Vendor Managers change positions every 13.5 months on average.

The result?

❌ High turnover and fragile supplier relationships.

Amazon buyers don't have incentives to build deep ties with their accounts.

And once they move positions, their successor will have to start from scratch.

This complicates the execution of commercial agreements, as the new buyer has little prior knowledge and may be overcautious to avoid making financial mistakes.

So what can brands do?

✅ Two things:

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.

This allows you to have a written track record of what has been said and agreed. And avoids you being at the mercy of your new VM’s should your buyer suddenly change.

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀.

If you don't know the manager of your buyer, ensure you get an introductory meeting booked with them.

The fast-paced environment in which Amazon buyers operate puts vendors in charge of managing the relationship.

After all, hoping that your new buyer will be around longer than the previous one is a gamble that will harm your P&L.

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How are you managing the high turnover of Vendor Managers in your business?

Let me know in the comments!