We all know that adapting is necessary, especially this year. Our industry has had to react and create new business models due to the market changes brought on by COVID-19. But, it鈥檚 essential that brands work to protect the core needs of their retailers.

Envoy B2B surveyed 6,500 specialty retailers regarding their opinion of the importance of physical trade shows and what their recent experience has been with digital or virtual stand-in events.

Here are some key takeaways from that research.

Entirely Digital Shows Did Not Leave Retailers Satisfied

The experience that retailers had at entirely digital shows left something to be desired. They missed the ability to see and feel the product in person, and felt that too few of the brands participated.

鈥淣othing is like a real show. Virtual does not let you see and touch and feel.鈥�

Retailers Want Physical Contact with Your Products During the Buying Process

Retailers find it harder to make buying decisions without being able to physically interact with the product. It鈥檚 difficult to get a feel for an item without being able to touch it and see it in person.

鈥淚 love to touch what a product feels like and how it hangs on a body and what the actual color is.鈥�

Retailers Want Continued Participation by Brands at Trade Shows

Brands are currently driven to go virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it鈥檚 still critical that they show up. And, as we eventually shift back to a more in-person model again, retailers are going to want to see their brands face-to-face on the show floor.

Specialty Retailers Are All in on Physical Trade Shows

We aren鈥檛 there yet, but most retailers have stated that they look forward to the return of physical trade shows, and plan on attending to the same degree they did before the pandemic.

So, while we鈥檝e all had to adapt our strategies and come up with new best practices as we navigate a largely virtual world, it鈥檚 going to be key to not lose sight of what your retailers want in the future. Digital sell-in events are the solution to today鈥檚 challenges, but they shouldn鈥檛 be seen as a forever replacement to the core needs of your retailers.

Your brand can come out of this tumultuous time with an opportunity to integrate new technologies into the sell-in process as we return to more in-person events. But, listen to your retailers and realize that these virtual experiences shouldn鈥檛 be seen as a replacement for the kinds of relationships that can be built by attending in-person trade shows. And in the meantime, find ways to get your physical product in front of your buyers during sell-in. It鈥檒l make your brand stand out even more.

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Your brand is hot. You鈥檝e got killer new products. Retailers are excited. Your wholesale channel is ready to go!

But, wait. Is it?

You may have crossed all the T鈥檚 and dotted all the I鈥檚 for your go-to-market plan, but when鈥檚 the last time you took a look at your B2B? Are you crippling yourself with the old 鈥渢ried and true鈥� methods? Does your B2B platform offer what retailers expect and reps need to navigate a modern outdoor industry struggling through an unprecedented year of changes?

It鈥檚 time to take stock of your current tools and see if they鈥檙e up to the task of carrying your brand into the future.

So how do you know if you have an effective, modern B2B platform in place to manage your wholesale channel? What critical functions should your B2B have? Here are eight key features to look for when trying to determine if you have a forward thinking, growth-oriented B2B platform in place to handle all your wholesale needs. Pause at the checkpoints and take note of how many features your platform has. If you鈥檙e missing any of these, it鈥檚 time to think about an upgrade before you鈥檙e left in the dust.

You Have a Digital-First Destination

You need to be able to design for your digital platforms first. If you鈥檙e still designing for print, and then adapting to digital for your B2B, you aren鈥檛 running on a modern B2B platform (and you鈥檙e using a lot of trees!). This means you鈥檙e probably missing out on interactive presentations, streamlined ordering, merchandising, digital catalogs, and a whole host of features critical to success in today鈥檚 wholesale landscape.

Check point: we are a digital-first brand, and we run a digital-first B2B

Your Ordering Tools Are Standardized and Integrated Across the Entire Platform

Ordering should be built into all aspects of your platform, not separated into its own utility-style tool. If your platform isn鈥檛 fully shoppable from anywhere in a workflow, with easy-to-use, standardized ordering tools, then you鈥檙e being held back. Reps and retailers need to be able to add products to a cart at any time, from anywhere in the platform. Stop missing out on pre-book and replenishment orders because you 诲辞苍鈥檛 have the tools to properly handle the volume.

