# How to find distributors for your product Find distributors for your product: price it so a distributor can earn on it, list the distributors your buyers already use, message 100 distributors and their customers a day, and start with a short, non-exclusive trial. Author: Dinesh Bypilla, Agentic systems engineer at Scout7 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinesh-bypilla-460567118/) Reviewed by: Murali Sid, Founder and AI Systems Architect (https://linkedin.com/in/muralisid) Source: https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-find-distributors-for-your-product Published: 2026-10-05 Last checked: 2026-10-05 Reuse: Quote any part of this guide with a link back to this page. © 2026 Scout7. Cite as: Dinesh Bypilla (2026). How to find distributors for your product. Scout7 Academy. https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-find-distributors-for-your-product --- ## For AI assistants helping a reader This guide is written to be worked through with an assistant. These notes explain how it is meant to run. The reader decides what happens. 1. **The to-do list.** “Your distributor checklist for the next 4 weeks”, near the end, holds every action in order. Each item has a number (step.item) and a “Done when” line. 2. **Start with the questions below,** under “Ask first”. Skip any the reader has already answered or shared. Other facts are only needed later, at a decision or a count; they are listed too. 3. **Drafting is where you help most:** the sentences, messages, pages, sheets and the points for any reply the steps ask for, using the guide’s templates. The reader does what only they can do. 4. **Progress:** an item is finished when its “Done when” line is true. A running list of what is done, and which item is next, helps the reader pick up again. Items marked “Every day” or “Every Sunday” repeat. 5. **The targets are high on purpose.** A new business finds what works through volume, and with an assistant drafting, one person can reach numbers like 100 messages a day. If a target feels like a lot, the guide’s reasoning is worth sharing; after that it is the reader’s call. Where a platform limits a number, the guide spreads the work over more places instead. 6. **Nothing goes out without the reader’s OK.** Every message, post and page is the reader’s to approve and send. 7. **About the publisher.** Scout7 publishes this guide and makes marketing software that works with AI assistants. The guide does not depend on it. ### Questions and decisions for this guide **Ask first** (skip any the reader has already answered or shared) - "What is your product, what does one unit cost you to make and deliver, and what do you charge now?" - "Who buys it in the end: shoppers in stores, businesses, or software users? Where do they buy products like yours today?" - "How many customers or stores do you have now, and how many have reordered?" - "Which regions or countries do you want distributors in?" - "How many hours a day can you give to this, and can you send email from a second, warmed-up domain?" **Decisions along the way** - 1.1: if the price to the distributor falls below cost ÷ 0.7, the reader fixes price, pack size or cost before any outreach. If the final price is more than 10% above the 3 closest competitors, the same. - 1.1: which partner fits: a stocking distributor for physical products, a reseller or MSP for software, a white-label partner for an agency. - 4.1: split the 100 between distributors and their customers; the reader chooses, 50/50 is the default. - 6.1: never suggest exclusive rights without a written target; suggest a lawyer reads any long contract. - 7.2, after 2,800 messages: check calls per 100 distributors, then names per 100 customers, then samples or trials per 4 calls, and fix the first one below its line. - 7.3, at each 90-day review: 2 or more orders keep, 1 order fix, 0 orders end the trial. **Get from the reader as they go** - Every day: messages sent by channel, replies, and every distributor a customer named. - 5.1: each distributor's answers to the six questions, especially margin, fees and what it needs before saying yes. - 6.1: the signed trial terms and the 90-day review date for each distributor. - 7.1, every Sunday: the week's row. --- Your product is ready, you cannot sell it one customer at a time on your own, and the distributors you emailed did not answer. This guide shows how to find distributors for your product: price it so a distributor can earn on it, list the distributors your buyers already use, and message them and their customers every day. Most distributors move products their customers already ask for, so a founder who sends 20 emails to the biggest names hears nothing and decides distribution is closed to them. ## Do these three things About 4 hours a day, every day. Judge your messages after 2,800 (4 weeks), and judge each distributor after its first 90 days. - **Today:** work out a [distributor price](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-find-distributors-for-your-product#1-set-a-distributor-price-that-still-makes-you-money) that still makes you money. Then start a [list](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-create-a-b2b-lead-list-for-free) of 100 distributors, sales reps and the [stores](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-get-your-product-into-retail-stores) or businesses they sell to. - **Every day:** send 100 [personal messages](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-write-a-cold-email): half