VOW is reflecting on an impressive performance in the most recent batch of industry awards, with the wholesaler hailing the success as a reward for its dealer-first strategy.
VOW marketing director Helen Wade explains, “We believe that if you put all your efforts behind a concerted strategy to create success for your key partners, then recognition will follow. And of course, it’s then great to share the kudos that reflects the efforts of the entire team here at VOW.”
According to Helen, VOW’s day-to-day strategy has three key aims: to improve the experience that dealers have of VOW; to create opportunities for dealers to sell more; and to deliver the innovation that dealers need to operate successfully. Evidence of these ambitions can be found in the stories behind VOW’s awards nominations and wins.
Take the Sheffield Business Awards, where VOW took the Large Business of the Year accolade at the first time of asking. Awards judges reacted positively to a submission that included innovations like VOW’s unique Product Conveyor. The initiative represents a quantum leap for dealer competitiveness, by massively reducing the lead time required to bring new products to market and enabling them to introduce new products as they become available throughout the year.
It was a similar story with the ECMOD Direct Commerce Awards, where VOW scooped the Best Multi-channel Business category. As well as the Product Conveyor, judges were alerted to VOW’s MyMarketing Online Portal, which delivers dealers an innovative email marketing tool, high quality print module and a wide range of materials, including quarterly promotions and awareness campaigns.
In the BOSS Awards, VOW Wholesale Customer Experience Director, Nikki Todd, was a finalist in the Professional of the Year category and was lauded for her transformational strategy to improve the experience for dealers.
Nikki says: “Among the improvements has been combining the sales support and customer service teams into a single hub with more than 50 specialists. The hub now handles all dealer enquiries, by phone or email, from start to finish for a much smoother and effective experience. We’ve also launched a really well-received self-service portal, so that dealers can access delivery tracking, arrange returns, print proof of deliveries and so on to save time and improve efficiency.”
Further recognition for VOW included Debbie Nice, Merchandise Director, earning a place among the finalists at the CRN Women in Channel Awards. Meanwhile, Product Marketing Manager, Scott Castle is a finalist in the Young Executive of the Year section of this spring’s EOPA Awards.
The all-round success has inspired a ‘go again’ awards strategy for VOW in 2019. Helen Wade says: “We’re more determined than ever to stay on track and work closely with our partners, dealers and manufacturers alike, to achieve supply chain efficiencies. It means we’ll continue to be looking at ways to evolve and improve our portfolio and our service offering. If our efforts as individuals and a team are recognised, then that’s the icing on the cake.”
