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BZBTRANSAGTIONS

ShoppingaroundGetting the best outcome in a transactlon is a mutual process, says Jo Macdermott.

t is ftiday aftsnoon and I adnit I amwritiDg this colum beause I am tryingto find something else to do. I shouldactuallybe responding to a pitch forsome graphic desigtr work. This client is

z *,-:1"*1ru::;up calling a mortgage broker

g ( met rjx-ough netvorking t, whoanswered my brief precisely. I also

'shopping around'ard has asked us to submit

a ploposal for an upcomiDg project. But I m

writing nt columD jnstead. . .

No doubt, the cotrcept ofshoppingaround is fmriliar to you, aDd ir is something

I did when I was a narketing manager I do

it nowas abusiness own€l, and I respond

ro briefs from clients who are doing thesame.It's a normal part of everyday businessand for those readers who have shoestring

budgets it is business critical. Over the past

few ye$s, Google and social media tools have

helped ihis process. As individuals or business omers, no loryer do we need to trawlrhrough pdnted alirectories to get names ofcompanies that can suppry us with goods and

services. we have n€w rechnology lrierds to

From a consmer's perspective I do most

of my shopping and comparison online, which

is rnostly drivd via Google search€s. I recddypuichased a walker for my daughtet and I was

able to ind it for up to 40 percent l€ss online.ln times gone by,I would have had to brave

the Tdget toy saie or spend the aft€moon atthe local shopping centre. I am glad timeshave chdged. (Though if )our product is fortime-poor working pdentr, then getting listedhigliy in Google n now lour number one

As a supplier of goods and serr'ic€s, whathappds ifyou ard't.listed highly in Google?Aside from puttilg this on you checldist ofthings to do, it doesnt n€cessarily meo thatyour business won t pi& up new sales, asthe traditional methods ofbusintss are stilt

I recotly shopped aromd online tor ahome loan and found it very ftustrating thatthe sites I used for searching displa)€d resultsthat were powded by spotrored liDk. It tookm€ a few searches b Agure this out, and as

appreciated theywse upftont aboutth€ir comissions, which meant that I

had tull disclosure fron the begiming, ulikethe home loan website. It,is a lesson in givingthe customer what they want.

I have also learned, from being on bothsides ofthe fence (client and suppliei) as welas from a business point of vieq tha! thereare some unwritten rules to follow wh€nshopping around, whether you ae a buyer ora seller. In particdar for B2B, having a qualitybrief will result in a better outcome all roundud wil be a lifeLine to both parties.

A brieJyou say? The irony is that noitbusine$ owne6 skip this step. Are you guilty?Being able to put together a great brief tendsto be an arfurther ihan a science and each onewill be different. Briefs are nsd really {ofnished, but will certainly assist both partiesin the shopping around transaction. If youdon t curendy follow this process, then it istime to consider a change.

If that's the case, the next question is whatdo I indude itr the bieR' To stad with, being

of'] ASllo[srRlfiGlo Maeadnoi i. *e dnttu oJ Ndt Matkenflg. o Melbowne-b6.n Marketins agenE that s?€iolis6 ir outourdd ha*.nng suryan, ga?hn daign anA

endil hd*etihg salutjo8. Loakiflg for na*enng o&ne afld cxt-elft.rie asigb sal*jan? men dnp k d line a! io.ndcdetftatt@ndtna*ctifl&am.ou

DMarkeler

is nonh and )ou !ia). be suryrised reirh

To be f.ir or rllparties, ifyou ft shop-piDg aroun.t, geuirg rno.c rhan thrcc quoksis excessile. I arr .lways lpftont abolt ho$'rnanvqrcles I am seekjng.lt will eDd up b€ingtoo timc coD ming as i bLMr to manage andas a sxpplieL I doDlwasrc time benrg oDe of

The other nntorrart considlrarioD istnning.I received abrlefrhat ha.l a verytighrturnaround, ds the person putri.g ittogerherjust hddn't boihered to consuir the.alendar.Thelalso seltthe b.i€fto me irith anorhe.sutplieis name on it,which wis inrercstingnrfonnation for ,nI bushcss. Yo ur aftdtionto detaills intorant, and you.rctlrationh the rnaLket boih as buyer and seller rrill be

If nothiDg else, \rritiig thorough briefs is agood $'ay to nd.ow down votrr shoptilg lisr.Iurd thjs te.hniqued lotwhcn I rvas i nurkeriDgninager Iwas quitc stecilicinwhar 1$'as

B2B TRANSACTIONS

( ( ln part icular for82B, having a qual i tbr ief wi l l result ina better outcomeal l round and wi l lbe a l i fe l ine to bothpart ies. ))

askin8 for and, as a result, those who djdn'Ltal<e the tnnc io read rhe bLiefwcrc nnabh torespond appro|rjitely. Ir was an ercellenL andelltctnc rvay to weed otrr tcople aDd conrp!nits.lfnothing else. tle old siiiDg of'jurkiD aDd ju* out' apr lics to biefs. The,noretirne and rhought tlr ilto rhem, the befier the

3as specific aspossiblc i. whai ].ou are -looking for islielptul. When I wrile b.iefs,I tendto highlight thelreas i{herencwideasirc \vel.ome rnd note rn)-thing that;noniicgotldble, as Nellas nrknigslre ahdgct cstirnate is incLuded. This.i! betricky, becaus€ jf Fu afe the suppiier vou$,ant |o.harge asmu.h xslossiblcfor ihejob, but N the bL+er you iranl to pay the least.IlI rcconnendatlon tbr this is insfired bvfcalestate. Here aie some budlettitsfiat

.o totalspe.d ilLhis projcct h.s a fertdifferent conpon€nts, you may teclconfortxlle mentjonir8 the cntir€ budget,tsre.iaily if lrore than one suppLier n

pi.e ranges (I lnr.L these quite lielptul)thc buyer alwaF has a range nr mind andthjs maybe a polite r{al of connllni.atiDe

flat Late this is sirilrr to a pdvate snle inrcaleshrei stite irharyou thnn(rhe projecl

lllhc best for,vour ntlt'shopting

EETS BUSI

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