Growing Sales with Distributors

Successful authorizations with a distributor customer can yield to setting-up a new distributor.  Once you are in a distributor make sure your product is deployed throughout their customer base and look for opportunities to expand your distribution.

Distributors are best at supplying and delivering products without getting them lost to retailers, foodservice locations, and outlets.  The misconception is that they purchase and market products to their customer base – that is your job.

How are you going to maximize your opportunities with distributors?  It requires successful authorizations, promotions, and marketing within the distributor segmented customers.

 

Wildly Personal Business Growth Questions

This list of questions will help to open your mind to growth and new food opportunities that abound now. Each has no right or wrong answer, just your answer. Often the answer lies in asking the right question. Just run through these questions and see what pops in your mind as possible options and paths towards successful growth for your company.

1. Which is worse, failing or never trying?

2. If time is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?

3. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about your company?

4. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of company would make you rich?

5. Are you selling what you believe in, or are you settling for what you currently offer customers?

6. If you knew your company would be sold in 3 years, how would it impact growth and sales differently?

7. To what degree have you actually controlled the growth and direction your company has taken?

8. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?

9. If you could offer only one piece of advice to a new employee, what would it be?

10. Would you break the law to make a sale?

11. Have you ever been amazed at some result that you earlier thought was crazy?

12. What is something you know your company does differently than most others in your segment?

13. Do the products that taste best to you taste best to everyone else?

14. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do or introduce? What is holding you back?

15. Are you holding back some great item that should go on the market?

16. If you had to open another office or food plant other than your current city, where would you open and why?

17. Would you rather be a worried worker or a joyful achiever?

18. Why is your company in business?

19. Have you been the kind of supplier that you want supplying your business?

20. Which is worse, losing a customer due to neglect, issues, or competition?

21. Is there one customer your company is most dependent on?

22. Would you rather lose your entire product line or never be able to make another new product?

23. Is it possible to know a successful product without ever bringing it to market?

24. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?

25. What is your happiest customer memory? What makes it so special?

26. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive in your work?

27. If not now, then when?

28. Do your kids like the products your company produces?

29. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?

30. Have you ever been with a customer, mostly just listened, and felt you had one of the best sales calls ever?

31. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is bad in your new product?

32. If you just received a million dollar grant to introduce a great new product, what would it be?

33. Would you rather have a smaller company?

34. Do you feel like you have lived this day a hundred times before?

35. When was the last time you rallied your troops behind a product or innovation that you strongly believed in with just your gut feel?

36. If you knew you would lose all but one customer this week, who would you keep?

37. Would you give away 10 points or 10 percent equity to get a celebrity endorsement or new technology?

38. What is the difference between being open for business and thriving?

39. When it is time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?

40. How does your company learn from mistakes?

41. What would you do differently in your business if you knew it could only help it grow?

42. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your production facility?

43. What do you love about your company and products? How are you sharing this with customers, consumers, and employees?

44. In 5 years from now, will what you do today matter in your business?

45. Decisions are being made right now in your company. The question is: Are they being made to add value to clients and consumers lives?

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See the pictures full screen at this link >> Play Full Screen!

Work with Tim at this Link >> Project and Phone Consultation Link

Phone Consultation Food Growth >> Work with Tim by Phone!

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Now is the time to Grow!

"The best time to expand is when no one else dares to take risks" ~Andrew Carnegie

• Introduce the new product
• Test the new packaging
• Buy that link, ad, or commercial
• Upgrade your website
• Hire that salesman
• Add two new tradeshows
• Look at new markets
• Visit your customers locations and offices
• Expand your test markets
• Go International

Now is the time to Invest, Build, and Grow!

Back to School!

There are more than 17,500 school districts in the United States starting back from the summer break.  Have you considered the opportunities that abound within the school lunch program for food companies. Imagine one organization purchasing for and serving 100,000+ meals per day! There are more than 25 school districts in the US that do purchase and provide more than 100,000 meals per day! My work for a salad dressing company got our products on the salad buffet line in various schools.

