Do you use rebates to help maintain customer loyalty?

No.
Yes, rebates are a cost of doing business.
Yes, rebates are a key part of our business strategy.

How often do you talk to your customers about the problems they face or the solutions they would value?

Rarely. We know we need to get better about this, but who has the time?
Sometimes. We recognize the importance of these conversations, but we have to prioritize.
Often. These conversations are part of business as usual for us.

Do you focus on value or price?

We focus on whichever gets the job done.
Price.
Value.

My company is...

Slightly relevant to a few trading partners.
Slightly relevant to many trading partners.
Highly relevant to a few trading partners.

Which way of viewing your trading partnerships sounds most like you:

We seem to have trading adversaries, not partners...
Transactional and commoditized.
A true partnership where we work together to achieve our business goals.

How often do you communicate with your trading partners?

Rarely. We barely have time to talk to our peers.
Sometimes. We make time for critical business conversations.
Frequently. We share data through dashboards and regular conversations, whether by email, phone or a video program.

How much do you know about your suppliers’ or buyers’ business goals?

Nothing.
Just enough to get by.
We actively partner together to meet shared goals to everyone’s benefit.

Whose needs do you put first?

We’re scrambling too much to prioritize anyone—even ourselves!
Our needs. If we can’t take care of ourselves, how can we take care of our customers?
We prioritize shared goals: to get the customer what they need, when they need it and at the right price.

How are you managing your inventory?

We hate to say it, but with all the unpredictable lead times, we’re over-ordering just to be safe.
We order what we need and hope for the best.
We work with our trading partners to understand their needs and then produce, order, or stock products as needed to meet those needs.

Our orders are...

Often late, rarely in-full and sometimes damaged.
Usually on time, in-full and without damage.
Never late, always in full and without damage.