Troy Potteiger first met with Hot Spot Convenience Store’s Shawn Holmes at ECRM’s Summer Beverage Session in July 2023. It was literally Potteiger’s first meeting of the Session, and he showcased Bones Coffee Co.’s new line of RTD coffees. 

Earlier this year – 18 months after that initial meeting – the RTDs landed on the shelves at 40 of Hot Spot’s stores. What happened during those 18 months in between, however, is arguably the most important activity that an emerging brand undertakes: following up.

Potteiger, Bones Coffee Co.'s Director of Sales, knows that success in retail is all about the follow ups AFTER that initial buyer meeting. Getting on the shelf is a marathon, not a sprint, and staying front-of-mind with buyers and category managers requires patience, persistence and a good deal of relationship-building. 

Potteiger excels at follow up. But don’t take it from me; hear it from the buyer’s own words.  

“Troy has been phenomenal to work with from day one,” says Holmes, who is Hot Spot’s Corporate Manager - Marketing and Merchandising. “From our first meeting back in July 2023, he made it a point to stay connected without ever being pushy — striking that rare balance between professional persistence and genuine relationship-building. Every touchpoint felt thoughtful and timely, and you could tell he was always keeping our specific needs and timeline in mind. That kind of follow-up stands out in a sea of vendors who often go quiet or overwhelm you with emails. Troy made sure Bones Coffee stayed top-of-mind in a way that felt helpful, not salesy.”

Patience wins when it comes to getting distribution at mass retail

Walgreens is another case-in-point. Potteiger met with Walgreens buyers at each of the dozen ECRM Sessions in which he has participated over the past few years, with plenty of follow ups in between. Finally, at the Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Session earlier this year in Vegas, they pulled the trigger. The result: two flavors of Bones’ Cold Brew lattes at 3,800 stores since 2025. 

The same goes for Meijer. Lots of meetings, lots of follow ups before landing the deal. 

Getting the picture yet? Getting into mass retail takes time, and lots of follow up. 

“With any CPG company, success is driven by follow up, especially if you are introducing a product for the first time,” says Potteiger, who sat with me for an interview at ECRM’s recent Center Store Grocery Sessions in Dallas (see the full interview below). “It’s a continuous process, because at the end of the day, retailers are very busy, and it could take two or three follow ups to secure time with them. It could take several meetings at ECRM Sessions, for example, but it brings their attention back to the prize, which is getting distribution.”

A coffee brand’s bare-bones beginnings 

Family-owned Bones Coffee Co. was founded in 2016 with the goal of bringing fun and flavor to the coffee category. According to Potteiger, the founders are an eclectic group that’s very music- and art-oriented, originally running a business selling t-shirts with cool designs. When they moved to Cape Coral, Fla., they couldn’t find any coffee they liked, so they decided to start brewing their own, using packaging that featured unique artwork from the t-shirt business.

Originally they worked out of their house, literally shipping out products from their front porch. While they had some local distribution at retailers like Farmer John’s and Publix, it was primarily a direct-to-consumer business marketed via their large and loyal social media following.

Since then, Bones has grown into a business with a 50,000-square-foot facility making over $25 million in sales with distribution in thousands of stores. The brand’s core offerings consist of approximately 30 products with unique names and flavors like Frankenbones chocolate hazelnut coffee and Sultry Siren sea salt and caramel flavored RTDs. There are also additional seasonal, limited-edition and licensed offerings from partnerships with companies like Marvel, Disney and Paramount (its Dark Side Star Wars collectors box was featured at the Session). These additional offerings bring the product total somewhere between 75 and 80.

“Most retailers we work with will bring the core flavors into their set and we provide a lot of seasonal in-and-out offerings with shippers,” says Potteiger. “Many buyers want to win the seasons and make sure they have the right offer at the right time to drive more growth with incrementality.”

Consistency is key to making retail deals

With all of the delicious flavors, unique packaging, seasonal offerings and cool merchandise, a Brand like Bones Coffee Co. almost sells itself. But for getting into mass retail, you need someone to build those buyer relationships as well, and for Bones Coffee Co., that person is Potteiger. 

