How to approach retail stores to sell your product?

When we asked how to get your product in stores we wanted it to get answered by brands that have been through the process and understand it from beginning to end. So you’ll find that the following approaches on how to get a product in stores have already been tried, and more importantly, proven effective.

Identify your target market

The best way to get your product in stores is to select a distributor that will assist you in getting to market as soon as possible. Another important element to consider when it comes to your product is story mapping, as it helps with product release plans.Make sure the distributor you select sells to your exact target market, and that they know how to deliver goods to that market and how to get your product in stores.

Finding out who distributes your competitors’ goods or who offers complementary products to yours is one idea. When I say competitors, I’m referring to companies that sell a lot of products. Finding a distributor who represents similar and popular products can help you bring your product to market quicker because they are already familiar with the market and how to compete and win. It also gives the retailer a great promotional opportunity by allowing them to build packages and add-on offers for several items, thus increasing the revenue potential of the product.

Alex Thompson, Director at Festoon House

Make contact with local buyers

Headbands of Hope got into the first few stores because I walked in with headbands and demanded to talk with the customer. I was so sure they’d sell that I gave stores a consignment deal to try them out (producing payment for me only when the products sold).

You may also offer consignment if you want to get your foot in the door. However, in my personal experience, as my business expanded, it became more difficult to track down orders and checks on a consignment basis, so we now only do orders.

Please find Dusan’s details below for credit as required and thank you for your time.

Dusan Stanar, Founder and CEO of VSS Monitoring

Make a name for yourself at Trade Shows

Trade shows may be the perfect answer to your question about how to get your product in stores. They have the potential to be your golden ticket. That’s because retailers attend trade shows in droves, constantly on the lookout for what’s new and next. However, you should pick your shows carefully because they can be a significant time and financial commitment.

To reap the profits, you must be completely committed.

Your booth doesn’t have to be bright yellow, but you don’t want to just hang a couple of signs or people would walk right by them. You think of the same concepts that designers use in department store window displays that are built to make customers pause and look.

In reality, if you have the funds, hiring a professional booth production company can be a wise decision.

Collin Matthews, CEO and Founder of Cookwared

Use social media to your advantage

While most people think of social media as a way to generate buzz among customers, it can also be used to attract wholesale buyers.

My plan was to use Instagram to develop a following of outdoor and niche-related influencers. In exchange for a free product, those influencers posted pictures of my products and wrote about them.

We had a chain retailer from Alaska with six locations reach out to us and put an order for 150 items on the spot within the first few weeks of posting on Instagram. Without ever having actually seen one in person.

As a result, we decided to stop selling solely online and instead approach smaller chains and individual boutiques around the country to get the items on store shelves.

Julien Raby, CEO and Founder of Thermogears

Pitch your product in person

Bram Jansen, Chief Editor of vpnAlert

Create a Sales and Marketing strategy

Distributors would be interested in learning how you want to sell to retailers and customers. And, at the end of the day, getting people to buy your stuff is your responsibility. Ultimately, the supplier is in charge of generating retailer and customer demand.

Make use of all available marketing resources to help boost demand and ensure that retailers continue to place orders with your distributor. The most profitable items for your retailer and supplier are the ones that move and are replenished repeatedly.

Sylvia Manman Kang, CEO of Mira

Four steps to follow

Want to know how to approach retail stores to sell your product? Follow these steps:

• Research to see if they will be interested. An organic store won’t carry a regular shampoo.
• You should always have a pitch. A pitch that shows them how much they’re missing out if they don’t carry your product.
• Make sure you have the necessary sales numbers to support your pitch. Nothing impresses more than statistics that prove your product is selling. 
• Locate their decision-maker in LinkedIn and go straight for them. A personal buyer-supplier relationship you’re building will help you a lot in getting the deal more favorable.

Luat Duong, Search Engine Optimization Lead at Scandinavian Biolabs

Show them analytical data

When going to pitch your product to a store it is best to show them pure analytical data. Present them what demographic tends to purchase your product, how has the growth of your product looked over the past year and how your competitors do in stores. If you are able to showcase great numbers for all of these it makes it extremely difficult to reject your offer.

