This week on 2 Regular Guys, Aaron interviews Terry about one of the most common tension points in any decorated apparel business: the relationship between Sales and Production. Sales wants to keep customers happy, Production wants to keep the schedule realistic, and somewhere in the middle is a team trying to get quality work out the door on time. Terry has lived on both sides of this conversation, so he’ll share practical ways shops can reduce finger-pointing, improve communication, and build a culture where Sales and Production stop battling each other and start working like one team.

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News

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https://youtu.be/nb4ZVWy5LW8

Dad Joke

Terry: I was driving past a cemetery this morning and saw a man walking around. I shouted, “Morning!”

He replied, “No, just walking the dog.”

Morning – Mourning – Cemetery

Production versus Sales

Aaron: Terry, you’ve lived on both sides of this street. I’m going to guess from the title: Production vs Sales. Can’t we all just be friends… There are issues between these departments. What are some of the conflicts you’ve seen?

One big rift forms because many times production is in the building every day, but many times sales reps are working outside the facility. Sometimes entirely remote. There’s little to no face-to-face interaction.

Production says:

They don’t have a clue what we do here.
Sales is always trying to push orders through and turn the schedule upside down.
We’re working overtime on Saturdays to take care of their rush orders while the Sales team is playing golf.
I’ve never seen those people sweat!
They hate us.

Aaron: How about Sales? What’s their version of this story?

Sales says:

They hate us.

They don’t have a clue what we do here.

Sometimes we all need to jump through hoops to keep customers happy.

Sales should control the production schedule since we live in the sales trenches and know what should go next.

Production just follows the list without understanding priorities.

Aaron: I’m gonna guess you don’t think Sales should control the production schedule.

Cut pieces for boxer shorts and the giant schedule

Aaron: You’ve talked about sales and the production schedule before. What’s the solution you came up with to make everyone basically happy?

EPT and the Sales Dept’s part of that

Aaron: Well, you’ve lived this; what do you do about it?

Regular communication… communication… communication

Aaron: You have to have an example of a lack of communication.

The combo 72-piece order promotion

Aaron: What are some other ideas for a happy workplace?

Everyone start working and acting like a team. This doesn’t mean one side or the other “gives in”.
Sales spend a day or two in Production. Production staff make onsite visits with Sales.
- QC supervisor traveling with a sales rep. We’ve been telling Purchasing to stop buying from you because we have to refold the shirts.
Buy pizza and invite Sales and Production – What would make this relationship better? Go around the room.

We’re all working toward the same goal, but we’re looking at the best way to accomplish the task through the lens of our own departments. It’s your job as the owner or manager to help everyone view the big picture.

The Secret Sauce

We serve up bite-sized tips for our #regulators to instantly spice up their decorated apparel business. Just like the perfect wing sauce, these quick tips can transform your business experience, adding flavor and depth to your operations. Each video in this playlist is a nugget of wisdom, carefully selected for its potential to bring immediate value to your work. So, whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started in the decorated apparel industry, dip into our ‘Secret Sauce’ for insights that can help you soar.

https://youtu.be/jIJErmmpq74

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