- It is very useful for a business to know in advance, for budget purposes, the
advertising or promotional calendar of their supplier.
Some suppliers may not wish to divulge that information for competitive
reasons, but some will provide their dealers with an outline of their future
advertising activities. - The more catalogues, data sheets, brochures, camera-ready Ad materials,
etc., that are available from a supplier; the less cost there is to the business
in promoting the products.
Most suppliers producing these Ad materials provide a space for a business
to stamp the materials with their business identification.
Smaller suppliers of products that are less well known may not provide as
much advertising support of all kinds.
The cost then, of raising awareness of the product, must be borne by the
business.
You can see from these few examples that advertising programs offered by
suppliers can be very important to the success of a business. However, compare
these programs carefully with the view to affordability and fitting them to the
future needs of your business.
In addition, advertising programs are only part of the total analysis that goes
into deciding upon a product supplier.
Use the above ideas for a set of questions that you will ask your various
suppliers or kinds of suppliers.
- Warranty policy and procedure
The degree, which suppliers stand by their products, has an important bearing
on the image of the products in the marketplace.
Guarantees of performance and warranties extended by the manufacturer
are important selling features. They assure the end user that if the product
does not perform as claimed, there is some recourse.
However, it is important to read the fine print when comparing product
guarantees or warranties.