Are you reviewing the School opportunity and understanding their requirement for nutrition, packaging, and service.  These numbers are for the US public schools and also many food companies provide private schools with food stuffs to make their lunches, breakfasts, and snacks a success.  There are many catering and small restaurants that supply smaller schools with outsourced lunch services.  Also, a number of restaurants near high schools encourage the kids to stop in and enjoy lunch when they are off campus.

The schools offer a market segment that can yield tremendous rewards for your food company.  

What is your Fill Rate?

Big retailers with high sales velocity demand their suppliers fill their orders accurately, on-time, and complete.  If we pulled your last 20 or 100 orders what would your fill rate be for those orders?  Are you keeping track of your fill-rate on-going? The best companies supply their customers with product when ordered.

If you have not done this calculation, start now and share it with prospective customers if it is positive. One big retailer demands a 98.5% fill rate and 100% compliance on all documentation.

You can do this calculation yourself and if you need any assistance, please send me a note.

Pull together your last 20 orders and review the shipping documentation for each order.

Compare the shipping manifest or bill of laden with the customer order and do they match?

If they do not match, make a note of the items and number of cases short on the order. Did you ship 100% of your orders complete? If you did not and want to grow your business, start now shipping your orders complete!

Send me a note if you have any questions or comments… >> Link

>

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Standards and the USDA

Just returned from meetings with the folks at the USDA and learned a bunch about standards and product grading for an agricultural cooperative.  Are you supporting your industry association and pushing for standards and grading that are appropriate and correct for your food products?

  This particular group has been lobbying for tighter standards to protect the US producers. These protections are expected to deter inferior product dumping from overseas and should positively impact pricing and standards in the US food market. It might not eliminate the overseas product but it will enforce a consistent standard and definition standard. What are you doing to grow and seek new markets for your food products?

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Channel Growth Outside of Grocery

The last 10 years have seen dynamic growth with the addition of many new retail locations in channels outside of the Traditional Grocery Channel. By 2014 Non-Traditional Food Retailers should be within 4 points of Traditional Food Retailers in Share.

It is important you identify your channel strategy and provide channel specific value in your food product offerings. Product Size, packaging, programs, pricing, nutritionals and branding often are different by channel.  Include foodservice and you have a big job managing your channel strategy.

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Client wins Entrepreneur of the Year!

Congratulations to Nadines Chicken Salad for their success and growth in the food industry!  They sent a note that they won “Entrepreneur of the Year! Award” from the Chamber of Commerce over the weekend and I am very happy and proud of their continued success.

They continue to exhibit the actions of successful food companies by growing, introducing new products, supplying value to new channels, and continued refinement of their programs and marketing initiatives.

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Show them the Way!

Are you looking to increase sales and add new customers? Lead and Show your busy, stressed, buyers how to improve their business. The biggest guys like P&G, Kelloggs, and Kraft demonstrate their understanding of the consumer dynamic to improve the business of the buyer. Show them the path to follow for success in with their business.

Retail Buyers are seeking knowledge and insight into growing their business, category, and profits. How are you educating them about their section and consumer needs? The companies that don’t provide this insight are kicked to the side, pumped for marketing funding, and threatened with DC’s. If your buyers are not jumping at your offering and excited about your new product – think about showing them the way.

Tim's YouTube Television Channel

Click on the link to visit.

Speed the Business with Food Brokers!

I have literally worked with the best food companies and brands in the world.  Their success, systems, management, volume, and centuries (yes, centuries) of experience in the food industry provide a framework for dominant success.  One area that these Food Companies have learned to maximize for their benefit and return is the food broker. Regardless of size and experience, the successful companies working with Food Brokers understand the need to maximize their return with these third party sales agencies.  They understand the needs and the basic day to day measures they must take to provide the tools of success.  The successful companies do this over and over again building and maintaining success along with gaining new product distribution.  Your company would benefit to mimic and follow the lead of the successful when working with Food Brokers.

