Suppliers to Australian newsagents often complain at the difficult at achieving compliance, traction, engagement, cut through – call it what you will. As a newsagent (through my software company) and a newsagent I see both sides of such communication. In a typical week an average newsagent receives more than 120 communications requiring some form of considered response. I do not include advertising flyers, invoices or statements in this list. No, these communications are phone calls, emails, faxes and letters asking for data or some in store action in relation to a product. While most are a necessary part of business there is a certain overlap which causes newsagents to duplicate effort. Further, being small businesses, newsagencies rarely have the manpower necessary to allow for delegation.
Having considered a full week of communication I suggest that suppliers could boost their ‘cut through’ by making communication simpler, provide context for the action requested, don’t over explain and focus on the payoff for the newsagent as a result of compliance.
I’d also like suppliers to work together on streamlining such communication – delivering this through a single channel rather than today’s complex and duplicated approach. Doing this would reduce time involved and free newsagents up for compliance activity.
I’m speaking from personal experience here. We achieve rapid compliance across 1,100 newsagents with software updates by following the newsagent communication guidelines noted above.
Some newsagents will not take notice of action requests no matter how efficient or clear they are and these are being left behind by others.