Selling to a customer is not the same as selling to a retailer or store owner. If you want your products sold in other stores, you need to remember that buyers/retailers/store owners are not primarily interested in your product; rather, they want the profit that your product can bring.
Here are some things to consider when dealing with retailers:
Know your demographics
To successfully sell your products to a retailer, you need to have answer to questions such as:
- Who will your products appeal to?
- Who would buy your products?
- What is the typical customer of the retail store where you want to sell your products?
If there is a match between your market and retailer, or if your product has a wide appeal, then you stand a greater chance of making the sale. Look at the list of questions from the article Questions to Help You Understand Your Market
Know the key features of your product
What are the key features of your product? You need to know:
- How does your product work?
- What makes it stand out from the competitors?
- What need or want does your product address?
Help the retailer understand how to sell your product. Check out the article What to Sell: How to Select the Right Product for Your Business
Check your price points
What are the prices of comparable products? If your price is higher than competitors, why and what additional value does your product offer. In the article 7 Tips In Setting Your Prices, here are some things to consider in terms of setting your prices:
- Keep your prices realistic.
- Cover all your costs.
- Check your prices against inflation.
- Include in your pricing the value of your time.
- Remember that customers are not always looking for the lowest price.
- Price low, but smart.
- Use discounts with care.
Prepare your product for selling
Show the retailer that you are ready to get your product on their shelves.  Make sure that you do the following steps:
- Design packaging that will work for the retailer — will the product be hung or put on the shelves; how much space it will occupy on the shelves?
- Get the universal product code (UPC) of your products, whether you join the non-profit GS1 US or buy UPC code from resellers.
Show the retailer how to sell your product
How do you plan to merchandise your product; how will its packaging stand out from the other products on the shelves; how much space does your product require on the shelf.
