Supplier salespeople can steer business your way. It’s a fact, our suppliers come in contact with customers, potential customers, and prospects every day. In a millisecond these people decide if they are going to push business your way or towards someone down the street. When they bring you an opportunity, it’s like free business.

There are many strategies to endear your business to your supplier sales reps; things like joint calls, planning sessions, focused activities, and communications are often touted by the experts. However, once armed with the KYKLO system, you have the tools to make their lives simpler and their work more effective. At the end of the day, creating an environment that overflows with the simpler, easier and better are sure-fire winners. And… the combination is a great differentiator for your business.

You can provide the supply-partner salesperson with important tools.
Imagine equipping your supplier rep with the tools to do side by side comparisons of several of their products from a mobile device. Continuing further, what if the side-by-side comparison featured full technical data along with pictures of the products? Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it. Now let’s add the feature of determining which of the product are in stock locally. Instant information could equal an instant sale. If this digital solution happens to be yours, it’s a thing of beauty.

Most distributors don’t take the time to “turn their supply-partners on” to their digital solution. You can and you should. We recommend you create an account for supply-partner salespeople with full capabilities; with prices set at list. But, don’t make the same mistake as the dead poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said, “ Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door.” You will need to demonstrate and teach the use of the KYKLO system to your sales partners.

Reinforce the system isn’t private and designed exclusively for customers. Stress your willingness to simply cancel out any orders they inadvertently place as they show your mutual customers information on the site. Using tools builds awareness, so show them how your sales team puts the tool to work.

Open the door to advanced analytics
how your manufacturing partner sales teams how finding their product brings customers to your site. Explain how search results are posted – with paid posts (marked AD) and then natural results. Many aren’t internet experts, so a demonstration always works best.

Share the analytical data harvested through your KYKLO solution. When properly evaluated, the information gained here tells more about customer trends than other localized resources. Here are a few of the items you might share:

• Which product searches find their way to your website?
• What catalog number is the most popularly viewed item?
• What information did the customer peruse while visiting your online branch?

Connecting the dots, this information tells the supply-partner and your organization which products customers are naturally interested in finding. It also provides insight into how well new products have been received and whether some unknown variable is influencing customer interest. Data like this allows for better plans with targeting new product launches and individualized sales calls.

Before we go
When a Supplier salesperson drives a customer to your website, it reinforces your partnership. The customer hears this message, “We work as a team. The combination of global presence and local support is a powerful mixture.” When distributors and their partners work in unison, amazing things can happen!

Tell us what you think here.