult and since production has not “bought in” it creates an environment where failure is more assured than success. Companies that build a salesman’s “partnering” mentality throughout their organization will find no problem establishing long-term relationships with their clients built on a history of performance and true customer service. The selling process will be much more successful and the prospect that the client will return with repeated business will increase.
So, send your sales reps out there armed with the absolute conviction that they can make any promise necessary to fulfill a client’s needs, make sure that the plant embraces this philosophy and has the tools to make it happen and what you will get in return is that elusive thing that we are all searching for in business today...client loyalty and mutually profitable, long-term business relationships.
-Ron Evans
Read more!
Case Studies
Portfolio
