By Martin Heubel, Amazon Strategy Consultant at Consulterce
Vendor Managers at Amazon rotate between positions every 12-15 months. So it’s no wonder they focus on short-term targets on your account:
- Sales growth
- Cost price reductions
- Net PPM improvements
Any investment that requires thorough planning or preparation conflicts with this ambition.
As a result, most Vendor Managers are terrible negotiation partners.
They have little interest in sustainably developing your business. Because they know they won’t handle your account long-term.
So if you’re trying to overcome your Vendor Manager’s short-sightedness, focus on Amazon’s senior teams:
- Category Leaders
- Sales Directors
- Pan EU Sponsors
Their tenure averages between 3-5 years. Which means they are the ones who have an invested interest in the joint success of your account.
But how can you get their attention?
By escalating your annual vendor negotiations.
You can do that by asking for a top-to-top meeting in exchange for your next commercial proposal.
Or by halting retail or ad investments until senior stakeholders join the negotiation.
For further information and support, contact Martin Heubel here
