Three reasons why print buyers should challenge supplier choice
My daughter was about to burst into tears
I had asked her what flavor of ice cream she would like. She gave me the same answer that she always did. “I want chocolate please, Daddy” she had said. But the shop had sold out of chocolate. In her eyes this was a major crisis.
Using my best powers of persuasion, I managed to get her to accept a strawberry ice cream instead.
The response was amazing! The tears vanished. A massive smile crossed her face. She was in love with strawberry ice cream. Now chocolate is forgotten, and she always chooses strawberry instead.
My daughter’s reluctance to try new flavours before this meant that she had missed many opportunities to enjoy strawberry ice cream. It can be the same with print buyers. Sometimes we stay in our comfort zones. That means we miss out on the opportunity to try new and better solutions.
That’s why print buyers should always challenge their supplier base
The three questions all print customers should ask at a supplier review meeting
Do you ever play charades?
In case any of you do not know the game, one person has to act out a book or a film or a character. Everyone else has to guess who they are. The actor can only signal yes or no.
If you want to win this game, you need to choose your questions carefully. The right questions can get you swift results. The wrong questions can leave you wondering was on earth was being acted.
Questioning is a vital skill for print buyers too.
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Three reasons why review meetings get the best from your print suppliers
Can you imagine having an operation without any follow-up?
Can you imagine having a job without an annual review?
Will you appoint a supplier and not review the performance?
I am always surprised at the amount of buyers who do not run supplier reviews
How to avoid the Abba effect with your print suppliers
Do you like Abba?
Personally, I can’t stand them! However, I know that many people disagree with me. My wife thinks that Abba are great.
I, of course, think that she is wrong! But that is just my subjective opinion. I have no way of proving this. Proving one’s opinions can be a big issue when measuring suppliers.
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