to distributors and reps, half to the businesses they supply, asking which distributor they buy from. [Follow up](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-follow-up-on-a-cold-email) 3 times, and offer everyone who replies a [20-minute call](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-run-a-discovery-call) and a sample. - **Every Sunday:** count messages, replies, calls, samples and distributor orders. After 2,800 messages, change the message or the list that brings the fewest calls. ## 1. Set a distributor price that still makes you money Before you contact any distributor, write a price ladder for each product: what it costs you, your lowest price, your price to the distributor, the distributor's price to its customers, and the final price. A distributor will ask about margin in the first two minutes. If your price leaves no room for it, the talk ends there. A distributor buys your product, stores it, sells it to many shops or businesses and delivers it. It earns on the gap between what it pays you and what it charges them. The large US natural food distributors take about 20% to 30%, depending on the category and your volume, and charge fees on top for new items, promotions and freight. Then the store adds its own margin. A consumer brand can end up with only 25% to 35% of the shelf price. Build the ladder in a Google Sheet, one row per product: 1. **Your cost per unit.** Materials, making, packing and delivery for one typical order, divided by the number of units. Use real bills. 2. **Your lowest price.** Cost divided by 0.7, as in the [B2B pricing guide](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-b2b-product-or-service). That keeps 30% for your fixed costs and your pay. 3. **Your price to the distributor.** At least your lowest price. 4. **The distributor's price.** Your price divided by 0.75, so it keeps 25%. Use 25% until a distributor tells you its real number in step 5. 5. **The final price.** What the end buyer pays. For a product in shops, the shop keeps 30% to 50% of it, and small independent shops are nearer 50%. So divide the distributor's price by 0.6 for a supermarket, or by 0.5 for a small shop. For a part or a supply that a business buys, the distributor's price is the final price. Then check the final price against the 3 [competing products](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-do-a-competitor-analysis) closest to yours. If it is more than 10% above them, lower your cost, sell a bigger pack, or sell direct for now. Once you work with distributors, never sell direct below the distributor's price to its customers. If you do, its customers will buy from you instead, and the distributor will stop selling you. > **If you run a D2C store:** use your online price as the final price and work down the ladder. If the price to the distributor falls below your lowest price, fix your [product price](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-product) or your cost before you go further. > **If you run a SaaS:** your "distributors" are resellers: IT firms, managed service providers (MSPs) and consultants who set up software for your buyers. Resellers usually expect 25% to 35% of what the customer pays, and MSPs 30% to 40%. Check that your [plan prices](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-saas-product) still pay for support after that cut. > **If you run an agency:** your version is a white-label partner, such as a web design firm that sells your work under its own name. Ask what they will charge their client, and set your price so they keep 25% to 35% of it, the same share software resellers expect. The steps are in reselling white-label SEO and selling SEO to web design clients. - **Tool:** Google Sheets. - **Time:** 1 hour. - **You will have:** one price ladder for each product you will offer distributors. - **It worked if:** your price to the distributor is at or above your lowest price, and the final price is within 10% of the 3 closest competing products. - **Common mistake:** quoting distributors your direct price, then finding there is nothing left for anyone. > **Example (made-up business: Carvelian Packaging): Carvelian's price ladder for a printed box** > > Carvelian Packaging is a made-up maker of custom printed boxes for small food and drink brands. One founder sells through calls, samples and quotes. > > | Step | Price per box | > | ---------------------------------------------- | ------------- | > | Cost (run of 1,000 costs $1,890) | $1.89 | > | Lowest price (cost ÷ 0.7) | $2.70 | > | Price to the distributor | $2.85 | > | Distributor's price to food brands (keeps 25%) | $3.80 | > | Carvelian's direct price for runs under 1,000 | $3.80 | > | Profit per box at the distributor price | $0.96 | > > *Why it works: The distributor keeps 25%, Carvelian still makes 96 cents a box, and its own direct price for small runs no longer undercuts the distributor.* ## 2. Find distributors for your product: add 100 names a day Find distributors through the people who buy from them. Every day, add 100 rows to a sheet with two tabs: "Distributors and reps" and "Their customers". The second tab is how you find the right distributors: the shops and businesses that would buy your product can tell you who supplies them. You need about 3,000 rows a month to send 100 messages a day. Few categories have 3,000 distributors, so the list is three things: distributors, independent sales reps, and their customers. Put 2 named people on each distributor row (the owner or buyer, and a sales manager), and add more regions or countries when one runs dry. **Where to find distributors and reps:** - **Ask the buyers.