Dear Friend,
I just got back from a course that I was
taking out-of-town in Florida.
My brother lives down there, and he'd been
thinking about opening a cart in a local mall.
He had a product in mind, and I arrived in
Florida a couple of days before my course
so that we could scout out malls.
***
We found one that looked good.
Before he submitted an application, there were
a few last minute questions for the supplier.
We called the them. No answer.
Sent an email. No reply.
Instead getting a few last minute concerns dealt
with... a new one got created.
Why aren't they calling us back?
When we didn't hear back from them, it made us
start to question whether we really wanted to do
business with them.
When you don't hear back from a supplier and get
questions answered, instead of feeling more comfortable
and confident... it's easy to feel a little stuck and confused.
Today I wanted to address something else you
may want to evaluate when choosing a product.
Is the supplier of the product your thinking about
one you want to do business with?
***
When I first was thinking about opening a cart business
a number of years ago, sometimes I would call my supplier
several times in a given day with questions. I'd get an answer to one question, and then something
else would come up. And I'd call again.
When I was arranging my space in the mall, I'd call the
mall. Then call my supplier for feedback. Then I'd call
a mall. Then my supplier. Back and forth.
I'm sure at the time I seemed like a pest.
But the supplier patiently answered all my questions.
Their patience in being there to answer my questions
was valuable. It was worth something.
It certainly paid off for them, as I was their top distributor
for a number of years.
Without their help, I may not have ultimately felt
comfortable getting started with them and their product.
***
Some suppliers value their relationship with you more
than others.
Suppliers that 'get it' tend to add value to what you do
because they help you move forward in a more comfortable
and confident manner.
The ones that don't 'get it' tend to 'rob' you of value
because they can cause you to feel stuck and confused.
How would you rather feel?
***
You can start to evaluate what kind of supplier you are
working with the first time you call them.
| |
* Do they answer the phone? Or does your call go to voicemail?
* When they answer, are you talking to someone in an office? Or to someone on a cell phone in a parking lot?
* Do they follow-up with materials they promise to send? Or do you have to keep bugging them for information?
* Are they available when you need them? Or only when it is convenient for them?
* Do they get back with you me right away? Or does it take forever to hear back from them? |
***
If a prospective supplier does not respond in a way that
makes you feel comfortable and confident, what to do is
easy.
Look in another direction.
There are LOTS of profitable cart and kiosk products on
the market now.
And there are product suppliers that 'get it'... ones that will
work with you to help you feel more comfortable and confident
getting started.
***
If you ARE looking for a good product, or product supplier
consider looking in the Specialty Retail Report magazine.
Specialty Retail Report Magazine
Just about all the product suppliers advertise in the magazine.
It's where you can find them.
When you get your copy, call a number of suppliers.
Then, be on the lookout for the ones that 'get it'... the ones
that help you feel most comfortable and confident moving
forward.
They tend to be the ones that add the most value to what
you do. Those are the ones to look for.
***
Best,
Brady Flower |
