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Value Statement
A Supplier Asks: When sourcing products, it appears to distributors that several suppliers manufacture identical products. In some cases, this is true. In others, it is not. Some suppliers use higher-grade materials for items that have look-a-likes, and this often results in slightly higher prices. Will distributors pay more for products made of better materials, or is price more important? Read More »
To Show Or Not To Show
A Multi-line Rep Asks: I have been asked to do an end-user event by a distributor that has sold a total of $7,000 for the year from the 10 lines I represent. My commission is five percent, which totals $350 for the year. I have great lines and great brands. Should I do the show based on the ROI? Read More »
Show Business
A Supplier Asks: We receive a lot of offers to participate in end-user shows. Since these are often expensive investments, what do other suppliers do to maximize their investment, and what do distributors do to take advantage of the opportunity? Read More »
Betrayed
A Distributor Asks: My client unearthed the name and contact information of a supplier I used to fulfill his order. He then called the supplier and asked for a copy of my invoice, and the supplier sent it to him. I was shocked! What should I do? Read More »
Foreign Exchange
A Distributor Asks: On an international product reorder from Quebec to New York, my client received a bill for foreign shipping charges on the items shipped from the supplier. The bill was $400, but after investigating I learned that the supplier could have filled out a NAFTA form and reduced the charges to $70. This charge was not indicated in the price quote, and I’d never encountered it in my previous orders with this supplier. Am I liable for this bill? Is there any way I can avoid losing this client? Read More »
Two Timing
A Distributor Asks My customer needs 2,000 pieces of an item and wants to use the same factory for the entire order to save money and for peace of mind. I can’t find a supplier that can provide all 2,000 pieces in our turnaround time, but I can fulfill the order by using two different suppliers. Would doing this against the client’s wishes be too much of a risk? Read More »
Redux
A Distributor Asks: I have a standing order with a bag supplier in which I order the same number of pieces every few months. Why is the supplier charging set-up costs on my repeat orders? It never used to be this way. Read More »
Back-ordered
A Distributor Asks We have been purchasing a lot of products from suppliers recently for our business, and just this week I had three suppliers come back and tell me they didn’t have that particular product, color, etc., in stock. I know this was an issue a couple of years ago when the economy tanked, but I guess I didn’t realize it was still an issue. Why can’t suppliers keep products in stock? Read More »
Fly Away
A Supplier Asks: Do distributors use marketing tools from suppliers? For example, we have PDFs of flyers on our website that have space for distributors to include their own contact information. They can customize the flyers and use them as either e-flyers or as hard copies to distribute. Is this a good offering, or are distributors looking for more? Is there something that would be more helpful? Read More »
Order Up
A Supplier Asks: What’s the best practice for taking sample orders at tradeshows? I’ve seen everything from writing them on business cards, notepads or sample order forms to entering them directly into a computer. However, since distributors are often in a hurry to get from one booth to another, it is hard to get signed copies of requests, and invoices are frequently contested. Likewise, distributors don’t get copies of the request. Read More »
