Who You Gonna Call?
Picking Preffered Suppliers
Selecting the best vendor for your next in-store marketing project can be like buying ice cream: With a zillion flavors to choose from, how do you decide?
And getting the answer right matters. Your success rides on finding the vendor who’ll deliver what you need, when you need it, at the price you negotiated.
Yet investing extra time and thought upfront in vendor selection may seem like a luxury when deadlines loom. How can you pick the best partner—someone who’ll have your back, not just on this project but in the future?
Step one: Seek out the best fit. Visit several vendor websites. Research each vendor’s core competencies. Not every firm is right for every project, so look at their past efforts. Is their work appropriate for your target audience? Is it comparable to what you need? Then, consider the firm’s personality: Some vendors are great program managers; others are very quick and/or creative; still others are experienced with large, complex campaigns. Once you’ve prequalified a few vendors this way, set up time to meet and get personally acquainted.
Step two: Clarify what you want. Be ready to specify your Key Project Indicators (KPI), such as budget, timeframe and/or scope. What are the project objectives? Who’s responsible for what outcome? How long does this display have to last and under what conditions? It’s easier for a vendor to succeed on your behalf if you can spell out exactly what success looks like. Ironically, the more you want from the vendor relationship, the better it can be. (See our next story for more ideas.)
Step three: Decide if there’s chemistry. Retail marketing is a fast-paced business. Project parameters are often a moving target. The ideal vendor is going to be one who simplifies life by handling problems for you—sometimes before you even know you have a problem.
So consider test-driving the relationship with a small project to start. Ask yourself: Is this vendor a pleasure to work with? Are they pro-active? Do they anticipate what I need?
At the end of the day, you want a supplier you can trust to deliver—because your customer trusts you to do the same.
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Great Expectations: Say What You Want!
A big part of success in any business is clear communication. And in retail merchandising, where so many decisions and approvals are needed—usually under deadline pressure—good communication between client and vendor is especially important.
Part of that process is defining and managing expectations. It’s essential to know everyone’s needs and goals upfront. What’s the best way to achieve that? Here are some thoughts:
Ask questions early and often. “Ready … aim … fire” sometimes works as a strategy, but can be expensive. Both client and vendor should walk into the first meeting armed with questions about project parameters. Getting all the questions out on the table at the start can avoid re-negotiating key points or changing direction mid-project.
Set realistic Key Project Indicators (KPIs) and goals. What matters most—budget? Timeframe? Creative impact? Agreeing on believable outcomes is essential. Sometimes a little truth telling is needed here—like admitting that the budget really doesn’t have any wiggle room, or that you’re willing to compromise on materials to hit an ambitious deadline. Just say what’s so.
Did we mention budget? It bears repeating: Agree upfront on the numbers you have to hit to come out feeling whole.
Set the scope—then dream big. Once expectations are clear, you’re free to explore what’s possible. Maybe the budget can’t move but the deadline can, allowing new creative options. Maybe the project is scalable, so we can plan how to extend a campaign or drive down costs through logistics support or program management.
The best way to turn expectations into results is communication. Ask for exactly what you want from the start. The more you’re willing to define what you need, the better the chances you’ll get it.
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