For Potteiger, success at retail is all about getting in front of, and staying in touch with, retail buyers. “This involves constant communication,” he says. “You don’t want to be overbearing with a retail partner, but consistent communication is important to stay front-of-mind.”

How RangeMe & ECRM fit into the equation

Among the tools Potteiger uses to stay front-of-mind are RangeMe and ECRM. As a Premium and Verified RangeMe subscriber, Bones Coffee Co. has its full portfolio on the platform, where it gets many sample requests that have led to business, and participates in many Immediate Opportunities offered by retailers on the platform. Then there are the in-person relationships developed at ECRM Sessions.

“I can’t say enough about ECRM and the opportunity it presents,” says Potteiger. “You get in front of the retail buyer for 10 minutes and make that connection.” (He opts for the 10-minute Innovation Pipeline meetings at Sessions)

When it comes to buyer meetings, Potteiger always keeps the buyer’s needs in mind when pitching his products, and keeps an open mind for new opportunities, even from non-traditional channels. “Even though we are not in foodservice yet, I met with some of the foodservice buyers who were at the Session, to better understand what opportunities are out there.”

Networking like a champ with retailers and brands

Potteiger doesn’t limit his conversations to the buyer meetings, however. One of the benefits of ECRM Sessions being held at hotels is that virtually every activity is held on-site where the participants also have their sleeping rooms. So you’ll find him chatting it up with other brands near his meeting space, trading stories with people at breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails, and even networking with others while taking a break in the hospitality lounge. 

At the most recent Session, Bones was even a sponsor of the Walmart meet and greet event, where Potteiger served coffee and mixed it up with other brands and Walmart executives who were on hand (Bones’ RTDs were in 2,800 Walmart stores last year, and now that number is up to 3,500).

“You want to interact with as many attendees as you can,” says Potteiger. “You are just elbows away from them. Be active throughout the Session and connect with everybody.”

'Be active throughout the Session and connect with everybody' - Troy Potteiger

He also keeps an eye out for the chance to team up with other brands. During his time in Dallas, in addition to the Beverage and Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Sessions, there were several other center store grocery sessions taking place covering categories such as snacks; canned, dry and boxed food; condiments, sauces and spreads; and baking, spices and breakfast foods – plenty of opportunities to form unique partnerships.

“There are so many potential cross-collaboration tie-ins that can come out of these,” he says. So many emerging brands in different categories that might be valuable connections, all in one location.”

Fantastic follow up drives results

Since getting into mass retail is a long-term game, follow ups after that initial buyer meeting often include both in-person and digital engagement (meaning emails and phone calls). Potteiger is a big believer in following up with everyone and keeping doors open. “Sometimes when you leave a meeting, it may not have felt like a real lead, but during the follow up stage it can become one,” he says.

Sometimes the follow up process can span several in-person meetings at ECRM Sessions, as was the case with Walgreens. Potteiger notes that brands have to just be patient and have other opportunities in the pipeline to keep you going in the meantime.

“Every customer doesn’t come to every ECRM event time,” says Potteiger. “We have a solid pipeline of regional and national accounts that we call on regularly. A lot of the timing is determined by the retailer. They have their line reviews at specific times throughout the year, so you only have that one shot or a couple of shots to present to them.”

Getting on the retail shelf is not the end of follow up

Even once your products are on the shelf, the follow up doesn’t stop. From that point on, it’s all about supporting and growing sales and deepening the relationship. In fact, one can say that follow up really never ends; its goals just evolve. And for Bones Coffee Co., Potteiger evolves with it. 

“Now that Bones Coffee is on our shelves, that same level of engagement hasn’t slowed down,” says Hot Spot’s Holmes. “Troy’s still reaching out, sharing resources, and checking in on how things are going. That kind of long-game thinking is what makes someone like Troy a standout in this industry.”

Watch my full interview with Troy here!