PDA

View Full Version : Marketing product



genek
04-21-2013, 03:24 PM
MOST OF YOU KNOW I AM GETTING READY TO OFFER MY PATTERNS FOR SALE.

I HAVE HAD A LOT OF INTEREST AND QUESTIONS. THE ONE QUESTION THAT COMES UP THE MOST IS MARKETING MY PATTERNS OR THE PRODUCTS.

THIS SUGGESTION WORKS FOR ANY PRODUCT THAT YOU MAKE.

Setting up whole sale accounts is best. This is very easy to do for some and hard for others. It was hard for me at first. I did not know who to contact, where to go, when to go.

The who is the person that does the buying for that store.
The where is gift shops, state parks, mom and pop retail stores. (you do not want to try for the large chain stores, most would require thousands shipped daily, or would take the designs over seas and have them made cheaper than what we can buy wood for.
The when to go is in the morning. After 9:00 cut off and sales calls around 2:30.. Dress nice but do not over dress. Cold calls are normally not well taken, the way i do my sales calls is on potential customers my wife and i go out driving around in the area i do not have a customer in. I visit stores that i think would be a good place for my product. As i find the stores i get the phone number, contact person, best time to call them. I always get several potential customers in that town or area.
One thing i do do is the customer that does decide to take my product that is the only one that i will set up in that area or town (you ask why. 1st that stores will go with you more often than if you do not let them be the only customer. 2nd this gives you a better chance at having more product sold. (each stores overhead is different, if they are competing with your product they may never move it do to pricing. The other stores overhead may be lower.) trust.. Giving them the right to be the only store in that area, makes them think your product will sale good.
Try never to cold call.

Think of the way i see customers. If i have a 100 customers buying $50.00 a month my net income is $5,000.00 per month.
At first it will be slow, you have to offer just a few products to your new customers, ( this keeps you from having too much expenses at first, run three or four products, introduce them to new customers, as you gain income you expand and offer the old customers new products plus you offer new customers old and new product to sale.
If you get out each week, find 0ne or two new customers in a short time you will have 100 + customers. The more you hone your sales skills the better off you will be.
If you sit at the shop, build inventory and never get out and sale the product you will fail. My wife is my best sales person most women can sale product much better than a man. Most women can sale ice to a eskimo.
Use your wife. She knows what will sale and what stores that would be good for your product.

This goes true for all products, the more customers you have the more income you will have.

You can not have all your customers in the same town... Use the rule one customer one town or area.

Use your time that you are looking for new customers as a way to spend time with your wife. Take her out to dinner while you are looking (this will get you brownie points.

Look listen and act.

I AM NOT THE BEST PERSON TO PUT MY THOUGHTS DOWN ON PAPER.. BUT THE ABOVE IS HOW I GO ABOUT GETTING CUSTOMERS AND IT WORKS FOR ME.
EACH PERSON WILL HAVE TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN SALES ROUTINE.

BY THE WAY I CURRENTLY HAVE OVER 250 CUSTOMERS, MOST BUY MORE THAN THE $50.00 PER MONTH THAT I SET AS MY GOAL. I HAVE SEVERAL THAT ORDER $300.00 TO $1000.00 PER MONTH. I FAR EXCEED MY GOALS. ANOTHER THING I DO IS I DO FOLLOW UP CALLS IF A CUSTOMERS HAS NOT ORDERED I CALL TO FIND OUT WHY... IF THEY HAVE SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT MOVE IN THEIR AREA OR TOWN I TRADE THAT ITEMS OUT WITH THEM WITH SOMETHING THAT MOVES FASTER. THIS IS A GOOD PRACTICE CUSTOMERS REALLY LIKE THIS.
SOME PRODUCTS YOU CAN NOT GIVE AWAY IN ONE AREA BUT THE NEXT TOWN DOWN THE ROAD YOU CAN NOT KEEP ENOUGH OF THAT PRODUCT IN STOCK. TAKE CARE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS AND THEY WILL PUSH YOUR PRODUCT.
BY YOU BEING IN THAT STATE THEY WILL PUSH IT AS LOCAL MADE.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CALL AND ASK QUESTION MY PHONE NUMBER IS 606-631-1639
JUST PLEASE DO NOT CALL AFTER 9 P.M. EASTERN TIME.
I NORMALLY WORK 12 HOURS A DAY...

dlcw
04-21-2013, 04:12 PM
Great write up Eugene.

