The Buyer - Ep. 3

Nov 10, 2018

Retail Ready is for individuals and companies looking for food industry help. I want to make Australia to biggest platform for food trends, product development and change consumer eating behaviours.

I have been on both sides of the fence and know what it’s like dealing with category managers. So here are my top 13 hints, tips to make the best outcome when organising a meeting, presenting and following up to get your products on the retail shelf.  

Here they are:

1. If you don’t get on with the category manager, don’t expect your product to go anywhere. It pays in products sales to get on with them. 
2. Category managers are busy. Expect only a 30 minutes meeting and expect them to be late, you have 20minutes to impress. 
3. They aren’t interested in your factory certificates or heritage, they want to know costs, margin, promotional activity and how you are going to grow their category. 
4. Need something, don’t just sent one email and leave it. 
5. Your voicemail probably won’t get listened too. 
6. Be prepared to have a different buyer every 6-12 months. 
7. Expect an email at 10pm and on weekends.  
8. They are switched on individuals, don’t lie about costings, volumes or product info. It will bite you back. 
9. Samples are essential but bring a box for them to take them in. Nothing worse than balancing samples. 
10. Be human. Show some emotion. It shouldn’t be all about commercials and business. 
11. Send them a personal hamper before your meeting. 
12. Send a post meeting email that night or next day with costings, product info and next steps. 
13. The Ultimate Winner - Have a product that good that they contact you and not you pushing it to them!! If you have this and the right commercials, unstoppable combo.

Please follow my food passion, as well as my other passions, coffee, tattoos, gin and my family life at Instagram. Click here to my Insta Page