Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I have developed, prototyped and filed patent application for a product that is currently being sold through an online and catalog specialty products firm. However, to reach the full potential of the product I am trying to establish business relationship with larger retail companies like RadioShack, Discovery and others, hopefully before the holiday season rush. Many of these companies, Discovery in particular, have non-helpful call in lines that ask how they may redirect your call and then refuse to do so, even when one of their VPs provided the contact information. I`ve followed their instructions for new product introduction but can not even get a critique on their evaluation. RadioShack on the other hand says their response will take 6 weeks to process, and not a day less.

Big Companies? Go figure.

Any one know how I can streamline these interfaces, or am I wasting time with them.  I predict their revenue from my product will exceed $3.5 million, but time is a wasting.

Why not find more on-line businesses to sell your product? Please send me some info on the product .... GoTruckStop.com is always looking for exciting new products.

Email sales@gotruckstop.com ...

TJ

Frankly,

If you have the VPs info (not the contact he gave you), contact him back and ask him (the VP) how to get you connected with the person he gave you and explain the difficulty you are having. Perhaps soften it with "I`m sure I`ve gotten them in the middle of a big project or something, but what is the best way to connect with Guy B because calling isn`t working."

That way, the VP doesn`t appear to lack clout, you aren`t dissing yourself, and the Guy B will either hunker down and be receptive or explain to the VP why he shunned the referral.  That`s my thought, anyway.

Jillybeans

Frankly. Big companies are like big ships they don`t move quickly, they don`t stop on a dime but they do move forward slowly and surely. You may have considered Radio Shack`s recent sales decrease and subsequent stock downturn and how that may affect their ability to readily absorb new products without being reviewed at every level. This does take time. Lot`s of time.

Don`t be disappointed if you don`t get an immediate answer. Be persistent but also be patient and maximize your sales with the smaller and more responsive outlets. Success there will mean more to the "Big Guys" than any of your sales projections. If upon final review they deny your product I`m sure they will give you good reasons why that you will be able to address and hopefully act upon to improve your chances the next time around.

I can`t say that I`m not interested in learning what your product is. Very mysterious.

~Eric

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~Eric
JE Design Group, LLC
If all you do is what you`ve done, then all you`ll get is what you`ve got.
www.jedesigngroup.com

Another route you might consider os trade shows.  I don`t know the specifics of the electronics industry (I assume that is where your procuct is since you talk of Radio Shack), but generally buyers from major companies go to all the big trade shows to see what`s new and interesting.  It`s not a cheap route to go - we are doing a major pet industry trade show next month where the booth alone costs almost $2,000 - but it can give you contact and access to many more companies at the same time and you are sure to be talking to the people who are actually in the job of looking for new products.

Lisa

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Lisa Tarver
Fauna Sauna
Natural Heat for Your Pet`s Health
www.faunasauna.com

Most large retail firms have made it increasingly difficult for firms trying to sell a product to get through to an actual human being. In their defense, buyers have an extremely difficult job and are presented with countless new product ideas and sales pitches every day. Wal-Mart receives about 10,000 pitches each year (only about 200 of them actually make the cut). There is no easy answer to getting them to take you seriously. Also, remember that buyers work way in advance-sometimes as much as a year. There are also others ways in which you can get your product on the shelves with these companies as well.

Trade shows can be effective but before making that kind of commitment do your research. I`ve seen more flops than successes with small firms that hope to get noticed in a show.  I`d do a lot of research (is it a buying show or just a social event? Is your booth going to be in the back 40 where no one ever walks?, Do new exhibitors return?) before committing to a show.