4 Tips for Contract Decorators Working with Promo Distributors
Contract decorators are an indispensable step in the promo supply chain for distributors who order blanks, rely on more complex decoration methods, or use suppliers who don’t offer decoration.
For apparel decorators, though, working with distributors can be a slightly different experience than working directly with end-buyers, if that’s been their historic business model. Whether or not you’ve worked within the promo supply chain before, consider these four pieces of advice to stand out as a decoration vendor.
Meet the Experts
1. The More Information, the Better
Contract decorators know exactly what they need from a buyer to complete a decoration order — and the rule of thumb is definitely the more information, the better, says Andy Shuman, general manager of Rockland Embroidery in Topton, Pennsylvania.
Even if it’s a longstanding distributor/decorator relationship, he adds, it’s always better for the distributor to provide significant detail about the product that’s incoming, and what they want done with it. “Art on file” isn’t a helpful specification in an order if a decorator has fulfilled dozens of orders for that client already, Shuman says — specifying the previous purchase order to pull from goes a long way, for example.
That desire for information, though, goes both ways. Rebecca Abramovich, vendor relations and account manager at distributorship Atlanta-based Swag Promo, says she likes to receive a comprehensive confirmation from a decorator upon the receipt of product — notification not simply that the shipment has arrived at the facility, but a breakdown of exactly what the decorator has received (including style numbers, sizes, quantities, and colors), what artwork is going on the pieces, and the shipping location the order will head out to upon completion.
Similarly, Kelly Moore, owner of St. Petersburg, Florida-based distributor Moore Promotions, is a fan of detailed proofs that include the product image and also confirm any PMS colors, the decoration size, and other key details.
With decoration facilities especially, communication — and “double checks” — are so essential because product can’t be returned once it’s been decorated.
“At that point, I think it becomes very similar to a process that you’d have with any supplier,” says Shuman. “Here’s what we’ve put together, and this is what we’re going to do. Yay or nay?”
2. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
The need for effective communication extends, too, to any deviation from the original purchase order. The client might have originally asked for a left chest embroidered polo, but if it turns out that the Nike swoosh is already in that spot on the shirt, for example, that might prompt a pivot to a new location.
In those cases, it’s almost always best to confirm with the distributor what to do, says Abramovich. You can provide guidance on the best way to approach the problem, of course, as the resident decoration expert — but everyone knows what happens when you assume.
“Don’t do something without asking,” says Abramovich. “Don’t just assume that this is what the customer is going to want, because then once you decorate it, it can’t be returned.”
Probably the most important thing to communicate? Changes to order timing. Distributors need to trust that the order will get done on time when they work with you, especially considering how much promo is used for events.
New technologies — like integration between a distributor’s back-end order system (like a company store) and a decorator’s order processing system — can help make the ordering process easier, particularly if there’s a distributor you work with frequently.
But even the best automation systems aren’t a true substitute for a person-to-person check-in. Shuman suggests still sending order-specific confirmations, or, if a distributor doesn’t feel the need, quarterly reports to ensure things are running smoothly.
“Technology is phenomenal,” Shuman says. “It can really help the process — but it will not replace the need for communication.”
3. Keep an Eye on Shipping
Working with a decorator, as opposed to a supplier that also decorates, requires another leg in the process — meaning that more time needs to be built in for shipping from the supplier’s warehouse to the decoration facility, and then from the decoration facility to the end-buyer.
That’s another reason why decorators gathering as much information as possible is so essential. Say there’s an order for polo shirts that needs a two-day quick turnaround at Rockland’s Pennsylvania decoration facility, says Shuman. If the shirts are coming from a warehouse in New Jersey, it shouldn’t be a problem — but if they’re shipping from a facility in California, they likely won’t arrive in time to get the order done.
“There’s a lot of hands in the pot here,” he says, “and all that information is required on both sides to get the order where it needs to be in time.”
Moore still prefers to work with local decorators, for example, so she can drop off inventory she has on hand or pick up orders directly once they’re completed.
But Abramovich says programs like SanMar’s “Pay Separate, Ship Together” (PSST) or S&S Activewear’s Contract Decorator Network have been a game changer for distributors and decorators alike, allowing for big savings on freight costs for both parties. PSST, for example, allows all the shipments headed to a particular decorator’s facility on a particular day to be packaged together, regardless of how many individual orders — or distributor partners — make up the shipment.
Decorators must opt in to the programs, of course, and it can be a significant investment on their part. But it could be worth looking into for decorators that frequently work with distributors or handle blanks from large industry apparel suppliers.
“I wish they had had that program a long time ago,” Abramovich says. “Decorators can communicate directly with the supplier if something comes in, and it’s not right, or if it’s damaged. Half the time, we don’t even know about it — they can just communicate directly with them and get a replacement.”
4. Learn Your Distributors’ Process, and Show Off Your Own
Shuman says that when working with a new distributor for the first time, it’s helpful for both parties to have a quick call about how each other’s process works — learning what purchase orders will look like and who’s the best point of contact, for example.
But generally, he finds, distributors are extremely knowledgeable in providing the details he needs to successfully fulfill an order — and more importantly, navigating relationships and communication with end-buyers. The biggest difference between working with primarily distributors, Shuman says, is the customer service needed on his end. If he worked with more end-buyers directly, he’d need to multiply his customer service staff a few times over to account for additional time spent working through what the client actually wants.
“The distributor’s strength in the process is gathering that information (from the end-buyer),” he says. “There’s a much higher service level — they know what they need to get you to get the job done.”
What helps that process move even faster is if distributors have knowledge of the decoration process. Abramovich recommends all distributors pay a visit to a decoration facility so that they, then, can explain to clients how the process works — why certain price add-ons are necessary, or why a certain decoration method won’t work on a particular product.
And distributors value decorator expertise that extends beyond those initial learning conversations. Moore relies on advice from decorators if she gets a customer request that she doesn’t know the best way to handle. Abramovich says passing along knowledge about what will and won’t work in the time a decorator has with a client’s items is always welcome.
“Experience, expertise, and communication are the top three things,” Abramovich says. “If you don’t have those, it doesn’t matter how cheap you are, because if you can’t get it done, then I can’t use you.”