If your business is based in product manufacturing, then you will find yourself continually facing the same issue: actually getting your product into stores. This is a rather difficult proposition, because suddenly, your product has to be being aimed at more than one group of people.
The initial invention and manufacturing process
When you first conceive an idea for a product, your major concern is related to the eventual customer. You think about products that customers might like, the preferences they may have, and the selling points that may cause them to part with their hard-earning money in exchange for the product you have designed. Everything is about the customer…
… then all of a sudden, you’re ready to offer your product for sale in store, and you have to please an entirely new group of people. A group of people who, in all likelihood, will have very different expectations as to what your product should be.
This group of people? Store buyers
Store buyers are responsible for deciding whether or not your product makes it onto their store shelves. The way that buyers see a product is very different from how a customer does. While store buyers will ask themselves if customers will want to buy the product, they will also be asking themselves what the profit margin is for the store, whether the product is compatible with other items in the store, and how your product can be sold to their target market.
Getting on the right side of store buyers is vital if you want your product — and, by extension, your business — to be successful. Here’s a few things to keep in mind when approaching buyers:
- Select stores carefully. If you are selling handcrafted soaps, don’t try and persuade a hardware store to sell them. This is an extreme example, but the underlying point is one to keep in mind: only approach buyers for stores you genuinely believe your product is a good fit for.
- Look into retail displays. Store buyers know the power of a retail POS display; they know these displays will help to drive sales and can even improve the appearance of the shop floor. If you offer your products complete with a retail display, this may make a buyer more likely to consider at least trying your product out to see how it sells. The display unit makes life easier for the store, so they’re more likely to take a punt.
- Don’t “hard pitch”. There is an art to pitching to store buyers, but most importantly, you shouldn’t try and hard sell. Store buyers hear hard sell pitches all the time to the point they are immune to them. Instead, focus on keeping your pitch basic and, most importantly, succinct. If your pitch is overly long, a busy store buyer is going to tune out, so brevity is definitely your friend.
In conclusion
Getting your product into stores is never easy, but with the right research, the right display, and the right pitching style, you should be able to see your product in stores in the future.