I've followed these same principles for years. I've tried the retail space and keep running into the same barrier: Retailers want 5000 quantity (China container) pricing but only want to order 5 to 10 pieces at a time. :eek:

They want me to give it to them so they can sell it at a big profit.

I normally mark my wholesale pricing so I can make a livable margin but it always seems to much for most retailers, especially given the quantities they will commit to. Around here (and I've heard this applies just about everywhere), they have a simple philosophy: anything they by for retail they automatically mark up a minimum of 100% to start, and then higher from there depending on their market. :confused:

Not sure what to do about this barrier...

genek
04-21-2013, 05:14 PM
great write up eugene.

I've followed these same principles for years. I've tried the retail space and keep running into the same barrier: Retailers want 5000 quantity (china container) pricing but only want to order 5 to 10 pieces at a time. :eek:

They want me to give it to them so they can sell it at a big profit.

I normally mark my wholesale pricing so i can make a livable margin but it always seems to much for most retailers, especially given the quantities they will commit to. Around here (and i've heard this applies just about everywhere), they have a simple philosophy: Anything they by for retail they automatically mark up a minimum of 100% to start, and then higher from there depending on their market. :confused:



Not sure what to do about this barrier...

100% is normal mark up for products bought. When i tell them the price that is the price take it or leave it.. I do not lower my wholesale price. It is priced at what i have to have to buy the raw wood, and profit so i can make a good living. All of my patterns that i currently sale i do not have any problems with my customers wanting them cheaper. All of my products make me good money. Like i said go after mom and pop stores, leave the chain stores alone. Mom and pop normally can not buy at their level anyway, and do not expect the same. Most important is to be firm on pricing.. Do not lower your price to get the account. Go on to the next store.... I have no problem with sales, with mom and pop or when i am doing festival.
Show no weakness in pricing.
Explain to them that your product is made by you and you have to pay for the raw material and make a living, keep the equipment up and buy new equipment as needed. Never tell them your cost or your labor per hour for your self.. All ways set your labor higher so that when you get busy enough you can hire someone and pay them good. And still make a living yourself.
Again this comes down to your salesmanship.. Practice make perfect here. Learn from failures... Learn what turns your customer on about your product...

genek
04-21-2013, 05:23 PM
100% is normal mark up for products bought. When i tell them the price that is the price take it or leave it.. I do not lower my wholesale price. It is priced at what i have to have to buy the raw wood, and profit so i can make a good living. All of my patterns that i currently sale i do not have any problems with my customers wanting them cheaper. All of my products make me good money. Like i said go after mom and pop stores, leave the chain stores alone. Mom and pop normally can not buy at their level anyway, and do not expect the same. Most important is to be firm on pricing.. Do not lower your price to get the account. Go on to the next store.... I have no problem with sales, with mom and pop or when i am doing festival.
Show no weakness in pricing.
Explain to them that your product is made by you and you have to pay for the raw material and make a living, keep the equipment up and buy new equipment as needed. Never tell them your cost or your labor per hour for your self.. All ways set your labor higher so that when you get busy enough you can hire someone and pay them good. And still make a living yourself.
Again this comes down to your salesmanship.. Practice make perfect here. Learn from failures... Learn what turns your customer on about your product...

prices sometimes is a problem i try to keep product for wholesale in the range of $1.00 to $10.00 but not always. The higher end ($20.00 and up) will be one's and two"s and harder to move. Those items you need to find higher end stores (but still stay in the mom and pop stores) product over 20.00 will always be hard to sale. It has to be really needed or have some heart felt need. You stand a better chance on high end products to sale them your self at festivals or in your own store front.

genek
04-21-2013, 07:15 PM
I just posted a new post THE NEW POST CONTAIN the LIST OF patterns that i will be OFFERING FOR SALE.