The Art Business Institute posted two informative articles last week on Selling to Retailers.
According to their website, “the Arts Business Institute partners with art nonprofits, business development centers and art education organizations across the nation to provide specialized technical assistance and business education for studio artists, craft professionals and creative entrepreneurs seeking to grow their businesses to a national audience of collectors and galleries.”
Along with their business education, the Art Business Institute features some great blogs on topics of interest to anyone wishing to grow their business beyond craft shows!
Below is a short blurb from this two informative articles on Selling to Retailers:
How to Make Greater Wholesale Impact
In a tough economy, many artists and craftspeople are thinking smaller. Here’s how to think bigger.
With many small businesses taking a beating from a tough economy, some artists are wondering whether they can even consign their work, let alone sell wholesale. But this self-defeating outlook could be the opposite of what you really need to grow your business.
A good example of how to work with retailers to get more exposure for your products. One of the best tips in the article: ” Act as a partner with your retailers!” When your retail customer wins, so do you! The article presents some excellent tips on how to be a partner with your retailer.
The second article is written from the perspective of a sales rep who now owns and runs his own retail outlet. He gives a very concise list of ideas:
Sales Tips from a Retailer
Here are some tips for reps and wholesalers when selling their wares to retailers:
1. Know your product! I am always amazed by unprofessional reps who walk in my store and tell me they have a really hot/bestselling item and when I ask for details, they don’t know a thing about it! If you have a “bestseller,” make sure your reps know the price, minimum quantity, material, and average turn (number of times product will sell through in a year.)
2. Prepare for the appointment by doing your homework. Visit the store, surf their website, and if possible talk to staff. Take this initial knowledge and build a presentation around it, but leave room for back-up plans.
3. The first meeting is always crucial. Your customer needs great selling product and you need to prove you have great selling items in a very limited time frame. Use the first 10-20 minutes to ask open-ended questions. Take notes and adjust your presentation based on what you can formulate from the initial conversation. Don’t be afraid to deviate from your initial presentation. …
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