Solution profile
Define the solution and its complexity for this market. The complexity sets which sales-behaviour questions apply in Screening.
Move each dimension from low (left) to high (right) for this solution and market.
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Distributor briefing
Before asking a distributor anything, give them a reason to engage. This briefing answers "why should we consider this?" on the distributor's terms.
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Distributor discovery
Build a longlist of candidate distributors for this market, score them, and decide the shortlist.
Discovery is where you gather potential distributors before you start evaluating them. Add everyone worth considering — you don't need to be selective yet. That comes next.
Your goal here is a longlist: a complete picture of who is available in your target market before you narrow it down.
Work through the sources you have access to. Aim for 5–10 candidates before deciding the shortlist.
Score each candidate 1–5 on Geographic coverage · Portfolio · Customers · Fit — the score is the average.
Geographic coverage: which territory or markets this distributor covers — it should match the market you're working in.
As you learn more about each candidate, some will disqualify themselves — wrong territory, wrong portfolio fit, no capacity. Remove them from your list as you go.
What remains is your shortlist: the candidates worth a proper structured assessment in Screening.
There's no separate "shortlist" step. When you're ready to assess a shortlisted candidate, add it as a distributor in the Distributor section at the top of the page, then score it under Screening.
When you're ready to move on, take each shortlisted candidate, add it as a distributor at the top of the page, and open Screening to assess it against a structured set of criteria.
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Distributor screening
Assess a potential distributor across seven dimensions before you commit. Use the sliders as a structured conversation guide.
Screening assesses one distributor at a time — the one selected at the top of the page. These are the candidates from your Discovery shortlist that you've added as distributors. Not there yet? Add it with + New distributor.
Set automatically from the Solution tab. Override here only if this distributor's situation differs.
Agreement review
Checklist for minimum agreement content, behaviour targets and balance. The goal is an agreement that works for both parties.
Move towards the party with most power or risk on each point. Centre = balance — a fair starting point for both.
Saves automatically as you change it.
Ongoing follow-up
Use this in quarterly and half-yearly reviews. Measure behaviour — not just revenue. Each saved review builds the trend over time.
Open questions, seen from your side. The distributor answers the same ones — comparing the two is where the honest signal is.
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About DistributorFit
One methodology. Built on 30+ years of global B2B distributor experience.
Most distributor partnerships fail quietly.
The agreement is signed. The distributor says yes. The sales team nods. And then nothing happens — or not enough. The products don't get presented. Salespeople sell what they're comfortable with. Nobody knows why customers aren't buying. And by the time the principal realises the partnership isn't working, months or years have been lost.
DistributorFit helps principals get distributor partnerships right — before they sign, or when they've gone wrong.
DistributorFit gives you structure and visibility. The decision is yours.