Tesco’s bad record on collaboration speaks for itself
The latest round of talk about closer collaboration with suppliers made me smile. Many relationship-hungry suppliers reserve insight and innovation for the Tesco account — only to find disappointment around the corner. Tesco’s behaviour then backfires, as suppliers become cautious and only prepared to tweak a generic category plan. This latest wave of ‘being nice’ […]
Don't just focus on promotions, there are other business drivers
OK: you’re running a sales organisation and you think you spend most of your time on the right priorities. Put it to the test, and start with the accounts teams. You may find that 8o% of a national account manager’s time is spent on promotions: proposing and agreeing deals to go on shelf. Many suppliers […]
Top-to-top meetings are very important, but handle with care
I have in my hand a piece of paper,” says the CEO, stepping down from the company jet. “During my two-day market tour with Mr Wonderful, the head of Superchain, we have redefined a way of doing business. Our difficulties are a thing of the past.” Sounds great doesn’t it – senior managers from both […]
Britvic Is In For A Squeeze Over Fruit Shoot
As I was gasping for a drink on a red hot summer’s day at Alton Towers 12 years ago, a team of samplers came to the rescue with a cold, uniquely packaged juice drink the new Fruit Shoot. I feel for Britvic now the weather finally promises a much needed sales uplift – just as […]
Identifying Who You Are Selling To Is Key, Not Just How You Sell
It was brilliant. It had a rip-tape case, which saves time stacking shelves. He presented it to the buyer and got: “Yeah, all right, but you should tell the bloke over there.” So he went to the logistics office and explained the genius behind the new boxes: “Nice but whaddaya want me to do? Tell […]
Selling Is All About What The Buyer Wants, Not What You Want
In the UK we hate salespeople, but lawyers have always had our unconditional respect. Bizarrely,in the US it’s the other way round: there is a huge stigma to being a lawyer while sales is a profession of choice. The ambulance chasers of the US ruined it for the lawyers while the loudmouthed, fast-talking door-to-door American […]
Be Specific About What It Is You Are Selling Before You Start To Sell
I ask account managers: ‘Which page do you write first when putting together a customer presentation?’ They answer: ‘Page one, of course’. And there you have it. The result is a meandering deck of fabulous information misfiring in all directions. The fact that sales folk call their presentation a ‘deck’ at all should ring alarm […]
Play Hard Nosed Buyers At Their Own Game
Many were appalled by the recent stories of Waitrose imposing £60 fines for deliveries made 45 minutes late. But in truth, this is just Waitrose catching up on the more aggressive side of the procurement job. Imposing supply fines is just one of the hundreds of tactical squeezes that can be placed on suppliers by […]
What Do Buyers Need? To Be Concise And Ask "Route One" Questions
So the UK furniture salesman was always a bit embarrassed that he was selling bigger chairs designed for the American market. One day a major buyer visited his stand at the NEC, ‘This chair looks bigger than normal,’ she said, inquisitively. ‘Not especially,’ replied the salesman. ‘Shame,’ she said, walking away. ‘I was looking for […]
Farmers Need The Skills To Fight Back
Last month the government responded to proposed amendments on the Groceries Code Adjudicator bill and financial penalties were rejected. You should read publications on this stuff! Apart from the comedy of MPs defining what an indirect supplier is, you’ll see the focus appears to be ‘fairness’ to the retailer. Have they have forgotten the Bill’s […]
