Patrick Sbarra, principal partner at New Creature Inc., supplier of merchandising programs to Wal-Mart, says it starts with the walk down the “Hall of Humility” and Wal-Mart’s Bentonville, AR, corporate offices to small rooms. Inside these rooms, one or two Wal-Mart buyers listen to presentations from brand owners and vendors.
Sbarra makes several observations that could prove useful in preparing a presentation to a Wal-Mart buyer:
1. You have 5 to 8 minutes to sell the goods.
2. Buyers are working on information overload. Besides hearing a glut of brand presentations, each of them receives as many as 180 e-mails per day.
The buyers are looking for evidence that this is the right time and place for Wal-Mart to carry a particular brand. Sbarra recommends a focus on showing the value. Thoroughly understand the nuances of Wal-Mart, and how individual stores in the chain respond to local community needs. Interject insights on how packaging supports the product’s value proposition.
Be prepared to explain terms and concepts quickly. For example, explain how a big-city boutique store influenced a proposed product. One caution: The buyer may not be well-versed in packaging or see packaging as their chief responsibility.
“Wal-Mart buyers are in Arkansas and they travel, but to other Wal-Marts. They don’t get to boutiques, so you have to educate them,” Sbarra says.
Sbarra also recommends collaborating with competitors to help sell a category as a whole.
See the story that goes with this sidebar: Persuading Wal-Mart to say ‘yes’
