The retailer might source the category elsewhere, lack shelf space or serve a different customer need. A sound recommendation connects the gap to a plausible use case and gives the buyer an easy way to confirm or reject the idea.
Organize the catalog around buyer uses
Group products into categories that sales representatives and buyers understand. For a professional beauty distributor, those might include consumables, treatment products and retail products.
Build an account-by-category view over a suitable period. Show whether purchases occurred and, where useful, their net value or quantity. Account for discontinued codes and replacement SKUs so a product change does not appear as a lost category.
The fictional matrix below describes observed purchases, not stock on hand.
| Account | Consumables | Treatment products | Retail products | Question to investigate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio A | Purchased | Purchased | No purchase observed | Does it offer retail products? |
| Studio B | Purchased | No purchase observed | Purchased | Which treatments does it provide? |
| Studio C | Purchased | Purchased | Purchased | Which lines are ready for replenishment? |
Compare buyers with relevant similarities
Other accounts can help surface possibilities, provided the comparison makes commercial sense. Similar business types may still differ in services, positioning, storage or purchasing arrangements.
Use the information available to your team: known use cases, installed ranges, account type and commercial context. A widely purchased SKU is not automatically a good recommendation for every customer.
Keep the evidence behind the suggestion visible. Representatives should know whether a recommendation comes from a substantial comparison group or a small number of accounts.
Find out why the product is missing
Check existing account notes before approaching the buyer. The retailer may already have rejected the product, need training before using it or be unable to meet its case-pack requirement.
Also check availability and applicable terms. Recommending a product the buyer cannot order creates friction instead of additional sales.
A useful opening might be: “We have not seen purchases in this category on your account. Is it something you already source elsewhere, or would a short selection be helpful?” The question allows the buyer to supply the information your order data cannot provide.
Record reasons for rejection. A justified absence should improve future recommendations rather than trigger repeated offers for the same unsuitable line.
Keep the first recommendation focused
Choose a small number of complementary products and explain the link to the buyer’s existing range or service. Give the buyer control over quantities and a way to ask for advice.
Some categories require education or a trial before a commercial order makes sense. In those cases, the next action should be a conversation or product review rather than a prefilled basket.
The Twilio guide to cross-selling and upselling distinguishes complementary sales from moving a buyer to a higher-value alternative. This workflow focuses on the former: adding a relevant category without disrupting the main purchase.
Turn an empty cell into a concrete proposal
In the fictional matrix, Studio A confirms an interest in retailing a product linked to an existing treatment. The representative selects one relevant item with an initial six-unit case pack. The message explains that connection; the account-specific portal shows the product and applicable terms, with a quantity the buyer can accept, change or remove.
The final proposal is tangible: one product, a verified use, a suggested quantity and a named buyer. RAKOR connects recommendations with a personalized portal. The example does not specify a universal quantity formula or an included training service. If relevance remains unconfirmed, a conversation or an exclusion is the appropriate next step.
Look beyond the first trial order
Measure how many eligible accounts try the category and how many buy it again. Examine contribution, returns and changes in the existing product mix. A discounted trial does not establish a durable assortment expansion.
Watch for substitution as well. If the recommended line displaces another product you already sell, the account’s total contribution may change less than the new SKU revenue suggests.
RAKOR connects account-level product recommendations with personalized selections. An assortment-gap framework can help define the opportunities to test. The strongest workflow keeps the reasoning understandable and lets sales representatives add context before the buyer receives the proposal.
Sources and further reading
Review an account-specific complementary selection
Discuss your accounts, catalog and existing tools through this concrete use case.
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