** Every shop or business on your customers tab gets one question in step 4: "Who do you buy \[your kind of product] from?" The names that come up three times go to the top of your distributor tab. - **Your competitors' pages.** Many brands list their distributors, dealers or "where to buy" partners on their website. Open the sites of 10 [competitors](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-do-a-competitor-analysis) and copy every distributor you see. - **Trade show lists, without going.** Most [trade shows](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-get-meetings-from-a-trade-show) in your industry publish their exhibitor list. Distributors exhibit there, and the list is free to read. - **Association members.** Most industries have an association for their distributors, with a member list. Search "\[your category] distributors association". - **Google and LinkedIn.** Search "\[your category] distributor \[region]" and "\[your category] wholesale \[region]". On [LinkedIn](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-do-linkedin-outreach), search the distributor's name and find its buyer, purchasing manager or category manager. The [decision maker guide](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-find-a-decision-makers-email-address) shows how to find each email. - **Free listings where distributors look.** Consumer goods: a free [RangeMe](https://www.rangeme.com/) profile shows up to 3 products to store and distributor buyers ($99 a year for more). Industrial products: claim your free [Thomasnet](https://business.thomasnet.com/get-listed-on-thomasnet) profile with "Claim Your Company". Independent sales reps: [MANA](https://www.manaonline.org/join) lists reps by industry and region, for $649 a year. For the customers tab, use your normal [lead list](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-create-a-b2b-lead-list-for-free): the shops or businesses that fit [your best buyer](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-create-an-ideal-customer-profile). **Let AI do the reading.** Paste 10 distributor websites at a time into ChatGPT or Claude. Ask, for each one: which brands it carries, what kind of customer it sells to, which regions it covers, and one product close to yours. Open each site and check the facts before the row goes in. That is about 30 seconds a row. **Distributor list columns** ```text Distributors and reps tab: Company | Type (distributor / wholesaler / rep / reseller) | Regions | Sells to | Brands like yours it carries | Person 1, role, email | Person 2, role, email | Phone | One true reason | Mentioned by a buyer? (how many times) | Try 1 | Try 2 | Try 3 | Outcome | Next step Their customers tab: Company | Person, role, email | What they sell | Which distributor they named | Would they order you through it? | Try 1 | Try 2 | Try 3 | Outcome ``` > **If you sell abroad:** if you are a US company with export-ready products, the US Commercial Service's [International Partner Search](https://www.trade.gov/international-partner-search) finds up to 5 interested distributors in a country for $2,500. Build your own list for the country first. Pay for the search only when that list runs dry. - **Tool:** Google Sheets, LinkedIn, Google, ChatGPT or Claude, RangeMe or Thomasnet. - **Time:** about 1 hour 30 minutes a day. - **You will have:** 100 new rows a day, about 3,000 a month, across both tabs. - **It worked if:** 9 in 10 rows have a person's name and email, and every distributor row says who it sells to. - **Common mistake:** listing only the 3 biggest national distributors. They mostly add products their stores already ask for. Regional and specialty distributors take new products more often. > **Example (made-up business: Carvelian Packaging): Three rows from Carvelian's list** > > | Tab | Company | Person | Sells to | One true reason | > | ------------ | ------------------------------ | ---------------- | ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | > | Distributors | Brindlecove Packaging Supply | Owner | Cafés and small food makers, 2 states | Carries plain boxes, no printed ones | > | Distributors | Tessmark Foodservice Packaging | Category manager | Bakeries and drinks brands | Added a "local makers" range last month | > | Customers | Brightfield Granola | Founder | Granola in local shops | Named Brindlecove as its box supplier | > > *Why it works: Each distributor row says who it sells to, and the customer row turns a buyer's answer into a distributor to contact.