Preferred Suppliers? Spare Me!

Seriously, someone needs to take a long hard look at the term "preferred suppliers" and what it really means to their business. The operative word, for those of you who are not yet onto your third can of morning Red Bull, is PREFERRED, but sadly, the meaning of this word seems to have become somewhat diluted in recent years. In some other cases, the meaning has been forgotten altogether. But fear not my loyal readers and get your mind trampolines ready for me to bounce some wisdom on you.

Like all of you, I too have preferences - I prefer Diet Coke to the regular stuff, I prefer running in the evenings to waking up at 5am and I prefer McDonalds to Burger King.

But let's look at some other preferences in my life. I used to prefer Ready Brek to Shreddies. I used to prefer Rentaghost to Grange Hill and most of all, I used to prefer using mousse to hair gel.

The point is that preferences change - OK, the last one really was out of my hands (and out of my head too), but that's all they were - they were preferences. Something worked for me - I liked it and it served its purpose well. However, if I had not opened myself up to the possibility of something better being out there then imagine how limited my knowledge of the world would be. By trying new things I learned that Ready Brek was NEVER going to make me have an orange glow, that Timothy Claypole was quite possibly one of the most poorly played characters on TV and that baldness is sexy. It is - I checked.

So why is it that when people tell me that they have a "preferred supplier" that what they actually mean is that they have an "exclusive contract"? I'll tell you why - it's because in most cases, they don't have that. What sensible, forward thinking business locks itself into a relationship with only one supplier? Exactly - they don't.

What's more, have these people ever thought to ask what it is they actually do prefer about their suppliers? Is it price? Could it be product range or quality of service? If it is price, how likely is it that your preferred supplier will lower his or her costs to beat off the competition when they're blisfully aware that the competition is not even being given the chance to quote?

And don't even get me started on complaceny. OK - I've started anyway. All too often I meet with companies who tell me that their current suppliers don't offer them anything creative; they merely top up their clients' stock when it's running low. Again, how hard do they really need to work when their competitors are being shown the door.

Is this all just a plea for more business? Well of course it is! When have you ever known me to be subtle? All I ask of you is this - the next time you're about to tell a new potential partner that you have a preferred supplier, ask yourself these three important questions:

1. What is it that I prefer about my suppliers?
2. What would it take from a new supplier to impress me enough to try them?
3. Have I checked with Paul Rose already?

See? It doesn't take long and you may just then take the first steps towards a new and beautiful relationship.

Have a great week in business and please tell your friends and colleagues about this blog - every time someone emails me to tell me that they're reading I get a little boost to take me through my day, so feel free to share the love!