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.