In this rant, I’m going to address an old topic that has been covered in depth before, but now appears with the twist of greater visibility via social media—suppliers/manufacturers selling direct and distributors buying direct.
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When selecting a supplier for an order, there are many factors that should go into your decision. If you stop at who gives the biggest rebate or has the shiniest new products, you are taking on more risk than you might imagine.
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The risk of blind trust and suppliers spreading themselves too thin.
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A spirited discussion is going on in a LinkedIn email forum that I subscribe to about a few promotional products suppliers who sell direct and may be trying to steal your customers.
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One of the biggest challenges in the promotional products industry is how to differentiate what you offer from all your competitors. You don’t want to be viewed as just another “me too” promotional products business.
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Anyone who has been in our industry a while has a few client horror stories to tell. I am no different. I do like to think, however, that in every cloudy rant there is a lesson that can be learned.
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The best solutions to complex problems have always been found through a collaborative effort. And this is true in our industry; it truly takes a village to successfully deliver product safety and compliance.
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Today, I’m going to share with you a simple strategy for disengaging with those crazy customers—the ones that can ruin your days and give you sleepless nights.
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As I have visited with suppliers at trade shows, other folks are often seen in the time-honored ritual of walking up to booths with their badge held out… asking the supplier, “Scan my badge.”
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Requesting product safety testing results from the factory about the specific item it is making for you is a natural first step. Seems easy enough, right?
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