Ian Navarro’s Post

Late last week I wrote about ways brands can be a better partner to their foodservice distributor partner. Today we will touch on point TWO. 1) Have and create a relevant brand. 2) Build relationships with your distributor partner. 3) Put in the work. 4) Create engagement. 5) Follow up and follow through. Building a relationship is important. You can't just get into your DC and think you can't nurture that relationship. You must also do it at four levels now. 1) procurement 2) leadership 3) sales 4) marketing You need to know those people and connect with those people. Each have different levels of influence in moving and stocking your product. Bring breakfast burritos, do give-aways, provide content, say hello, be present, ask open ended questions in order to get feedback. Staying in touch with your distribution team will be a huge help to your 2024 growth.

Houston, we have a problem… Most FMCG pros recognise the importance of baking in shopper insights from beginning to end when it comes to customer planning... More buy-in, less sell-in. More collaboration. More success. Yet most say this isn't how things usually play out. Things get in the way like terms, and promo plans, and politics. But it's possible to join the 20% if you evolve. Give your team confidence to talk the language of shopper insights. Get consistent backing from your senior leaders. Engage your customers with a partnership mindset. There are no hacks...just do it..and do it...and do it... Follow for grocery and liquor shopper behaviours to help you join the 20%. Andrew Arnold Simon Ford Jamie Thomas Mia Lloyd Jodi L. Nekita Cox Michael Herriott Julia Wood Jeremy Zondag Adrian Lovell Glen Scarlett Damien Page Simon Cleave Sheri Juchau Ilena Sortino Alastair Smith #shoppers #success #nohacks #partnership

Meet the team Monday we are introducing Shannon Peffley How long have you been in the CPG world? over 20 years, started working for my Father's c-store distribution company when I was 14 years old. What's your area of expertise and territories you manage? I am the VP of the East Coast/Midwest Team and over see Key accounts on the East Coast. What's a brand you wish you repped and why? There are so many brands out there but top ones would be Chubby Snacks because they sell a quality product and the team is awesome. Also Dream Pops always been a fan of their marketing and product is delicious. Piece of advice you would give brands? Know your numbers, understand what is cost you to produce, market, distribute, and sell your product. Make sure you build enough margin from the start and not the idea of as you scale your cost will come down. Start regional so that you can get feedback and make changes while you're still small enough to do so. Favorite Grocery Store to shop? I'm a Pa man at heart so when I'm in town it's stopping at The GIANT Company and Wegmans Food Markets When you're not working what do you enjoy doing? I love being outside and traveling. Spending time with my kids out on the water or out in the woods where we can't be distracted by technology. #meettheteam #cpg #foodandbeverage ##cpgindustry #teamwork #sales #salesagency #growing

Brands that want to grow in foodservice distribution need to add value to their distributor partner. It is more than just getting product slotted. Here are 5 things I have seen great brands do in foodservice. 1) Have and create a relevant brand. 2) Build relationships with your distributor partner. 3) Put in the work. 4) Create engagement. 5) Follow up and follow through. Today we look at follow up and follow through. As a brand, you've invested time and money to come to market. The distributor has tee'd up (hopefully) some meetings for you relevant to your business. One of the worst things you can do is take too long to follow up, either with pricing, samples or information. Creating a follow up and follow through at the distributor level and customer can be a valuable relationship builder for you. Additionally, if you are not in market all the time, how are you following up on things? Hey buyer/salesperson/leader, thanks for the order, I noticed you didn't get X, or you increased in your order for X super excited but can we find time to learn about how it has grown? Create, Engage and Follow Up. Geography does not have to play as strong a role anymore. You just have to find time and ways to follow up and follow through.

Dive into Engage3 powered by Dexi's latest interview with CEO Edris Bemanian and Dutch Valley's VP Mark Semprini as they discuss Mark's journey and the unique strategies driving Dutch Valley’s success. #Leadership #Innovation #FoodIndustry

Beyond the Meat Aisle - How Impossible Foods Redefined Sales Leadership. In 2011, Pat Brown, a former Stanford professor, embarked on a mission to tackle one of the world's most pressing environmental issues: meat production. The challenge was clear — people are addicted to meat, and breaking this addiction seemed impossible. With the meat industry contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and land degradation, a solution was needed. Fast forward to 2019, Impossible Foods faced an unexpected hurdle — an overwhelming demand for its Impossible Burger. The shortage, akin to the great oat milk drought, turned into a PR triumph. Customers remained loyal, showcasing the brand's cultural impact. The struggle underscored the need for scalable solutions and effective sales management. Impossible Foods revolutionized plant-based meat by understanding the science behind the taste of meat. The solution lay in replicating meat using plants, and the Impossible Burger, with its soy and potato protein, yeast-fermented heme, and culinary binders, was born. By strategically targeting foodies and chefs first, the brand successfully transitioned from niche to mass market, penetrating major chains like Burger King and White Castle. My Big Takeaway: Sales systems matter. Pat Brown's visionary approach to transforming an industry showcases the power of a well-executed sales strategy. CEOs looking to grow revenue, be profitable, and impact lives can learn from Impossible Foods. Whether it's understanding customer addiction (the problem), navigating unexpected challenges (the struggle), or crafting innovative solutions (the solution), having a robust sales system is paramount. Join the www.CEOSalesHuddle.com for sales growth and business strategies. Stay Hungry. Stay Humble. Che Brown www.CEOSalesHuddle.com Connect with me: @IamCheBrown #CEOSalesHuddle #CEOSalesDashboard #CEOMasteryNetwork

