A buyer in a meeting is not deciding whether they like your product. They have usually decided that already, which is why the meeting exists. They are deciding two other things: whether it will sell at their price, and whether you will be easy to work with. The second one is half the decision and you signal it entirely by how this meeting goes.

It is also where you find out what this channel is actually worth to you. Twenty minutes with someone who buys for a living will tell you more about your pricing, your pack size and your competition than a month of guessing.

Bring three things: samples, the line sheet, and a specific proposal. Not a conversation about possibilities, a proposal. Which items, how many, when they arrive, what it costs.

Decide your floor before you walk in. The lowest price you will accept and the smallest order you will take, written down. Buyers ask for better terms because it is their job, and a number you decided yesterday survives that better than a number you invent in the room.