For decades, Latrovolis Olives has been harvesting, packaging, and exporting high-quality olives across Europe and to boutique food service providers in the U.S. However, their next goal is to expand their brand into the largest and most premium retailers.
The Challenge: Taking a Beloved Brand International
What stands in their way? Communicating to American retail buyers that they are capable and ready for branded retail sales.
International expansion comes with unique challenges, such as understanding how American buyers think and effectively positioning your brand as a trustworthy partner. American retail buyers are risk-averse, meaning they do not want to work with a brand that lacks:
- Experience in Manufacturing – They need assurance that you can handle mass production and importing (they can’t risk buying from you if you can’t deliver consistently!).
- Industry Knowledge – They expect you to be well-versed in the rules and requirements of working with American retail buyers (they don’t have time to educate newbies!).
- Customer Demand – They want products that their customers will purchase (their priority is driving sales in their stores, so they need to be sure shoppers will like the product, from taste and texture to packaging design and branding).
Latrovolis Olives had all these elements in place and was ready for the next step—but they had questions about how to communicate their readiness to buyers. How could they showcase their ability to handle large American retail accounts without sounding overly sales-focused? How could they build a trust-based relationship with retail buyers?
That’s where START to SOLD came in.
Theodora Latrovolis’ Experience with the Course and Coaching
After watching a START to SOLD video on “Perfecting Your Pitch,” Theodora and Emily met for a 50-minute live coaching session to practice her pitch and apply the principles to their unique business in Greece.
Theodora found the resources incredibly valuable because they provided her with the vocabulary and proof points, she needed to confidently position her brand as retail-ready.
She shared her experience:
Through the START to SOLD framework, Theodora gained clarity on the steps needed to demonstrate that Latrovolis Olives meets the demanding standards of the retail industry.
Ready to Take Your Brand from START to SOLD?
Latrovolis Olives is just one of many brands finding value in the training and coaching provided in the START to SOLD course.
Whether you’re a family-owned brand looking to expand or an emerging food business ready to scale, our expert guidance gives you the tools to break into new markets with confidence.
Want to learn more? Explore our website to see how START to SOLD can help you achieve your goals.
Watch Theodora’s Full Review:
