Hello David,

Good point...Actually, Suzanne Somers is a perfect example of concentrating on the largest possible audience in only one segment (direct response television).

Any business can zero in on one area and essentially duplicate the business over and over - eventually becoming a leader in that market.

Another great example is Bare Essentuals mineral make up- she started with direct respose mail order, went to infomercial and home shopping and now has over 40 retail stores nationwide and is distributed through many retailers.

My point is to do one thing at a time and do it well.  Make a name for yourself in one market and others will follow. I started with specialty boutiques in the U.S. and department stores followed.     

 RE: "practically have a panic attack before having to make a phone call or have a face-to-face meeting"

This is an excellent example of "letting the experts do their job" - it is very hard to let go, but believe me, I am the worst sales rep in my company- it's actually a joke around here.  It's hard not to take rejection personally, and as the creator, you already know why your product is so great- what we tend to forget is you have about 3 seconds to make the sale & sometimes your pitch doesn't fit every business.  A good rep speaks in "retailers selling terms". 

Letting a sales rep filter through the challenges will ultimatley allow you to understand what is missing in the market and will allow you to adjust or create additional products they can sell.  

I also believe strongly that having a publicist drive your products into the hands of the media is the best route to take.     

I suggest 90 days or move on!

It doesn't hurt to have a few pots cooking at the same time...sooner or later one is going to require more attention - that's your green light. 

But don't "pigeonhole" yourself.  Once you see reorders occurring, the demand is there- bring in new products and grow with the retailers you have.

This now gives you the ability to bring in an outside sales rep or test new markets simultanelously (what do you have to lose at that point?).

This is when you can start to work with celebrities, magazines, local news channels etc.  to create a bigger demand in the market.

[QUOTE=Jules]
RE: the big chains...did you intentionally go after the big guys or did they come to you?  What are the pluses and minuses of doing business with a national retailer versus small individual boutiques?

Jules,

I did go after the big chains,but it's a lot of work! You really have to be prepared to interact with them electronically.  They all use an EDI (electronic data interface). Look into this first so you fully understand the back end management. 

This is the biggest challenge in addition to having to commit to profit margins and sell through. 

Do your homework.        

Hi Kim,

You're welcome- With reps, maybe they will never sell it exactly like you do, but remember- you can't be everywhere at all times...I created a "product presentation guideline" - and my reps use this as a checklist when presenting Foot Petals products- sort of like a cheat-sheet. Anything to keep consistency with the brand. 

 It's not easy owning your own business, but if it were - I suppose everyone would do it! Good luck and wishes for continued success to you.