As small business owners, we often settle for substandard shelving placements. More often than not, we’re so relieved to appear in big stores that we wouldn’t dream of questioning this. To be fair, complaining upfront is a sure way to lose contracts. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t change things.
Shelving placement is everything when it comes to profits. Psychologically, customers are more liable to buy products at eye level. If you’re tucked away on the top shelf, you’re going to struggle. In fact, the success of your big deal could turn sour. To make matters worse, investors may pull your products if you don’t see decent sales. It’s a vicious cycle.
Luckily, there are ways you can tackle this without being a moaning Minnie. Irrelevant of the size of your business, there are ways to secure better slots. All you need to do is bring the following benefits to big business meetings.
An existing audience
For the most part, we reach out to large stores because we want to grow our audience. But, that doesn’t mean you can attend meetings with no existing audience behind you. You should work on building interest using methods such as social media ahead of time. That way, you have an audience to recommend you for a better spot. Without that much, you’re lucky if a big business even looks your way. But, if you can prove an existing demand, the chances are that you’ll at least escape the top shelf. What’s more, the larger the interest, the better your chances. If you maintain a decent following, you could find your products appearing at eye level from day one.
A shelf-friendly package
The physical appearance of products also has standing on shelf placement. Big businesses want pretty packages in prime places. They also want packages which are easy to display. If your product is bland or awkward, it’ll land on the top shelf without question. To make sure that doesn’t happen, you need to focus on design. For one, you want a bright and appealing appearance which is sure to please any customer. You may also want to look into easy-to-shelf options like these stand up pouches. If that store can put your products out without rearranging, your chances of prime positions increase no end.
A relationship which looks set to last
You may also find that big businesses want future prospects as well as present profits. Even if your product is fantastic as it stands, you won’t secure prime spots if you have no plans. If a business is going to back you, they need to know that you have more to offer. Otherwise, your profits will be short-term. If that’s the case, why would they risk giving over a prime spot for you? Instead, make sure to have future plans to hand before any meeting. These don’t need to be detailed, but you need to prove why it’d be worthwhile putting your products at eye level for a long time to come.