Accelerant Curve with Food Brokers

Upcoming Seminar - Food Growth 101 Amelia Island, Florida Ritz Carlton

Tim Forrest   Food Market Growth 101
www.timforrest.com/programs/docs/FoodGrowth101

Amelia Island, FL September 25^th, Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island Hotel. Accelerate your growth and food company success, the best growth value workshop I've ever produced, intended for newcomers, people who are "stuck," and veterans who need a boost. An intensive day on Amelia Island, includes a free 1 hour market growth analysis if you register early. Take a day to move your food company ahead by years or more in growth. Maximum 12 people admitted to this special program. EIGHT SPOTS REMAIN

Upcoming Food Broker Management Seminar - Ritz Carlton Amelia Island, Florida

Tim Forrest  Food Brokers 101

www.timforrest.com/programs/docs/FoodBrokers101

Amelia Island, FL September 26^th, Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island Hotel. The food broker can be a great tool used in your market planning and growth of your product and company with the opportunity for substantial financial returns. This overview session with Tim Forrest will provide you the insight and information you will need to prepare for your Food Broker sales call and on-going management. Also, you will receive a Food Broker template and we will start the process during and immediately following this fast moving seminar. Maximum 12 people admitted and first sign-up from category locks exclusive participation.

Download now or preview on posterous

PDF Food Broker Management 101.pdf (420 KB)

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Upcoming Seminar - Club Store Success Ritz Carlton Amelia Island, Florida

Tim Forrest  Club Store Success

www.timforrest.com/programs/docs/ClubStoreSuccess

Amelia Island, FL September 27^th, Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island Hotel. The Club Channel is one of the largest opportunities for Food Manufacturers and in this quick seminar along with a market visit to through the channel we will analyze and build the actions necessary for you to be successful in this unbelievable channel. Maximum 12 people admitted and first sign-up from category locks exclusive participation. Included in this will be forms, templates, and insight from Tims experience introducing more than 20 companies into the Channel.

Download now or preview on posterous

PDF Club Store Success.pdf (435 KB)

Posted via email from timforrest's noteboo

Top 50 Grocery Categories USA

This report provides the top 50 grocery categories in grocery stores across the USA.  Please download at this link. The information was originally compiled by Nielsen USA for a market presentation.

Millions from a Hot Dog Stand and Lessons for your Success!

Enjoyed the opportunity on a recent trip to Los Angeles to enjoy hot dogs from Pink's Chili Dogs.   My first trip and I quickly noticed they are doing much to amass such a giant following and achieving incredible success selling hot dogs! They are doing many things right including getting new customers and keeping them happy customers.  Also, they make one of the best chili dogs in America.  Check out this picture below of the chili dogs ordered while i was there. Loaded and Fresh Ingredients!

They also are always developing new and fun items to sell on the menu.  I enjoyed the Martha Stewart and it was my first experience with several of the ingredients on a hot dog!  Also, they have no franchises and worked to develop this single location over the years.

I look forward to re-visiting Pink's on future trips to Hollywood and Los Angeles.  They have succeeded in converting me from a one-time visitor to a customer.  Are you staying the course, converting first-time users, using the best innovative ingredients possible, and branding your new offerings? 


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Working with Club Stores

A warehouse club is a retail store, usually selling a wide variety of merchandise, in which customers are required to buy large, wholesale quantities of the store's products, which makes these clubs attractive to both bargain hunters and small business owners. The clubs are able to keep prices low due to the no-frills format of the stores and selling from no touch pallet displays. In addition, customers usually are required to pay annual membership fees in order to shop. This concept also keeps shrink extremely low. There are about 1,200 total Warehouse Clubs in the USA and the volume is significant since some clubs can retail more than $400 Million per year in a single location. Review my Club Stotre Calculator for your food products at

http://www.goodfoodsales.blogspot.com... www.timforrest.com

TIM'S BEST ADVICE FOR GROWING YOUR FOOD BUSINESS NOW!

For more than 25 years I’ve been helping companies grow, find new markets, and building success for the world’s top food brands.  This has been done even in a weak economy.  What have I learned and what methods do I apply to growing companies?

CREATE AND DOMINATE

I have discovered and it should come as no surprise that companies that have an underlying advantage or significant improvement over existing products can grow wildly.  A small subtle slight improvement is not enough.  It needs to be a massive improvement in multiples over the existing product or service to jump the hurdles of success and take on the entrenched players.

