Independent Sales Reps

OnTray

I am interested in finding independent sales reps to market and sell my product, OnTray. What do you all think is the best way to find them? Is the best way placing ads or does anyone know if there are online gathering places for these people (sales reps)? My other reps have found me, so I`m not sure how to find more!

bert

Cool product idea!  You should market them directly to the grocery and department store chains.  I will bet if you can get them to set up a display at their front doors where the carts are at you will not need sales reps or other advertising.  Selling them any other way seems very hard to me.  The timing for sales appeal is at the stores when they walk in...

OnTray

Thanks Bert! 
The problem with marketing directly to the grocery chains is that you need to work with a buyer. They are so incredibly busy, that actually catching them on the phone is difficult.  I`ve slowly become a stalker!  Oh well, I`ll keep plugging away!

LiveWise

Great Idea!  I really like it, but, do the kids keep the food on the tray?  I know how messy my floor got with my little girl.  My suggestion is to make some with a lid that has a small opening so that the kids could only get one or two out at a time.  Offer these trays for older kids that aren`t going to make the Cheerios fly.
 
Also, I think you should go to the grocery chains too.  Be bold.  They didn`t put those fun shopping carts that kids ride in without somebody going out on a limb.  In addition, maybe you could approach pre-schools and sell them/have order forms through the school. 
 
I think that if you had independent reps, you would probably have to increase the price of the product to pay the reps so much and it may take it out of the price range I would pay for the product.. 

OnTray

Thanks Natalie!
 
If you visit my site, www.ontray2go.com, and scroll down a bit on my homepage, my designer put together a great animation of how the product works.  You`ll see that OnTray has a lid that slides off, and can be attached to the bottom so you don`t lose it.  It can also slide off just a little bit so you can have a slight opening like you suggested.  My children love that I have snacks in the tray and know that throwing food is unacceptable behavior.  I guess it`s a case by case scenario. 
 
I like your idea of preschools.  I`ll be sure to look into that.  Thanks!
OnTray12/18/2007 8:35 AM

bert

LiveWise, it is funny the first thing I thought of was Cheerios too! 
Laura, Maybe Cheerios would promote the product in stores for you...

OnTray

Great idea!  I have the paperwork to proceed with that option (Cheerios), so maybe I`ll make that top priority in `08.  Thanks!

studiocherie

Hi Laura,
 
If you want to be in the baby boutiques, checkout jamesgirone.com.  It`s mostly about fashion, since that is what really moves through those stores and makes them money, but you may find something there.  Here is a list of sales reps you could contact.  Not sure if that link will work, so if it doesn`t, go to the jamesgirone link and scroll right and down then click on "manufacturers reps."
 
I am in the same process with my products because there is only so much one person can do!
 
My sister lives in a small town outside Seattle that has at least two small variety stores that are mom and pop operations.  Those people are easy to talk to and very open to small, inexpensive items - especially a new invention like yours.  Maybe through the forum here you could recruit people in small towns to rep your product to mom and pop shops.  Make your own sales force!  I just thought of another friend of mine who owns a small town drug store... Hmmm, I think we need to talk.
 
For Baby Care Accessories as cool as On-Tray...(not an actual slogan)

OnTray

Cherie,
 
You are amazing.  What a fantastic resource!  This just goes to show you that networking is such a terrific tool.  I will let you know if anything comes of me surfing jamesgirone.com.
 
Thanks again, Cherie!

OnTray

Wow!  Thank you so much for the information.  I will get online later to look for tradeshows in my area that are coming up!  I appreciate the advice.

nevadascul

Hi,
I typed in the following search phrase in Google and came up with numerous organizations that might be able to help you.  "sales reps housewares."  That being said, keep in mind that sales reps take a percentage of your gross sales that occurred in their area.
nevadascul12/19/2007 7:44 PM

OnTray

Thanks!  I`m off to do a search on Google right now.

OnTray

Thanks!  Easier said than done, I`m finding out.  I`ll keep plugging away!

DBeavers

Here`s a completely different option for your product - If the lid can be easily imprinted with a permanent message/logo, the promotional advertising industry could jump on it and handle both the imprinting and distribution.
There are any number of the 3800 suppliers in the US market that already have pad printers, hot stamping machines, and screen printers that can be used with a number of different plastics. Finding the right one could have you moving thousands of these per month. Your source would ship them blank to the supplier, who would imprint them with customer`s logos by the hundreds and thousands per order.
The buyers would be businesses and industry who would give them away to their clients, to keep their name/brand in front of the public. 
I can think of 4 or 5 suppliers who might be interested.
Dennis