One of the best things you can do when wholesaling your products is to create value for your wholesale buyers In other words, give them such wonderful service that they will …
- Remember you
- Value your products
- Order more often
Even as a sales rep, I frequently went above and beyond when servicing my customers. Some of the tasks I did for them was ….
- Take inventory of the items they had left in stock (only those lines they bought from me!)
- Help set up displays
- Bring them extras such as samples, shelf talkers and display material
- Told them which were the best selling item in a certain line
- Gave guaranteed sales, where I could (if XYZ product doesn’t sell, we will trade it for ABC product).
- Kept in contact as much as possible
Those tips (along with some good products) kept me as the number one sales 
person (in my niche) in Idaho.
And, if you sell fine art, the Arts Business Institute has another ’10 Ways to Become More Valuable to your Wholesale Customers’ …..
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Make an in-person appearance at the store. Trunk shows and artist appearances are wonderful ways to create buzz and even show new merchandise to customers.
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Create press releases and press kits for stores to use to promote your line. This service saves time and effort for the store owner, and paves the way for press exposure for both of you.
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Provide “glamour photos” of your work. These may end up in advertisements for the store, postcards and magazine articles.
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Make follow up phone calls to the press. The more you help your retailers get press, the more valuable you are to them. So place calls after you have made the initial contact to capture as much press attention as possible.
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List your galleries on your website. Drive all the business you can to your retailers.
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Place your signature on your work – and a Certificate of Authenticity too. This adds value for the end consumer and is a good selling point for the retailer.
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Use great hang tags and care instructions. The more information you share about your creative work, the easier it is to make the sale. Your careful preparation in creating effective hang tags, product information, etc. will pay off in more sales.
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Print catalog or line sheets without prices. This enables your retailers to take special orders for your work without revealing their cost.
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Provide blank postcards for the store’s use. Postcards are an easy way to share photos of your line that can bring customers in the door.
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Send selling tips for their staff with your orders. Share information about yourself and your work, and the benefits for customers, so that the gallery staff can help present your work in the best possible light. They will appreciate your efforts in helping them make the sale!
What other ways do you create value when working with your wholesale customers?