We work with many FMCG companies in the UK and beyond.  It is rare for them not to have good ideas on how to sell more, based on their consumer insight and category knowledge.  But it is common for them to find it hard to get these ideas heard and supported by Retailers.

The fundamental reason is that our huge supply side industry is talking to relatively few buyers, in relatively few retailers of scale. Buyers are typically high calibre, astute and energetic.  But they are overloaded with ideas, proposals and requests, often interacting with scores of suppliers, as well as multiple internal stakeholders.

So if you accept this reality, how can you work within it and maximise your chances of getting heard in a Retailer?

First, have a considered strategy.  Take the time to properly think through your Category, Product and Brand strategy, and make it the foundation of all your thinking and Retailer conversations.  If you are selling Knorr Stockpots, and you are clear about the strategy (premiumisation), conversations with Retailers can be continually grounded in that strategy.   You know roughly what you are trying to do, to win with the Retailer.  But sometimes companies are not clear about their Brand and Category strategy.  If you find yourself saying “we’re seeing Morrison’s next month – what should we tell them about the Category and our Brand?”, then you’re probably going to struggle.  Good strategy does not lend itself to being created on the hoof for an impending meeting.  You need a clear considered strategy, underpinning everything you do.

Second, understand their world.  This means understanding the Retailer’s corporate strategy, guidelines and red lines. It means understanding the Buyer’s objectives, ambitions and interests. But it also means understanding the Buyer’s power and influence.  If you are helping them with next year’s plan, don’t spend too long debating the category’s location in store, or even on radical merchandising solutions.  Typically, these will be very hard for them to deliver. Most buyers will prefer to hear about something clever they could do with promotions, wastage, range or the planogram.  Know what they can and can’t do.

Third, address one thing at a time.  If your Buyer is hard to get time with, it can be tempting once you do get in front of them, to air all your ideas and issues.  See what will stick!  It is much braver and more effective though to think long and hard about the key thing you most want to achieve, and focus all your effort on that.  Remember your Buyer may have ten meetings today. Is it realistic to expect them to take three actions from each meeting?

Finally, be repetitive.  Don’t expect to always be heard first time.  Saying the same thing several times, is not a bad thing.  In fact, it can lend you credibility.   It shows you are talking about what is important, not what is novel.  Sometimes, Supplier companies worry that being repetitive can make them seem boring.  The reality is that the Retailer typically gets bored much slower than the Supplier in these conversations.  Why?  Well if you’re selling Jam, for instance, then Jam is all you think about, and yes you might soon feel bored of your key insight or idea.  A Buyer working across Grocery will go weeks without thinking about Jam – so they will get bored a lot slower.  So if you want to get traction, being consistent is more important than coming up with another new idea.

The whole business of getting heard by other human beings isn’t straightforward.  And the frantic world of UK Retail doesn’t make it any easier.  But by thinking about these four principles, you can give yourself a fighting chance of getting heard and bringing your ideas to fruition in the store.

Jeremy Garlick is a Partner of Insight Traction, consulting with FMCG and Retail companies.  He was formerly Head of Insight at Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Premier Foods.