# #215 - Ask-Me-Anything with Sales Pro Matt Merson

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2025-09-23
- Length: 48m
- Episode: 196
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-09-23-215-ask-me-anything-with-sales-pro-matt-merson
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/5b08ac97

## Summary

Matt Merson, Head of Strategy and Sales at Once Upon a Coconut, shares 35 years of CPG sales expertise with host Daniel Scharff, covering sales compensation, distributor management, and trade show strategies. They discuss negotiating DSD contracts, the strategic use of coupons and free fills, and best practices for creating sell sheets and managing distributor relationships like UNFI and KE. Merson emphasizes that trade show success is the output of pre-show engagement, while advising aspiring sales pros to prioritize attitude and network building.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Matt Merson and Once Upon a Coconut
2. Sales Compensation Benchmarks and Team Structure
3. Distributor Strategy: DSD vs. Warehouse (UNFI/KE)
4. Negotiating DSD Contracts and Managing Free Fills
5. Coupon Strategies and Trade Show Roadmaps
6. Sell Sheet Best Practices and Trade Show Execution
7. Career Advice for Aspiring Sales Professionals

## Topics

- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Once Upon a Coconut (company)
- UNFI (company)
- KE (company)
- Sprouts (company)
- Whole Foods (company)
- Rainforest (company)
- Doris (company)
- Relentless (company)
- Basemakers (company)
- Dirty Hands (company)
- Jungle Jim's (company)
- Stu Leonard's (company)
- Vintage Grocers (company)
- Rainbow Grocers (company)
- Mustard Seed Market (company)
- H-E-B (company)
- Expo West (other)
- KHE Chicago (other)
- Mohican Sun (other)
- Force Brands (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [148: Grow Your Hardware Product Sales Via Trade Shows](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-11-02-148-grow-your-hardware-product-sales-via-trade-shows) (Product Startup)
- [Introducing The Manufacturing Marketer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-01-24-introducing-the-manufacturing-marketer) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [BONUS: 5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of a Trade Show](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-09-14-bonus-5-tips-for-getting-the-most-out-of-a-trade-show) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [3 Things Manufacturers Can Do In The Absence of Trade Shows w/ Joe Sullivan](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2020-09-22-3-things-manufacturers-can-do-in-the-absence-of-trade-shows-w-joe-sullivan) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Ep. 37 - Keeping Sales Up](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2025-02-07-ep-37-keeping-sales-up) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-09-23-215-ask-me-anything-with-sales-pro-matt-merson. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Startup CPG Podcast.