Get Your Product to Retailers and Distributors

My cousin and I are starting a line of skin care products and have been sending samples to potential retailers and distributors. We've found that the overwhelming information on the Internet makes it hard to decipher good sales leads. Is there a route to reach legitimate business opportunities other than online? —M.P., Southern California

As you've found, trying to contact every retailer and distributor you identify online can exhaust your time and budget. "It's hard to sift the real prospects from the tire kickers who just want your free samples," says Barry Trailer at CSO Insights, a sales strategy and optimization firm based in Larkspur, Calif. Your challenge is to find ways to narrow the pool of sales prospects so your efforts are not aimed at everyone who sells skin care products, but at those most likely to sell your products.