Part 4 [ACTION]
Copy/Paste Co-Packer Outreach Script & First Meeting Questions
After you’ve honed your research list to two to five co-packers, use this simple copy-paste template to connect. Send it via email or you may even say it over the phone.
IMPORTANT: Your goal in this first outreach isn’t to sell them on your products. It’s to make their vetting of you as a potential customer as easy and efficient as possible. Co-packers receive hundreds of inquiries a month, with a fraction of them being compatible. BUT! It’s also imperative you show you’re a human and that you’ve written a personalized, intentional email (on the flip side, only a fraction of inquiries do this. This is how you stand out).
This is the exciting part! Good luck.
Hi ________, it’s a pleasure to meet you! My name is ______ and I’m the Founder of ______ , which is an _______________ (explain a VERY brief summary of what your product is).
I discovered your company through ________ (friend/referral/name/google search keywords or terms), and the reason your team has my attention is because _____________ (this can be something you saw on their website that attracts you like their core values, how they responsibly source from regenerative farmers, how they have state of the art equipment, how they say they are here to empower the early-stage entrepreneur, etc.).
Here are the fast facts of where my business is at, ideal timeline, and desired nutritional claims + product specs. I’d love to set up a call if you find it appropriate:
* Volume: My first production run will be “x” and I anticipate growing that volume by x% annually. This first run will last me approximately “x” months. I have a recipe but it has not been (or has been) commercialized and I do (or do not) require my co-packing partner’s team to perform all necessary lab testing.
* In an ideal situation, I want to see my first production run happen by “x”. I do (or do not) have my supply chain sources readily available to be vetted at your facility. The main ingredients are __________ (they will especially need to know about ingredients that are deemed allergens).
* The nutritional claims and business values I care about the most are “xyz”.
If you need any other information to make a preliminary decision, please let me know. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. If I am not the right fit for you, any referrals to a co-packer that might be would be appreciated.
If you get a yes, this is great! Schedule your meeting and attend it confidently with this list of questions.
Remember, you are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you. A co-packing relationship requires as much trust as you do your co-founder and employees. I’ve included cliff notes on every question with context on why you’re asking this question and what answers you’re looking for. Knowing why you’re asking these is just as important as knowing what:
I hope that this copy/paste template and question guide helps you find the best partner possible like I’ve found in HB. This is all hindsight 2020. I wish I knew what to ask for going into it, but trust me when I say that my journey has been made a lot easier by having a co-packer team that I can rely on.
Fortunately, HB Specialty Foods meets everything mentioned above which is why I can express my gratuity for their diligence. You must find the same standards in your partners. Hiccups and mistakes are inevitable with every brand <> co-packer relationship because that’s the nature of entrepreneurship. But, just like marriage, it’s how you do or don’t work together through it all that matters the most.
Stay Tuned for our upcoming series
Part 1: Learn
What is a Co-Packer? What You Need to Know to Find a Great Manufacturing Partner
PART 2: STRATEGIZE
When Is The Right Time To Find a Co-Packer? Am I Ready?
PART 3: PREPARE
The Questions Co-Packers Will Want to Know & How to Answer With Confidence
PART 4: ACTION
Downloadable Template
AUTHOR
Courtney Lee
Founder, CEO of Prymal, and has been a customer of HB Specialty’s since 2018.