Improved supplier access through a buying group membership can help you improve your product mix, which can facilitate the one-stop shopping experience many customers are increasingly expecting. In addition to protecting your business from the ups and downs of the market, offering a broader selection can also deepen relationships with existing customers and foster loyalty. To help you, NetPlus partners with contractor supplies and industrial suppliers who offer a mix of product categories.
Here’s how members can take advantage of their buying group membership to diversify their product offering:
Receive better pricing and payment terms, as well as reduced opening-order minimums on new lines. Buying group membership gives distributors collective buying power that puts them in a position of being much more competitive than they are by themselves. This makes it far easier for an independent distributor to introduce complementary lines.
Add “good, better, best” options. Some distributors use the supplier access they get through a buying group to better manage cyclical business with “good, better, best” options, adding a lower-cost line for example to capture business from a customer that is looking to cut costs in a down market.
Network with suppliers you may not have considered before. Keep your options open. NetPlus offers many opportunities to partner with suppliers at our Annual Meeting, regional meetings, and supplier trainings. These meetings facilitate stronger relationships between suppliers and distributor members. Face-to-face meetings also frequently uncover opportunities to work with new suppliers.
Be proactive about your growth opportunities through joint sales planning. For example, NetPlus’s Growth Plus joint sales planning program brings key channel partners to the table to talk about challenges and opportunities they are facing. The goal is to map out a formal plan to grow together.
Take advantage of product trainings. Product trainings provided by suppliers offer a chance for distributors to learn about a new line in person and arm their sales teams with the tools they need to grow wallet share with their customers.
At NetPlus Alliance, we work hard to harness the strength of our collective purchasing power. Our preferred suppliers are ready and willing to help you improve your product mix and grow your business.
Registration for our 2018 Annual Meeting Oct. 7-9, 2018, in Phoenix, AZ, is now open. Don’t miss this opportunity for one-on-one meetings, education, and inspiration. It’s our biggest member event of the year. Learn more.
