Regular readers of Better Wholesaling may know I’m a keen rugby follower. I’m afraid I’m still recovering psychologically somewhat after sitting in a pub with a group of Welsh friends watching the England team throw away their advantage over Wales and lose a crunch match in the Rugby World Cup…
I’m sure the England team could now do with a pep talk from Gerald Ratner, who was the keynote speaker at the Today’s Group conference in Monte Carlo last month. As the man who made arguably the most high profile bad decision in history, Ratner explained to wholesalers and suppliers how to use press (even bad press) to your advantage, and how to recover from a fall.
Explaining the magnitude of debt he had accrued after describing his products as ‘crap’, he recalled a time when his bank manager telephoned him soon afterwards. He answered the phone and asked: “Is it about the billion?”. It’s clear his sense of humour is still intact at the very least.
Ratner may have been the headline act at the conference, but his talk was the merely tip of the iceberg. It was a privilege to be there and meet so many decision makers – both wholesalers and suppliers – who were all engaging and learning about each other’s businesses. Seeing the ‘speed-dating’ sessions in action, where suppliers and wholesalers had a series of appointments for 15 or so minutes each, made crystal clear the value of getting face time with the right people.
Here at Better Wholesaling we will be playing our part in the year ahead to make sure the supply chain from supplier to wholesaler links up better than ever before. If there is anything we can help you and your business with, please get in touch.
Tan
PS let’s hope England can show our Australian friends how to play rugby when the two teams meet this weekend. And even if the rugby becomes too painful to watch, there’s always our Beer World Cup to watch instead.
