1. Headline. Think of something creative that speaks about profits – the only think a retailer really cares about. Let’s use the example of a new rubber ball dog toy for illustrative purposes. You could right something like, “Follow the Bouncing Ball to More Profits!”. % of Sell Sheet: 10%

2. Product Hero Shot. Showcase your lineup with one item as hero. For example if you have 10 SKUs for a dog treat product, highlight one and talk about flavors available in the copy. The hero shot helps the buyer easily identify your product and let’s any packaging sell copy deliver its message. % of Sell Sheet: 40%

3. 3 Bullets as to Why Your Product is Great. I will usually put this to the right of the hero shot in a call-out box or some other treatment. You must narrow your product’s features/benefits down to 3 bullet points. No one will read more. Also, don’t repeat any sales messages that may already be on your packaging front panel. % of sell sheet: 20%

4. Body Copy. Here you can talk about why the product is different, why it was created, the problem it solves, etc. I would go beyond 1 paragraph (3-4 sentences) here. No one will read it. You can also talk about flavors if the list is not too exhausting. % of sell sheet: 20%

5. Specs. As I said in the opening paragraph, you can put specs on the back if needed… but here is what you need…

Item # (this is your internal item number that identifies the SKU)
Description: e.g. “Red Rubber Dog Ball”
How Many Units/Inner/Master: 4units/inner, 6 inners/master = 24 units/Master
Dimensions: L X W X H of your individual item, then inner case, then master case.
Cube: This is the metric used to figure out how many pallets fit on a truck. You can find the formula online… just Google it.
Pallet Configuration: TiHi – this refers to how the master case is palletized. Ti means how many masters on a layer and Hi means how many layers high.
UPC Codes: You can put these on the back, but you should have all of the UPC codes for all of the items/SKUs you are talking about in the sell sheet somewhere. They should be high enough quality print so a store buyer can have them scanned into their file maintenance system.
% of Sell Sheet – depends on how many items you have. Could be 100% of side 2.

6. Contact Info. Make sure your company name, address and phone, fax, web address, etc. are all listed across the bottom of the sell sheet. You want to make it easy for a buyer to call/contact you. % of sell sheet: 10%

I did not include specs in the 100% of the sell sheet. I assumed you will put them on the back. If you only have 1-3 items you can put them across the bottom right above your contact info.

Have questions or need help? Contact us at info@bulldogms.com

GOOD SELLING!

The reality is there are basically 3 ways to grow your business from where you are now.

1. Sell more of your current product to your current customers. This is typically the most challenging. Run an ad, have a temporary price reduction or get an end cap. Great. You got a bump of 10 – 15 percent at the account. Not bad, but not REAL growth. The key here is to know what each retailer offers and buy into their programs. Efficient and it works.

2. Expand distribution. This too has its challenges but selling to new, large accounts can typically grow your business overnight. Get the right reps and start seeing new, large accounts that make sense for your products.

3. Develop new products and sell them to your existing accounts. Once you have figured out 1 & 2, it’s time to start creating more and more SKUs – yes, new products. Selling new products that don’t cannibalize your existing business is a surefire strategy for growth.

Post your other ideas for growth in the comments section below. I’d love to hear them.

And if you need help with 1-3, contact us at info@bulldogms.com.

SmartTag in Pet Product News

2. Jump up and head butt people to get noticed. Sometimes that is what it takes to raise the awareness of your brand or product. Just sitting there doesn’t get you anywhere.

3. Don’t sweat the small stuff. If someone barks in your face, just keep on walking and let it go.

4. Don’t underestimate the power of sleep. If you are in a bad mood, or need an attitude adjustment – take a nap. Also 10 – 16 hours of sleep a night is ideal (well for my Bulldog it is!).

5. Get along with others. Life is full of other cats and dogs (even squirrels and skunks) trying to do their own thing. Let them be and don’t interfere. Maybe help them along if they need it. Sometimes a good chase is fun.

Need help? Email: info@bulldogms.com.

1. They have no idea who you are and what your product is. Low or no brand awareness is the number one killer of any brand or product. How can a retailer buyer know who you are much less carry your product if they don’t know who you are or what your product is? The solution is to do some effective, targeted trade advertising and attend relevant trade shows. You don’t need to break the bank to increase your awareness levels. Postcards are another inexpensive way to get the word out.

