How to win a shop that buys from another distributor

Most shops already have a distributor for the products you sell. They are not looking for another one. To win them, you need a reason for them to change, and that reason is almost never “₹1 cheaper”. It is the problem their current supplier keeps giving them.

Step 1: Find the problem

Ask the owner, simply: “What is the one thing that bothers you about your supply?” Common answers:

• “He comes when he feels like it.”
• “Half the order is always missing.”
• “The bill never matches what was delivered.”
• “Damaged goods take months to be replaced.”
• “I never know what I owe him.”

Listen more than you talk. The answer tells you exactly what to offer.

Step 2: Be better at that one thing

• Irregular visits? Promise a fixed day and keep it, every week, without fail.
• Short supply? Confirm the order back and tell the shop before delivery if something is short.
• Confusing bills? A clear bill with every line, sent to the owner’s phone.
• Slow damage replacement? Take back damaged goods on the next visit, without an argument.
• Unclear balances? Every payment against a bill, with a receipt, and the balance shown on every bill.

Step 3: Ask for a small trial

Do not ask the shop to drop its current supplier. Ask for a small order of a few lines: “Try us for two weeks.” A small yes is easier than a big one, and once the shop sees you turn up on time with the full order, the next order grows by itself.

Step 4: Keep visiting, even without an order

Many shops say no the first few times. Keep coming on the same day. Be useful: tell them about a new scheme, help arrange a shelf, take back a damaged piece. The shop starts to see you as reliable before it ever buys.

Why not cut the price?

• A shop won on price leaves for the next distributor who goes lower.
• Your other shops will hear about it and want the same price.
• Your margin is already small. A price cut can wipe out the profit from that shop.

If you do offer something, make it a written rule any shop can qualify for. See should every shop get the same price?

Never talk down the other distributor

The shop owner may be friends with him, or still need him for other products. Talking him down makes you look small. Talk about what you do, and let the shop compare.

Once you win them, keep them

The first month matters most. Same day, full orders, clear bills, quick help. Then grow the order by suggesting lines they do not yet buy from you. See how a salesman sells more in the same shop.

How Mulberry Sales helps

The salesman sends the bill to the shop on WhatsApp straight after saving it, so the owner has a clear bill on his phone for every delivery. Payments are recorded against each bill, and the bill shows what was paid and what is left, so the “I never know what I owe” problem goes away. Billing works without internet and syncs when signal returns, so a weak signal never stops a delivery. See van sales software.

Questions people ask