As a wholesale business owner, it’s essential to understand that you are providing a service to your wholesale buyers on top of your products. Your wholesale buyers are looking to purchase your products because they value what you offer, but if you don’t satisfy their needs, they will look elsewhere for their product supplier. Here are six ways to keep your wholesale buyers happy, so they will
keep coming back.
Answering questions
Communication is one of the most critical aspects of business dealings. How quickly you respond to their questions and messages will impact their purchasing decision.
If you want to cultivate good relationships with wholesale buyers, ensure they can contact you quickly and as needed (within reason, of course). Have an open line of communication through various contact methods so that customers can reach out and engage whenever necessary. They’ll appreciate it – and your business will benefit as well.
Yes, there will be those that expect you to respond immediately or outside of your working hours, so you will have to set clear boundaries on when they can and can’t contact you, or at least know when they can expect a reply, i.e. Monday – Friday between 9 am – 5 pm.
Be transparent when dealing with wholesale buyers
When it comes to purchasing resale goods, wholesale buyers expect three things: quality, honesty, and professionalism. Transparency should be at the top of your priority list when dealing with wholesale customers.
Don’t tell them something is the best seller when in fact, you haven’t sold a single unit since its arrival. If you can’t sell them yourself, it could be a challenge for the retailer to sell them. Then they’ll be left with stock that isn’t moving and will have no cash flow to purchase other items from you, and why should they.
Transparency helps build trust with your customers. Be honest with them and don’t oversell; let them know when something isn’t moving as quickly as you would like but offer some intensives to move your stock. Perhaps offer them a discount so they can try it out in their store. This way, they can make better buying decisions for their store. Who knows, they might end up selling out.
You want repeat customers, so help them succeed, so you will too.
Quality products
There’s nothing worse than ordering something, then a month later, you are inundated with returns for whatever reason. It’s not only a bad look for your business, but customers can also get injured with defective or unsafe products. This is why it’s imperative that your products are of excellent quality and made to last or at least serve its purpose and adhere to your industry’s health and safety regulations if applicable.
To ensure that you’re delivering quality goods to your customers, it’s a idea good to go through a series of tests or inspections before releasing them. You want to be sure that they are not only well made but also durable enough to withstand everyday use without breaking or wearing down too quickly.
Neither you nor your wholesale buyer wants to deal with extensive returns due to faulty goods. It’s a hassle, time-consuming and can be a frustrating process. Worse, you could leave a negative impression on your buyers altogether.
Providing samples
One important thing to remember when working with wholesale buyers is that they purchase goods and services in bulk; this becomes a high risk for them, especially for start-up businesses. It’s not uncommon for wholesale buyers to request a sample before placing their first order.
However, this will also come down to the type of products you supply. Some items are just not suitable or feasible to offer as samples.
For example, a good sample product would be something like candles. You could make small sample-sized candles of all the different fragrances, and the wholesale buyer can purchase the sample pack.
On the other hand, something like clothing is harder to offer samples of. Generally, clothing is sold in packs that contact a size range, i.e. size 6 to 16, so buying singular sample pieces will mean those packs will be broken and can become unsellable as wholesale buyers are after a complete pack range.
However, sample requests are hugely common when dealing with manufacturers and product development suppliers. If you are going to manufacture 500 units of T-Shits for a wholesale buyer, then it’s a must that you provide a sample.
If able to, samples are an excellent way for wholesale buyers to test your products before committing to a large order. It also helps them understand how your products will work in their store, how they are packaged, what they look like, etc.
The best way to handle sample requests is to keep a list of all your current customers who have requested samples in one place so that you can quickly get back to them once you’ve created it. If someone asks for a sample of something that isn’t already on your list, consider adding it!
Overall good customer service
Customer service is crucial for any business, regardless of whether you sell physical or digital products. You need to have good customer service to keep customers happy and become repeat customers. The better your customer service is, the more likely they are to buy from you repeatedly.
Here are some tips on how to provide excellent customer service as a wholesaler:
- Know your product well
- Great communication & active listening
- Positive attitude & willingness to help
- Be honest and upfront
- Provide support
- Problem solve
When providing excellent customer service, don’t just think about short-term gains. Remember that giving a good experience for your customers today can build loyalty that lasts and promotes your business in multiple ways.
Filling orders promptly
One of your most important responsibilities as a wholesaler is fulfilling customer orders in a timely manner. This can be especially important for businesses with great demands or tight deadlines.
Your wholesale buyers are also trying to run their business, so be upfront with expected delivery dates and don’t underestimate the timeframe to get a sale. If anything, you should add extra days (or weeks in some cases) past the delivery due date to avoid disappointments. It’s better to receive an early delivery than a late one.
Conclusion
The opinions of your wholesale buyers can make or break your business.
By focusing on these aspects of your business, you will attract more customers and build a positive reputation for your brand. It’s important to keep in mind that when dealing with wholesale buyers, it’s not just about selling your products but building relationships. As a small business owner, you are representing an entire industry. The better your customer service is, the more likely retailers and wholesale buyers will want to work with you in the future.
