Carol Spieckerman, newmarketbuilders president, notes that the list of mistakes that will give your competition the edge come have been compiled from hundreds of interviews with retail buyers and licensors.
“The list may strike a chord with many suppliers since, in the days of shrinking vendor bases and direct sourcing, products and technology upgrades alone won’t guarantee a long-term supplier advantage,” she says.
Old selling techniques, unprofessional account management and short-term planning underline many of these top ten mistakes to avoid.
- Lack of Planning
- Poor Communication
- Bringing the Wrong People to Meetings
- Waiting for Mandates or Being Slow to React
- Not Picking Their Battles
- Dropping Innovation
- Resting on Laurels
- Hiring the Wrong People
- Not Observing Buyer Patterns and Preferences
- Not Keeping Up
The list and commentary on it is available free of charge on an audio CD, “Ten Supplier Mistakes that Retail Buyers Say Give Your Competition the Edge,” at www.newmarketbuilders.com
