Completely agree that the only way this works is if any one of us is going into a store as an indivdual, retail customer. This has far more credibility than providing any hint of being a company representative. So, in one respect, the more ignorant we are of the system, just looking for product, the better. The POP merchandise and support flyers, etc. must be something that we can refer to when mentioning the product, and something that we can leave with them, if necessary. Nobody wants to be "sold" anything, and that includes the store manager and the clerks. So there is a certain amount of tact that must be employed here. When going into someplace new the support story about planning a party and having been told about a specific product is a great way to go. If you know which specific distributor is the conduit then you can work that into the ordering conversation. Another route to go would be to, at some point in the conversation, actually mention that you bought stock in the company that manufactures/markets the product and you wanted to see how they are doing on the local level--perfectly legitimate and allows you to tell the story without selling. With all the current product offerings and what's on the horizon there are a whole lot of ways to string the story in an interesting fashion. I imagine each situation will be different. Really, all we are trying to do is develop product awareness. We don't have to make sales, set up deals or anything else. We just honestly get to go into the stores and see if they are carrying the products and, if not, make it known that you are looking for those particular products. If possible, when the product is in the stores, or if it comes in, what a nice and grand gesture it would be if we managed to buy a bottle from that particular store! A store manager or shop owner is going to be much more receptive to conversing with you if you are buying his merchandise!
Lee
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