Sometimes gift shop buyers don’t buy products! No matter how great and unique your product is or no matter how professional your packaging and presentation is, there will be times when you won’t even be able to interest a buyer in talking to you.
Besides the tremendous competition with other professional crafters to get products on the shelves, there are a few different reasons why a buyer will not buy.
1. Store is not ‘Open-to-Buy’. Many stores have a budget and/or a particular time that they buy for their stores. Should you arrive during a time where they are not buying or are not “Open-to-Buy”, it may be difficult to sell your products.
In this case, it is best to ask when they plan to be Open-to-Buy. If you are friendly and considerate of the buyer’s situation, they will be happy to let you know when they will be interested in looking at your products. You can return at that time.
2. Store buyer personality may not mesh with your own. No mater how wonderful your product may be or how hard to try to sell it, some buyers may just not want to deal with you. Maybe they have had a busy day, maybe the buyer has just had a confrontation with a customer or other personnel, or maybe you are the twelfth person to come into the store to sell something!! Personalities can conflict in any form of business – unfair as it is – but you are best off just to walk away and spend your energies with a store buyer that is interested in you and your products.
I have dealt with this scenario many times myself, as a sales rep. Often you can return at another time and thrill the buyer with your products. Gift shop buyers are often over-worked and understaffed and just don’t always have the time or energy to deal with ‘one-more-thing’! Being considerate and understanding can go a long way during times like this.