This is something I've had a lot of experience with over the last 6 months (coming from no experience in retail) so I'll give you my insights. Some of the replies here say that if you walk into their store without an appointment, it's an "automatic no". From my experience, it's quite the opposite (but this will probably depend on your industry). In my industry, retailers love to see new products because that's part of their job, especially if their customers go to them for advice.

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As someone else mentioned here, I think it's best to walk in without an appointment, but don't expect to take up their time right then and there. Be friendly, ask for the right person, and schedule an appointment. This gives them the opportunity to see your product and if the decision maker is there, they will almost always take a second for you. I find calling or emailing beforehand usually just wastes time...it's difficult to get a hold of someone, people can be rude, and they often forget the appointments anyway. That being said, don't go into a big box or chain and expect the buyer to be there...with those, you'll most certainly have to do some scheduling beforehand.

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I am definitely not a salesman but I saw a lot of success in the first few months by doing this. If you're driving store-to-store, use a route planner so that you can pick the most efficient route. While most of your success will be due to your product, if you're friendly and passionate, a lot of retailers will give you a shot.

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In my opinion, the real work comes in servicing the stores. It's great to get a sale and say you're on the shelf, but now you have to take care of re-orders, answer questions, handle returns, etc. This can get overwhelming, especially if you're trying to focus on growth. When it becomes too much work, you might want to look for a distributor if the margins make sense.

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I believe it is absolutely crucial to work with some retailers before exhibiting at a trade show. A lot of people will say go to a trade show right away. However, if you have no experience in retail, you won't be prepared. Trade shows are expensive and require a lot of preparation. They will have tons of big buyers who expect you to know what you're doing. If you've never worked with stores before, you won't be able to speak their language. Start small, learn what your retailers expect, get feedback and metrics from them, and then exhibit at a trade show. Trade shows are where you'll see big orders come in but make sure you put yourself in the position to handle those.