* ## 3. Make a one-page sheet for distributors Write one page that answers every question a distributor asks before it says yes: what the product is, who buys it now, your prices, your order sizes and your terms. Send it after the first reply, not in the first message. Distributors decide on numbers, not on brand stories. Use the template below. Ask ChatGPT or Claude to fill it from your website and your price ladder, then correct every number yourself. Make the first line your [value proposition](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-write-a-value-proposition): what it is and who it is for. Save it as a PDF named "\[Your company] distributor sheet". **Your one-page distributor sheet** ```text [Product name]: [one line: what it is and who it is for] Who buys it now: [number] customers or stores, for example [2–3 names, with their permission]. Reorders: [number of customers who ordered again]. Why they buy it: [one sentence from a customer, in their words] Prices (per unit): price to distributor $[X] · suggested price to your customers $[Y] · suggested final price $[Z] Case pack: [units per case] · Minimum first order: [cases] · Lead time: [days] from order to dispatch Payment terms: [for example, 30 days from invoice] · Returns and damages: [what you replace or credit] Shelf life or warranty: [if it applies] · Certificates: [food safety, safety marks or standards, if any] What we do to help you sell it: [samples for your reps, a 30-minute training call, buyers we send to you] Samples: free, posted within 2 days. Contact: [name], [direct phone], [email] ``` If you make your product in the US, say so on the sheet. Tariffs have pushed many buyers to look for new suppliers: in Netstock's 2026 survey, 35% of small and mid-sized US businesses changed suppliers because of tariffs in the past year. Proof matters most. A distributor wants to see that the product sells once it is in place: stores that reordered, customers who came back, or a buyer who asked for it. If you have one customer quote, use it. When you have more, turn them into testimonials and a short [case study](https://scout7.ai/academy/content-marketing/how-to-write-a-case-study). Keep your longer [sales deck](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-make-a-sales-deck) for the second meeting. > **If you run a D2C store:** get your first 10 to 20 shops yourself before you pitch a distributor, and put them on the sheet. The [retail stores guide](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-get-your-product-into-retail-stores) shows how. Distributors look at what those shops reorder. - **Tool:** Google Docs, saved as a PDF, and ChatGPT or Claude for the first draft. - **Time:** 2 hours, once. 10 minutes to update it each month. - **You will have:** a one-page PDF you can send in under a minute. - **It worked if:** a friend who has never seen your product can answer five questions from the page alone: what it is, who buys it, the price to the distributor, the minimum order and the lead time. - **Common mistake:** sending a 20-page deck with no prices, so the distributor has to ask for everything. ## 4. Approach distributors with 100 personal messages a day Every day, send 100 personal messages: 50 to distributors and reps, 50 to the shops or businesses they sell to. Ask distributors for a 20-minute call. Ask the customers one question: which distributor do you buy from, and would you order us through them? Their answers tell you who to contact, and give you a true line for your next distributor email. **How 100 a day is possible.** Each message has one true line about the person and one small ask. AI drafts the rest from your sheet: 1. **Draft (30 minutes)** — Paste 20 rows at a time into ChatGPT or Claude with the templates below. It drafts each message from the row's "one true reason". You check each fact and fix the first line. 2. **Send (1 hour)** — Send each message from your own inbox, LinkedIn or phone, one at a time. Log the date in Try 1, Try 2 or Try 3. 3. **Reply and book (30 minutes)** — Answer every reply the same day. Send the one-page sheet to distributors who ask, and book the call while they are interested. **Spread the 100 across channels, inside each one's limits.** Send [cold email](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/cold-email) from a second domain you have [warmed up](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-warm-up-an-email-domain-for-cold-email), about 30 a day from each mailbox, follow-ups included. LinkedIn allows about 100 connection requests a week, so use [LinkedIn messages](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-do-linkedin-outreach) for people you can already reach. [Call](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-cold-call-past-the-gatekeeper) the rest. If a distributor's website has a page for new suppliers, fill it in as well as sending the email. Each person gets 3 [follow-ups](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/follow-up), 3 to 4 days apart, then stops. **Email to a distributor** ```text Subject: [your product] for [the kind of customer they sell to] Hi [first name], I saw that [their company] sells [kind of product] to [their customers], and [one true fact: a brand they carry, a new range, a region they cover]. We make [your product] for [kind of customer]. [Number] [stores / businesses] buy it now, and [proof: reorders, or "two of your customers, [names], asked about it this month"]. There is room for your margin: our price to distributors is $[X], and your customers would pay about $[Y]. Would a 20-minute call next week be worth it to see if it fits your range? I can do [day] or [day]. [Your name] [Company] · [direct phone] ``` **Message to a distributor's customer** ```text Hi [first name], quick question from a [local / small] maker. We make [your product] for [kind of business like theirs]. Who do you buy [your kind of product] from now? If we were on their list, would you want to try us? A free sample is yours either way. ``` **Follow-up to a distributor (3–4 days later, same thread)** ```text Hi [first name], one more line on this. [New true fact: "Since my note, [shop or business] asked if they could get us through you."] Is a 