Ryan Salomon is the CEO of Kissmetrics

Show your product’s trajectory

When presenting your product to a retail store, it is best to mark out your product’s trajectory in the given area. Show how your product has boded online and where the sales have come from. If you are more so centered locally, show them that you have a loyal following in the area that can make a splash in a retail store. Create hype on your social media platforms that show the retailer that people are genuinely excited to get their hands on your product in person.

Carrie Derocher, CMO at TextSanity

Partner up with other brands

We are a small batch handcrafted uniquely flavored toffee maker on Amelia Island Florida. Based on my grandmother’s recipe we took tradition and added a creative twist. There are many local toffee makers and even though we offer different flavors we knew we had to also approach the market place in a special way. 

I decided partnerships were the best way to leverage our brand awareness and gain a greater presence. So we partnered with an up and coming distillery making a bourbon toffee. This exciting combination of ingredients and flavors landed us on the shelves of Whole Foods and Total Wines. 

We continue to push the envelope and have partnered with The Ritz Carlton making custom flavors (ghost pepper salt and grand marnier is one example of our specialty flavors) for their events and guests. Creative, unique, special is what puts Amelia Toffee on shelves.

Anita Comisky, Founder of Amelia Toffee Company, LLC

Try a number of approaches

My best advice on how to get a product in stores would be to try a number of approaches – remember buyers are people too, there’s no one single best way to approach them.

Due to Covid many trade shows have moved online which is great – I’ve been approached by a number of buyers through virtual trade shows this year. Virtual events are much easier and more cost-effective for small businesses compared to traditional in-person events.

Some stores have discovered my brand through social media – so having a well planned out, attractive social media feed is always important.

I’ve also had some success “stalking” buyers on LinkedIn – it can’t hurt to send a few buyers from stores you’re interested in an invitation to connect!

I also believe it’s important not to just contact any store – make sure your brand offering is a great fit with the store you’re pitching to.

Ally Mahoney, Owner of Sunny Active

Conclusion

Knowing how to approach retail stores to sell your product is a skill you must master if you want your business to succeed and grow. Creating a good product and expecting to sell on its own is a fairytale. You have to craft a plan on how to get a product in stores. Hopefully, some of the examples above helped you gain insights into what works when it comes to getting your product in stores.

6 essential tips for digital marketing

Optimize your site regularly for SEO

Create engaging content

It’s also a good idea to diversify your content, as it will enable you to attract more people. For example, some may prefer reading through a written piece, while others might rather watch a video. Also, avoid focusing too much on product or service promotion. Instead, prioritize delivering value by speaking to the desires and needs of the users. You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference it can make. 

Don’t forget about mobile users

Leverage social media

However, to incorporate social media into your direct mail marketing strategy, you must identify the communities and channels where most of your ideal audience spends time. Also, you must monitor their activities and expectations, as they will allow you to publish more engaging material for them. In addition, they’ll be more inclined to interact with your social media posts and create exposure for them.

Analytics and reporting

PPC Search Ads

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising on Search engines provides immediate, relevant traffic to businesses. Successful PPC campaigns start with using PPC analysis tools to conduct keyword research that aligns with target audience queries on Google or Bing. Since you can select what keywords to target, traffic from search can attract qualified leads and customers. Since payment is only required for clicks, PPC offers an efficient way to manage any advertising budgets.

Once selecting the right keywords, the ad copy for Search Ads must still be engaging and compelling. This ensures all search ad campaigns drive higher click-through rates and conversions. PPC advertising demands ongoing analysis and refinement. Regular performance reviews allows for iterative improvements. This constant optimization enhances campaign performance over time, making PPC a vital tool for businesses seeking to boost their online presence and drive targeted traffic efficiently.

Conclusion

Top apps for entrepreneurs in 2023

The secret to entrepreneurial success is being dedicated, motivated, and organized. Luckily in today’s world, we have an app for everything. Therefore, we are listing you the best apps for entrepreneurs that will help you achieve your goals, divided into several categories to make it easier for you to find what you need.

