LTM 87: Strategies for Successful Vendor Negotiations feat. Martin Heubel

At the end of the year, many vendor negotiations with Amazon are
on the agenda – and these are truly no walk in the park! Because
Amazon, of course, has its own interests in mind – not those of
the brands. But if you go into the talks well prepared, you have
a better chance. Martin Heubel – formerly a vendor manager at
Amazon himself and now an independent Amazon consultant –
explains in this podcast episode with Valerie what is important
in the negotiations.


For example, he reveals who should and should not participate in
the talks and when, which key figures should underlie the talks
and where they can be obtained. He describes the approach and
tricks of vendor managers and reveals specific methods that can
be used to ountert hem.


Newsflash:


-     Shein grew by 68 percent in Europe in 2023,
with sales of 7.86 billion euros.


-     Amazon is starting its Black Week earlier
than usual on November 21.


-     Amazon has adjusted its requirements and
deadlines for products with the Prime logo for the Christmas
season.


Note from the sponsor ChannelEngine:


ChannelEngine is a marketplace technology service provider that
was founded in the Netherlands in 2013. It is now active
throughout Europe, in the USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore and
Dubai. ChannelEngine acts as a marketplace integrator and
provides marketplace middleware: Brands and retailers can use it
to connect to more than 950 different online marketplaces and
social media platforms worldwide. It also offers automated
processes for product listings, product ranges, management and
fulfillment as well as repricing. ChannelEngine thus makes it
easier for its customers to grow faster and more easily on
marketplaces. More information is available here or in our
webinar with ChannelEngine. You will find the record here


Note from the sponsor Taxdoo:


On November 1, the Amazon VAT-compliant service provider Avalara
terminated its contractual relationship with around 30,000
European Amazon sellers. Those affected by this must act
immediately: otherwise, they will certainly fall behind with
their November returns in countries such as Spain, France, Italy
and Poland. So it's time to choose a new provider, for example
the tax tech expert Taxdoo. The good news is that with an
existing ID, the change can actually be made within a few weeks,
and returns for November can still be made. Taxdoo offers a
comprehensive platform for online merchants who have to carry out
legally compliant and efficient Value Added Taxreporting and
accounting - including for marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay or
Zalando. More at Taxdoo or via Jonny Hofberger.


Chapters:


00:00 Introduction


02:55 Amazon continues to clear out vendors


05:55 Annual Review Meetings Overview


10:07 Newsflash


21:33 Strategies for Successful Vendor Negotiations


33:31 Understanding True Costs of Serving Amazon


34:41 Sales Growth and Profitability Metrics


36:06 Market Share and Category Visibility


40:31 Investment Decisions and Co-op Marketing


42:11 Performance Analytics and ROI


44:05 Setting the Agenda for Negotiations


47:27 Escalation Strategies in Negotiations


54:30 Data Sources for Vendor Negotiations