Being the new guys on the block, we spend a lot of time letting people know we are out here. We attend trade shows, send articles and press releases to magazines, and finally call and e-mail buyers at all the different retailers. Recently, we called one retailer every 3 minutes for 90 minutes. We had their direct line and wanted to speak to a human, not voice mail. It worked. The buyer answered and we got our appointment.

Convincing people that our products and the way we are organized as a company is better than others is a lot of work. Buyers are busy and are constantly being approached by companies. But once we are able to get their attention for a few minutes, they see what we are talking about and how we can help improve their puzzle selection.

I guess the lesson for me is that having a good story to tell is only part of the equation. Getting someone to listen is just as important. And so far, we have been lucky that our efforts at attracting an audience are working.

And the lesson for a retail buyer reading this blog: give us a minute to tell you our story. We know you will like it and want to hear more.

JP