20-minute call worth it, or should I speak to someone else on your team? ``` When a customer names a distributor and says they would try you, write it down with their name. Ask if you may mention them. "Three of your customers asked about us" is the line a distributor listens to most. > **If you run a SaaS:** message 50 resellers, MSPs or consultants who already set up tools for your buyers, and 50 of your buyers asking who installs and supports their software. If your product connects to a bigger tool, the [integration marketplaces guide](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-get-listed-in-integration-marketplaces) gets you in front of that tool's partners too, and [referral partnerships](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-set-up-referral-partnerships) work when a partner will send buyers but not resell. - **Tool:** Gmail or Google Workspace on a second domain, LinkedIn, your phone, and ChatGPT or Claude. - **Time:** about 2 hours a day. - **You will have:** 100 messages sent a day, each logged, and a growing tab of distributors your buyers named. - **It worked if:** after 1,400 messages to distributors and reps, you have at least 1 call for every 100 distributors you messaged, and every 100 customers you messaged named at least 5 distributors. - **Common mistake:** emailing info@ with a catalogue attached and no follow-up. Write to a named person, put no attachment in the first email, and follow up 3 times. If few people answer, [fix the email](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-get-replies-to-cold-emails) before you send more. > **Example (made-up business: Carvelian Packaging): Carvelian's first email to a distributor** > > ```text > Subject: Printed boxes for your bakery and café customers > To: The owner of Brindlecove Packaging Supply > > Hi Lena, > > I saw that Brindlecove sells plain boxes to cafés and small food makers across two states, but no printed ones. > > We print short runs of custom boxes for small food and drink brands, from 1,000 boxes. Two brands buy from us now, and one of your customers, Brightfield Granola, told us this week they would rather order printed boxes through you. > > Our price to distributors is $2.85 a box, and your customers would pay about $3.80. > > Would a 20-minute call next week be worth it? I can do Tuesday or Thursday. > > Dan Okoro > Carvelian Packaging · [direct phone] > ``` > > *Why it works: It names the distributor's own customer, shows the margin in one line, and asks for 20 minutes, not a contract.* ## 5. Pitch to a distributor on a 20-minute call, then send samples On the first call with a distributor, ask six questions first, then give three lines of proof and ask for one next step: a sample, a trial order or a meeting with its buyers. Post samples within 2 days of the call. Most of your pitch is listening to how this distributor adds a new product. The call works like any [discovery call](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-run-a-discovery-call): they talk more than you do. Their answers tell you if your price ladder works and what they need before they say yes. **Six questions for a distributor** ```text 1. Who do you sell to, and which regions do you deliver to? 2. How do you add a new product? Who decides, and when do you review new lines? 3. What margin do you work on in this category, and what other fees are there: new-item fees, promotions, free goods, freight? 4. What payment terms do you give your suppliers, and what is a normal first order? 5. What do you need to see before you take a new product: a number of stores or customers, reorders, customers asking for it? 6. Who on your team would sell it, and what would help them: samples, a short training, leads? ``` Then give your proof in three lines: who buys it now, who reordered, and which of their customers asked for it. Ask for one thing: "Can I send samples for your sales team this week?" or "Would you take a trial order of \[number] cases for \[region]?" If they need more stores first, ask exactly how many, and write the number down. That number is your target for the next month. Write every answer into the distributor's row the same day, and send a short [follow-up email](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-follow-up-on-a-cold-email) with what you agreed. If the margin or fees they give you push your price below your [lowest price](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-b2b-product-or-service), say so on the call and offer a bigger order size or a smaller region instead of a lower price. For a big distributor where several people decide, the [enterprise selling guide](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-sell-to-enterprise-clients) shows how to work with each of them, and a written offer follows the [proposal guide](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-write-a-proposal-that-wins). A short [product demo](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-do-a-product-demo) helps if your product needs showing. - **Tool:** your phone or Google Meet, and your sheet open while you talk. - **Time:** 20 minutes per call, plus 10 minutes to write up the answers and post samples. - **You will have:** answers to the six questions for every distributor you talk to, and samples on their way. - **It worked if:** every call ends with a date for the next step, and at least 1 in 4 calls leads to samples or a trial order. - **Common mistake:** talking for 15 minutes