Utilize food brokers to help expand your food business.
Food brokers are an essential part to a sales strategy for food products. Developing relationships with buyers takes time and an extensive sales force. Very few companies have the resources needed to manage their products at the corporate and store level. Food brokers have already developed relationships with food buyers, which can help your business increase its distribution to new markets and new stores. Food brokers can save a company a lot of money by providing a trained sales and merchandising staff.
Instructions
1. Discuss the services your food brokers provide to get the most bang for your buck. Food brokers introduce items to buyers, place orders and manage merchandising. Brokers also visit individual stores to ensure food products are placed and tagged correctly.
2. Provide broker with all necessary materials to sell your products. Price lists, order forms, product presentations and specific product information are needed to present to buyers.
3. Create checklist of duties expected from the broker when making visits to retail locations. Duties that brokers perform include tasks such as, pulling damaged product, placing orders for out-of-stock products, adjusting shelf space and putting up displays.
4. Provide food brokers with all new products and promotion information. The broker will present the information to food buyers for acceptance. Follow up with food broker after each meeting to discuss future needs after products or promotions were accepted.
5. Create point-of-purchase marketing materials. Shelf tags, pop-up displays and coupons are examples of merchandising materials brokers can use at retail grocery locations.
6. Ask broker for weekly or biweekly reports on tasks accomplished. Manage the broker by suggesting areas of improvement and recognizing a job well done.
Tags: food buyers, food products, relationships with, with food, your food