The key to success in 3D printing (beside having a good product!!), is like in any other business. You need to develop your sales channels to be close to your customers. Here are 3 tips to get new 3D printing resellers in no time. They may look very natural and easy to understand, but we could see many 3D printer manufacturers not implementing them and struggling to find new partners.
Keep in mind there are more than 500 brands out there and resellers probably already have 3 to 5 brands in their range. So you need to go straight to the point to convince them to look at your products. Why shall they work with you?
1. Make sure your web site is clear
Let’s start with the basics. If you send emails to resellers, the first thing they will do if they do not know your brand, will be to check your web site. You need to make sure it shows everything they need to know about you and your products: Printer specifications, pictures and videos of course, but also your key selling points. What are the top 3 features that make you unique? Resellers have too many customers and produtcs to manage to spend time to discover a new brand, so you need to make things easy for them to understand.
Make sure you also introduce your company history and vision in a clear way. What was your ambition and what is your goal with your product range? Are you the cheapest? the most innovative, the most reliable, have the best performances? Business partnerships are about sharing the same vision, it is not only about making money.
2. Have a personnalized approach
Mass mailing works yes, but the ROI is low and usually people dont like getting such emails. It may do more damage for your brand than you think.
Better to look for the right partner for your customers and target market. Once you find some, check out their web site and communication approach. Try to see if they have a missing product in their range (printer size, price point, features missing…). Are they selling your direct competitor? if yes then emphasize on your stronger points and benefits.
The more you understand your potential partner, the more he will pay attention to your speech and be open to discussion.
3. Offer them the full sales package
Let’s say you got their attention. Now you need to offer them all the tools they’ll need to resell your 3D printers in good conditions. Yes a reliable product, margin and technical support are key. But they will trust you by giving you access to their customers, so you should help them to deliver the right message showing off your products (key features supported by facts, pictures, videos…, comparison tables to stress strong and weak points vs competitors, strong social media activities…)
Also you should always plan some budget for promotional activities during the year. Do not wait for competitors to move first. Put that in your Reseller Plan, it will show you have things under control and have long term visibility.
Conclusion
We hope you like those 3 tips to get new 3D Printer resellers. There are many other things you can do to develop your reseller network, but if you start by implementing the above, you are on the right track! If you need help in fine tuning your marketing and sales approach, feel free to contact our team or book a meeting online.er