Opportunity posting
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      Best Practices Guide to Opportunity Posting

      Finding the right partner starts with a well written opportunity post which includes a clear value proposition and specific target audience. If you're new to opportunity posts, click here for steps to create an opportunity. Directly below are best practices and examples for successful opportunity posts. 

      What type of opportunity are you posting? 

      Best practices for Manufacturers looking for Distribution Partners

      Opportunity Title

      • Create a focused, compelling title that will resonate with a potential partner.  
        • Example: “Industry-leading manufacturer of occlusion and ablation catheters is looking for new distribution partners in Poland, Hungary and Czechia.” 

      Opportunity Description

      • Start with a clear value proposition.
        • What makes your company unique vs competitors? 

        • Example: “Our award winning catheters have been used in leading clinics and hospitals in Europe and the USA for over 20 years.” 

      • Define and support your market focus. Potential partners will want to know that you have a strategic approach to expansion and distributor partnerships. A manufacturer looking for "any" partner in "any" country won't resonate with distributors who are looking for strategic and synergistic partners (who by the way, are the best partners for long term growth). 

        • In which markets are you currently successful?  In which markets are you interested in finding a new partner, and why now? 

        • Note:  promoted opportunity posts should be limited to 1 or 2 large markets per post  (e.g. Germany and France) or 5-10 smaller markets (e.g. Caribbean markets).   

        • Example: “We have successful partnerships with distributors in Western Europe and the USA, and are looking to expand our footprint in Eastern Europe through new distribution partners in Poland, Hungary, and Czechia.”  
      • Highlight market readiness 

        • Do you have the required certifications/registrations for this market?  If not, what is your plan to attain them?

        • Showcase your understanding of market dynamics (regulatory, reimbursement, purchasing models, structure, public vs private, etc.) 

        • Example: “Our products have held the CE Mark for over 5 years and we believe that there is a significant opportunity to grow revenues in Eastern Europe.  Our product price points are competitive for these markets and our quality standards exceed most competitor’s products.” 
      • Be specific about the type of partner you need
        • Are you looking for national or regional coverage? 
        • Are you looking for a full line or specialty distributor? 

        • Detail specific distributor qualities desired: 

          • Certain types of relationships (e.g. cardiologists, dental offices, etc.) 
          • What are the qualities of partners that you have had success with previously 
          • Sales organization 
          • Import, distribution, support requirements 
          • Size of organization 
          • Years in business 
        • Example: “We are looking for well established (10 years+) specialty distributors who have relationships with coronary care and cardiology departments of hospitals and clinics.  Partners should be capable of handling sales, import, warehousing and distribution.” 
      • Partnership Pitch

        • What are you offering in support of a successful distribution partnership? Why would a partnership in this market make sense for both partners? 

        • Example: “We believe in collaborative relationships with our distribution partners and will offer comprehensive product training and support.  We will work with you as a true partner to succeed in your market.” 

      Questions to Ask Prospective Partners

      • What would your first 3 or 4 questions be if you met a prospective partner for the first time?  Consider including these questions in your Opportunity Post.
      • Example:

        “Do you currently represent any complementary products?  If so, which products?” 

        “Tell us about your sales organization (number of dedicated sales reps, location, relationships with buyers, etc.)” 

      Documents

      • Support your post with any relevant document attachments that will boost credibility.
      • Examples include product sell sheets, fact sheets, customer testimonials, etc. 

      Matching Settings 

      • Ensure that you select all appropriate matching settings as this will do two things:

        • Match score all interested partners and rank them according to matching fit 

        • Provide a list of “recommended” companies from the 44,000 companies on the myCaribou platform for you to connect with.  This list is also ranked by match score for you. 

