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On Supplier Engagement

Keeping your suppliers engaged can be tricky. They may be too busy, or not very interested in engaging with your company. Coming up with new and interesting content can also be difficult. However, in order to keep your suppliers interested in working with your company (apart from being a good client), I would like to give you some recommendations you may want to try.



Social media group

I got this idea from the GALA blog, where the author talked about her experience of using a Facebook group as a way to engage with her company’s suppliers. While working for Webcertain, I took the idea and created a Facebook profile through which suppliers could interact with employees of the company. I posted industry news, company-related news and pictures of company events. It helped boost the company’s brand among our current suppliers and their immediate connections, as well as strengthen the company’s relationship with their suppliers.

Achievement certificates

I absolutely love this idea, and try to implement it everywhere I work. It doesn’t have to be a paper document, but it can be any kind of acknowledgement that lets the supplier know they have stood out from the crowd. The criteria you could apply might be: taken on a lot of work, supplier with the highest quality translations, most reliable supplier, best communicator, quickest response time etc. 
Apart from making someone’s day, this recommendation can also improve competition among suppliers.

Events

Creating an event for suppliers and employees is a great way for both parties to get to know each other better and interact in a different setting. Sometimes, emails can seem cold, and phone calls might be rushed to get the job done. Therefore, an opportunity for PMs and suppliers to mingle outside the office can be just what the company needs. The event can be done in person or online, depending on the attendees’ preferences. It could even be done in the form of a quiz or themed party. Different groups can be strategically created to promote new translators and promising suppliers among the PM team.

Training

Continuous professional development is more important now than ever among translation suppliers. Why not take advantage of it and organise some free training opportunities for suppliers and employees? In addition to learning something new, suppliers will be able to interact with employees and other suppliers. It can also improve the company’s brand and consolidate the suppliers’ positive opinion of the company.

Company updates

One of the best ways to improve engagement among suppliers is to share company news and pictures in a personalised way. Quite often, suppliers don’t feel involved with their clients because they barely know anything about them. They receive emails, do the job and get paid. In order to develop a successful and long-lasting relationship, the company needs to involve all parties in their day-to-day business: employees, clients, suppliers, shareholders etc. This is usually achieved through blogs, newsletters and social media posts, among others.
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