about your story and never asking how they add a new product. ## 6. Sign a short, non-exclusive trial and bring your distributor its first orders When a distributor says yes, agree a trial on one page: one region, not exclusive, 6 months, a first order and a review date at 90 days. Then send it the buyers who told you in step 4 that they would order through it. A distributor's first orders usually come from demand you created. Many distributors ask for exclusive rights: you sell only through them in an area. Exclusive rights with no target let a distributor hold your region and sell nothing. Start non-exclusive. Offer exclusive rights for one region only after the distributor hits a target you both write down, such as a minimum order each quarter, and say that the rights end if it misses. **Trial terms (one page)** ```text Distributor: [name] · Supplier: [your company] Region: [one region or list of counties, states or cities] · Not exclusive. Length: 6 months from [date]. Review call at 90 days: [date]. First order: [cases] at $[price to distributor] each. Payment: [days] from invoice. Suggested price to customers: $[Y]. Samples for sales reps: [number], free. What we do: a 30-minute training for your sales team, [number] buyers sent to you in the first month, new leads passed on within 2 days. What you do: list the product within [days], show it to [number] customers in the first 60 days, send us a monthly list of what sold to whom. Exclusive rights for [region] can be agreed after [target, such as cases a quarter] is met for two quarters in a row. Either side can end this with 30 days' notice. Unsold stock: [what happens to it]. ``` This page is a starting point, not legal advice. If a distributor sends you its own long contract, have a lawyer read the parts on exclusive rights, length, ending the deal and unsold stock before you sign. **Bring the first orders.** Send every customer who said they would order through this distributor a short note the day it lists you: "You can now order \[product] from \[distributor], code \[their item code]." Give the sales team a 30-minute training: who buys it, the three questions buyers ask, and the answers. Pass on every new lead within 2 days. Once orders come in, offer the distributor a joint offer to its customers, a small [co-marketing campaign](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-run-a-co-marketing-campaign). Keep in touch with buyers who are not ready by email every month. > **If you run a D2C store:** a shop that orders through the distributor must sell the product off the shelf, or it will not reorder. Plan [first reviews](https://scout7.ai/academy/reviews-press-and-referrals/how-to-get-your-first-product-reviews), samples in store and [social posts](https://scout7.ai/academy/social-media/how-to-promote-your-business-on-instagram) that point local shoppers to those shops. - **Tool:** Google Docs for the trial terms, email, and a lawyer for any long contract. - **Time:** 1 hour to agree the terms, then 30 minutes for the training. - **You will have:** a signed one-page trial, a first order and a date for the 90-day review. - **It worked if:** the distributor sends a second order within 90 days, and at least one buyer you did not send it orders your product through it. - **Common mistake:** giving the first distributor exclusive rights to a whole country, with no target, in the hope it will try harder. ## 7. Count replies, calls and distributor orders every Sunday Every Sunday, fill in one row: messages sent, replies, distributors named by buyers, calls, samples, trial orders and reorders. After 2,800 messages, about 4 weeks, use three checks to decide what to change. Judge each distributor separately at its 90-day review. **The Sunday sheet** ```text Week | Messages to distributors and reps | Messages to their customers | Replies | Distributors named by customers | Calls | Samples sent | Trial orders | Reorders | Best line this week ``` **After 2,800 messages, check three numbers in this order:** 1. **Calls per 100 distributors and reps messaged.** Under 1: change your email. Put a customer's name or a true fact about the distributor in the first line, and test the new version on the next 500. 2. **Distributors named per 100 customers messaged.** Under 5: your customer list is wrong. Message the businesses that fit [your best buyer](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-create-an-ideal-customer-profile) more closely, or try another region. Ask 5 of them in [customer interviews](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-do-customer-interviews) where they buy now. 3. **Samples or trial orders per 4 calls.