Monthly Targeted Outreach: The number of sales opportunities increases with the number of channels a supplier wishes to approach. We can reach more people in distributors and chains than in chains alone. Of course, many attempts need to be made at each target, just not so many that our efforts are blocked.
Follow-up Communication: We want to transition out of lists and into conversations as quickly as possible. As interaction with our mailings increases, we intensify our outreach by sending follow-up emails and making those phone calls most salespeople won’t make.
Monthly Reporting: You should know what we’re doing. We’ll share with you which targets were approached in which campaigns and how each ended the monthly cycle.
Client-Supplied Materials: ESF’s clients are always welcome to provide their own outreach materials. But, it’s a lot of work, and if you don’t have the experience, it can be a lot of hard work getting results.
ESF Provided Copy and Mailers: If you have a brand identity, we’ll work with it to provide actionable, compelling efforts that show your products in the best light and drive at targets in the most relevant way.
Yearly Campaign Development: Sales has seasons. There are buying seasons, show seasons, holidays, and season-seasons to market around. We work with our clients and their product line-up to develop a yearly calendar that helps make sales and marketing efforts more efficient and relevant.
Forecasting: Using our results and those of your internal team, we’ll help you develop a plan around your product-lineup and its sales and marketing opportunities.
Sample Tracking & Coordination: A common step in closing sales is to put samples in front of the customer. We’ll act as the liaison for samples, ensuring the prospect has received and inspected them. Once the prospect has inspected the sample, we’ll get feedback whenever possible.
Item Setup Support: Item Setups are what buyers use to codify a product’s attributes so that the whole company has the same basic and necessary information. Most buyers use proprietary item setups, even if they are using a standardized system for some of their needs. They can be very frustrating if you don’t have a mind for it, and usually require input from many departments. We can take most of the burden off your hands.
Retail Regulation Expedition: Code of Federal Regulations’ packaging rules and regulations, governed by the USDA, run a few hundred pages in length. Many are a lot clearer than they once were, but enough were written with intentional opacity that navigating the regulations can take some finesse. Expedition isn’t always necessary, but when you need it, we can help.
Marketing Support: Every company needs collateral, branding and positioning statements, promotions, manuals, presentations, and so on. Not every company needs enough of it for a qualified hire. We can step in and help.
Design Support & Production Oversight: If you’re launching a new product, or want to refresh the brands you have, we can help you develop a sharp, winning brand name and brand identity. After your brand is established, you’ll need collateral – all the internal and external communications materials, and, where appropriate, retail packaging design. We can help you put it all together.
In-Person Presentations: We’ve cooked for countless chefs, made the big presentation before scores of CEOs, presidents, and GMs. We’re not shy. When you need someone to go alone or with you to show off your products or close the deal, our bags will be packed.
Conditions
Many of our services are contingent on the level of need and outside costs like air travel and materials. Services marked as “Available” are additions to our monthly rates and require additional service contracts.