How to Market & Sell Products

CBA Benefits and Services Can Help

Companies producing and distributing Christian products have many options in the marketplace today. But no opportunity in retail is greater than the distribution through the Christian Retail Channel, where store owners and staff share your values and sense of mission and purpose.

As a trade association, CBA does not manufacture, market, sell, or distribute products for resale through retail stores. Nor do we “approve” products to be sold in Christian retail stores. We do offer some resources to help you promote and sell your product to the Christian retail stores.

The services listed below are meant to serve as options for you to promote your company and your products to Christian retailers. These services are available to nonmembers, though CBA Supplier Members receive discounted pricing on each of them. To download the CBA Supplier membership application and review the required qualifications click here.

CBA Marketing Opportunities

1. CBA Mailing List Rentals – CBA offers three different mailing lists containing 1,350-5,850 address of Christian retail stores from across the country. Use these lists to send direct mail promotional pieces for your products to stores and then follow up with a phone call to secure the sale. Lists can be provided in a spreadsheet, a delimited text file, or printed on labels for you.  To download more information and an order form describing our list rental options click here.
2. Advertising in CBA Publications – CBA offers advertising in both print and online formats.  CBA Retailers+Resources magazine is a monthly publication sent to all CBA members and subscribers offering a variety of advertising sizes and options.  CBA also offers advertising space in our weekly email newsletter, called Industry Brief, which is sent across the Christian retail industry. For more information about advertising opportunities in our publications click here.
   To view a sample copy of CBA Retailers+Resources online click here.
3. CBA Convention Exhibit Booth Rental – Each July (since 1950) CBA hosts the International Christian Retail Show, the largest and longest running convention in the Christian Retail Channel. This show brings together Christian retailers, suppliers and professionals from around the world.  One primary feature of this show is the four-day trade show floor where Christian retailers come to buy products for their stores.  CBA rents space to exhibitors in 10×10 foot increments and also offers a variety of marketing and sponsorship opportunities to exhibitors surrounding the show. The main requirement to become an exhibitor is that you have at least ten current Christian retail accounts. For info about becoming an exhibitor please click the show name below:
   • International Christian Retail Show 2008 – July 13-17, 2008
4. Find a Distributor or Sales Rep to Help Sell Your Product – CBA has recently developed a new online tool called CBA WEBSEARCH, The Official CBA Industry Search Engine. You can use this tool to find distributors in the industry that carry products similar to yours and contact them to see if they would be able to sell your product line.
   To access this powerful tool click here.
   
   
5. Product Coding Standards – Make sure that you have properly coded your products before attempting to sell them to retailers (UPC, ISBN, etc.) This enables the retailer to track their inventory history in their Point Of Sale Systems. Many retailers will not purchase products if it is not properly coded.  Some of the larger chains are also requiring vendors to be Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) certified to enable all electronic ordering and invoicing. To learn more by viewing our Christian Retail Solutions website, click here.

One last note: If you have already approached a large chain of stores or a retail marketing group and they have told you that you need to be a CBA member before they can consider your products, that is their policy, not a policy of CBA. You may need to start off contacting independent stores to build your business and then reapproach the larger chains once you are a Supplier member of CBA. Also be sure you have proper product coding in place.

Another approach could be to contact a marketing rep group. Below are several CBA member groups that could help you market your product to the stores.

Rollins Pilot

Harley Rollins
3230 Seagraves Mill Rd
Hull, GA 30646-2504

(706) 549-1502

MAGI Marketing

Janice Barnard
1414 Torrey Pines Drive
Lady Lake, FL 32159

(888) 289-6244

LaSalle Company Inc/Dove Sales

Robert Cramer
4315 Ralph Jones Ct
South Bend, IN 46628-9402
(574) 271-7644

Genesis Marketing Group
Clarissa Brown
850 Wade Hampton Blvd
Bldg. A Ste. 100
Greenville, SC 29609-4947
(800) 627-2651
www.genesislink.com

If you have questions about any of these services please contact the CBA Member Services team for more information.