are there any books on selling to retailers?

[Stone Gardens]

HiI, a bit of background. I have 'inherited' a failing manufacturing co. making heavy landscaping goods. Now i have no experience in any of this but am 'lucky' enough to also have 'inherited' a retail manager and a very good manufacturer who can basically run along without me (phew!).
Now i know retail wont support us all for long as its so seasonal so i need to get our products into garden centres & builders merchants etc. So im wondering if there is a book on the basics of selling to retailers ??(mark-up, contracts...).

(I have been refered to a mentor programme by the local chamber of commerce so i just need some background info to get my confidence up etc)

thanks for any help

[Minnsy]

Can you expand a little on what 'heavy landscaping goods' are, so I can understand a little more of the angle of the product, and market. Thanks

[OldWelshGuy]

If you are looking for a book on selling, then I would recommend 'selling to win' by Richard Denny, it is without doubt the best sales book ever written.

[BusinessIdeas]

YOu could attend trade shows related to your particular industry maybe?

[Stone Gardens]

Hi, thank you for your help so far. We hand-manufacture concrete paving, we've got some great new products in development which are not available by the major manufacturers. Now i dont think we'l have a problem getting interest in our products and i do plan on going to trade fairs this year but i dont have a clue what a retailer expects from a supplier.

As a rule of thumb do they all want to double their money, or if you arrange an 'order only' service will they take less as they havent had to buy the stock in, they just get a slice of all orders.. as you see i dont have a clue!!! and could really do with a point in the right direction, a book, website, course even??

thanks