What do your clients really want?

I went to the Anaheim SupplyExpo West convention this past week, and hit up as many people as possible with the same question:

What’s the most important criteria when you’re choosing a supplier?

Almost everyone had the same answer. A tiny handful mentioned price, and in the case of ingredients it was important to have lab-verified data. But above all, the overwhelming need among all of your suppliers is a way to appeal to consumers.

“But we just supply the raw materials.”

If you’re in the B2B sector, you have a big advantage that you might not be aware of yet. Most of your rivals are selling on price, lab data, or other quantifiable criteria.

But the leaders are already thinking of their products in a whole new way. Beyond the powders, extracts, or contract manufacturing services you deliver, there is a real human being who is going to consume the end product.

If you have something exceptional to offer this end user, you’ll get better consideration from your buyers.

For example, many large nutraceutical companies have already trademarked the name of their specific brand, such as Cyanotech’s BioAstin ™. Some have even published books or run radio ads to educate consumers.

But most companies have missed this opportunity so far, and if you can beat them to the punch you’ll get more contracts at higher rates in a shorter time.

How to Cater to Consumers

As I walked the floor of the trade show in Anaheim, I got to sample a lot of tasty functional foods with a ubiquitous warning on the labels: “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, wheat, and eggs.”

If you have facilities that don’t process these allergenic substances, or you have an ingredient that doesn’t need to carry this caveat, you’ll have the attention of a strong niche of clients.

If there’s anything you can do to differentiate yourself for consumers, you gain an automatic advantage. And differentiation isn’t really that hard.

You can almost just pick a category such as parents, cyclists, people with GERD, or cancer survivors. Then run an inexpensive marketing and PR campaign about the ways you serve this niche (you might even be able to work this into your current plan with little cost or effort.)

The keynote speaker at the Anaheim convention, Phil Lempert, talked extensively about consumer trends. You can argue with his conclusions, but you can’t escape some obvious facts that are charging at you like a great lumbering elephant.

There’s a growing, global class of consumers with more money to spend than ever before, more choices than ever before, and more access to information than ever before. The opportunities and challenges are staggering. Find a way to help your clients serve this hungry mass.

This is a powerful, underutilized tactic. If you can do it, you’ll make it to the short list for your most important buyers.