I always say there are 3 factors buyers care most about when evaluating new vendors. These are:

1. Where is your product line selling and how is it selling in those stores (i.e., Performance)?
2. How are you supporting your sales (i.e., Marketing)?
3. Are you a good vendor partner (i.e. Execution)?

So does your personality and experience factor in to my decision? Absolutely. #3 above is important. It gives me insight into whether I can trust you and your company to deliver on your promises. If you have experience in delivering on promises, most notably if you have experience working with other retailers of similar size and logistics, then I’ll be more likely to award you business.

Who would you give the Product of the Year award to?

I am a huge fan of the AquaFarm, by Bay Area startup Back to the Roots. It’s a closed loop, self-cleaning fish tank and at home aquaponics system. As an urban dweller with limited outdoor space, this has been a great way to have my very own sustainable garden.

Who would you give the Product of the Year award to? 

2nd Street Creamery’s Can’t Tell Me No! Cookie Dough Ice Cream.  I’ll admit it – I’m an ice cream addict.  The geniuses at 2nd Street Creamery have loaded this flavor with tons of chunks of chocolate chip and double chocolate cookie dough pieces.  But the best part is the ribbon of sugar cookie dough swirled throughout the entire pint.  Yum!

Who would you give the Product of the Year award to?

WaveJet.  Propulsion on a surfboard?  Yes that’s what it does!  Combining a great innovation, performance (this thing churns out almost 20 pounds of thrust) and pretty neat marketing campaign, it gets my vote for Product of the Year.  For WaveJet’s target audience, it literally blows them out of the water.

Who would you give the Product of the Year award to?  It’s not a consumable product in the traditional sense, but I recently had Blockheads Snow Cream in LA and I can’t get it off my mind.  http://www.blockheadsla.com/  Package this stuff up in a box for the freezer aisle, and I’ll make sure it gets into stores!

It’s Valentine’s Day. You have researched and prepped to make this day special for your Valentine. You googled Yelp to get restaurant reviews, searched online for the top 10 V-day gifts in 2013 and browsed store aisles for that perfect gift.  In short, you did your homework.  Take that approach when wooing retail buyers. Trust me, doing your homework gives you credibility and stands you apart from everyone else.

Here are your homework assignments.  Start early, don’t procrastinate. And watch retail buyers give you an A+!!

A buyer would feel guilty asking an unknown vendor to get on a plane to meet with them, but if you tell them you’ll be there anyways on other business, a buyer is more likely to agree to meet.  So, if you plan to be in the city in which the buying office is located, call and email ahead of time to let the buyer you will be in town on those specific dates.  Then try one of the following tactics:

(Don’t do them all, unless you want to be a nuisance!)

Option 1: Request a 30-minute meeting at a nearby coffee shop or at their office. 

Option 2: If the buyer tells you their schedule is packed all day, suggest lunch.

Option 3:  Offer to bring the showroom to them.  I had one vendor rent a hotel ballroom across the street and invite me to their traveling showroom.

Be at the place of influence of your targeted retailer.  Whether they buy for the big guys (Walmart, Walgreens, Kohls) or small independent retailers, buyers are out in the market place and shopping competitors to stay on top of trends and get new product inspiration.  

The common tips you might hear include:  Hire a sales representative, go to trade shows, have your friends and family make requests at the store.  These are all effective tips, but there are a few more ways to be resourceful.

Tip 1:  Be at the place of influence of your targeted retailer.  

Tip 2:  Research that retailer and determine what is important to them.

Tip 3:  Shop their stores.  Notice how they merchandise your product category.

Tip 4: What is its selling history in other retailers?

Tip 5: Lastly, take a step back and make sure you have a tight elevator pitch.  30 seconds.