Finding the perfect buyers for selling the bulk of available goods and services is difficult. Today, wholesale distributors need to elevate their business strategies by implementing various relevant promotional tactics.
Be it the use of technology or catering to changing consumer preferences, wholesalers need to offer top-notch products and services.
With the rise in e-commerce, even individual retailers are competing against established suppliers. So, is there a way to tackle all these challenges and increase sales in your wholesale business?
Well, there are multiple ways to increase orders and capitalize on the retail industry. This blog puts forth ten simple yet effective strategies to ace B2B wholesale business distribution.
Table of Contents
1. Offer Enticing Deals
Businesses can plan profitable deals to find retailers for selling relevant products in bulk.
Here are some suggestions to pitch deals in the wholesale distribution channels:
- Daily/Weekly/Monthly special offers
- Exclusive savings for the retail trade industry
- Additional wholesale discount
Retailers who buy in bulk for the first time will most likely return for another bulk purchase order.
Source: Smile.io
In fact, special deals can build client relationships that improve the chance of customers returning for purchase by 27%.
2. Invest in a Good Delivery System
Building a brand reputation develops credibility, ensuring that retailers buy products repetitively. For this purpose, wholesale distributors need to implement different enhancements in their business.
A prompt delivery system can become integral to efficient wholesale business distribution.
Source: G2
Here are some of the crucial parameters:
- Quick delivery of goods
- Shipping process regulation
- Real-time tracking of product delivery
- Record of travel data
- Forecast sale feature
So, along with implementing effective B2B marketing tactics, a wholesale distribution business should also focus on building a fluent delivery system.
3. Offer Remarkable Customer Service
Be it B2B or B2C segments, treating clients professionally is of utmost significance. Prioritizing consumer needs can help increase sales in your wholesale business effectively.
Source: Replyco
Gestures like attention, friendliness, and catering to customer needs can help build fruitful relationships. As a result, businesses do not need to find retailers after a specific duration.
Good word-of-mouth can also prove helpful in attracting new prospects.
4. Streamline the Functional Processes
B2B wholesale distributors are suppliers who have to cater to a professional audience. Hence, such companies expect efficient operations from their vendors.
Source: Analytix Accounting
Here are some ways to streamline and standardize the wholesale business operations:
- Organize records and pay attention to bookkeeping
- Communicate transparently with the stakeholders
- Improve supply chain management
- Integrate aspects like finance, logistics, and shipping
All these steps can help in improving your productivity. Later, wholesalers can leverage a reliable retail industry contact list to generate profitable leads.
5. Plan Effective Marketing Strategies
Digital marketing has become crucial to boost sales in any business sector. Be it developing email campaigns or offering freebies; several promotional tactics can, indeed, help wholesalers.
For generating high ROI, wholesale distributors need to follow a well-structured process:
- Formulate a planned strategy
- Research of target audience, in this case, the retailers
- Planning of marketing strategies
- Innovate in terms of promotional strategies
- Analyze the consumer response
Source: Excell Design & Marketing
This way, suppliers can reach various stakeholders in the retail trade industry. Notably, the increased visibility will directly positively impact sales.
6. Develop a Smart Referral Program
Buyers of wholesale businesses have their own connections. So, an organization can build wholesale business distribution by capitalizing on this vast network.
A smart referral program should entice retailers into purchasing products in bulk. For instance, distributors can offer additional discounts to buyers after they reach a specific referral count.
On the contrary, wholesale distributors can also offer incentives or rewards depending on their type of product.
Source: CR Solutions
CR Solutions is a wrap-up management strategy company with a well-structured referral program. This organization offers a monetary reward to its clients after each successful referral.
On the same lines, suppliers can develop their own customized referral programs. This way, businesses can save time to find retailers and witness an increase in their sales.
7. Optimize Your Website
In most cases, wholesale distributors can neglect the significance of a well-functioning website. With over six billion smartphone users, consumers will mostly explore businesses online.
Hence, retailers, as well as wholesalers, need to pay equal attention to strengthening their online presence. Developing a user-friendly and SEO-centric website is the first step in this process.
Source: Reliablesoft.net
Even wholesale businesses can focus on creating an alluring website to increase their sales. Here are the crucial aspects to consider during this process:
- Core web vitals
- Site structure
- Technical SEO errors
- Relevant content
- Pillar pages
- Schema markup
- High-quality images
- Content repurposing
In addition, it is vital to ensure that the website is compatible with smartphones. After all, browsing the internet is more convenient on mobile phones.
Such an optimized website can effectively increase sales in your wholesale business.
8. Focus on Prompt Client Support
Distributors need to pay equal attention to different aspects as follows:
- Inventory management
- Logistics
- Supply chain
- Storage
- Accounting
- Lead generation
In addition to these facets, replacement policy proves vital for any wholesale distribution business.
Source: Thirdock Techkno
Today, offering crucial support to retailers is not limited to a single channel. Wholesale distributors need to leverage various platforms and solve multiple queries.
9. Mistakes to Avoid in a Wholesale Business
Distributors often plan about the things to pursue to improve profits. Still, it is equally vital to avoid certain mistakes.
Here are the aspects that can hamper a wholesale company’s sales and growth:
- Investing in excessive and unnecessary purchases
- Failing to negotiate with suppliers
- Inefficient delivery process
- Failing to focus on service
- Performing manual operations
- Neglecting the utility of technology
A wholesale distribution business must pay close attention to these aspects. Taking preventive measures to prevent such mistakes can help develop a business at a faster rate.
10. Run Product Pricing Evaluation Cycles
Source: ProductPlan
The above image mentions steps involved in determining right or value-based product pricing.
One area that many wholesalers struggle with in their wholesale distribution business is product pricing. If you do, too, start with your competitors – see what prices your customers are willing to pay for similar products.
This will help you decide on a price range. Based on the order size, you can increase or decrease the price. For instance – If a retailer orders 100 units of a product tagged at $40, you can further lower the cost to $36 if they place an order for 1000 units.
Follow the same principle in the case of a brick-and-mortar – compare with your competitors and develop product pricing strategies accordingly. Review pricing once every few months to stay ahead of the competition.
In a Nutshell
Wholesale business distribution involves proper planning of inventory and supply chain. However, suppliers should focus on generating effective leads after considering all the internal aspects.
In addition to digital marketing, wholesalers can implement different strategies to boost sales. Some evergreen tactics include referral programs, discounts, and a sound delivery system.
Wholesale distributors should also focus on building an efficient website and plan smart deadlines to attract prospects. Combining offline and online strategies will most likely offer the desired results. This way, it is possible to build brand identity, reach a wider audience, and boost sales.
Leveraging technology and partnering with expert lead generation vendors can also prove effective for wholesalers.