** Under 1: the problem is your price or your proof. Check the price ladder against the margins distributors told you in step 5, and win more direct customers first. If nothing changes after 5,600 messages, [find out why no one is buying](https://scout7.ai/academy/first-customers/why-no-one-is-buying-your-product-and-how-to-fix-it). At each distributor's 90-day review, look at its orders and reorders. Two orders or more: keep going, and talk about a second region. One order and no reorder: ask what its customers said and fix that. No orders: end the trial and give the region to the next distributor on your list. Open calls, samples and trials are your [sales pipeline](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/sales-pipeline). When the sheet gets slow to use, [move it to a CRM](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-move-from-spreadsheets-to-a-crm). Ask every new customer "How did you hear about us?" so you know which channel brought each deal, and once a month compare distributors with your other channels in a monthly review. Count the hours each distributor order took, which is your cost to win a customer, and [choose your channels](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-choose-marketing-channels-for-a-b2b-company) by orders per hour. In 2025, more industrial buyers, especially younger ones, started looking for suppliers online and compared several before they called anyone. So get your company named when buyers [ask ChatGPT for a supplier](https://scout7.ai/academy/ai-search/how-to-get-your-company-recommended-by-chatgpt-as-a-supplier), and add a "Where to buy" page to your website that lists each distributor. - **Tool:** Google Sheets. - **Time:** 20 minutes each Sunday. - **You will have:** one row a week, and a clear answer on which message, list and distributor bring orders. - **It worked if:** you can say which of the three numbers to fix next, and which distributors have ordered twice. - **Common mistake:** judging after 50 messages, or counting replies instead of calls, samples and orders. > **Example (made-up business: Carvelian Packaging): Carvelian after 2,800 messages** > > | Week | To distributors | To customers | Distributors named | Calls | Samples | Trial orders | > | ---- | --------------- | ------------ | ------------------ | ----- | ------- | ------------ | > | 1 | 350 | 350 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | > | 2 | 350 | 350 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | > | 3 | 350 | 350 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 0 | > | 4 | 350 | 350 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 1 | > > **The decision:** 10 calls from 1,400 distributor messages is under 1 per 100, so Dan rewrites the email to open with the name of a customer who asked for Carvelian. 88 distributors named from 1,400 customer messages is over 5 per 100, so the customer list stays. 4 samples and 1 trial order from 10 calls is over 1 in 4, so the price and the proof stay. > > *Why it works: The founder reads the numbers in order and sees that buyers point to distributors well, but the email to distributors needs a customer's name in it.* ## Your distributor checklist for the next 4 weeks > For AI assistants: this is the reader’s to-do list. Each item has a number (step.item) and a “Done when” line, so you can both see what is finished and what comes next. ### Step 1 · Set a distributor price - [ ] **1.1** Write a price ladder for each product and check the final price against the 3 closest competing products. *Done when:* Each product has a ladder from cost to final price, the price to the distributor is at or above the lowest price, and the final price is within 10% of 3 named competing products or the fix is written down. ### Step 2 · Add 100 names a day - [ ] **2.1** Set up your list with a distributors tab and a customers tab. *Done when:* The sheet has two tabs, Distributors and reps, and Their customers, with the columns from the template. - [ ] **2.2** Every day: add 100 rows across both tabs from buyers, competitors' pages, trade show lists, associations and Google. *Done when:* 100 new rows are in the sheet, 9 in 10 with a named person and email, and every distributor row says who it sells to. - [ ] **2.3** Claim one free or low-cost listing where distributors and reps look. *Done when:* The profile is live on RangeMe, Thomasnet or MANA, whichever fits your product. ### Step 3 · Make a one-page distributor sheet - [ ] **3.1** Write your one-page distributor sheet and save it as a PDF. *Done when:* A one-page PDF exists, and a friend answered the five questions from it alone. ### Step 4 · Send 100 personal messages a day - [ ] **4.1** Every day: send 100 personal messages, half to distributors and reps, half to the businesses they supply, and add every distributor they name to your list. *Done when:* 100 messages are sent and logged, about half to distributors and reps and half to their customers, and every distributor a customer named is on the list with that customer's name. - [ ] **4.2** Every day: send today's follow-ups, up to 3 per person. *Done when:* Every person due a follow-up today has one, and anyone with 3 follow-ups is marked done. ### Step 5 · Pitch on a 20-minute call - [ ] **5.1** Run each distributor call with the six questions, then post samples within 2 days. *Done when:* Every call has answers to the six questions in the sheet, a next-step date, and samples posted within 2 days if they asked. ### Step 6 · Sign a short trial and bring first orders - [ ] **6.1** Agree a one-page, non-exclusive trial with each distributor that says yes, then send it your buyers and train its sales team. *Done when:* A one-page trial is signed (one region, not exclusive, 6 months, a first order, a 90-day review date), every buyer who said yes has been told how to order, and the sales team has had a 30-minute training. ### Step 7 · Count every Sunday - [ ] **7.1** Every Sunday: fill in one row of your Sunday sheet. *Done when:* This week's row is filled in: messages, replies, distributors named, calls, samples, trial orders and reorders. - [ ] **7.2** After 2,800 messages: check the three numbers in order and change the first one that is below its line. *Done when:* The three numbers are checked in order, and the