By Martin Heubel, Amazon Strategy Consultant at Consulterce
Amazon Vendor Managers change positions every 13.5 months on average.
The result?
High turnover and fragile supplier relationships.
Amazon buyers don’t have incentives to build deep ties with their accounts.
And once they move positions, their successor will have to start from scratch.
This complicates the execution of commercial agreements, as the new buyer has little prior knowledge and may be overcautious to avoid making financial mistakes.
So what can brands do?
Two things:
First, have everything confirmed in writing.
This allows you to have a written track record of what has been said and agreed. And avoids you being at the mercy of your new VM’s should your buyer suddenly change.
Second, build senior relationships.
If you don’t know the manager of your buyer, ensure you get an introductory meeting booked with them.
The fast-paced environment in which Amazon buyers operate puts vendors in charge of managing the relationship.
After all, hoping that your new buyer will be around longer than the previous one is a gamble that will harm your P&L.
For further information and support, contact Martin Heubel here