2. Your product is too innovative. I’ve covered this topic elsewhere but it warrants a repeat here. Innovative products are hated by retail buyers because they are risky. Risk = less buyer bonus. The buyer is not totally to blame here. Truly innovative products may require a shift in consumer behavior. If you don’t have the money to get people to change their behavior your product will most likely fail.

3. A great product isn’t enough. You created your product, the brand name and packaging… and they suck. However you don’t want to hear it. You know better than the buyer, a marketing expert, etc. Too bad, you aren’t getting in. Your product is great but it is presented poorly with a crappy brand name and package. Success chances = zero.

4. You don’t have the right relationships. I covered this topic in more detail in my last post. Retail is all about the right relationships. If you don’t have them, you need to get them. You can cold call a retail account all day and send endless samples but the phone never rings. You need the guy that was in the buyer’s wedding party to get you the appointment.

5. You don’t have a plan to support the product. The retailer isn’t going to help you sell the product. They want u to do it? What is your plan to get consumers into the retailer to buy the product? Sales don’t typically happen by osmosis.

2. They have the right reps. Retail sell-in is all about relationships. You can cold call retail accounts and send fancy sample packs all day and get nowhere. The guy who has product on the shelves has a rep that was in the buyer’s wedding party and goes to his/her house for barb-e-ques. You don’t have a chance against this relationship. Get the right rep and get a real appointment in front of a real retail buyer.

3. They can give the buyer the margin they require. This comes down to price. Their price is better than yours. Most pet retailers require margins between 50-80%. Consumer electronics depending on the category is between 25-40%. Grocery is 5-8%. If you can’t meat the retailers requirements – you don’t have a chance. It’s all about making money on the product.

Good luck & good selling. Need help? Contact us at info@bulldogms.com.

2. How do you charge? This is important. Most reps will charge between 3 – 8% commission of your wholesale cost. The reputable reps will ONLY charge on what they sell. If a rep asks for a retainer – RUN, don’t walk away. If a rep believes in your line they will do the upfront work to get the appointment and present your product on good faith.

3. What are your retail merchandising capabilities? This is also important. Petco & Petsmart have abysmal execution rates. Basically this means that your product has a 50% or less chance of being displayed properly on the store shelf if you rely on store staff. A good rep will have a “detailing” team that can go out and get your product from the back room and get it to the shelf. Sometimes this service will be included for the commission rate, sometimes it will be charged separately. It usually depends on the $$ size of your line.

Good luck and good selling!

If you need more info contact us at info@bulldogms.com.

The buyer is thinking about…

1. Do I like the person. Yes, the buyer is judging your product based on you. How are you dressed? Do you come across as professional or sloppy? Are you dressed appropriately. Ask your sales rep for the dress code of the account and match that. Back in the day you wore a suit to a sales call. Today it varies by account. Are you shy or aggressive? Depending on where the account is located you may need to tone down your sales style. I learned this myself when calling on Petco (San Diego) and Petsmart (Phoenix). I am from NYC and was like a hurricane touching down on the buyer. I had to cool it a bit.

2. Do I like the product. Will it sell? Is it new and different or a me-too? Make sure to touch on the points of difference and the benefits rather than features of the product.

3. Where could I merchandise it? How will it fit into the plan-o-gram. When is the next plan-o-gram reset?

4. What is the price point and margin? Can I make money with this item?

5. Will it help me make my bonus this year or next? This is important. If your product is very new and innovative it may put the buyer’s bonus at risk. This is why a lot of true innovative products never make it on the shelf. Sometimes a variation on an existing product has more chance of success than a really innovative product.

Good luck & good selling!

What you need is the right rep. Why? The retail business is all about relationships with retailer buyers. YOU don’t have them and the rep does. The great news is that most reps only charge commissions so you don’t pay a penny unless they actually sell something for you. If a rep ever asks you for a retainer – find another rep. However, given the work required to get a product in, a rep will typically screen out products that they believe have a limited chance of success.

If you are contacting a lot of reps and no one will pick up your line ask them why. Reps know all the ins and outs of retail and they usually have good gut instincts and understand the consumers in the product category.

If you have your prototype, brand name & logo, packaging, product liability insurance, logistics in place, sales presentation and brochure complete — now it is time to reach out and get the right reps for your business. Ask around. Join Linkedin, www.linkedin.com and search for groups that are relevant to your business. If you are in the pet business, consumer electronics, or food category, contact us at info@bulldogms.com.

Good Luck & Good Selling!