Here at Nastah, we have been supplying clients with rubber gloves for years now and we’ve seen it all along the journey.
Every client interacts differently, and it’s been an interesting case study to see how business relationships can vary so widely and how this affects the success of the partnership.
As a supplier ourselves, we understand this better than most and so we thought we would share some insights about how to do this right, so that you can ensure reliable, competent, and timely service from a supplier that is overseas.
Build an actual relationship
The first principle here is to move beyond a merely transactional arrangement and actually try to build a genuine relationship with your overseas supplier.
Humans like dealing with other humans and anything you can do to build rapport and relate to one another will make the whole process smoother and will give the goodwill you need in difficult times.
With rubber gloves, for example, some companies purely see them as a commodity and so they will hop between suppliers depending on price, without any regard for the companies they are working with.
This may unlock some small short-term savings, but these clients end up shooting themselves in the foot because when they have an urgent request or a problem in the process – they don’t have the sort of relationship with a supplier to be able to address it properly. It has to be a two-way thing.
Clarify expectations
When you’re dealing with an overseas supplier that is in a different country and speaks a different language – miscommunication can be a real challenge.
The onus is on both parties to do all they can to be clear and upfront about their expectations and what they are looking for. If you are vague, you’re going to run into trouble.
However, if you make the effort to ensure that you’re both on the same page, it will be a very smooth process all around. We’ve certainly seen that here at Nastah.
Pay your suppliers on time
This is a sticky point, but one that should be talked about more. Timely payments are the lifeblood of any business and if you’re not treating your overseas supplier with respect and you’re delaying payments unnecessarily, you’re only hurting yourself.
The sustainability of that relationship and that business relies on your patronage. By paying on time, every time, you solidify that, and it will be of huge benefit for you moving forward.
Share your longer-term roadmap
Ideally, you’re building long-term partnerships with your overseas suppliers so it makes a lot of sense to share your roadmap and growth potential with them so that you can be proactive, rather than reactive.
If an overseas supplier is aware of increased order sizes on the horizon, they are much better prepared to be able to serve that demand when it comes. At Nastah, we are proud to partner with our clients and be a part of their long-term journey.
We want to walk the road with them, celebrating their successes, and commiserating after their losses. But this can only happen if you share those details, otherwise your suppliers will forever be in reaction mode.
Conclusion
Those are just a few of the principles that can vastly improve your relationships with overseas suppliers. When a client of ours stays true to these, then there is a long, happy road ahead of us.
Speaking of, if you are in the market for rubber gloves and would like to build a relationship with an overseas supplier that will walk the path with you, please do get in touch! We’d love to hear from you.
