Building Lasting Equity with Your Buyer

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Think about all the relationships in your life…… with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. But if you’re in account management, your relationship with your buyer ranks pretty high on the relationship list. It can make a huge difference to your business success as well as your personal happiness.

We’d all like that relationship to be a strong one. But it’s tough. As much as your senior leadership would love for it to be so, your buyer will never buy everything your throw in front of them. Plus, you’re surely not going to be able to give them everything they want. There will be negotiations, tension, issues and obstacles. You’re probably not going to be skipping through fields of daisies holding hands.

So what’s the best you can hope for? To me, that’s building meaningful, last equity with my buyer…….. to become their partner of choice. That may seem like a tall order and it certainly doesn’t happen overnight. But it is doable…….. you just have to be diligent in following some guiding principles.

Having sat on both sides of the buying desk, I feel like I have a unique perspective that I’d like to share with you.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Ben Milam has spent 35 years in the CPG industry and has the unique business perspective gained from successfully operating on both sides of the buying desk.

Ben spent 20 years with Mars Inc., mainly managing large national accounts like Walmart and Sam’s Club, but also in headquarters roles including sales operations and strategy.

Leaving Mars in 2010, Ben joined Sam’s Club, buying key categories including Petcare, Laundry/Homecare, and Commercial Bakery.

Ben would eventually serve as the Director of Merchandise Strategy and Supplier Collaboration for Sam’s Club.

Ben left Sams Club in 2022, in order to return to his roots on the supplier side of the business, and is now Director of Sales for Walmart and Sam’s Club at Heartland Food Products Group.

Ben advises and mentors the leaders of supplier teams who need help with:

– Sales strategy
– Account management
– Effective Selling Presentations
– Category Analysis
– Channel Management
– Negotiation
– New Supplier Development
– Item launches