How Can You Pitch Your Products to Get Them Stocked in Retail Stores?
Dec 21, 2020 | 05 min read
2. What Do Retail Stores Focus On?
The first step for retail stores is to maximize your foot site visitors aka bring customers to your retailer’s store.
You can do this through:
- Store positioning (selecting a good area is an important point)
- Running deals
- Stocking desirable product offerings
- Reward programs
When retail stores succeed in bringing more traffic, the income usually follows it.
2. What Do Retail Stores Focus On?
Always remember selling your wholesale products to retailers is a little bit different from selling directly to your customers. Retailers have their own requirements and they will want to examine your product to check whether it is a good match before stocking it or making a big order. Here is the way to get your items stored in retail locations
In-Person: Demonstrate & Sell
If you directly want to meet store owners you actually need to start visiting each retail store that you choose to recruit as your clients.
The in-person meeting has various advantages & they are as follows:
- You can demonstrate your product to retailers
- They can feel your product and use it
- When you are standing at their store people find it difficult to say no
You have to demonstrate your product to the store owner means they get an opportunity to feel your product and additionally they will hear about how it can help them and their customers. You can respond to all inquiries and questions they have regarding your product.
Head Office: The Top-Down Approach
You have to visit the head office of the groups in the case of a large group of retail stores or retail chains. This will have a group procurement that’s why it is necessary to observe their inner structure settings and who you would need to talk to. You may have to face many problems to collect contacts from the different store owners.
However, you can begin at the store level by starting a conversation directly with a head supervisor or store manager. Generally, 9 times out of 10, you will get the exact details when you personally visit their stores.
If it’s proving tricky, you can utilize LinkedIn as a tool for finding the specific individual you ought to be addressing. Just go to the LinkedIn homepage and search for the employer organization via name and you can click on the People names in the list items:
In case you are not sure what is the name of the group company then check-in the footer on the retailer store website. You will be able to plug that organization name into LinkedIn and discover the connections. It is important to conduct your research and ensure that you are talking with the decision-maker
Schedule appointments in advance and ensure you are well prepared for the meeting. Take along products for demonstration and free samples and give them everything which will help them make a final decision
In case you’re experiencing difficulty in finalizing the negotiation you can attempt a “puppy dog close”. A puppy dog close is a strategy that pet stores mostly use especially to sell the pet dogs – “Simply take it home with you at the end of the week and see what you think!”. Adapt this strategy and propose a trial with few stores to see how it goes. You can offer free shipping or additional units to make it without risk as possible
Perfect your pitch
Basically, it may take multiple times to get through to the right person, and when you do get through you may only have a short time to introduce your product. So, you need to make the best pitch and make sure it should be short and to the point.
The pitch should be something special that increases the curiosity of the customers. If you have an extraordinary pitch, you may get the opportunity to take a meeting with buyers, which can help to sell your product to the retailer. Hence, invest time in making an ideal pitch for the buyer, focusing on how your product is unique and how it can make the sales.
Be persistent
You will need to be persistent in finding the right buyers for your product. It will take you multiple calls and emails to even get to talk to the right person. You may also face rejection, and be advised that your product can’t sell in the market. During this time, you have to stay persistent in your interest.
Ensure that you also take on board any constructive criticism but keep in mind, don’t let a few rejections stop you from finding the right buyer and making your product successful in today’s competitive market.
Direct Mail: Write An Introduction Letter To Retail Buyers
Utilizing standard mail is the best way you can attract retail shops as wholesale clients. If you compose an introduction letter to retail buyers by sending them a sample of your product, surely you will get their attention.
The process is called “Lumpy Mail” – the principle is that if you send this mail to the store owner something that looks odd shape in the mail, and if the mail is personally addressed, it will be more likely to be opened and considered.
Manufacturers have utilized the free sample approach to various distributors for a long time and you can use this strategy on your level. The free sample means you are offering them something tactile which they can use and feel it. This is an important step instead of just taking a look at pictures and videos of your product.
To make regular mail successful for your business observe these three standards:
- Research and customize – regular personalized mail works best
- Send every day – consistency is key if you want to increase your sales lead
- Follow-ups – follow up with a call to your customers, a couple of days after you know the package is delivered
Market Research
You will have to be knowledgeable before having conversations with potential store owners. You will also need to perform sufficient market research in order to show that you know and understand the position and situation of the buyers. The market research will give you the best hints about which buyers you can approach in the whole market.
You should search for the regions where there is a huge demand for your product, also survey about how much clients are willing to pay for them. Market research is an important factor to realize how to sell your products to all retailers.
Conduct the best product demonstration
Demonstrating a product is fairly effective. Here are some important factors:
- Customize your demonstration to clients – every consumer is unique so always analyze before going for the meeting with buyers.
- Practice – best sales representative develop a plan and practice delivery multiple times
- Test everything in advance – if your product has the chance of a breakdown test it before you walk in the door of the retailer store
- Close the deal – asking is something many people forget to do, the best time to ask about the deal is just after the demo
Attend trade shows
If you’ve exhausted all your local alternatives, and you need to connect with retail customers who are searching for the next big thing, Trade Shows are one of the best places to get connected with retailer buyers.
It is clear that trade shows should be incorporated into your strategy in case you’re hoping to make retail a major aspect of your distribution.
“Knowing where your network of customers gathers for shows is an absolutely essential factor for you”. One aspect to remember is attending trade shows as a person or as a brand isn’t free. There is no harm in waiting if you are not funded, there is no harm in going door to door, sending samples, and trying to see if you may get the best sale order in this way.
4. Summary
Knowing how to visit retail stores to sell your product is a very major point for your wholesale distribution efforts, particularly at the start. Selling wholesale to retail customers can be beneficial to your business because you can see your product in real shops and customers will interact with your products.
It can create brand exposure and provides you the best opportunity of reaching out to your all local visitors. Think of it as if you have a team of people who are marketing your products in the market. Turing into a wholesaler and a retailer is a smart business strategy and one which helps you to develop your business.