With thousands of national and international brands looking to enter the U.S. market every month, state distributors are flooded with sales calls, sample submissions, office visits and emails on a daily basis. Developing your network base and expanding into new markets can be a long and tiresome process.  Seldom do cold calls yield promising leads and the sheer amount of brands on offer from suppliers creates an over-saturated supply pool that can quickly diffuse any passive interest from distributors. Here are some tips on how to successfully create rapport with distributors and build solid leads.

Communicate With Your Distributor’s Key Accounts. 

Generating interest from the shelf back is a great way to ensure that distributors will be interested in your brand.  Instead of cold calling a long list of distributors, get on the street and take a look at their market.  Go to different account types, both on and off premise, and develop relationships with the owners (or buyers of large changes).  The more interest you can drum up from consumers and retailers, the easier it will be for you to get your brand picked up.

Know Your Distributor’s Profile

Before you go to your distributor meeting, know where your brand will fit in their portfolio.  It is your job to provide your distributor with a profitable sales proposition, so don’t go to them without already having a detailed business plan that shows how you are going to make them money.  Outline incentive programs that are customized to your potential distributor’s company structure, develop retail programs that show your dedication to your market and offer them 5% more margin than their average.  Never use the same lead-in twice.  Take the time to customize each pitch for every distributor.

Think Like a Distributor, Talk Like a Distributor, Act Like a Distributor

Make sure that your potential distributors know that you understand their business and will do everything you can to make your partnership mutually beneficial.  It is a sad truth that, even with the best intentions, your distributors will not be able to service your brands to your satisfaction.  Don’t let this become an issue.  Instead, be prepared to do their job for them.   Look out for bar code problems by visiting retailers during deliveries and plan ahead for any other supply and logistics issues.  Go to your retail accounts and make sure your brand isn’t hidden by any floor displays, try and get better shelf space and encourage your retailer to promote your brands. Personalize your Relationship The hardest part can sometimes be getting the attention of your distributor.  To facilitate the development of your affiliation, attend the same trade festivals, charity events and social parties as they do.  Try and develop a genuine friendship with distributor VIPs to ensure that your brands stay top-of-mind year after year. Are you an importer looking to generate new business with distributors and source new brands from around the world?  Network with thousands of beverage professionals at USA Trade Tasting and learn about best practices being used in sales, marketing and distribution at the Educational Conference.  

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