Our Mission

To help you understand your consumers’ or customers’ perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, or opinions about your products or services.


 

B2B/Trade Probes

It is important to talk to your consumers as you develop or refine your product or service. However, if you do not successfully sell your product to the trade, it does not matter how well consumers like it – they’ll never see it at retail!

Selling and marketing to the trade is one area in which I can leverage my channel, customer marketing, and sales experience. The outcome will be to help you better identify and understand issues important to your trade partners, to position your product to the trade for success

Why Trade Probes are Important

  1. knowledgeYou may not be getting the full story. . If your only source of feedback about trade issues is your sales force, you may be hearing only parts of the story. With salespeople under constant pressure the feedback they provide may be filtered. Trade probes will help you get objective feedback about the reality of your total relationship with your trading partners.
  2. The situation may appear to be good, but … No one likes surprises, and just when sales are strong, your largest retail customer decides to cut back on skus or replace some of your items with a competitor’s. Trade probes done on a regular basis can help identify potential land mines and prevent these types of costly surprises.
  3. Trade relations are complex (as if you needed to be reminded). Today’s terms of trade include price, allowances (bill-back, off-invoice, etc.), freight, spoils, returns, markdowns, co-op advertising, promotion allowances – the list goes on. A change in any of these variables can have a big effect on your success and bottom line.

My trade experience includes selling and marketing to these channels of trade, including:

    • Grocery/food
    • Drug
    • Wal*Mart
    • Costco and clubs
    • Brokers
    • Distributors
    • Internet retailers
    • Catalog (and internet) retailers
    • Specialty retailers

I have worked with sales management and sales directors across many industries, and have met with, and presented to, buyers at most of the large chains in the United States. I will work with yours to accurately assess trade issues to develop trade programs that ensure your products' success. An efficient method to interview your trading partners is to set up discussions with them at your next trade show. In a few days we can assess the trade issues affecting your business, identify opportunities, and develop strategies to grow your business.