Sales channels to reach your customers
Selling through retailers, wholesalers and other distributors
Selling through an intermediary may be a more cost-effective way of reaching your end-customers than selling to them directly.
If you are targeting business customers who prefer to deal with large suppliers, selling directly to them may not be a realistic option. Instead, you might aim to supply wholesalers who have existing relationships with those businesses.
If individual consumers buy low value quantities of your products, the best option might be to target retailers that sell similar products. Or you might choose to focus your efforts on a relatively small number of wholesalers who can in turn supply your products to many retailers.
Other distribution channels may also reach your end-customers. For example, technology suppliers often sell to resellers who can configure and install the technology to suit end-users’ particular needs.
Managing your distributors
You need distributors who will value your product. If they sell competing products, what will make them push yours?
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Think about how you set your prices. Distributors will be more enthusiastic if they can make a large profit – but setting too low a price will eat into your own margins.
Effective advertising and promotions can be vital. As well as marketing to the distributor, you can promote your products directly to end-customers. Distributors will be keener to stock and sell products that their customers are asking for.
The key terms of the supply relationship should be covered in a written contract. Key issues might include:
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how much stock the distributor will hold
what the distributor will do to promote your products
how quickly you can resupply and minimum order levels
whether the distributor has exclusive rights to your product (for example, in a particular territory)
what happens if either you or the distributor want to end the relationship
Business ideas, Marketing and sales , promotions and advertising ideas , articles
What should be the Characteristics of a Marketer ??
What is required in a marketer .. Many, lets list few of them ..1. As there are different stakeholders in an organization like customers, employees, suppliers etc. So it becomes very important for a marketers to be good at managing people. Its important for him to understand their psycology and act diligently.2. Suppose you are a Area Sales Manager in HLL, so need to deal with people across the distribution channel. So you have negotiate and convince the suppliers, wholesalers regarding the product margins, the targets for the quarter, the operational efficiencies etc. So a marketers should be a good negotiator and possess convincing skills.3. Should be aware of the market dynamics, the external variables which affect the business, to take effective actions and compete better against the big players. 4. Innovations plays an important role. But too much of innovation is a disaster, especially in a Brand Management Profile. Recently, Unilever has taken power from the Brand Managers from different regions as they were making different marketing campaigns in different country. This affect the core global brand personality. What i feel is that, innovation to some extent is required may be 5 on 10. But if you are in an advertising world, then you need 8.5. Hard Work is the key for success for a marketing career in a FMCG company. ASM have to slough like nuts, toching hundred of retailers, collaborating with suppliers, fulfilling targets. And as it margin scarce sector, to increase few more pennies in the Sales revenues is not an easy job. You actually have to walk under the sun to sell one more Liril. But thats where the learning is. Untill and unless you do down to the real market, you can never be an effective marketer. 6. When a person reach level 3 or 4 in the marketing ladder, something like VP or GM – Sales & Marketing, you should have the acumen to predict the market trends, the new product categories which can be introduced, different possible brand extenstions, converting the unfulfilled needs to real product which force the consumer to spend few more 100 Rs notes.I will keep comment on this in future.But i want you guys to respond to this question?Marketers what do you have it in you?