The vine tree, the firefly and supplier rejection…
Once upon a time, a vine tree looked old and withered after enduring a powerful storm the night before.
But even though she felt tired and in pain, in her heart, the vine tree knew her best years were still ahead.
However, she had never seen herself in a mirror and couldn’t possibly know the image she portrayed.
One day, a firefly flew by, and the vine tree, gazing at this beautiful creature of amazingly bright colours, fell in love instantly.
Gathering her strength, the vine tree said to the firefly, “you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. Will you marry me?”
But the firefly, disgusted by the vine tree’s appearance, said, “marry you? A withered and plain tree! I will never marry you,” and flew away instantly.
The vine tree had never felt more heartbroken; she felt ugly and worthless.
So deep was her pain that the vine tree burst into flames, and a raging fire instantly covered her from top to bottom.
But instead of dying, she emerged from the fire renewed, fresh and more attractive than ever. Bright and abundant, her leaves moved graciously in the wind, her roots grew more robust, her trunk was taller, and clusters of the most precious grapes hung from her branches.
A few days later, the firefly flew by again, and his eyes couldn’t believe what he saw. Upon looking at the now magnificent vine tree, he, too, fell in love instantly.
The firefly said to the vine tree, “In all my travels, I have never seen a more beautiful creature than you. Will you marry me?”
But the vine tree, knowing the firefly’s love was not sincere, rejected his proposal at once.
Heartbroken, the firefly asked the vine tree, “could you at least tell me how you transformed so beautifully?
The tree said, “I burst into flames, and after a great fire, this is what I became.”
The firefly flew away, and that night, it spotted a fire in the forest and dove straight into it, hoping that he, just like the vine tree, could transform into someone more beautiful too, but all he managed was to burn and lose all his bright colours.
Legend has it that the firefly barely escaped the fire with his life, but he couldn’t shake the last flame off of his tail, and this is why, ever since, all fireflies have a bit of fire on their tails, to remind us never to judge others by their appearance.
******
I must have heard this old folk tale a hundred times as a little girl, and although it carries great truths; later in life, it has also helped me reflect on rejection.
Can rejection be an act of compassion?
If I am not what others need or want, wouldn’t it be an act of great kindness to let me know?
It may hurt at first, it may be an inconvenience, a disappointment, but I am convinced that it saves you time in the long run.
As I reflect on my sourcing and supplier development work, I find it compelling to bring this fable from the realm of fantasies into the supply chain world.
What if the vine tree was a potential client and the firefly a potential supplier?
In real life, every potential client is attractive or at least worth exploring.
But as a supplier looks closer at the client, it may conclude that it is not the right fit for its company.
And reject the request for a quote (RFQ).
I have learnt to welcome respectful and objective rejection with great gratitude, especially when the potential supplier takes the time to explain their reasons.
But what can those reasons be?
Here are some of the most common reasons:
✅ The client is outside the supplier’s primary focus industry:
For example, a supplier of chemicals may have the ingredient you need to produce cosmetics at a great price, but they want to concentrate on serving the food industry. It is always better to get suppliers within your industry; this way; they will be updated with new technologies, compliance and regulations.
✅ The potential client’s volume requirements are too small:
I know this is a pill, but a large supplier may not be able to attend to small clients and provide a good service. In this case, a distributor may be a great option to deliver the goods with excellent service.
✅ The supplier is not able to customize their offer to serve you:
A supplier may have a great price because of its large volume output, and though your order is also significant in volume, its current structure can’t accommodate any customization you require. In this case, it is better to reconsider any customization or find a smaller supplier that can serve your needs for a slightly higher price.
✅ You may not have the proper structure:
For highly specified products and production processes, a supplier may consider that a potential client doesn’t have the proper infrastructure to manage orders or handle the goods, leading to later conflicts they would want to avoid. For example, products requiring measurements, calibration, rigorous transportation and storage conditions, etc. In this situation, try to find a supplier that provides technical assistance or measuring services to help you manage your orders.
✅ Other reasons may also play a role:
For example, financial instability, your company is entering new markets, your product does not yet have a solid position in the market, etc. All these and other reasons may lead a supplier to consider that supplying to your company is a risk and therefore pass your request for quotation.
******
Never waste a chance to learn how you are perceived: Seek to understand why the supplier has rejected your quote request; there may be many other reasons besides those mentioned here. Approach the discussion with the supplier from a place of openness and gratitude for their feedback, so they share honestly.
Rejection can be a true gift.
By: The Ana Lovera Inc and Sourcing Values Editorial Team
P.S. Would you like to connect with Ana and her team and know more about increasing client retention and boosting revenues through Supply Chain Expertise? Here are three resources to get started right away.
- Book a call with Ana and let’s talk about how supply chain has the potential to increase revenues, reduce costs, bring wellness to your team and suppliers and bring efficiency to your business.
- Receive our bi-weekly “Tuesday Talk”, and get supply chain insights and opportunities delivered right to your inbox.
- Connect with Ana’s content on Linkedin: I love to bring valuable supply chain information and news, with good vibes and a bit of humour in every social media content and interaction.
