by Jen Johnston
Most brands have a PowerPoint® presentation that their sales team uses when meeting with retail buyers. I am willing to wager that most brands think their presentation is “good enough.” Since manufacturers regularly come in to the Hamacher offices to present their products for consideration in independent pharmacy planograms, I’ve seen a lot of these presentations over the years. I can say with certainty, many of them are far from “good enough.”
Some of the brands clearly understand what the buyers are looking for as they evaluate a product line. And others share weak presentations that lack substance, story, and strategy.
Being on the marketing services side of our organization, not only have I viewed many buyer presentations, I’ve also been involved in building strategic PowerPoint buyer presentations for our manufacturer clients, so I understand there is a formula of what works and what doesn’t.
For starters, you must present your brand story in a logical way. Beginning with your brand overview and mission is a given, but what happens between that and your recap slide is of utmost importance.
Remember, you only have about 15-20 slides to succinctly express all your key points. What makes your brand different and why will their shoppers care? How will the retailer’s shopper base learn your brand is different? How will you drive them to the retailer? What is your marketing spend and how are you distributing it? (Yes, they want to see a dollar amount. And yes, they want to see a marketing plan with timing that you are committed to.) What does the category look like and how do you stack up against them according to IRi, Nielsen, SPINS, etc.? What’s your story or your hook? For example, are you experiencing strong growth in another market? Do you have a solid planogram and a strong rationale for placement?
And finally, why should a retailer stock your brand? They meet with hundreds to thousands of brands a year – you really need to make a solid case here! These are just a few of the many questions that need to be addressed in your presentation.
Maybe you already go over all these points verbally and feel that including them in the presentation is overkill. Maybe you feel your presentation is “good enough.” But remember, your presentation is your lasting impression, whether electronic or hard copy. It is what people will remember long after you’ve gone back home. It may get passed around to other decision makers. Your presentation needs to stand on its own to tell your brand story, through both words and visuals. Does your buyer presentation do all that?