Maximizing Attendance at LPG Meetings:
A Strategic Guide

Attending LPG meetings offers a valuable opportunity for distributors to strengthen vendor relationships, address business challenges and negotiate better deals. To fully capitalize on these benefits, however, careful preparation, proactive follow-up and a strategic approach to engaging with both vendors and internal teams are essential.

Amelia Kittson, who was recently promoted to president at KIE Supply Corp. following her father Gus’s retirement on February 28 (he will now serve as chairman of the board), shares her approach to making the most of these events. Kittson, also an LPG board member, is known for her exceptional level of preparation.

Peter Ollestad, director of business development at LPG, remarked, “I have never met any showroom member as prepared for a conference as Amelia.”

Pre-Meeting Preparation: Organizing Your Information

The key to a successful LPG meeting is preparation. Before attending, take the time to compile and document all necessary information. This will ensure that you’re ready to make the most of each 15-minute meeting slot, allowing for focused and efficient conversations. Here’s what you should gather:

1. Review Year-over-Year (YOY) Purchase Data

Current Year (CY) Purchase $ vs. Last Year (LY) Purchase $: Track trends in purchases and identify areas where performance has improved or declined. Comments on Trends: Understand the reasons behind any significant changes, whether positive or negative, and prepare to discuss these with your vendors.

2. List Open Purchase Orders and Backordered Items Backorders:

Track backordered items and PO dates. If there are recurring backorder issues with specific SKUs, make a note of these and be prepared to address them with the vendor.

Purchase Order Details: Download relevant documents, like PDFs of open POs, which you can share with the vendor during the meeting to facilitate quicker discussions.

3. Track Vendor Visits

Rep Visits: Keep track of how many times each vendor rep has called on your company over the past year, including specific dates and locations. An assistant can help with this, providing a spreadsheet sorted by agency/vendor.

Rep Expectations: Ensure that every vendor rep understands your company’s expectations for visits, including specific locations that need attention. Bring copies of your Rep Expectations Form to distribute during the meeting.

4. Co-op Funding and Marketing Support

Co-op Funds: Document how co-op funds have been used. Include photos or notes on the specific event or items they were applied to, which you can discuss with vendors to ensure that funds are being utilized effectively.

5. Solicit Internal Feedback

Feedback from Internal Teams: Reach out to departments like Receiving, Accounts Payable, Returns/ Defectives and Marketing. Ask for feedback on vendors attending the meeting, ensuring you capture both positive and negative comments (“the good, the bad and the ugly”).

Action Items: If any feedback raises further questions or concerns, ensure you have time to follow up before the meeting.

6. Meet with Your Buyers and Sales Managers

Vendor Discussions: Before attending the meeting, sit down with your buyers and sales manager to review each vendor, discussing any significant changes in purchasing patterns (up or down) and any action items that need to be addressed.

Prepare Your Questions: Write down any questions or concerns you want to address during the meeting. It’s essential to bring a structured list to avoid missing important issues during the fast-paced, 15-minute “speed dating” format of the meeting.

During the Meeting: Stay Focused and Efficient

The LPG meetings are designed to be efficient, with each vendor meeting lasting only 15 minutes. This time pressure means that staying organized is crucial. Here are strategies for making the most of these brief encounters:

1. Use a Binder or Digital Notes for Reference

Stay Organized: Whether you prefer paper or digital, keep all your notes and questions readily accessible. Use a binder or well-organized digital documentation to track each vendor’s details, including key purchase data, backorder issues and internal feedback.

Take Detailed Notes: During the meeting, document key points under each vendor. Use a color-coding system to highlight areas that need follow-up.

2. Stay on Track with a Structured Agenda

Ask Focused Questions: Keep the conversation centered on your key priorities—backorder issues, pricing negotiations and any discrepancies you’ve noticed. Make sure to take notes on all the vendor responses.

Record Actionable Items: Identify clear action items that will lead to tangible outcomes, whether that’s resolving backorders, adjusting pricing or securing better support from the vendor.

3. Leverage Networking Opportunities

Workshops and Peer Interaction: LPG also offers workshops and networking sessions. Use these to meet peers from other regions or distributors facing similar challenges. These connections can provide valuable insights on how they are addressing common industry issues.

Post-Meeting Follow-up: Ensuring Accountability

1. Organize Meeting Notes

Send Notes to Internal Teams: Immediately after the meetings, compile your notes and share them with your internal team. Ensure that each person knows which action items they are responsible for based on the highlights you’ve color-coded.

Send Follow-ups to Vendors: If any issues were raised that require further action or documentation from the vendor (such as open PO statuses or pricing discussions), email them promptly with the necessary details.

2. Schedule Follow-up Meetings

Sit Down with Buyers and Sales Managers: After the LPG event, meet again with your buyers and sales manager to review the meeting outcomes, discuss which issues have been resolved and strategize next steps for unresolved matters.

Additional Tips for Maximizing LPG Meetings

Pre-Schedule One-on-Ones: If possible, arrange one-on-one meetings with key vendors ahead of time to ensure you get undivided attention. This is especially helpful for vendors where there are specific, high-priority items that need resolution.

Plan for Efficiency: Make sure everyone on your team is aligned on key objectives for the meetings, including which vendors to prioritize and what questions need to be addressed. The more focused and prepared you are, the more efficient the meetings will be.

Bring Backup Materials: Carry physical copies of the Rep Expectations Form and any important documents (such as a KIE Supply Fast Facts sheet) to share with new vendors or reps you meet.

“I bring 20 copies of the Rep Expectations Form, so that I can hand it to any reps who may need to remind their agency of our expectations. I also give this to every rep who visits our locations, so everyone is on the same page. It also has all of our profit center manager contact info at the bottom, so there is really no excuse for not calling on all of our locations,” said Kittson. “I keep a simple laminated copy of KIE Supply Fast Facts on hand and as a pdf ready to show any new vendors we are meeting with. It helps them understand the scope and geographic spread of our company at a glance.”

The ROI of Preparation

Maximizing your attendance at LPG meetings is all about preparation, organization and follow-up. By systematically collecting and documenting key information before the event, staying focused during the meeting and ensuring thorough follow-up afterward, you can make the most of your time and resources. With a clear strategy in place, these meetings will deliver significant ROI, solving problems, securing better pricing and strengthening vendor relationships.

“At KIE Supply, we believe that preparation is key to success,” Kittson said. “By taking a comprehensive, data-driven approach to each LPG meeting, we can ensure that every interaction is productive and actionable, ultimately driving our business forward.”