To make this work, you have to provide these companies with an exciting program that will convince them the product will sell through. The idea is to push people to try harder than they would in a program geared just to an overall increase in sales. Cooperative marketing programs. Here you provide extra rewards for dealers for participating in your co-op marketing programs. For instance, they could get bonus points for utilizing co-op dollars, putting up displays, or participating in a training program for salespeople.
Companies offer bonus points for distributors that sell or buy more of a specific product.
But you might jeopardize the sale of other products with this approach, so your secondary measures might include a requirement to hit an overall sales target. Offer dealers and distributors a reward for providing customer names for co-op direct marketing or telephone sales solicitation on behalf of your company's product. This is a good way to collect valuable names in a cause that ultimately should benefit your distribution partners. Training for dealer salespeople. Offer credits for special training for salespeople that addresses your dealers' needs, not just your own.