How a Shortened Proposal Meeting Can Be the Start of a Long Relationship

Teresa Ging, who opened a brick-and-mortar bakery in downtown Chicago 17 years ago and expanded into retail two years ago, introducing single-serve packages of her three most popular cookies, also recommends always having a series of presentations of varying lengths on hand so that when an opportunity to showcase their products arises, entrepreneurs can take advantage of it quickly and confidently.

Finally, he advises entrepreneurs to look for certifications that can give them a competitive advantage or create opportunities to sell and market their products in stores with other brands of the same name.

The perfect solution: shorter is smarter

Ging said that for her first 15 years as founder of Sugar Bliss, she rarely had to introduce her company to others, but that all changed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and she pivoted from a full-time restaurant business to making three types of packaged cookies for retail.

“When you go into the consumer goods market, you’re constantly pitching” to a wide range of potential partners who are looking for different types of work and have limited time, she added.

“I had to create a 60-second presentation, a 90-second presentation, a three-minute presentation and a five-minute presentation. You have to have a concise set of slides below … 10 slides,” but also versions that are just three or five slides, she said.

Ging also advises entrepreneurs to tailor their offers, but also to limit themselves to a designated time to ensure there is enough time for a memorable conversation and that potential partners have time to think about the offer before moving on to the next task or presentation.

For example, if a founder has a 20-minute meeting, he recommends presenting their idea for five to eight minutes, allocating 12 minutes for questions, and ending the meeting with two or three minutes to spare.

“A lot of people appreciated the fact that the meeting ended two minutes early because they had one presentation after another and didn’t have time to write down these notes about you,” and then an hour later they had listened to three presentations and didn’t remember any of it, she said.

“Always follow up and send thank you emails, samples, and once you send samples, follow up again and continue to follow up because I guarantee if you don’t, they’ll forget,” she added.

Certifications can make the difference when buyers have to choose between similar products

While the top-quality ingredients and a solid track record of consistently delivering to foodservice and catering businesses were key assets that earned Sugar Bliss a spot on Walgreens and other store shelves, Ging said the company’s certification as a woman- and minority-owned business also played a key role in its rapid growth in retail.

“Certification helps you do business with corporations as well as retailers, because many retailers want to support more women and minority entrepreneurs,” Ging said.

For example, certification helped Sugar Bliss secure a spot at Walgreens and in the Compass Group retail incubator program.

She added that certifications can help companies secure a seat at the negotiating table, but ultimately startups need to deliver a good product and offer good customer service to close the deal.

Data from Walgreens suggests the certification is resonating with consumers, too. Ging said sales data shows Sugar Bliss shoppers are more likely to be women, and a significant portion of consumers identify as Asian, like Ging.

The perfect solution: shorter is smarter​

The perfect solution: shorter is smarter