      • Example:
        • Markets = Poland, Hungary or Czechia
          Company Type = Distributor or Sales Agent 

          Distributor Type = Specialty 

          Market Coverage = National 

          Product Categories = Cardiovascular 

          Call Points = Cardiac Catheterization, Cardiac Surgery, Cardiology, Coronary Care Unit or Cardiac Intensive Care Unit 

      Share your Opportunity Outside of myCaribou 

      • Use your post's URL in emails, LinkedIn and on your website tp maximize exposure.  This way, all interested companies will be required to review and respond to your Opportunity Post in myCaribou.  myCaribou will rank the responding companies for you based on match score. 

       

      Best practices for Distributors looking for Manufacturing Partners

      Opportunity Title

      • Create a focused, compelling title that would be resonate with a potential partner.  
        • Example: “Specialty Distributor in Poland and Hungary looking for ablation and occlusion catheter manufacturer.” 

      Opportunity Description

      • Start with a clear value proposition.
        • Why your company? Who your selling relationships are with (e.g. cardiologists, dental offices, etc.) 
        • Example: “Specialty Distributor in Poland and Hungary looking for ablation and occlusion catheter manufacturer.” 
      • Explain why you are looking for this product(s)?
        • It is important to understand what is driving this opportunity to represent their products in your market.  For example: market opportunity (bid, RFP, etc.), change of current supplier, portfolio gap.
        • Example: “Our previous supplier of catheters has been acquired and has decided to sell direct in Eastern Europe.” 
      • Describe your capabilities to get their products to the end user  

        • What are the capabilities that you bring to the partnership?  (e.g. import, distribution, selling, support, service, warehousing) 

        • Example: “As a specialty distributor focused on cardio-related products, we offer full distribution capabilities including import, warehousing, selling, distribution and service/support.” 
      • Selling focus (“share of wallet”) 
        • It is important for the supplier to know what they can expect from you in terms of commitment to sell their products in addition to the products you are already selling. 
        • Example: “We expect catheter sales to ultimately represent approximately 15-20% of our overall sales.  Our sales and marketing teams are focused entirely on cardio-related end users.” 
      • Be specific about the type of partner you need
        • What type of suppliers are you typically successful with?  What kind of relationship works best for your organization?  It is best to describe this up front.
        • Example: “Our most successful supplier partnerships are based on a mutual trust and commitment to success in the market.  Most of our relationships are exclusive for Hungary and Poland and as such, we only carry one supplier for each product/product category.  We believe in transparency and collaboration in the relationship and excel when a supplier is willing to commit resources to training and supporting our sales team.” 

      Questions

      • Think about the first 3 or 4 questions you would ask if you met this prospective partner for the first time?  Why not include these questions in your Opportunity Post and let myCaribou help do some of the work for you. 
      • Example:

        “Are you authorized for European markets (CE Mark)?  If not, what is your status regarding approval?” 

        “Are your products listed in the EUDAMED database?” 

        “Do you currently sell your products into Hungary or Poland?   Have you ever sold into these markets?” 

      Documents

      • Support your posting with any relevant document attachments that will help make the case.
      • Examples include customer case studies and testimonials, awards and market authorizations.

      Matching Settings 

      • Ensure that you select all appropriate matching settings as this will do two things:

        • Match score all interested partners and rank them according to matching fit 

        • Provide a list of “recommended” companies from the 44,000 companies on the myCaribou platform for you to connect with.  This list is also ranked by match score for you 

      • Pro tip: Use the "not" filter on the HQ Country setting to EXCLUDE manufacturers from certain countries. 

      • Example:

        • Markets = Poland or Hungary 

          Company Type = Manufacturer 

          Product Categories = Cardiovascular 

          Call Points = Cardiac Catheterization, Cardiac Surgery, Cardiology, Coronary Care Unit or Cardiac Intensive Care Unit 

          HQ Country NOT China (or HQ Country = China with the Operator set to Not) 

      Share your Opportunity outside of myCaribou 

      • Use the unique posting URL in emails, LinkedIn and on your website.  This way, all interested companies will be required to review and respond to your Opportunity Posting in myCaribou.  myCaribou will rank the responding companies for you based on match score.