# Why Retail Suppliers Should Stop Stalking the “Usual Suspects”: Spieckerman Speaks Retail

Published 2020-07-30 · Updated 2026-03-19 · Retail on MarketScale
Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/retail/why-retail-suppliers-should-stop-stalking-the-usual-suspects-spieckerman-speaks-retail

> As retail brand marketers, solution providers and platforms set their sights on fourth quarter and 2021, Carol launched her episode series, “8 Mistakes Retail Suppliers Can’t Make.” In the series, Carol takes on the top retail B2B positioning and business development hurdles suppliers experience and provides tactics and takeaways for conquering them once and for…

*As retail brand marketers, solution providers and platforms set their sights on fourth quarter and 2021, [Carol](https://marketscale.com/industries/contributors/carol-spieckerman/) launched her episode series, “[8 Mistakes Retail Suppliers Can’t Make](https://spieckermanretail.com/insights/2017/8/7/8-mistakes-retail-solution-providers-cant-make).” In the series, Carol takes on the top retail B2B positioning and business development hurdles suppliers experience and provides tactics and takeaways for conquering them once and for all.*

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### Why Retail Suppliers Should Stop Stalking the “Usual Suspects”

Retailers are no longer just places that sell stuff, they are platforms that tie together products, services, data, content, acquisitions, partnerships and much more. It takes a lot of people to run those platforms and the cookiecutter organizational structures that defined retail for decades are being replaced by unique frameworks and new faces. So why are so many suppliers still relying on old-school contact targeting and limiting their outreach? In this episode, Carol cautions against stalking the “usual suspects” as COVID-19 narrows the retail playing field and provides tips and tactics for broadening your influence and staying in the mix.

In this episode you’ll learn:

- How to own your value harnessing the power of platform positioning
- Three rules to expand your retail reach and build influence
- How to put an end to giveaways and scope creep
- Why going for the close will clog your sales pipeline

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