At ECRM’s recent School & Office Session in Chicago, I couldn’t walk past the meeting space of C-Line Products without glancing inside. The vibrant colors of the pads, folders, dry erase boards and desk organizers caught my attention, creatively displayed as they would be in a classroom, at a dorm, or in a home office (I wish my home office was that organized!).

Indeed, as I sat in the hallway waiting for their meeting to conclude, it seemed as if every person who walked by was stopped in their tracks and had to take a second look.

The C-Line meeting room setup was intentional, according to Jennifer Krach, President & CEO of C-Line Products. It’s part of their strategy of delivering a meeting experience for buyers that is both focused while at the same time highlights the broad array of more than 1,000 products offered by the 76-year-old family-owned business that has been to 22 of ECRM's School & Office and Educational Supplies Sessions over the past two decades.

“We set up the room to expose them to everything,” says Krach. “We have different stations and environments so that you can see how somebody would use or sell the products. Then right in the center of the room the focus is on all of our new items. We want the buyer to walk into the room and be WOWed. We use a lot of colors and a lot of signage. For us it’s important that they leave the room feeling informed and with a better sense of how they can work with C-Line.”

When you have a lot of products like C-Line, it can be a challenge to keep a focus on what is important to the buyer’s specific needs while at the same time exposing them to the full breadth of offerings knowing that they may discover something they didn’t expect. But the combination of the meeting room setup and Krach’s approach to the meetings themselves accomplish this without overwhelming the buyer. Here’s how she does it.

Successful pitch meetings always begin with prep

Prior to the buyer pitch meeting, Krach stresses the importance of doing your homework. Knowing about the buyer’s organization, its target customer, and specific needs and objectives help shape your pitch. 

“You want to know who they are, and what their interests are,” says Krach. “Are they a retailer? Are they a catalog? Are they a pre-packaged school supply company? This helps us prepare for the meeting. A retailer, for example, may want items that come in a PDQ display. A school kit company might want bulk items. We’ll tailor each presentation to the buyer’s specific needs.

Buyer meeting discussion

During the meeting itself, Krach and her team will ask how the previous year was and discuss the buyer’s goals and strategies for the upcoming year. With existing customers they will review the performance of the current assortment and how they can expand on the relationship moving forward. With new buyers they will provide an overview of C-Line and its history – as its 76-year history can be reassuring to buyers – and highlight products and solutions based on the buyer’s needs.

Discussion & exploration

Krach leaves ample time for buyer discussion – and leaves room for serendipitous discovery. As often occurs during ECRM meetings, buyers find products they did not expect but that will do well with their market. This is where the room setup comes into play.

“You want to provide time for them to explore the room on their own and let them lead,” says Krach. “If they decide that they want to get up and walk the room, I follow them with a clipboard in hand.”

Leave with a follow up

Regardless of whether they are meeting with a new buyer or an existing customer, Krach always seeks to leave with a follow up. “We use ECRM as a way to connect with the buyer,” she says. “Our goal is to leave with an action item to follow up on. Sometimes these wins take a little longer to mature.”

C-Line’s biggest win to date, for example, took about four years of back and forth discussion – both in-person at ECRM Sessions as well as offline. “They saw that every year we proved ourselves, and that we are here for the long haul.”

Other wins were quick, particularly in situations when a buyer was looking for a replenishment product, such as in the case where a buyer underforecasted on a particular item. As C-Line stocks products year-round, it has been able to fulfill these needs on several occasions. These are “quick and meaningful wins,” according to Krach.

A veteran ECRMer’s advice for new brands

As a veteran of hundreds – if not thousands – of buyer meetings at ECRM Sessions, Krach shares some advice for brands thinking of participating in an ECRM Session for the first time. First, she recommends that they start off with the Innovation pipeline meetings, since they are 10 minutes long, and will “give you a flavor” of what this is all about. Next, she recommends that you showcase your power products, the ones that your brand is known for, and wow the buyer with colorful signage and presentation.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, be prepared. “You better know about everyone who is walking into our meeting space: Who they are, who they sell to, and what’s important to them.”

One thing that I’ll add – and that Krach has demonstrated – is to show up consistently. There is nothing like time in the game for establishing trust and credibility among buyers. Some deals take a while to materialize (like C-Line’s four year pursuit of one customer mentioned above), and consistent face time builds the relationships that make this happen. 

Watch the full video interview here