How Do Promo Distributors Manage the Q4 Busy Season?

How do top promo distributors plan for the Q4 busy season?

That’s one of the questions Facilisgroup asked several promotional products distributors.

The answer is found within the question itself.

Joe Brown, CEO of HF Custom Solutions, shared his experience. “What makes Q4 even more challenging is the higher volume of stuff you’re working through and deadlines that you have to meet,” said Brown. He stated that during Q4, deadlines aren’t as flexible as they typically would be earlier in the year. “Deadlines sneak up on people. They think of Christmas and New Year’s as being at the end of December, but the reality is that most things need to be delivered in early December. So, they need to be ordered in November. You have to get ideas to people in October,” said Brown.

So, getting ideas in front of clients earlier is important, but following up on those ideas and confirming decisions is even more important. Those decisions must be made by the end of October, or early November at the latest.

He also pointed out potential shipping delays with UPS and FedEx that could occur due to a higher volume of orders, holiday events, and seasonal promotions during this time of year.

When factoring in the potential for shipping delays, another challenge that’s become increasingly common over the past several years is drop shipping items to individuals. Oftentimes, when items are being ordered as gifts, they aren’t being ordered in bulk, and they’re being sent directly to those individuals’ homes, so that’s something to consider.

“You have to be patient. You have to be understanding of the situation and be creative in your problem-solving.” – Joe Brown, CEO, HF Custom Solutions

Patience and creativity help, but planning is the key to it all.

When asked the same question, Amanda Clay, Co-CEO of Walker Clay, said: “A lot of it is planning ahead. Using opportunities to get ahead of anything that’s coming up for Q4. We start that as early as August. Putting together holiday gifts. Knowing who has holiday gifting programs available. Using the system to prepare for it and start the follow-up process as soon as we can. Earlier is better.”

She pointed out the importance of clearly communicating timelines to clients, especially during the busy season. As an example, she cited a graphic she recently saw displayed at Charles River Apparel: “If you want to choose your item, you have to pick it by Halloween, otherwise it gets scary,” due to potential inventory issues and timelines.

As things begin to pick up, suppliers’ turnaround times may change, and this is something that needs to be communicated to the client. So, having a good relationship with your supplier is essential. Staying ahead of those changes comes down to one thing, planning.

“The greatest way to overcome adversity that comes along with the busy season of Q4 is planning,” said Josh King, CEO of You Name It Specialties.

Thinking back on challenges that you faced in the past and developing an action plan helps you stay better prepared for those that may present themselves in the future, and it’s one of the best ways to reduce the stress of Q4.

Syncore, for example, gives you the ability to look back at historical data from the previous busy season, which can help you map out your plan of attack.

“The Syncore platform gives us the ability to understand and report back on when a client placed a holiday order, and look back at the historical data,” said King. Being able to utilize that information allows you to be proactive, get ahead of demand, have an understanding of what’s coming and plan for it.

Here are a few questions to ask:

• Was there an influx of orders that came in at the same time?
• When did your clients begin placing holiday orders?
• What products did the orders consist of?
• Were there hiccups along the way?

Once you identify these answers, you can proactively reach out to your clients and plan with them to achieve the best possible outcome.

What happens when unexpected things occur, and where does Syncore fit into the planning process?

Promo distributors don’t just provide products; they provide a service. That means owning the logistics for the client. Strong supplier relationships make that possible. Those relationships allow distributors to take responsibility when things go wrong, whether it’s acknowledging an error on their end or finding a solution to move things forward.

Clay emphasized the ability to count on your suppliers during this busy time of the year is especially important to success. Her advice: “The biggest thing is to stay organized and know your preferred vendors.”

“Trying to think of ways to make things easier for the client. Then think outside the box. Trying to have solutions for the client that may be unorthodox when needed,” said Clay.

Creative problem-solving under pressure is a skill, but it’s easier when you’re prepared.

When unexpected things come up, and they will, whether it’s shipping delays or out-of-stock products, the best way to solve them is through communication. Ideally, proactive communication.

“What’s nice about the tools that we have at our disposal, Syncore especially, is that we have the ability to manage multiple orders and transactions at the same time and proactively reach out to the client and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got a challenge,’” said King.

When you reach out proactively, you have more time to work with in the event that other issues arise. Even an extra couple of weeks makes a difference.

“Being proactive and being able to provide the information ahead of the problem.” – Josh King, CEO, You Name It Specialties

To that point, Brown pointed out two key benefits of Syncore during Q4: historical data and deadline tracking.

When discussing how Facilisgroup and Syncore have made it easier for his company to successfully navigate the busy season, he noted that Syncore shows when quotes and proposals went out: “You can go back to previous years and see what they ordered and when they ordered it. When we sent quotes and proposals. When we created the opportunity. All that you can look back on and say, ‘Hey, at this time last year, we started this process,’ so I think that’s really helpful,” said Brown.

Even without historical data, Syncore keeps deadlines on track. “If you don’t have that data, it’s still nice because the system still allows you to make sure that deadlines are met,” explained Brown. The ability to flag critical in-hands dates on orders ensures your customer service team and suppliers are aware an order must be delivered to a client by a specified date. “All of that is easily trackable within the system. Those are the two really big benefits at this time of year. You can make sure things are delivered on time, and the thing that we can control in all of this is our communication. Syncore allows us to communicate well with our customers,” he added.

“With planning and preparation ahead of time, consistency of the follow-up, and creative troubleshooting when things go wrong, you’ll navigate the busy season well,” said Brown.

Each of the three promo distributors featured above had a different approach to conquering the Q4 busy season, but they all agreed on a few things: communication is key, proactive planning is a must, and looking back at past client data makes it all easier.

The orders are coming. The question is: are you ready for them?