Check point: our B2B platform offers clear ordering tools across the entire platform

Your Reps and Retailers Can Access Visual Merchandising Tools in Your B2B

Merchandising is a critical piece of building a smart buy for retailers. Do these shoes look good with those pants? Does this bag fit the line? Are these the right accessories? Reps and retailers can鈥檛 build smart orders without the right tools. From in-person meetings to sharing via email, being able to merchandise an assortment or order is a critical feature of a modern B2B platform. If your B2B isn鈥檛 delivering on this front, your retailers will look for brands that can offer the more modern experience they expect.

Check point: visual merchandising with retailers, inside our B2B, is a key part of our pre-book process

Your B2B Surfaces Analytics for Your Wholesale Channel

Pre-books were strong, products are on the shelf, the season is a go and then鈥�.nothing. Sell through is flat. What happened? You鈥檒l never know unless you have access to insightful analytics in your B2B. You can鈥檛 take action to improve a season without the right data. Make sure your B2B platform delivers access to real-time analytics so you can make smart decisions and keep your season moving.

Check point: knowledge is power. We鈥檝e got in-platform analytics for days.

You Can Track Your Reps Engagement with Accounts in Real-Time

Do you currently have insight into how reps are engaging your wholesale channel from within your B2B? Not just the endgame of orders placed, but their activity along the way? Which reps are in the system, how often, and what are the most successful reps doing with the tools you provide? A modern B2B is going to deliver reporting on rep activity, giving you the view into essential data you need to build a digitally enabled team of effective field reps.

Check point: rep activity is surfaced inside our B2B platform so we can double down on best practices

Your Platform Is Equipped with Digital Prospecting Tools

No matter how strong your season is, your brand needs to keep growing. Adding retailers is a key piece of that growth. A modern B2B platform will offer digital prospecting tools that make it easy to invite prospects into the platform, create excitement, and then onboard them as full fledged retailers with your brand.

Check point: More doors lead to better seasons. We can prospect potential retailers directly from our B2B platform.

Your Reps Can Track Hot Products and Consumer Trends

A great rep is the lifeblood of a good season. Guiding buyers, suggesting smarter buys, and building brand evangelists out of your retailers. But reps can鈥檛 be great without being able to see what鈥檚 trending in each of their stores. Make sure your B2B gives reps a window into hot products and consumer trends on each account. It will fuel better recommendations and more confident buys, which leads to stronger sell through.

Check point: our reps can help us adapt to the tides of a season because they have a window into consumer trends on a per-store basis

Your Retailers Have 24/7 Access to Your Platform and Educational Materials

Retailers are busy running their shops and, ideally, selling your product. Make it easy for them to do that. A modern B2B platform gives retailers a 24/7 portal and access to an educational destination, so they can stay 鈥渋n the know鈥� on your products. Because shows that a retailer sells more of what they know.

Check point: our B2B platform is a 24/7 digital portal that empowers retailers with education and powerful commerce tools

If you’re looking to bring a modern B2B platform to your wholesale channel, those are the eight critical features you need to ensure you have. Did you hit all those checkpoints? If you missed any, it鈥檚 time to think about modernizing your B2B. Don鈥檛 let your brand stay stuck in the past, operating on outdated tools that just won鈥檛 cut it.

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The outdoor industry, like many others, is experiencing an unprecedented disruption due to the current worldwide pandemic. COVID-19 has radically changed how we are able to do business, and brands are finding themselves adopting new models and systems as they seek new ways to thrive. It鈥檚 difficult, but it鈥檚 also an opportunity. Implementing new systems, shifting paradigms, and taking things virtual are a few of the many ways in which brands have created new opportunities in the marketplace.

