BrandonP
Cigar King Scottsdale
I would bet this isn't neccessary as I would be willing to be the rep has already been in contact with the shop. The owner has probably already decided not to carry the product. I could be wrong though.
Cigar Reps....
- Thread starter Hoshneer
- Start date
Unless this shop is less than a year or 2 old I'd say the culprit isnt the reps but more than likely the shop itself. Which makes me think you should really sit down and talk with the shop owner regarding this matter before going out and contacting numerous manufacturers.
Hoshneer
Drew Estate NotRex
This may be true but at this point its a blossoming relationship. I don't want to take the chance of scaring them off. I guess at some point we will have to have a talk with them. Until then I will try the safe approach and try to slowly grow our relationship. They are making progress. I don't know how the law works but can the reps not come out to our club without being at a B&M?
They can absolutely come to your club, thats not a problem at all. But a rep cant sell you cigars, you need a tobacco license to purchase in all the northeast states and Im sure it is the same in your state.
Hoshneer
Drew Estate NotRex
Yeah, I suppose that puts a crimp in their objective if they can't sell them on the spot. Well, I will just give it some time. See how things set up in the next couple of months.
Let me see if I have this straight. You want the cigar reps to take time out of their schedule to come and talk about a product (and I assume give out samples) that the local B&M won't stock. Plus, you won't allow the rep to use your club as a referrence to support the demand for his product because you are affraid of him trying to get his product on the store's shelves (his agenda) because you don't want to piss off the store owner?
First of all, YOU are HIS (the store owner's) customer. What's he going to do? Get pissed and refuse service to 25-30 loyal customers? If so, he's an idiot especially considering he's in a highly competitive industry and there's always the internet to order from.
Secondly, you want the rep to support you but you won't support the rep by letting him use the club's name to show that there is demand for the product??? That's a bit one-sided, don't you think?
Third, if you won't support him and the store won't stock his cigars, where is the ROI and what is justifing the expenses the company is going to incur (travel, time, samples, etc.) if there's no chance the store will carry the product?
As a rep, I'd decline the event as well. I'm not going to take time to travel to a location and give out stuff when I don't have the support of the people asking for my help.
Hoshneer
Drew Estate NotRex
Hmmm...... I would say you have summed it up about right. Somewhat slanted point of view but correct none the less. Of course, I would say that if the rep can't sell his own product without pressuring the owner of the store by name dropping our club than he is either a bad rep or he is slinging a sub-par product.
A product should always be able to stand up on its own merit and our club is not going to be used by some desperate rep to pressure the local store into buying it. If its a good product my people will talk about it and it will be seen on Facebook or heard by word of mouth when we order the product from the store.
Drew Estate didn't ask this of us. We are all huge fans of DE now and we have all dropped coin on thier product. I guess if that is asking to much than yes they can stay home. The world will turn in our town without them.
On the other hand for companies that stand behind there product and actually care about the way their product is percieved and the history behind them than they are welcome to join us.
Just remember, that rep you just called desperate is the same rep that you also reached out to for free stuff.
As far as a "our club is not going to be used by some desperate rep to pressure the local store into buying it", that's a pretty shitty attitude. If the rep is willing to help your club out, you should be willing to help them out by introducing them to the store owner or standing behind them like you expect them to stand behind you. That's part of what being a BOTL is all about. You want all the help but don't want to help out. Sad.
I hope you enjoy you free cigars. JD, if you read this....you're a better man than I am.
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Hoshneer
Drew Estate NotRex
I never told them they had to bring swag. I told them it was up to them. I asked for them to come out to our club and talk about their product. We can order online and do splits. In fact if the person came to our club and took the time to talk to us, I guarantee most of us would be ordering product to try at the meeting. I guess I am old fashioned that way or maybe the world just doesn't work like that anymore.
Hoshneer
Drew Estate NotRex
I would be glad to stand behind the rep after I meet that person and know they are good people. I have met some reps and while a majority of them are good, there are some that will use whatever edge they can get to sell their product. Yes, JD is a heck of a guy. Sorry, you got so upset over this but that's just the way I am.
Hoshneer
Drew Estate NotRex
They carry a small selection but asked us a couple weeks back what they should order for our club. We are actually working to have a event at our cigar shop. We just started to set it in motion. We are pretty excited.
To me that lends credibility to what others were saying about the problem being more with the B&M than the reps. Not to disparage DE in any way, but they would obviously be far more accommodating if the shop already orders from them, and plans to order more for the event. As I was saying earlier, I think you'd get much better results with the other reps if you got the shop owner to contact them even if they don't carry their product. That way the shop knows you guys are interested in that brand, and by you bringing it up the owner will associate your club only with interest in the brand, not the rep.