OWN YOUR CATEGORY AND BRAND IT

Position your company to dominate and

Growing Brand Equity while supplying Store Brand Programs

Tim Forrest, Senior Advisor and CEO at Tim Forrest Consulting 

U.S. retailers in grocery, convenience, and mass along with distributors and co-ops continue to increase the number of products offered under their own brands and labels, commonly referred to as private label and store brands. The success of store brands creates an opportunity for manufacturers to examine their current product portfolio and market for opportunities.  

Everything from fresh, frozen and refrigerated foods, beverages, snacks, shelf-stable groceries and ingredients of all types are now in store brand offerings. On the non-food side, there are household and kitchen, paper and plastics, health and beauty, GM and DIY. 

Growth with Food Brokers!

 Working with Food Brokers can be fantastic for your enterprise when handled correctly. Tips and ideas from Tim Forrest on generating returns from your broker partners. Also, please find my article on Food Brokers at this link.www.timforrest.com

Posted via web from timforrest's notebook

VIDEO: French Fry Secrets Revealed! Foodservice Best Fries Now Recipe Download

Mel shares his decades of experience processing French Fries in this quick video. The potato variety must be a Russett Burbank and the difficult part for many is the required 2 to 3 weeks of aging/conditioning the potato to achieve the best flavor and appearance after frying. Enjoy and let me know if this helps your french fry prep and serving.

Download the recipe - here is the link.

What actions are you taking to grow your business?

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© Tim Forrest 2010. All rights reserved

Grow your food business with online Video!

Video is fast becoming a tool with food marketers seeking sites for advertising placement and creation of videos for marketing purposes.  The chart above shows the growth and age segments of video users online.  Are your consumers online and watching video?  Maybe it is time for you to begin the process of including video in your marketing programs.

What actions are you taking to grow your business? Send a note or comments to Tim, also follow me on Twitter and see my retail photo notebook.. I want to hear about your success!

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Importance of Category Leadership and Dominance!

This photo of the energy drink category within a retailers drink section shows the importance of being #1 in your category and the presence being a leader provides to your product.

Notice the shelf-space allocation and retails garnered by the leader in the set. In this picture, half the shelf-space is Red Bull territory. This particular category has literally hundreds of items that could go onto the shelf and about 20 sku's are purchased for re-sale.

Create and develop revolutionary, outstanding, awesome products and services that the consumer and retailer will recognize as a significantly better and hopefully a new desired category of item. 

Market where you have no competition and get out there on a consistent basis growing your success.  Retail Merchandisers like the Red Bull version here offer vendors protected real estate with no competition within the unit.  It also provides additional retail locations in stores.

What actions are you taking to grow your business? Send a note or comments to Tim, also follow me on Twitter and see my retail photo notebook.. I want to hear about your success!

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Script Template for Creating Internet and Marketing Videos

Just returned from Wisconsin, the client desired three training and marketing videos for his products introduction. We used the linked template to produce our videos and manage the process prior to the shoot and during the production. Jeff Sheehan and Associates can assist your internet video strategy and implementation.

Have you considered video for your marketing and internet growth strategies? Internet Video is becoming a major force for companies seeking growth. Link to Template (Here)

What actions are you taking to grow your business? Send a note or comments to Tim, also follow me on Twitter and see my retail photo notebook.. I want to hear about your success!

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My carwash is on Twitter, are you?

What actions are you taking to grow your business? Send a note or comments to Tim, also follow me on Twitter and see my retail photo notebook.. I want to hear about your success!

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© Tim Forrest 2010. All rights reserved

Anything besides a cents off promotion or $1 Dog Deal!

A great promotion for hot dogs at a convenience store.  It works to reinforce the quality and brand Nathans without pushing some incredible price point or double deal for $1 each.

What actions are you taking to grow your business? Send a note or comments to Tim, also follow me on Twitter and see my retail photo notebook.. I want to hear about your success!

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© Tim Forrest 2010. All rights reserved