⚡ From Team Manager to Player: Navigating Current Distributor Dynamics🍷🥃 I recently read an interesting post from Ben Salisbury discussing the new dynamics at play between Suppliers and Wholesalers. As the beverage alcohol industry continues to evolve, the consolidation among Wholesalers is creating a new game that will require a new playbook from Suppliers. With fewer than 1,000 wholesalers now operating in the U.S., and each managing 100s if not 1000s of SKUs, small and mid-sized brands face a tougher road to secure distribution and visibility. 🔑 In our latest post, we discuss the dynamics at play and some key strategies for overcoming these challenges:        1.     Direct Retailer Engagement: Build strong relationships with key decision-makers to enhance your brand’s presence.        2.     Create Demand: Invest in digital marketing and data-driven strategies to drive consumer interest directly.        3.     Wholesaler Collaboration: Maintain open communication and provide tailored support to your wholesaler partners down to the street level.        4.     Focus on Strategic Accounts: Identify and prioritize accounts that drive the majority of your revenue. I leave you with some questions: How has the consolidation in the wholesaler landscape impacted your brands, and what actions are you taking to change the narrative and achieve better results? #CraftedAdvisors #BeverageAlcohol #Distribution #BrandStrategy #CommercialStrategy #MarketTrends #BusinessGrowth

As you scale your brand, really think about your channel strategy. Think about where your core customer is shopping and how you are going to get the product to the retailer. Both of these pieces need to be considered as you scale your business. Every category will need a unique strategy on where to go and how to get there. I have sold into health and wellness for five years. Grocery and frozen for at least a decade. Maybe more. Even regenerative grains into retail, bulk, and foodservice and this was before regenerative was on trend... I guess that means I am a fire starter. All of these categories will find success by partnering with different distributors or in some cases direct. I have been gifted the opportunity to work with some amazing retail partners like Kroger, Target, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Whole Foods Market, Wegmans Food Markets, Thrivemarket Ltd, INFRA and National Co+op Grocers. Every retailer listed will require a different strategy to gain lift off shelf. There is no cookie cutter formula to growing. I challenge you to dive deep and partner as best you can as you grow. Get support along the way so that you can get oriented to the natural products system and begin to make decisions based on profitable growth. #strategy #sales #Ihavenevergrownabrandthesamewaytwice

I’m thrilled to share a recent accomplishment from my PepsiCo Sales Simulation Certification Project. As part of this project, I took on the role of a Sales Manager and successfully tackled a real-world scenario that involved securing an incremental display for the new Doritos Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch flavor ahead of the Superbowl. Here’s a snapshot of what we achieved: 🔍 Situation: We identified a fantastic opportunity to boost our Doritos sales by securing an additional display at a Big Box store. Despite initial resistance from the store manager, we persevered and turned a "no" into a "yes." 💼 Planning and Execution: Product Order: Secured a delivery of 400 bags of the popular Doritos Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch flavor. Scheduled Setup: Planned the display setup for the following Wednesday morning to ensure everything was perfectly timed for the Superbowl rush. Team Collaboration: Provided additional support to our Sales Representative, Amari, who was feeling overwhelmed. By coordinating extra team members to assist with the setup, we ensured a smooth and efficient process. 🤝 Leadership and Support: I focused on using my leadership and interpersonal skills to motivate and support Amari through this busy period. By breaking down tasks, offering clear plans, and ensuring Amari had the support needed, we turned a challenging situation into a successful outcome. 📈 Results and Impact: Last year, our strategic displays led to the sale of over 2,110 bags of Doritos during the Superbowl period. This year, with our enhanced display strategy, we project selling approximately 2,400 bags, contributing to significant market share growth for Doritos. This project was a fantastic opportunity to apply strategic thinking, leadership, and teamwork to drive sales and ensure customer satisfaction. I’m incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication from everyone involved. #PepsiCo #SalesSimulation #Leadership #Teamwork #CustomerSuccess #Superbowl #Doritos #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment

🌟 Exciting Insights from Crafted Advisors! It’s evident that the beverage alcohol landscape is changing rapidly. With consolidation among wholesalers, small and mid-sized brands face unique challenges in securing distribution and maintaining visibility. At Crafted Advisors, we are dedicated to helping brands navigate these complexities. Here are a few strategies we’ve identified: 1. Engage directly with retailers to build strong partnerships. 2. Invest in demand creation through targeted marketing efforts. 3. Collaborate effectively with wholesalers to ensure mutual success. 4. Focus on key accounts that will drive your revenue. I’m proud to be part of Crafted Advisors, where we leverage our expertise to support brands in achieving their goals. If you’re interested in discussing these trends further, let’s connect! #CraftedAdvisors #BeverageAlcohol #IndustryInsights #Collaboration #BusinessDevelopment