Crossing to the other side
Employees making the leap from manufacturing to distribution bring a valuable perspective to the supply chain
By Angela Field -- Industrial Distribution, 12/1/1998
Thinking back three years to when I made the leap from manufacturer to distributor, I never would have imagined the number of people who have made the same change. Now it seems at every turn there are people popping up who are in the same situation. For me, the decision to switch was hard because I enjoyed working for my former employer. But new opportunities were opening up -- opportunities that would utilize everything I learned as a manufacturer salesperson and everything taught to me by the distributor, my new employer.As mentioned, I'm not the only one who has made the leap. You can attend any number of industry association meetings and run across a myriad of people who were once manufacturer employees. We've become a family of people who "jumped ship" or better yet, "crossed the big pond." And our knowledge of both aspects of the business is a benefit to the entire supply chain.
If a manufacturer is going to lose a trained employee, what better place to lose them to than a distributor? We know the manufacturer's product, the ins and outs of the plants and how to work with the people there, and the politics of the hierarchy -- and we already have existing knowledge of our distributor's customers and their markets. Of course, there are differences between working for the two. Like the day on my new job when I needed a hose sample for a customer. Instead of going through the laborious task of obtaining an engineering sample as before, I simply walked out into the shop with a knife, cut off a hunk of hose and -- voila, a hose sample! Could this be any easier? Could this be any "closer to the customer?"
That closeness to the customer is one of the most exciting aspects of working for a distributor. Being so close means our actions are scrutinized one magnitude higher than those of our manufacturer partner. Think of it this way: distributors' and manufacturers' lives are intermingled, with the customer's wants and needs being the primary focus. While the distributor is the manufacturer's customer, everybody's true customer is the end user. And a distributor lives and dies with each order -- or missed delivery. While none of this is profound, a person has to walk on both sides of the pond and live these truths on a daily basis to understand their full implications.
With that in mind, there are some things the savvy manufacturer should consider when it comes to addressing the customer's needs:
* We live and die by how our customer perceives us. As a distributor, we want to look good, but we also want our manufacturer to look good in the eyes of our customer. Accurate delivery promises are essential. If we can't get an answer or a product from a manufacturer, it directly impacts the view the customer has of all of us. Credibility is key.
* Our business is becoming less geographic and more market-oriented. We need our manufacturer to address this by easing drop shipment restrictions and facilitating exclusive market niches in distributor agreements.
* Many times today, loyalty is seen as the lack of a better alternative. We would all like to be loyal. And given the product, pricing, delivery and support to satisfy our customers' needs, most distributors would be loyal to a given manufacturer. Also, manufacturers may think about expanding their product line. By buying more types of products from one vendor, distributors can reduce their total number of vendors. This streamlines operations and is also a cost reduction.
* Manufacturers may be surprised at who their competition truly is. Keep in mind, a distributor salesperson has many options for which product they discuss on a sales call. This includes who gets taken with them on the call and what product is highlighted.
* Remember, as special as our products are, we cannot deny that our customers often think of them as commodities. We need to be prepared to sell the differences -- and we require assistance from the manufacturer to do that.
Crossing the big pond really isn't so different. The big picture is, it's not an "us and them" scenario. We're all in this together to obtain market share and grow our business. Whether you're on the side of the distributor or that of the manufacturer, one thing is for certain -- it's the customer we want to please and in doing so, we all benefit.
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