As today’s competitive supplies market continues to heat up, vendors are differentiating themselves by adding more and more layers of value. Some of this value is simply ramped up versions of what has been offered for years, but we’re also seeing it expand to areas that would have been unthinkable 10 years ago.
For dealers, this represents great opportunities. Some suppliers are becoming one-stop shops for everything from supplies and parts to services and solutions. If you’re not sure what your supplier currently provides or you’re looking into other opportunities, below is a list of things to consider.
Marketing support
Most vendors offer some type of marketing support. This often includes items such as end user-facing fliers, brochures or even posters – usually monogrammed with your company logo. Some might contribute to event costs or even design materials for tradeshows. Today, the larger vendors are offering some pretty amazing programs such as web-based marketing platforms which provide dealers online access to the latest materials as well as customizable eshots and videos. Help with websites, e-commerce and social media is also available from some suppliers.
Packaging
Branded packaging – or even attractive non-branded packaging – has been around for awhile. Some vendors offer private label packaging, often customized with your logo and contact information. Many do drop shipping. Some suppliers will even stock your private cartons with minimum volume requirements or even offer to design one in-house for you. Tired of your product getting lost when shipped to a large facility with multiple offices? Ask your supplier if they offer destination labels. Some of them do.
MPS
The larger suppliers can set you up with MPS, train you and help you communicate its value to your customers. Of course they offer the supplies for automated fulfillment as well. If you’re not doing MPS now but would like to, it’s worth having a conversation with a supplies vendor to see what they offer.
Parts
As mentioned above, some supplies vendors now offer printer and computer parts to go along with their other offerings. If you enjoy the convenience of a single order point, it’s worth considering.
IP
With OEMs increasingly looking to protect their margins and marketshare, it’s hardly surprising that they would aggressively pursue companies that infringe on their patents. Does your supplier do due diligence? It’s difficult to know for sure without an outright guarantee of indemnification, but you should at least ask them what they are doing to ensure that the product they are providing is not infringing. Failure to provide a plausible response could be a warning sign.
Manufacturing Procedures
Can your supplies vendor speak to how their product was manufactured? Better yet, can they provide documentation? This not only can help in substantiating IP claims, it also demonstrates your knowledge of the product you’re selling. Are they ISO 9001 or 14001 certified? What about STMC? Ask about any other certifications that they may have achieved. Also, is the product guaranteed for one year? Two? Three?
Sustainability Programs
Other than collection programs, what is your vendor doing to promote sustainability? Ask them and show that to your customers.
Workflow/BPO/IoT
This is the future. None of the supplies vendors are deep into this now, but a couple will be soon. Ask your vendor how they are preparing for the future and how you can better prepare for it.
Consultative Sales
Ultimately, you depend on your imaging supplies vendor not only for product, but also as a trusted partner and a source of timely information. They should have an expert understanding of the market, anticipate trends and they should communicate that to you often. If your customer has questions or issues, they should be prepared to speak to them or even visit them if necessary. Who’s better suited to provide details of the product? They should also be able to provide presentations and other materials such as white papers for you to present or reference. They’re there to help you. Take them up on it.
