Service 03
Distribution Development
The first distributor who says yes is rarely the right one. Choosing the channel is the decision that determines what the market becomes.
The first distributor who says yes is rarely the right one.
What this involves
- Identification of distributors, dealers, importers and specialist resellers with real reach.
- Qualification: portfolio fit, technical capability, coverage, financial standing, appetite.
- Assessment of whether the partner can genuinely deliver the positioning required.
- Structured introduction, evaluation and selection process.
- Commercial framework: territory, targets, pricing, stock, service and support expectations.
- Ongoing development support so an agreement turns into repeatable sales.
Why qualification matters more than the signature
A distributor agreement is easy to sign and expensive to get wrong. The wrong partner holds the territory, under-serves it, prices the product to suit their own portfolio, and makes it far harder to appoint someone better later. Qualification is not a formality — it is the substance of the work.
What qualification actually examines
- Portfolio fit. Does the product strengthen what they already sell, or compete with it?
- Technical capability. Can they specify, demonstrate and support the product properly?
- Coverage. Which customers do they genuinely reach, and which do they only claim to reach?
- Financial standing. Can they carry stock, extend credit to their customers and absorb growth?
- Appetite. Is a new brand something they will actively push, or simply list?
- Track record. How have they developed previous brands they took on?
From selection to a working relationship
Once a partner is selected, the commercial framework has to be built deliberately: territory, targets, pricing and margin structure, stock expectations, service level, technical support and joint planning. Then the relationship has to be developed — because an agreement is the start of channel building, not the end of it.
The mixture that usually works
For most manufacturers entering this region, a small number of committed distributors outperforms a wide network of opportunistic dealers. Breadth can follow once the product is established and the support model is proven.
Looking for the right route into a new market?
Tell us what you manufacture and where you want to sell it. We will say plainly whether it is a market worth entering, and what it would take.