We sat down with Mason Brent, co-founder of Howler Brothers, and Jonathan Kosakow, Associate Director of North American Sales at BioLite, to chat about how they鈥檝e adapted the way they do business in order to maintain growth in this current climate. Let鈥檚 dig in.

What鈥檚 been the biggest change since COVID-19 in terms of how you have been communicating with your retailers?

With trade shows and retailer meetings a thing of the past, the industry has adapted to make communication more direct, streamlined, flexible, and ultimately, more efficient. We are farther apart, and closer at the same time.

What positives, if any, have you or your brand been able to find when dealing with this pandemic?

Relationships previously developed have remained strong. There is an industry-wide understanding that we all need to remain flexible as we鈥檙e all in this together.

What have you learned as a brand in the last few months when it comes to managing your wholesale channel without having the ability to physically see retailers?

Both brands and retailers are re-thinking how they do business. We are all learning when to stay the course, and when to pivot. Trust, communication, and maintaining (or building) a strong relationship is the key to success for both brand and retailer.

Are there any technologies that have been helpful in getting through these last few months? What do you see as the future of trade shows in the industry?

Video conferencing solutions and robust B2B software have been the primary tools/technologies we鈥檝e used to keep business going while maintaining a personal connection with our reps and retailers. While digital communication allows us easier access to each other, our community is missing the one-on-one, personal connections found on the trade show floor.

When things get back to normal, is there anything you鈥檒l do differently than you were doing before?

The current situation forced us to adjust our processes and better utilize the digital tools we have available. With more efficient order handling, better communication, and easier access to marketing tools, our ability to connect with reps and retailers is further enhanced. These changes give us the opportunity to travel less, and connect more.

The post Adapting for Success: A Conversation About Growing During a Pandemic appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In this guide for brands and sales managers we will cover

• How to overcome objections and get your team on board
• Finding The Right Time To Upgrade
• Prepping Your Organization For A New B2B System

Upgrading your flagging B2B system to a more effective, modern platform is a big task. We are here to walk you through it with some best practices and tips for a smooth transition. We鈥檒l cover how to overcome internal objections, how to find the right time to upgrade, and how to prepare your brand to flip the switch and fire up that new B2B. Let鈥檚 get going.

Part 1: Getting Buy In From Your Team

Maybe you鈥檙e transitioning from a D2C model and looking to tackle wholesale for the very first time, or you鈥檝e built a wholesale channel already and you鈥檙e looking to modernize it and grow. In both cases, looking at a B2B solution is often where you鈥檙e going to start.

But that means you鈥檙e going to run into a lot of question marks. That鈥檚 normal. Here are the three biggest objections most folks run into, and how to overcome them.

Objection #1: It鈥檚 Too Expensive

Ideally, you鈥檙e modernizing your B2B platform because you鈥檙e looking to grow. Target a growth of at least 15-20 percent, then use the 1 percent rule to create a budget based on 1 percent of that target growth. This gets you a robust, modern solution that facilitates growth and scales with you.

Because 1 percent of revenue is worth kicking off a 20% growth.

Objection #2: My Buyer鈥檚 Won鈥檛 Use It

Our research shows that your buyers actually prefer to work with brands that have a B2B. 97 percent of retailers are regularly working with 20+ brands and over 5 B2B systems.

It鈥檚 a safe bet that your retailers are ready and willing to jump into a modern B2B system if you give them the chance. But if you’re still worried about buyer adoption, know that it鈥檚 dependent on two factors.

1. How easy-to-use is the platform
2. How will your brand support buyers during onboarding

If you offer up an easily understood and accessed B2B platform with a clearly communicated path to onboarding, then they鈥檒l flock to it.

Objection #3: My Reps Don鈥檛 Want It

It鈥檚 becoming more and more rare that brands are stuck with milk run reps that 诲辞苍鈥檛 want modern, digital tools. But it happens. There are a few things to consider when dealing with this objection.

First, if you use independent reps, they are almost surely already using a B2B, and they鈥檙e ready for your brand to deliver that same experience.

