Supplier Prep for an ECRM EPPS: Part 1 11/7/2016
You signed up to attend an upcoming ECRM EPPS – now what do you do?
First, take care of making your reservations for travel, hotel, and transportation. Be sure to arrive with enough time to set up your room prior to your first meeting and choose a departing flight that gives you adequate time to take everything down without rushing or cutting your last meeting short. Also make arrangements to get your product samples; exhibits, backdrops, placards, or displays; presentations; and literature to the meeting location so it is there when you set up your room. Your account manager can answer any questions you might have in this area.
When you’re arranging to ship your product samples to the show, keep in mind that while you want enough of them in the room to create a presence, buyers will most likely not want samples to take with them. So bring enough to allow buyers to try your product during your meeting, but plan on mailing samples as part of your post-show follow-up. Don’t forget your product displays. Bring at least one of each display type that you want buyers to see and consider.
The Buyer Presentation
- Company information
- Category trends
- Market opportunity
- Product differentiation
- Planogram vignettes and recommendations
- Consumer marketing plan
- Competitive analysis and pricing information
You’ll have to decide if you want to use your PowerPoint presentation during the meeting or present your story via another medium, such as a flip chart or placards. And here's a key point: Make sure your presentation fits within the time limits of each meeting, including leaving some time for buyer questions. Although you most likely will not need handouts for all of your meetings, you should have some with you for those that may want a hard copy to jot notes on.
In part two of this series about preparing for your ECRM event, I will discuss how to prepare for each retailer and how to make the most of the room you are in.
