Whether you buy products to sell on or to gain an agent's commission, doing your homework could really pay off. Look to forge a positive and fruitful working relationship with a proven provider – one with an impressive track record in always delivering a reliable and highly professional seating service: where their provided customer service is as impressive as the tailor-made retractable stands that they manufacture. Post-installation, they need to be there for your clients too, don’t forget!
Even the best retractable seating stand – or other modern system type – in the world can sometimes need servicing. A spot of maintenance may be called for every now and again. You need to know that, whatever the future brings, your chosen seating supplier will be there for your clients in the years ahead, otherwise, as the distributor, it may well be your standing in the industry that suffers.
Don't Let Your Supplier's Survival Determine Yours
Let's say that you're a small business owner supplying equipment to live music venues around the country, and maybe even to overseas venues. New and existing clients turn to you for stages, lighting, special effects, flooring, sound systems, and more. You carefully source these from suppliers, and then arrange for delivery and installation. You've worked hard over the years and forged a reputation for reliability as well as for always distributing top quality gear. You and your small team may even install much of the equipment yourselves. Why risk everything you’ve worked for by opting for seating systems from a manufacturer who has yet to establish and prove themselves over decades?
These days, for whatever reason, so many new businesses fail. You don't want to find yourself in a position where your distribution business's survival is dependent upon that of your suppliers. That's why doing your research before committing to a long-term contract with a supplier is so important.
Look for a seating expert who can provide you with a wide range of products to offer your existing clients and help you gain new ones, and also one who's highly likely to still be around and flourishing in ten years time...
Sooner or Later, You're Going to Need Spare Parts
Will the retractable seating supplier who has provided you with an amazing stand for your client's stadium or auditorium be there for them in the future to provide spares whenever needed? If not, they'll have to source vital components elsewhere. If they can't find the perfect fit; custom-made apparatus will need ordering. That won’t come cheap. Far from it.
Yes, price is of course a key determinant when coming to a decision on which suppliers to work with, but other considerations can be equally important:
- Supplier flexibility – Business relationships are not dissimilar to marriages. It's about give and take! If, when negotiating with a prospective suppler, everything seems to be about them, and they appear unwilling to compromise, disinclined to do anything unless it's on their terms, look elsewhere. A relationship like that is bound to come a cropper sooner or later, so why embark upon it in the first place.
- Consistency of quality – In business, does familiarity breed contempt? Hmm... Perhaps not contempt as such, but it can certainly breed complacency. That's why you should only really sign up with a supplier on a short-term deal at first. Don't be so blown away by a product that you rashly sign a long-term contract with the supplier, only to find in Year 2 or 3 that their attention to detail isn't anywhere near as ferocious; their promised "quick response" times to maintenance issues have disappointingly decelerated, their delivered goods aren't nearly as well packed as they were at first...
- Make sure you actually meet the key decision-maker (and regularly) – A supplier should be genuinely interested in learning about your business. That can only really be done on site, face to face. If everything's done over the phone or through e-mail (and not by the decision maker but by their assistant e.g.), that's not a good sign. You shouldn't need to insist that a supplier makes the effort to come to your premises, and not just initially but at intervals through the calendar year (every six months, at least). A keen supplier should be eager to know how you work, what your common problems and frustrations are, what you're happy with and how they could improve their service to you, and - crucially - all about your customers and how they can continue to contribute towards your customer satisfaction being maintained.
- Back-up suppliers should definitely be an option – Try to avoid sourcing a product for which there is no alternative supplier. Yes, 'unique' and 'ground-breaking' sounds great, but if things go wrong for some reason, how are you going to replace that supplier's goods and services? Steer clear of being solely dependent upon one supplier for anything.
Get Expert Help With Growing Your Business
Developing a strong working relationship with suppliers over time is critical to business success. You need to know that you can get in touch at the drop of a hat, with committed professionals you can trust, who are well versed in how your business works, and who adopt a long-term mindset, rather than seeking to make as much profit as possible as quickly as possible.
With 30 years of experience, MASTER Industrie deals with modular seating systems all over the world, enjoying mutually beneficial long-term working relationships with venue managers in 24 countries.