58 / 102
56 •
PPB
• MARCH 2016
GROW
DISTRIBUTOR BUSINESS STUDY
SALES
TOOLS
OVERAL RANK
SCORE
Random Samples
1
847
Virtual Samples
2
771
Catalogs
3
769
Company Website
4
721
5
669
Supplier Website
6
549
Speculative Samples
7
417
Industry Research
8
344
Personalized Samples
9
233
Sample Kits
10
222
Social Media
11
207
Display/Showroom
12
181
MOST IMPORTANT SALES TOOLS TO THE DISTRIBUTORSHIP
Respondents were asked to select their top three most impor-
tant sales tools in order of importance. The score is a weighted
calculation. Items ranked first were valued higher than the over-
all ranks; the score was the sum of all weighted rank counts out
of 155 respondents.
The three most important sales tools to the distributorship are
random samples, virtual samples and catalogs. Company web-
sites and emails are also valued sales tools. In comparison, in
the 2008 study
, the top five looked a little different:
1. catalogs
2. random samples
3. company website
4. e-mail
5. speculative samples
SUPPLIER
RELATIONSHIP
“I encourage my customers to use my website to begin their search,”
says survey respondent Bruce
Schneider, owner of Promotions by Schneider in Roseville, California.
“Were they to request a random
sample, I would gladly supply it as long as they gave themselves enough time for me to get it.” He adds that
most of his orders are obtained through networking groups or through the “lost art” of cold calling. “All of my
customers are satisfied, because I do what I say I am going to do, and I stand behind everything that I sell.
This is really only way to really to maintain customer satisfaction.”
77
PERCENT
of respondents who
receive free samples
from suppliers will show
those products first
Does the industry offer extra support to preferred supplier lines
over other suppliers? Ninety percent say yes—and more than
they used to. Four years ago, 19 percent did not provide any
specific extra support for preferred supplier lines.
RECIPROCITY
show their
products first
advertise on
company
website
special
pricing
flyers
commission
incentives for
sales force
97%
30%
39%
32%
8%