How To Get Your Products On The Shelves Of Wal-Mart...
 

Aloha Friends,

I stumbled upon this ad from Michael Senoff and wanted to share it with you folks.

The ad is for a $3495 information product that consists of 29 audio CDs. All of them interviews with people selling products to Wal-Mart, Target and Home Depot.

Why am I sharing an ad?

For two reasons.

First, there a bunch of free clips from the interviews that are awesome.

The second reason I am sharing the ad, is because it is an excellent example of salesmanship. Not only is the copywriting fantastic, but Michael's method of giving away free samples is absolutely devilish. I am now hooked on this product -- and although I don't NEED the product, I WANT the product. :)

The power is in those bullets! They make me salivate.

Another lesson to take away from this is...

A high-priced information product is easier to create than most people think. This one is just a series of interviews. A product that anyone can create without buying any fancy equipment.

Always looks at information products from the other side of the cash register. Think of what it took to create. Think of how it is marketed. Think of how you can duplicate it's construction.

Aloha,

Jason Cain

PS: I don't know Michael Senoff, nor am I an affiliate.

PPS: I edited the last paragraph to include the word "information".

Re: How To Get Your Products On The Shelves Of Wal-Mart...
 

I offered Michael Senoff's freebies at one time on a blog I had and they were wildly popular with IM ers in particular.

As to getting things into Wal-Mart...well, that's a whole other kettle of fish. You see, they have a reputation of pushing their vendors to the point they have, literally, broken the backs of the suppliers and some of them went out of business so caution is definitely advised. The relationship starts out congenial enough but they push constantly for lower prices, faster delivery, perks and extras from their vendors. Those 'lower prices' come at a terrible cost, ultimately.

From personal experience I can tell you that your products will be shelved with seconds being sold as first quality merchandise at Wal-Mart. A pair of jeans that the fly went one direction (left to right) and the seam up the back went the opposite. Another time a pair that came with holes and snags that only became apparent after the first wash (which I always do alone due to fading and sizing so it didn't happen in the wash). Wal-Mart is virtually an all day trip over and back from our location so...no savings there for us. Buyer beware!

Sam Walton, God rest his soul, would not be happy with things as they are. He was a straight-shooter from the ground up, in our experience, when he purchased a custom made camper for his step-side pickup from us many years ago.

I've had no problems with the others mentioned in your post, Jason.

Sandi Bowman

Re: How To Get Your Products On The Shelves Of Wal-Mart...
 

Aloha Sandi,

Thanks for your comments!

I have heard of vendors going broke -- although I don't have any direct evidence. If that is the case, then that is definitely the fault of the vendor. No one should enter into a contract that they can't fulfill or that doesn't make economic sense.

I used to be a buyer for one of Wal-Mart's competitors. And as a buyer my job was to get merchandise into the store for the lowest price possible and negotiating everything from turn-over rates to shelf-space allotment. It is a fascinating and aggravating business.

As far as Wal-Mart's quality, we all know what you are talking about there! :)

Aloha,

Jason Cain

PS: I realized I wasn't being clear when I spoke of "being on the other side of the cash register". I was speaking about the creation of information products -- not Wal-Mart's marketing. However, your comments do dovetail in nicely with the reason I wanted the course. I like to observe Wal-Mart's marketing.

Re: How To Get Your Products On The Shelves Of Wal-Mart...
 

Hi, Jason,

I agree that it is largely the fault of the vendor for agreeing to modify their original contracts BUT the amount of pressure put on them to do so by Wal-Mart is astronomical from what I've seen and been told.

Wal-Mart uses the old 'quantity makes up for the lower price you charge us'. Baloney! Quantity orders can only go so far toward offsetting price cutting...beyond that it's a losing proposition no matter how you slice and dice it. Some vendors will do anything, even to cutting their own thoats (metaphorically speaking) for the ability to brag about being a vendor for so and so. Ego overtakes brain sometimes. Sad.

Sandi Bowman

Re: How To Get Your Products On The Shelves Of Wal-Mart...
 

In the UK there have been many comments about farmers gaining "lucrative" contracts from supermarkets; the supermarkets can (adn do) then drop the contract or change the price when the mood suits.

The experience over here is that when you see special offers on prices, it is because the supermarket has negotiated a big discount from the supplier for a guaranteed volume of products - but that keeps their margins intact. The person whose margin is squeezed is the supplier.

Farmers here would prefer to sell produce locally to small shops. However, the British public shop in supermarkets and that takes the farmers into contract negotiations with some of the most powerful businesses in the UK.

Margaret