When you’re trying to get your products on chain store shelves, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that buyers are looking to fulfill customer demand. Customer demand drives sales. Giving shoppers what they want is what buyers are in the business of doing.
Market demand is one of the key drivers behind the “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” your products are going to get from buyers, so being aware of what their customers want is your first indication of how well your pitch is going to go. It will also tell you what the shape and tone of your pitch should be.
Reasons why a buyer says “yes” to one product over another are primarily based on market forces. But here are some specific clues to help you get where you want to go.
Is this product going to make money?
As stated above, customer demand drives sales. Your buyer is going to look at your product and determine its sales potential. You’re going to convince the buyer (hopefully) that your product will sell like crazy and fatten the bottom line.
Buyers aren’t capricious. They are studied professionals who are keenly aware of what’s going on in the market. They know their customers. They know their chain’s sales figures and all the markers connected to those figures.
When they encounter something new, they’re going to have a sense about how well it’s going to do at their outlet because they’re in the business of knowing what’s going to sell and what isn’t. They’re pros. That’s your context and your challenge.
The next big thing.
Buyers are continually on the look out for the “next big thing”. They want to take advantage of product trends, because if they don’t, the share of the market their chain might otherwise have commanded is gone.
Just like that.
So, approaching buyers with the attitude that your product is indeed innovative, fresh and desirable from a consumer standpoint is a key part of your pitch. If you’re trying to get to “yes”, convincing the buyer that your product is an opportunity they shouldn’t pass up is your way in the door.
Ready to rock.
Going into a buyer meeting with the raw product isn’t going to work. Buyers want to see that your product is ready to put on the shelves. Your packaging game should be good to go, right down to the bar code. Anything that’s going to slow down the product’s entry to the chain’s shelves is going to be a roadblock to the “yes” you’re hoping to hear. So, get your packaging, pricing and shipping ducks in a row and impress upon the buyer that you’re ready to deliver today.
The reasons why a buyer says “yes” to one product over another are numerous. Some reasons are even personal. A bad day? Could be!
But this post covers the fundamental reasons buyers choose some products over others.
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