|
|
Online Adjustments
By: Carolyn Erwin, MAS
Issue: 2009nov
Smart e-mails and a great website work wonders to build relationships between suppliers and distributors.
There are more than 3,500 suppliers and more than 21,000 distributors in the promotional products industry, according to Promotional Products Association International. The beauty of this industry is that we can be successful at a large or small company working as a distributor or supplier.
When I began my career in 1982, most suppliers disguised their identities from distributors’ end-user clients by using line names. Production times were four to six weeks, orders were sent by snail mail and with crude artwork.
Remember when we first began transitioning from camera-ready artwork to digital artwork? It was a rocky time for everyone. There were no clear rules, and as a result the imprints suffered and there was a lot of confusion. PCs were competing with Macs, platforms were not easily crossed and people couldn’t open each other’s files. We’ve come a long way since then.
Technology has blown the barriers wide open to unbelievably fast production times, awesome graphics and easily obtained order-tracking information. It’s an amazing time to be working in this industry.
PPAI formed the sm@rt Artwork Guidelines. Artwork procedures have been implemented industry-wide and are allowing orders to be produced more efficiently. Now we just need to get the kinks out of the wonderful opportunities the internet offers to our industry.
Shameful Supplier Websites
Most distributors know how quickly unexpected opportunities can drop in our laps. We can create a promotion for a client in a matter of hours without ever leaving our offices. E-mail and the web allow us to make virtual presentations from our desks. Just a few years ago, we wouldn’t have dreamed of closing a sale without lugging a stack of catalogs to a client’s office.
However, it’s disappointing that many suppliers don’t have client-friendly websites for distributors. Most distributors are cautious when leading clients to a supplier’s website. We want to first confirm that the supplier’s website will not include contact information, how to locate a distributor and—heaven forbid—a shopping cart option.
Suppliers should remember how many distributor companies are available to promote their product lines—why would they want to alienate them by having an area on their website that tells buyers how to find distributors in their area?
Recently I was directing a client to a supplier’s website so we could review a product line together. I was quickly reminded why I would never direct my client to that website again. On the first page, there was a link that would find a distributor for the client. Guess what? We weren’t listed. The supplier only listed two distributors for the entire state and neither was within 100 miles of the state’s largest city.
Is that link really helping the supplier reach more buyers? What distributors in their right mind would direct clients to that supplier’s website, let alone link it to their own website? As an industry, we must address these issues to fully use the power of the internet to promote our industry.
A Step In The Right Direction
Some suppliers offer customized websites for their distributors. We take advantage of these websites with our preferred suppliers, realizing that many suppliers don’t have the resources for this service. We know it is a major investment in time, energy and money. We still appreciate all of our suppliers, but we can do more together when you tweak your websites a little.
A supplier’s website that features a subtle area for distributor log-in is ideal. Once distributors log in, we appreciate seeing the supplier’s contact information, the ability to track our orders, download invoices, obtain shipping information, review proofs and upload artwork. All of these features are great when they are password protected for individual distributor eyes only.
Some suppliers broadcast all of their special promotions on their websites for all to see. Many suppliers require distributor log-ins to view their close-outs, while other suppliers make them visible to everyone. I like having the available inventory information visible to distributors only. This becomes part of our service to the client—checking for available inventory.
Other distributors may disagree, but I don’t mind when suppliers include their regular quarterly specials online. This allows distributors to offer the client something extra that they would not otherwise know about, thus enhancing the value of the relationship.
There are many times we work with specials where coupons cannot be used in combination with the special. There are other times when distributors use coupons to help make the order more profitable or recoup some unexpected expenses. Other times we want to offer the promotion as a goodwill gesture to our clients.
Supplier websites that include marketing information, show imprinted product examples, available product colors, imprint colors, prices, discount codes and extra charges along with production times on one screen are a dream. Everything is available at a glance. If the web page is formatted properly, distributors can easily forward a page to clients and prospects or print copies.
It’s helpful when suppliers include line art templates, with actual size dimensions and imprint areas clearly marked, as PDF and eps documents for downloading from the product page. Blank product photos in various available colors are also helpful. These help when we are creating virtual spec samples in-house. The line art templates help when we are preparing the actual artwork for the client’s approval and when we submit it to the supplier. Everyone knows what to expect because everything has been prepared to scale. This saves time and takes the guesswork out of the process.
Polishing Up E-mail Correspondence
E-mail makes our world go ’round these days. Things can easily get lost with e-mail though, as many get overlooked or filtered into junk mail. There are steps to minimize this from happening, such as using a company domain name in your e-mail address and using descriptive subject lines.
The subject line should reveal what’s in it for recipients, something that will compel them to open the e-mail. I usually try to open e-mail blasts from my key suppliers unless they appear to be sending the same one repeatedly. I scan to see any possible benefits. I don’t want to miss something that could benefit my customers or earn a sale.
Many suppliers offer short-term specials by e-mail to move heavy inventory or coupons to create a burst of orders during slow times. These opportunities are especially valuable when suppliers give at least a two-week window. This is another reason to contact our clients and help them take advantage of new opportunities. We love coupons at our office—especially free set-ups, EQP pricing, next column pricing, free second-color imprints and free rush service. Keep those coming—they energize us to promote your line.
When we receive PDF flyers from our suppliers that are client-safe and include an area where we can add our contact information, we can easily forward them to our clients or print them to deliver in person. These e-mail attachments are especially helpful when they include everything we need to know to place an order: set-up costs, available product colors, imprint areas, second-color and second-location running charges, production time, etc. This saves time and confusion, which in turn, means distributors will use them more often and close more sales, benefitting the supplier as well as the distributor.
Technology is awesome. It can continue to transform our industry in positive ways if suppliers and distributors communicate their concerns with each other.
Carolyn Erwin, MAS, is the creative director and founder of Bryant, Arkansas-based distributor Promotional Ideas, Inc. (UPIC: IDEAS1).
501-847-8188
carolyn@promotional-ideas.com
www.promotional-ideas.com
Building Better Websites
Here’s a checklist suppliers should consider when designing their websites. Be sure these areas are password protected for distributors only.
• Supplier contact information
• Literature requests
• Sample requests
• Distributor self-promotion information
• Spec sample information
• Net pricing
• Upcoming tradeshows where you’ll be exhibiting
• Order tracking
• Job postings
Suppliers, if you choose to include a “find a distributor” section on your website, please consider linking viewers to www.ppai.org/buyer, the area on the PPAI website that addresses this. Or, refer visitors to their local chambers of commerce or to the advertising or promotional products sections of their local yellow pages. Please don’t display your own list of distributors.
|
|
|
|