Sales and marketing entrepreneurship apps

Buffer can make managing your social media marketing much easier and less daunting. The software allows you to share your posts across multiple social networks. You can also use Buffer to schedule content so that it is posted at the best moment for your followers to see it. Additionally, Buffer is an Enterprise League member, which means you have a chance to catch a great deal from Buffer on our B2B collaboration platform as well. 

Square – Accepting credit and debit card payments in person with Square is definitely a breeze. All you need is your smartphone and a tiny reader, which Square will send you when you sign up. You can accept both standard and chip cards, which simplifies the sales process. If you make sales at a countertop or in a store, you can also upgrade to Square Stand.

Copper is one of the best apps each entrepreneur should have in 2023. This CRM software takes pride in its full integration to Google Suite so managing contacts and tracking deals across platforms is easier. It also features quick sales reports and sales projections so decision making is a lot easier. The best thing is they have a high level of security that keeps your data safe from any attacks.

Work management

Any.Do is one of the best apps for entrepreneurs mostly because it helps you stay organized and get more done. With its straightforward interface, you can add tasks either verbally or manually and may even share tasks with your contacts if you’re connected to your Facebook account.

You can also create an alert and highlight it to give it priority over other chores. Additionally, you can add additional notes and save them in a personal or business folder. Any.Do also supports syncing with multiple devices to ensure that you are constantly on top of your game.

Trello makes project management enjoyable and simple. You can work with other team members and visualize what has to be done using the app. Depending on what works best for your team, you can organize tasks into cards, lists, or boards.

Moreover, it contains numerous tools that allow you to view which projects are in progress, who is working on them, and what their status is. You can also give projects to staff, set deadlines, and categorize activities based on priority. It’s a simple yet effective approach to managing all of your tasks in a single intuitive, user-friendly mobile application.

Evernote is your small notebook for penning your thoughts that has a freeware version for the Web, iOS, and Android. With Evernote, you can organize your data across all of your devices. Sync files, save web pages, take images, make to-do lists, and record audio reminders using this app. 

Todoist is a task management tool like many others, but one feature that puts it in the best apps for entrepreneurs is the ability to observe real-time progress and trends in productivity. There are eight levels of Todoist Karma that can be unlocked as you advance.

Scoro it’s a comprehensive solution that combines a lot of the features that entrepreneurs look for in a project management tool. It has a real-time KPI dashboard, shared team calendar, meeting scheduling, contact management, time tracking, billing, detailed reports on project progress/finances, quoting, and invoice with pre-set templates.

The web and app interface is designed very well and has a relatively quick learning curve. Plus, all of the integrations that Scoro allows really help in saving you a ton of time and increasing productivity.

Content creation

Canva –  You need to create social media content, a doc, web design, infographic, promo poster, or something else? Canva is the best entrepreneur app for the job. Tons of ready-to-do templates and social media designs, all customizable. It unlocks every part of your creativity. Although, it’s fair to say the free version is kind of limiting.

Freepik – With a huge stock of high-quality photos, vectors, and illustrations, Freepik is the perfect resource for creatives. You can find the best design elements for any project.

Unsplash – Want to find royalty-free pictures that don’t have an outdated, 90s like vibe? This is the right place. An awesome resource of high-quality stock photos from renowned photographers and editors.

Self-improvement entrepreneur apps

Instapaper it’s the simplest and cheaper read-it-later app to use. On the other hand, it’s packed with features and functionalities that are more in pace with the needs of the modern entrepreneur. The best thing about it is that it’s integrated with Kindle.

Audible – With our busy lives and everything going on, it’s easy to say we don’t have time to read books. However, this app makes all these excuses sound lame. Audible holds thousands of reading materials, podcasts, and other resources in their library. Expand your business knowledge on the go.

