Using a knowledgeable master broker can increase your retail shelf space, sales and brand equity. David knows brokers, and he drives results through his network of highly experienced regional brokers to cover national and regional CPG retail accounts across the entire United States.
But what if you already have brokers in place? No problem! David will coach you with “Broker Management 101” to help you manage and mitigate hassles and missed opportunities with synchronizing, controlling and motivating brokers.
To have effective brokers, you need the right type of leadership, broker-management experience, and exactly the right kind of broker communication. It’s not as intuitive as it might seem. Don’t go at it alone.
Important Broker Hiring Tip!
Avoid the large national brokers and national sales companies.
Why? These companies tend to be too corporate for the needs of most smaller brands. With national brokers, your company will be lost in the sea of the big brands these firms already represent. Typically, the reps who work in these firms are good with “process,” but often lack the ambition and assertiveness to work around any barriers. These firms get an allotment of time with the buyer and try to squeeze all their lines into that short time.
Case in Point: There was a company we know of that was told they would be given just five minutes at Albertson’s to review their business and present their new items. This was because their large, national sales organization was allotted just one hour to parade all of their clients’ brands through, including competing brands! Meanwhile, this company’s chief competitor, of similar size, had a full 30 minutes to meet with the very same buyer!
Why did the competitor get more time? Because they used the right sized broker who didn’t have to split the appointment time with multiple brands.
Alternatively, avoid the hungry lone wolf who has an “in” with only one buyer, or one account, in an otherwise large footprint with multiple accounts. While this may sound good, it will be difficult to find other brokers to represent the product at the other accounts in the same region, and often these reps lack proper access for most accounts.
David’s Network of Brokers
David’s brokers are highly experienced. Most are former CPG executives or CPG category managers who have the proper access to each retail account. They are mid-sized regionals, highly seasoned and accessible, who really know the accounts and have worked with David for many, many years.
How Does a Master Broker Work?
As a master broker, David will accompany his brokers on major appointments. The client and/or David usually do the presenting, not the broker alone. Believe it or not, brokers PREFER this! David knows extremely well how to prepare for the meetings and how to get the brokers ready – nothing is left to chance!
He maximizes the broker’s efforts and sets them up for success through constant communication and by providing the right materials to ensure the client makes the most of each appointment. In addition, David will constantly tap the broker for information that David and the client need to keep up with changes and new data from each retail client.
After the appointment, David’s work isn’t done. He continues to systematically evaluate, train and provide professional assistance to the brokers and client on an ongoing basis to make the next appointment even better.
