HOW TO GET THE BEST FROM YOUR SUPPLIERS
Unless you’re lucky enough to have a coordinator organising your event, you’ll no doubt find yourself managing several suppliers. In order to get the best result and make your planning as smooth as possible, here’s some of our best tips to get the best from your suppliers & maintain a good relationship so your event runs smoothly, to plan and to schedule…
ESTABLISH A CONNECTION
Get off on the right foot. Remember that each of your suppliers are there to help you. Introduce yourself, tell them a little about yourself and throw in WHY you’ve chosen them over other suppliers - it’s always nice to articulate to business owners what they’re doing right. This will automatically establish rapport and help your supplier identify you amongst their other clients.
Coffee? If the opportunity presents itself, and if appropriate, we like to meet our new suppliers for a coffee or a face-to-face meet and greet. This gives you the chance to get to know one another, discuss your requirements and perhaps identify any potential problems that may arise with your job.
Set time for a phone call. No time for coffee or not appropriate with your particular supplier? No dramas. We recommend locking in a time with your supplier (perhaps even send a calendar invite once a time is agreed upon), to have a focused phone or video call. It’s always nice to put a face to a name, and video chats are an awesome way to do this, especially while considering Covid safety.
Visit the location. Prefer a proper face-to-face? Show them you really care by arranging a visit to their site. This will give you the chance to really get to know your supplier and what they do. You may even learn about other services or other ways they can help you!
COMMUNICATE
Discuss what services you’ll be needing and what YOU require. It’s super important to COMMUNICATE. At the end of the day, your supplier is responsible for delivering to you a service or product, so make sure they know exactly what it is, that you require. Your suppliers can’t do their job to the best of their ability, if they don’t have ALL the information.
Explain how YOU would like to work. Find the RIGHT supplier who fits with your values & expectations. Think about what your end goal. Do you want quick and cheap? Or are you looking for quality over quantity? Once you know what you’re looking for, find a supplier that meets the requirements. Remember that you usually get what you pay for, so in order to avoid disappointment, be realistic about whether your end goal can be delivered by your chosen supplier. Make sure you’re happy with their quote, their timelines, their values and that they are the right fit for YOU.
Provide them with your background/current knowledge. Let your suppliers know where your extent of knowledge/understanding in the field is at. For example, if you know nothing about printing or paper, then let them know! This way, your supplier will be able to communicate in a way that you understand, resulting in both parties being 100% on the same page and understanding exactly what the end result will be.
Discuss how YOU can help THEM. Ask your supplier what they need from you in order to best achieve the result and make sure you deliver. For example, if your supplier needs a floorplan of your seating arrangements in order to place your placecards, then make sure you get it to them by the date they’ve requested. Suppliers need certain information in order for things to run smoothly and to sometimes a tight timeline. What you may not realise is the possible “domino” affect - this is when one action pushes back everything on their schedule, which then has a roll-on affect. Relationships are always two-way streets. Suppliers require you to deliver what they need, in order for them to deliver what YOU need, on time and to standard.
Take the time to put together a STRONG BRIEF. Be sure to communicate clearly and effectively when giving your supplier your information and the information they need. Always remember the 5 W’s: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE & WHY. If you put effort into writing a clear brief, the benefit is, it’s easy to then copy and paste the necessary information to other suppliers, should you need.
Back it up. As things can sometimes be easily lost in translation or misinterpreted via email, ALWAYS back up a spoken conversation with written confirmation E.g. Email, or back up an email with a phone call to make sure it was received, if you haven’t received a response within an appropriate time-frame.
DEVELOP & MAINTAIN RAPPORT
Maintain communication. Don’t be afraid to touch base or check in with your suppliers throughout the process. A friendly phone call is always okay and will always help to maintain a good relationship. If you’re an event planner by trade, remember it’s YOUR project and it’s your job to make sure everything is running to schedule.
Remember to be human. Don’t forget that you are working with a person. They may be a voice on the other end of the line or keyboard, but we are all human. If you communicate, empathise, and relate, you will easily connect and ensure a smooth process and build a strong relationship.
FOLLOW UP
Appreciation goes a long way. After our events, we always like to send a THANK YOU email, phone call or visit to those involved. Suppliers love to hear how their services assisted your event or how they’ve contributed to your special day! Depending on your circumstance, you may like to continue to touch base – you never know how & where this connection may take you or what future opportunities may present themselves through your connection, and at the very least, you’ll have met and connected with someone new!
Enjoy the journey and experience when working with your suppliers and coordinating your event! And remember, feel free to get in touch should you have any questions, or leave a comment below. We’re always here to help.