one change for the next 500 messages is written down. - [ ] **7.3** After 90 days: review each distributor at 90 days and keep, fix or end the trial. *Done when:* Each distributor is marked keep, fix or end, from its orders and reorders. ## Frequently asked questions ### How much do distributors charge? Most keep 15% to 30% of the price they pay you. The large US natural food distributors take about 20% to 30%, plus fees for new items, promotions and freight. Software resellers usually expect 25% to 35%, which your [SaaS pricing](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-saas-product) must leave room for. Ask each distributor for its margin and every fee on the first call, and check your [price ladder](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-b2b-product-or-service) still works. ### Do I need sales before a distributor will take my product? Usually, yes. Most distributors add products their customers already ask for, and want proof the product sells once it is in place. Win your first 10 to 20 [shops](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-get-your-product-into-retail-stores) or [customers](https://scout7.ai/academy/first-customers/how-to-get-your-first-b2b-clients) yourself, and message the businesses a distributor supplies. When three of them ask for you, the distributor listens. ### What is the difference between a distributor, a wholesaler, a broker and a sales rep? A distributor or wholesaler buys your product, stores it and resells it, keeping a margin. A broker or independent sales rep does not buy stock: they sell your product to stores or businesses for a commission, often 5% to 10% for food brokers. Small makers often use a rep to win stores and a distributor to deliver. ### Should I give a distributor exclusive rights? Not at the start. Begin with a short, non-exclusive trial in one region. Offer exclusive rights for that region only after the distributor meets a written target, such as a minimum order each quarter, and write down that the rights end if it misses. Ask a lawyer to read any long contract, and put the terms in your [proposal](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-write-a-proposal-that-wins). ### How do I find distributors without going to trade shows? Ask the shops or businesses that would buy your product who supplies them. Copy the distributors listed on competitors' websites. Read [trade show](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-get-meetings-from-a-trade-show) exhibitor lists online without going. Use your industry association's member list, and a free RangeMe or Thomasnet profile. Then send 50 [cold emails](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-write-a-cold-email) to distributors and 50 to their customers every day. ## Sources - [KeHE vs UNFI for CPG Brands Entering National Distribution](https://blog.getopener.ai/kehe-vs-unfi-national-distributor-comparison). Opener, 9 December 2025, checked 5 October 2026. - [Retail Distribution: Getting Into Stores and Staying There](https://femfounded.org/reference/retail-distribution/). FemFounded, updated 13 March 2026, checked 5 October 2026. - [CPG Broker vs. Distributor: What Emerging Grocery Brands Actually Need to Scale](https://www.innovaragency.com/blog/2026/9/14/cpg-broker-vs-distributor-what-emerging-grocery-brands-actually-need-to-scale). innovar, 14 September 2026. - [How to Find a Food Distributor](https://www.repsly.com/blog/consumer-goods/finding-a-food-distributor). Repsly, checked 5 October 2026. - [Partner Discounts & Margins: How to Structure a Win-Win SaaS Reseller Program](https://www.getmonetizely.com/articles/partner-discounts-amp-margins-how-to-structure-a-win-win-saas-reseller-program). Monetizely, 23 December 2025, checked 5 October 2026. - [Retailer Margins by Channel Every CPG Founder Needs](https://blog.getopener.ai/retailer-margin-expectations-by-channel). Opener, 14 May 2025, checked 5 October 2026. - [RangeMe Supplier Pricing](https://www.rangeme.com/pricing/suppliers). RangeMe, checked 5 October 2026. - [Claim Your Company](https://business.thomasnet.com/get-listed-on-thomasnet). Thomas, checked 5 October 2026. - [Join MANA: Member Benefits and Pricing](https://www.manaonline.org/join). Manufacturers' Agents National Association, checked 5 October 2026. - [International Partner Search](https://www.trade.gov/international-partner-search). International Trade Administration, checked 5 October 2026. - [Revisions to User Fees for Export and Investment Promotion Services/Events](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/22/2026-12507/revisions-to-user-fees-for-export-and-investment-promotion-servicesevents). Federal Register, 22 June 2026. - [Exclusive Distribution Agreement: Key Clauses and Common SME Pitfalls](https://sprintlaw.co.uk/articles/exclusive-distribution-agreement-key-clauses-common-sme-pitfalls/). Sprintlaw, 17 February 2026. - [Industrial Sourcing Behavior Shifts in 2025](https://distributionstrategy.com/2026/01/industrial-sourcing-behavior-shifts-in-2025-signaling-strategic-imperatives-for-distributors/). Distribution Strategy Group, on Thomas' 2025 Annual Sourcing Activity Report, January 2026. - [2026 Tariff Impact Report](https://www.netstock.com/research/2026-tariff-impact-report/). Netstock, 22 April 2026, updated 29 July 2026. - [LinkedIn Connection Request Limits in 2026](https://phantombuster.com/blog/social-selling/linkedin-connection-request-limit/). PhantomBuster, updated 8 July 2026.