Second, it鈥檚 your brand, and you need to choose what鈥檚 best for it. Get the best tools you can, onboard your reps, and grow your revenue.

Lastly, the best reps want the best tools. Any rep worth their salt is going to jump at the chance to improve their ability to perform, and increase the revenue generated by their accounts.

Part 2: Finding The Right Time To Upgrade

Does this sound familiar? 鈥淲e 诲辞苍鈥檛 have time to implement a new system right now because we鈥檙e so busy getting ready for the season.鈥� The seasonal cycle of the industry can make it tough to find a good time to implement new technology.

If you find yourself in that position, consider these simple questions:

• When won鈥檛 you be too busy for another project?
• Why are you too busy?
• When is the right time to tackle a new system?

Let鈥檚 face it, there is no 鈥減erfect鈥� time. So it鈥檚 not about finding the when, it鈥檚 figuring out the how. Because the truth is, if you 诲辞苍鈥檛 put that new system in place, you鈥檙e not going to be able to keep up.

Use A Phased Approach

You 诲辞苍鈥檛 need to roll out your entire new B2B at once. Begin with smaller goals that won鈥檛 disrupt too much of your business. For example, start by aiming to transition all your reps to digital catalogs, or getting your retailers set up with a content destination like Envoy B2B鈥檚 showroom.

The other way to tackle a phased rollout is to identify your wholesale hurdles, and then use your new B2B system to solve those challenges. For example, if you鈥檙e struggling with manually processed orders, focus on setting up the order tools first. That would then free up all the time you are sinking into those manual orders to tackle the next phase.

Just know that you 诲辞苍鈥檛 have to fire up the whole B2B at once, so be strategic about it.

Let Us Do The Work

Chances are good you鈥檙e an expert in your industry. But you鈥檙e probably not experts in building and implementing a wholesale B2B system.

Luckily, we are. So let us do the work for you.

We take on the bulk of the workload. Provide the right resources, with good data, and we will have you up and running in four to six weeks or faster.

Ask Why You鈥檙e Too Busy

If you take a hard look at why you鈥檙e too busy for a new B2B, you鈥檒l likely find that much of your time is being spent on tasks that a modern B2B system would solve for you. Keying in orders, managing spreadsheets, tracking down metrics, managing your wholesale channels across multiple disconnected systems and processes 鈥� it鈥檚 all eating away at your time.

Sound familiar?

A modern B2B system would solve that. Spending a few weeks to get an effective software solution up and running frees you up to focus on what matters, like actually growing your wholesale channels instead of constantly playing catch up.

Part 3: Prepping Your Brand For A New B2B System

Modernizing your wholesale strategy by adopting a B2B will have a tremendous impact on your business. But you鈥檙e probably anxious about the actual process.

Here are some best practices to get you started.

Start With An Org Chart

First up, create an org chart. Identify all the rolls you need for a successful rollout, and put the right people in those positions.

Ideally, you鈥檒l be setting up three separate roles 鈥� marketing, tech, and project management. While you can put one person in charge of more than one role, it鈥檚 best to avoid that if you can. You want one person per role so they can focus on its specific needs.

Never Stop Communicating

It鈥檚 important that your team stays in constant communication about goals, milestones, progress, and the entire process in general.

Talk early and often with your retailers, reps, and everyone involved. You 诲辞苍鈥檛 want to spring any surprises on your key players. Let retailers know they鈥檒l have to go through onboarding and guide them through it. Inform your reps of how and when they can get educated on the new system.

Every person that is essential to your business, internal and external, needs to be ready to go when you flip that switch.

Create Good Data

Lastly, put in an intentional effort to get all your data ready for your B2B. Too many brands get everything else right, but they go into the upgrade with bad data, and everything screeches to a halt. Put someone in charge of working with your B2B provider to make sure your data matches what they need for a smooth implementation.

Check Out The Other Courses In This Series

The post How to Ensure a Smooth Transition to a Modern Wholesale B2B Platform appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.