With Blinkist your hectic entrepreneur’s life doesn’t give you the excuse to not upgrade your business knowledge. With the daily responsibilities of entrepreneurs in mind, the developers of Blinkist made sure their content is easy to digest. Hence, a typical listen is somewhere between 5 and 15 minutes. The fact that they have a huge library and a plethora of topics to choose from undoubtedly makes them one of the best apps for entrepreneurs. So the next time you go jogging or are stuck in traffic, turn on your Blinkist app and soak up the knowledge.

Remote communication

Flowdock is an easy approach to collaborate with members of the team on various projects since it combines chat and email functions. The greatest thing is that the app is compatible with the majority of browsers and mobile devices, and it includes capabilities like drag-and-drop, file uploads, and activity streams.

Your team members will be notified immediately if there is a change to the project, and they will be able to comment via chat messaging.

Slack is the ultimate communication app for entrepreneurs that allows team collaboration. It brings together people and information, facilitating effective communication. Moreover, it integrates with almost all the tools and apps your organization already uses.

Hence, if remote or hybrid work is going to become ever-more popular you can use Slack to communicate daily with your team. It’s easy to create different channels for different projects and save important messages.

Through Loom, you can create short screencasts as you narrate and explain what you’re doing. Hence the reason Loom found its place on this best entrepreneur apps list. Simply download the app or add the Chrome extension and start recording your screen. The best thing about it is that the video automatically uploads on the cloud from where you can quickly share it.

Entrepreneurship apps for mental health

Pep Talk is one of the best apps for entrepreneurs that provides life-changing curated playlists of audios. They are perfect for listening every time you need a boost in motivation or need to be inspired. The app’s free with In-App purchases and you can even purchase a monthly or lifelong subscription that it’s totally worth it since you will discover thousands of international speeches and thought leaders. 

Streaks – Being successful requires focused action and discipline, which means having good daily habits will improve your life, hence your mental health. Therefore, Streaks is one of the best apps for entrepreneurs because it helps you form good habits. All you need to do is create a to-do list and every day you complete a task, your streak will be extended. On the other side, if you break the chain, your streak will reset to zero days.

Insight Timer – There are a lot of things successful people sacrifice to achieve greatness, but your mental health shouldn’t be one of them. To help you achieve that, here’s one of the best free entrepreneurs app for meditation, sleep, and yoga.

Insight Timer has live events, a wide range of meditation techniques, group meditation sessions, and a massive library of soothing music that you can choose from. You can choose from over 90,000 FREE guided meditations spread across 200 topics of interest.

Security

Dashlane is a simple solution for protecting all your data, starting from passwords to personal info. It uses unbreakable end-to-end encryption to secure user data, provides more useful extras than almost any other competitor, has a wide range of high-security features, and offers more added value than similarly priced competitors.

SplashtopSOS – Ensuring your privacy and security for remote teams has never been easier. The automatic deployment for end users is great and linking it with a forwarder makes it brandable. Furthermore, it has all functionality for all different devices for one great price compared to the competition.

Splashtop solutions are built to give your company control over securing the data while giving your team the flexibility to access it from anywhere. Features include two-factor authentication, blank screen, multi-level password security, remote connection notification, screen auto-lock, session idle timeout, logging, and much more.

Bonus entrepreneurship apps that will simplify your life

With CamCard, you can snap a photo of your business card and have all of the information immediately imported into your phone contacts and other email accounts. You may be certain of faultless scanning due to its accuracy. The nicest aspect is that you can also sync data between devices. 

While it is customary to exchange business cards at conferences, it is also quite easy to misplace a business card and, eventually, a business opportunity! Allow this not to happen to you.

Expensify can keep your receipts when traveling so you may recover office expenditures when you return home. All you need to do is take images of your receipts with your phone’s camera and Expensify will keep a digital record chronologically. Expensify also allows you to track mileage, dining prices, and other business travel expenses.

TripIt is a must-have app for entrepreneurs as it assists you in planning your forthcoming trip. Just forward your hotel, restaurant, flight, and car rental confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com, and the information will be instantly transferred to your master itinerary, allowing you to examine all of your upcoming arrangements at once.