By Martin Heubel, Amazon Strategy Consultant at Consulterce
If you’re an Amazon vendor, you may be upset about your transactional relationship with the retail giant.
Why upset?
Because you try to build a good relationship with your Vendor Manager. But as soon as you have built some rapport, they announce they are moving on to another position.
Next thing you know, you’re working with yet another Amazon manager who needs to learn about your category, product or brand.
Here’s why that’s a problem:
- It takes time, energy and resources to bring your new counterpart up to speed.
- Agreements made with your previous Vendor Manager are harder to implement (or ‘forgotten’).
- It slows down the process of doing business together.
So what can you do about it?
While you can’t influence Amazon’s turnover cycle, you can prepare and prevent situations that put your trade at risk.
- Put any verbal agreement into writing and get a written confirmation from your Amazon VM. That way, your new Vendor Manager can pick up where their predecessor left off with confidence.
- Prepare a 10-slide presentation summarising the most important information about your brand and send it to your new VM. Keep it high-level!
- Build a cross-hierarchy relationship with Amazon. Don’t just talk to your Vendor Manager, also build a relationship with their Category Leader and Director.
For further information and support, contact Martin Heubel here
