Distributor Identification Experts for 90 Countries
Export Solutions has participated in more than 300 Distributor Identification projects
across Europe, Asia, South America, Middle East, and USA/Canada. Our intensive Nine Step Process has benefitted food and personal care companies of all sizes from start-ups to
industries largest companies such as Nestle and Procter & Gamble. Export Solutions
own the supermarket industries best distributor database, supplying our clients with
unmatched clout and contacts versus any other team.
Hire Export Solutions for Distributor Search
Export Solutions works with your team to develop a services profile of qualified
distributors, creates and pre-screens a pool of local candidates, leveraging our distributor
database, organizes and travels to participate in distributor assessment meetings, and
provides insights into distributor cost structures and contract terms and conditions.
Projects take 2-3 months to complete from start to finish and our fee averages $10,000.
Contact us for more information.
Advisory Services for Distributor Search
Export Solutions serves as an advisor on your Distributor search project.
We provide valuable insights via telephone into the best distributor candidates for your
brand, key assessment criteria, distributor cost structures, and contract terms and
conditions. Projects take 2-3 months to complete from start to finish and our fee averages
$2,500. Contact us for more information.
Top 5 Distributor Service for 90 Countries
Export Solutions distributor database includes more than 4,600 distributors in 90
countries. We know many of the distributors in the database and can provide personal
insights via telephone on the Top 5 distributor candidates for your brand in 90 countries.
Our fee is $250 for two 30 minute sessions to discuss your distributor search. Purchasers
must already be subscribers of Export Solutions database or have purchased the country
list to participate. To purchase visit Talk to an Expert.
Finding the Right Distributor –Export Solutions Nine Step Process
Establish Partner Selection Criteria
What are the key attributes of your ideal candidate?
Product specialization? Service portfolio ? Existing results for current brands?
Choosing a Large, “Best in Class” partner versus a “Small, Hungry” company willing to
pioneer a new brand is an important preference.
Identify Potential Distributor Candidates
Create a large group of potential candidates. This could include distributors, importers,
brokers, or local producers of related products. Highlight companies that are specialists in
market sector that you are aiming at. Export Solution streamlines this process with our
online directory of more than 4,600 distributors, importers and brokers for 90 countries.
Pre-Screen Candidates
Determine the interest level of leading candidates. Send a brief summary of your product
proposition and company credentials to the 5- 10 most promising candidates. A follow-up
phone call to your top candidates is an appropriate personal connection. Distributors
expressing an interest should complete a company overview recapping their corporate
capabilities: Sales, Logistics, Marketing, Store Level Merchandising, Financial etc.
Distributor Interview
Normally, we recommend interviewing at least three candidates depending on the size
and scope of a project. Schedule the meeting 3-5 weeks in advance. Provide a specific
agenda at least 2 weeks in advance, including pre-work such as category market analysis.
Meet the distributor’s team that would work on your business, as well as senior
management. Meet in the distributors office for clues on company culture, scale, and
capabilities.
Interview Questions and Assessment Grid
Create a list of key questions to ask each candidate. Topics could include local category
dynamics, cost of entry, and Distributor success stories. Create a standard grid to evaluate
and compare all candidates on a common platform. Export Solutions has templates with
over 70 Distributor Interview questions and several Interview Assessment Grid
templates.
Retail Evaluation for Distributors Current Brands
Visit target stores for your product to observe category conditions. At the same time,
evaluate each distributor candidate’s performance for his existing brands. Do his current
brands maintain a strong presence in the market? Or are his brands hard to find? Conduct
these visits to leading retailers independently, as an accompanied visit may lead you to
select stores which may not be representative of marketplace reality.
Reference Checks
Request references of 5 of the distributors top 10 suppliers. Call at least three references
and request insights into performance and capabilities. Acknowledge that these are likely
to be positive references, but they always provide significant value. Run a Dun &
Bradstreet or other type of credit report on leading candidates.
Contract Terms
This critical step often serves as the most time consuming part of the distributor selection
process. Key negotiation areas include contract length, termination clauses, and
responsibility for various financial components of the relationship. Consideration should
be given to local laws which may supersede any written contract agreements.
Invite Top Choice to your Corporate Headquarters
The visit should include meetings with senior management, factory visit and members of
your marketing team. Dedicate time to final details of the launch planning. Create an
environment of mutual commitment. The visit serves as an important bonding and
relationship building experience between your company and your new partner.
60 Export Research Articles
Export Solutions has published more than 60 articles on Export Strategy and
Distributor Management.
Visit Export Tips to read the free research articles
to translate your international vision into tangible shipments in 90
countries.