4 Tips to Help You Get Your Product into Stores
Running a small business can be exciting and rewarding. When your business is small, you have lots of opportunities to engage with your customers directly. However, at a certain point in your career, you may wish to see more growth. Getting your product into brick-and-mortar stores is a great way to expand your business and reach more customers than ever. Here are four tips to help you get your product into local stores.
1. Be professional and courteous.
When you approach stores to ask them to carry your product, you're really trying to sell them on your company. It's important to make a good first impression. When you meet with store representatives for a meeting, make sure you're well dressed and presentable. You're the CEO of your business, and you should look the part. Prepare a short pitch ahead of time so you're not caught grasping for words.
2. Offer a wholesale discount.
When you sell your product direct to businesses for resale, you will have to give them a discount. Wholesale prices are cheaper than retail prices since the store will have to mark up your product's price to make a profit. The Balance Small Business suggests calculating your wholesale price by taking into account the cost of materials and labor and adding your desired profit margin to that number.
3. Give out samples.
Samples are a great way to generate interest in your product. When you meet with a store's representative to give your sales pitch, it's a good idea to bring along several samples. This will allow them to try your product for themselves. They may even be interested in offering your product samples to customers to gauge potential interest. Although giving out samples costs you money, consider it an investment in the future growth of your business.
4. Hire a trucking service.
Finally, if stores decide to stock your product, you will need a way to get your products to them. Once you start supplying several stores, you won't want to drive products to each store yourself. At this point, you should look into hiring a trucking service. A trucking service is a reliable way to get your products to retailers on time. It can be very affordable if you look for local trucking companies. Look into businesses like HES Logistics, Inc. for more information about trucking services.
When you decide to grow your business, selling to retail stores is a great place to start. Nothing feels as good as seeing the products you made on store shelves, waiting for happy customers. These are just a few tips to help you navigate the world of wholesaling.
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