With the widespread use of debit and credit cards, late payments and collections may not be an issue, but if they are, here are a few tips. Dozens of times over the years, I’ve collected payments from stores that were…
Late Payments and Collections
Category: Customer Service
Developing a Sales Mindset
Having the best sales mindset before you meet with your first buyer helps build rapport during your meeting. If you enjoy meeting and working with people, the sales presentation should be fun for you. Meeting retailers is interesting and rewarding,…
Ways Retail is Changing Post Coronavirus
Much of the retail sector has changed over the last few months. Some retailers are closing their doors, others are moving their business online, and still others need extra help to get back on their feet. Retail is changing and…
Don’t Fall into Sinkholes
I recently read a passage from a book that talked about knowing and avoiding your ‘sinkholes’. Sinkholes are areas in our business where we are missing the mark — especially concerning dealing with customers. I found this nugget in a…
The Art of Dealing with Impolite People
I am sure that you, just as we all, have dealt with impolite people. As a former sales rep, I learned very early to deal with this appropriately and move on. I especially remember one buyer who insisted I make…
Email Follow Up: Dos and Don’ts
When I first started selling to retailers, I visited each and every store on a regular basis. Of course, since I represented several different lines, this was a cost-effective method for me. But this may not be the best option…
Fix Problems — Don’t Blame Others!
Mistakes and problems happen often — No matter how careful we are, things sometimes just don’t work out the way we expected. Often, the mistakes are not our fault, but the customer does not know or care about whose fault…
First Time Order Incentives
A few years back, I hosted a Selling to Retailer’s Mastermind Group where the members asked interesting questions and participated in answering those questions. Since many of those questions were asked by others over the years, I would like to…
Is the Customer Always Right?
Sometime during any retail/wholesale training, we are taught that the customer is always right. While in theory, it is always good to make them think they are right because it never pays to get into a fighting match trying to…
Three Reasons Why Buyers Don’t Buy
Buyers have many reasons why they don’t buy your products. Sometimes, you just contacted them on a bad day or a bad moment in that day. According to professional salespeople, three main mistakes can be easily avoided when dealing with…
Am I Contacting Buyers Often Enough?
Short answer to the question “Am I contacting buyers often enough” is probably no. I, like most new producers and sales people, thought that contacting buyers frequently was equal to the unwanted door-to-door visits from religious organizations! Not true, in…
Dealing with Difficult Customers
Dealing with difficult customers is part of having and doing business with the public. There is no way around it — we all have horror stories concerning difficult customers. I have a few concerning difficult vendors as well!! Sometimes, for…