Success: it’s bigger with the right answers

Every person reading this post is a consumer. We each purchase cars, insurance, homes, vacations and so many more great things throughout our lifetimes. Because we are consumers, we attract salespeople. There are good salespeople, poor salespeople and there are the everyday, average salespeople. One thing I have learned over my time in being both a consumer and a professional buyer is in the questions asked by the seller. In many cases, believe it or not, I was never asked a single question. Instead I was told which product was just right for me. Over time, I learned the most reliable salespeople were the ones who asked the best questions, the questions that would hopefully create a win-win. They probed to dig down, mining for the specific need they were expected to fill. I learned to respect these professionals and call on them often, in order to take care of the merchandise needs for my locations. As a buyer, it became obvious who wanted a sale vs. a partnership.

Your property has many needs. You likely have a wide variety of suppliers to support the club. Within your team you may even have several people generating purchase orders. How do they decide on these suppliers? Is it partly your call? No matter, it is about finding the best quality and value for the dollars spent. This post is about gaining the biggest bang for your buck. It is about the value received for the dollars spent. This In My Opinion post is about the supplier network, the sales professionals who earn the green light, and the questions that surround the relationship. Here are my three ideas:

Review your supplier network: No matter the department, program, or product, it is a smart idea for you and your team to do a supplier review every year. In this land of the entrepreneur there are companies that constantly hit the market with smart new technology. From another angle it is not hard to see how the top suppliers might get a bit lazy or even simply raise prices for no special reason. To continue to source the best products important to your members, explore the market to investigate your options. It is a great way to use your leverage and keep the suppliers on their toes. 

Sit in on meetings: As the property leader, it is a good idea to sit in on any number of supplier meetings at the club throughout the year. As a very obvious fly on the wall, you have the opportunity to observe both the sales professional and your manager during the presentation. When you sit silently in a meeting, you have the chance to learn a great deal about the skills on both sides of the table. The end result should be for your manager to continue to sharpen their skills and for you to see first hand how your suppliers are caring for your business. Being in the room from time to time does provide you with critical information first hand. You get the chance to observe how the budget is being managed. 

It’s about the questions: This post began by talking about questions from the supplier side. In order to provide the right products with the best service for your club, the sales professional should be prepared with questions specific to your operation. From the other side, it is important that each purchasing manager come to a meeting with homework complete, questions in hand. They should have questions that will pull out the right choices and finest value for the membership. It can be about low price, or then again it might also be about quality, image, and of course member satisfaction. 

As you coach your team, it is important to talk about the homework, being prepared for each meeting, and developing the right questions for each specific supplier. Every meeting can provide a new opportunity as well as potential trap doors. There are times suppliers have goods they must move. It is vital that every manager holding purchase orders understands the club budget, the need in the moment, and the risks associated with each and every meeting.

Jack Dillon writes the In My Opinion post. He is a consultant, speaker, and author. He is an expert in service, operations, purchasing and presentation. Jack is available to help your club build a better team, a better future. You can reach Jack at jackd@careerdividends.com. You can also call Jack at 407-973-6136. Jack lives in Orlando.