You can base



your pitch to the distributor on a range of rationales:

·         

You can

offer relatively more money for the distributor than the competition. The

percentage of sales distributors charge varies widely depending on the product

and the market. There are no national norms--you might pay 5 percent; you might

pay 20 percent. Talk to your local or regional trade association for guidance on

distributor contracts.

·         

You can

offer more perks for the distributor than the competition. You can buy your way

into the distribution chain with 20 extra cases of product for every 250 ordered

by the distributor. You can fly the distributor out to your Hawaii sales

conference to see what your company is about.

·         

You can tie

your product in with other products that you or other manufacturers create.·         

You can show

the marketing campaign that supports your product.

·         

You can

demonstrate genuinely strong consumer appeal.

·         

You already

have a track record of introducing successful new products.

·         

You've

already secured other large retail contracts.

Remember,

you're marketing to the distributor just as much as you're marketing to the

general public. If you can't persuade significant distributors to handle your

product, you'll have a very difficult time breaking into the marketplace in a

big way.