Here are all the answers to your questions about BM BROKERS:

1. What does BM BROKERS mean?	The first letter of the surnames of BM BROKERS’ two founders: Guy Brevière and Jacques Mauduy. Outsourcing a turnkey sales force to a Principal was a completely innovative concept at that time.
2.How long have you been in the market?	BM BROKERS was founded in 1968.
3.What does the ESMA logo, on each page, mean?	ESMA means European Sales & Marketing Association. BM BROKERS was one of the first members of this European association of distributors and food brokers.
4.Is BM BROKERS a full sales service?	Yes it is, in the true sense. We provide a complete, turnkey sales service.
5.Who needs this type of service?	The Principal may not have a sales department. To build one would not be time or cost effective. And even if one did exist, it may not have the requisite skills to enter certain retail channels where we are particularly well established.
6.What does marketing a product mean to you?	It is a long chain involving the following steps: - Definition of targets, sales strategy and promotional tools together with the Principal, - Listing the products at retailers’ central purchasing offices, - Implementation of retail agreements at national and regional levels, - Taking orders and subsequent follow-up, - Ensuring product presence on the shelves, - Stimulation of product sales to end consumers, - Providing any relevant field feedback.
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7.What are your main assets?	Firstly, our reaction time. If a Principal wishes to establish its products quickly in the French market, our ability to react and our knowledge of French retail markets mean that our resources can be activated “on demand”. Secondly, only variable costs are incurred to the Principal, compared with the fixed costs of an integrated sales department.
8.How can the Principal, who has trusted you, be sure that you are effective?	Our reputation speaks for itself. When we sign a contract, we are committed to a code of ethics which can easily be checked out by contacting other Principals who use our services. Our clients then monitor sales and invoicing on a real-time basis.
9.How many are you?	We are currently 55, including 35 field sales personnel.
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10.Does your experience enable you to keep your promises?	We have been in the French market for nearly forty years, operating successfully in many different business and economic climates. This proves our ability to respond effectively to any shifts in sales and marketing policy on your products.
11.What is the level of employee turnover?	Very low. There is a strong team "Esprit" at BM BROKERS, which means that our employees stay with us for a long time.
12.Do you work with sales agents?	No. Our Sales Representatives are all employed by BM BROKERS in order to follow the policies defined by each of our Principals.
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13.What is the difference with an auxiliary sales force?	BM BROKERS works with its clients on a long-term basis and takes care of all sales activities. Unlike an auxiliary sales force, which is paid per visit, BM BROKERS operates on a sales percentage basis.
14.How can you manage the sales of several companies at the same time?	Through our head office organization (Market Managers, appropriate IT resources), via appropriate training and optimizing our contacts on each visit to the sales outlets.
15.Is a minimum size required to work with you?	No. It all depends on your product potential and the marketing resources that you intend to implement so that the product succeeds once it is on the shelves.
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16.Why do your Principals leave you?	Our clients rarely leave us for lack of performance. The most frequent reasons are: Buyout. The Principal is taken over by a company which has its own sales force. The Principal decides to set up its own sales force resources. The activity is discontinued by the Principal.
17.How frequently do you visit stores?	It all depends on the type of product marketed and the store format. Our rate of visit is between 2 to 8 weeks, on average.
18.Which computer software packages do you use?	Unix for orders and invoices. This is regularly updated with field sales management software developed in a Windev package. EDI computer exchanges are processed with an Influe platform.
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19.Do you undertake invoicing and collection?	We can invoice in the name of our Principals. However, payments are sent directly to the client.
20.Are you able to provide product logistics assistance?	We can provide logistics assistance: By advising you on the choice of logistics partners that fit your requirements and by managing the relationship with these partners, at your request.
21.What type of contract do you offer?	An open-ended, exclusivity agreement with a notice period in the event of termination.
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22.How are you compensated?	Our compensation is a percentage of sales, based on the following criteria: type of market, product potential, existing turnover. In the case of a product launch, we require a flat-rate contribution to the company’s fixed costs in year one.
23.What are the financial risks in working with you?	None! We work on your behalf. Inventories remain your property up to the time of delivery at the retailer’s warehouse.

We are your sales force in France!