The key to engaging suppliers is very interlinked to issues that Suppliers have in the first place!
So the first thing to do is to understand what your suppliers need.
Do they need a good marketing edge?
Do they need a new product line as the old one is no longer relevant?
Do they want to branch out into a new local or international market?
Do they need a USP (unique selling point) due to increased competition?
Once you can gauge what it is that the suppliers you are working with need it is much easier to engage them.
Sustainability has this incredible ability to be super versatile. It really can be used for all sorts of beneficial angles.
It is resources efficient, innovative, great for PR, popular with stakeholders, clients and customers alike and can be the key to a whole new direction for the business.
Engaging suppliers means rebranding sustainability to suit their needs, fitting the jigsaw puzzle piece into the exact space that is missing.
And not just that, but it needs to come with a supportive tone.
Often with suppliers we use a buyers approach, a ‘they need us more than we need them’ attitude. This kind of attitude doesn’t win friends.
Why not try a different approach?
One that is aligned with the social aspects of sustainability, one that comes from a place of mutual benefit, and collaboration. Finding ways to benefit you both with the relationship and ensuring that all are taken care of within the process.
Social aspects also encourage use of local suppliers (that can often get overlooked), of community engagement (utilising the surrounding environment and people to offer indirect and direct economic benefits or innovative solutions), and also fairtrade and human rights (making sure what you are spending your money on is ethically and morally rooted).
Engagement is not just about benefits, whether that is economically, socially or environmentally….. It is also about the good feels…..
In this day and age, many individuals are feeling unmotivated and overwhelmed by the global issues.
Climate change, carbon emissions, limited resources, fires, droughts, social and political issues.
And everyone has SOMETHING that they care about.
On a personal level, businesses are just bunches of humans, and when you give humans something that they can contribute to, that makes a different to something THEY care about. All sorts of magic happens.
Suppliers can all of a sudden become very cooperative when they can see how what they will do is going to make a positive impact on what they care about.
So think 3 fold, with all supply chain management.
- Understand their needs and match their benefits with sustainability
- Understand their issues and help them navigate the challenges
- Help them to make a difference to something they care about
Oh, and the key piece. Be nice, be supportive. Work with them not above them.
by Gayle Murphy
CEO Global Green Events Ltd
www.facebook.com/globalgreenevents
