For Suppliers, sales execution is often considered the job of the Distributor. And it is, of course. However, if you want to maximize your brand’s potential in the market – you will need to actively participate in the sales execution process in a number of meaningful ways.
At a minimum, Suppliers need to set clear goals and KPIs for their Distributors, and support their efforts to strategically target the right accounts. Providing Supplier-generated regular measurement against established goals and KPI’s, with insights to assist in execution, ensures Distributors stay on track to achieving what’s expected.
In addition, Suppliers should proactively engage their Key Accounts themselves to serve as both an overlay and collaborative partner to their Distributor’s efforts. Distributors help those that help themselves. A little targeted, diligent account activity from you, the Supplier, can go a long way to building your brand with excellence.
Supplier-Distributor relationship management allows you to maximize your brand’s potential in the market
by actively participating in the sales execution process.
Through GreatVines, Suppliers can use a series of features to manage their interactions with Distributors, and vice-versa:
Sales Reporting and Analytics
Suppliers can leverage GreatVines analytics in a collaborative way with Distributors to ensure they’re aligned strategically and tracking results simultaneously. You can integrate your account invoice-level depletion data alongside your brand activations, empowering you with a complete picture of retail sales performance against brand strategies and target Accounts.
Goal/KPI Planning and Measurement
As a Supplier, you can use historical performance data to define future targets and expectations for Distributors. Showing up informed makes a big impact in terms of being a good partner. Once you set priorities, you can then use GreatVines to capture and measure performance against agreed upon goals and KPIs, like volume, accounts sold and new points of distribution.
Sales goals aren’t the only goals that teams should be executing against though. The use of strategic sales driving activities like Displays, Menus, Tasting Events, and other brand activations will put you on the path to building brands and delivering volume. Setting S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) goals are a good way to set yourself on the path of success and be viewed as a valued partner.
Inventory Management
GreatVines customers with fully-integrated Wholesaler inventory data can incorporate inventory analysis into their ongoing relationship management with their distributors. Utilizing historical trends and current goals, you can schedule reports to highlight potential inventory issues and out-of-stock conditions.
Trade Promotion Management
Suppliers can create and track execution against multiple types of trade marketing programs with GreatVines solutions. From new distribution to displays against strategic consumer promotions you can budget trade spend against specific programs and share costs with Distributor partners. Distributors executing these Programs in the field can share execution details that support billbacks against budgets and “planned spend”.
Market Intelligence Surveys
Suppliers are often in Accounts and can use retail surveys as a quick way to gain insight into sales execution activities vs goals and KPIs. This information can then be shared with your Distributor partners. Even though the expectation to perform surveys against brand standards, out of stocks, and overall compliance has traditionally been placed on the Distributor, performing surveys as a Supplier can be done to further strengthen the partnership.
With GreatVines, Suppliers are able to leverage simple surveys for Account segmentation, possible trade investments, market conditions, shifts in pricing dynamics, and competitor activity. Surveys are actionable in real-time as reps are in Accounts, with Objectives automatically created to execute within each Account surveyed. GreatVines allows surveys to be published dynamically by Account segment to ensure the right information is being gathered from the right Accounts. Distributors can equally measure and share key account performance internally and with Supplier partners.
Additional Supplier-Distributor Relationship Resources
Take a more in-depth look at ways that you can promote excellent Supplier-Distributor relationships by reading through the following GreatVines resources.
White Paper: Achieving Preferred Supplier Status within the Distributor Network
Blog Article: Maximize Distributor Relationships with These Guiding Principles – Part 1
Blog Article: Maximize Distributor Relationships with These Guiding Principles – Part 2
