In The News

David Sables, CEO, and the Sentinel Team appear regularly on and in various media, commentating and giving insight on industry issues. David is a regular columnist within ‘the Grocer’ magazine, as well as being a contributor to Forbes.

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Let's say you can clearly see that a customer is missing a trick in category. There is a gap in their range for a product that has shown huge incremental category sales where you have introduced it in other customers, say. It's an open goal, a 'no brainier', yet still your buyer is not listening. Often the answer is in the buyer's mindset and this is the secret of how... Read More

Have you noticed the retailers talking about their wonderful supplier relations, just when the new Groceries Code Adjudicator is announced? Funny that. Christine Tacon seems keen to do her bit to ensure fair play in the supply chain. However, I sit in a trusted position among suppliers and I can guarantee that most think invoking GSCOP would be as effective a business strategy as torching their factory! The retailer's obligation... Read More

Twenty five years ago, selling in the grocery industry it was all very relationship dependent. The old lags slapped each others’ backs and told jokes. Then powerful customers became more demanding and relationship went out the window. Smarter sales teams replaced jokes with expertise and insight, and found that they had a new reason to be friends; buyers can’t resist being shown a way to make more money. Subsequently, customers... Read More

Have you ever got to the checkout and been told: “These are on bogof so you can have another one free”? Or have you been notified of deals you were unaware of by the self-scanner? OK, you saved money, and you feel EPIC, but think about it. The businesses funding these promotions have rewarded you for something you were going to do anyway. This costs money. While there will always... Read More

At a recent round or sales training events staged by the IGD, the speaker announced that justifying yourself was weak, and the more you sell the weaker you look. Sorry. That’s wrong. If you are part of a selling organisation you know with every fibre it’s wrong, and all your successes prove It’s wrong. Selling is the fundamental skill of an account manager. Selling is presenting your initiative to the... Read More

The latest round of talk about closer collaboration with suppliers made me smile. Many relationship-hungry suppliers reserve insight and innovation for the Tesco account — only to find disappointment around the corner. Tesco’s behaviour then backfires, as suppliers become cautious and only prepared to tweak a generic category plan. This latest wave of ‘being nice’ fits perfectly with Tesco’s periodical ‘power plays’ and suppliers should be guarded. Oh — but... Read More

OK: you’re running a sales organisation and you think you spend most of your time on the right priorities. Put it to the test, and start with the accounts teams. You may find that 8o% of a national account manager’s time is spent on promotions: proposing and agreeing deals to go on shelf. Many suppliers are running teams of glorified promotion bookers. Afraid they aren’t even doing that well either,... Read More

I have in my hand a piece of paper,” says the CEO, stepping down from the company jet. “During my two-day market tour with Mr Wonderful, the head of Superchain, we have redefined a way of doing business. Our difficulties are a thing of the past.”Sounds great doesn’t it - senior managers from both customer and supplier getting together for a forward-thinking agenda without the presence of the account manager... Read More

As I was gasping for a drink on a red hot summer's day at Alton Towers 12 years ago, a team of samplers came to the rescue with a cold, uniquely packaged juice drink the new Fruit Shoot. I feel for Britvic now the weather finally promises a much needed sales uplift - just as its 'spill-proof' Magicap bottles have been pulled. I'm certain those caps were tested and that the... Read More

It was brilliant. It had a rip-tape case, which saves time stacking shelves. He presented it to the buyer and got: “Yeah, all right, but you should tell the bloke over there.” So he went to the logistics office and explained the genius behind the new boxes: “Nice but whaddaya want me to do? Tell marketing.” So he went higher up, and rang the marketing director’s office to be told:... Read More