Make Your Brand Sell

You finally turned your big idea into a tangible product that is ready to impress the masses. What to do next?

After delivering her product to local markets in her own jeep, CEO of HINT Inc. Kara Goldin managed to put her beverage on the shelves of Whole Foods, Starbucks and several other retailers.

“Every account has its own corporate culture, so you need to approach each of them somewhat differently,” says Goldin. “To get into Whole Foods, we built relationships at store level, at the regional level and at the national level.  We had to show them that people really want this product and we had to be sure we built the brand through sampling and marketing instead of through deep discounting.”

When approaching a seller, research their purchase history, build credibility by showing your knowledge of their brand and deliver the goods on time.

Once a relationship is established, execute successful sales promotions, offer valuable incentives and nurture your relationship with the retailer.

For additional exposure, trade shows, publicity and sales representatives are the secrets to getting your products in stores such as Target.

Bonus PINK Link: How’s your brand’s reputation? Check out how to heal your company’s bruised brand.

By Shaniqua Christian

“For every sale you miss because you’re too enthusiastic, you will miss a hundred because you’re not enthusiastic enough.” Zig Ziglar