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

Your presentation should be succinct and to the point, and should include key items of importance to the retailer, including:
  • Company information
  • Category trends
  • Market opportunity
  • Product differentiation
  • Planogram vignettes and recommendations
  • Consumer marketing plan
  • Competitive analysis and pricing information
In addition to being built on research and data that supports your bid for shelf space, your presentation should also be short and compelling to keep the buyer engaged in your story. If possible, run it by an objective third-party to make sure it is effective and satisfies all these requirements. Once finalized, upload the presentation to your profile on the ECRM website.

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.

Suppliers -- Make the Most of Your EPPS Meetings! Hamacher Resource Group is offering a service that can help suppliers prep for their meetings at ECRM events. Click here for more information.

Contact Angela Pinkstaff

Director of Business Development
Hamacher Resource Group

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