For those of you who want to wholesale, your first opportunity will most likely be a local store.
Here is a "Store Visit Do's and Don'ts" section straight from my seminar "Wholesaling to Stores and Galleries". This material is copyrighted, of course. If you share it, I ask that you credit me as the original source. It would be great if you'd provide a link to my site, too!
For those of you who choose not to wholesale, or who don't feel ready to sell your work this way, hang in there! There are ways to market and publicize your work even if you only make one really great "widget" a year. I'll give you ideas for that scenerio in the days ahead.
Here we go!
Store visits—Do’s and Don’ts
· DO be on time. That goes without saying.
· DO dress neatly and professionally. A suit is not necessary, and arty clothes are fine. But look like a grown-up.
· DO bring a friend if you need morale support, but make sure she keeps a low profile or disappears once you begin your sales call. Better: Have her meet you afterwards for lunch (or a drink!)
· DO be organized. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on fancy presentation materials, but keep your products neatly packaged, easy to get out and unwrap, able to set up a little presentation quickly.
· DO be prepared. Either price each piece of your work or have a clear, concise price list ready.
· DO indicate if the prices are wholesale or retail. (Don’t laugh.)
· DO be proud of your work and handle it/talk about it so.
· KNOW what your strong sellers are (or be able to give a good reason why you think it would be.)
· DO talk about what makes your work special, interesting, worth the price.
· DO have some idea of your prices, even if you are willing to let the store owner help you set them.
· DO know your expectations. Are you willing to do consignment? If not, that’s okay. Do you want to be paid upfront if they take work on the spot? Most stores understand that for that first sale at least, the artist expects to be paid then and there.
· DO know your limitations. If they want to order more work than you can produce right away, let them know.
· LISTEN to what the buyer says about your work. Different people will have different things to say. Some of it will be true, some of it will have nothing to do with your work. (More of this in future essays.) But if you talk their ear off without getting feedback, this is a wasted opportunity.
· DO pay attention to how you are being treated. If you feel pushed, bullied, patronized, understand that usually doesn’t change. A bad beginning usually marks a bad relationship.
· DO use this opportunity to ask questions. Educate yourself! This can be an incredible opportunity to ask the buyer for feedback about your prices, your work, your display, your packaging, your presentation, your hangtag, your potential audience, new product ideas, etc.
When in doubt, always ask about the store. Retailers LOVE to talk about their stores, and the information is always insightful.
· DO always leave the door open. Even if they don't want the work, things change. Your work may change, their ownership/management might change, they may overhaul their inventory, change their location, etc.
Now for the Don'ts:
· DON’T bring your children (especially small children) or a gruff or even over-enthusiastic husband. No one likes the disruption, or the added pressure, or having their arm twisted.
· DON’T take anything personally.
· DON’T argue. Offer counterpoints gently and informatively, but do NOT get belligerent or angry.
· DON’T get angry if they are busy and can’t meet with you at the appointed time. Customers are money, and they come first no matter what. (YOU are OVERHEAD. CUSTOMERS are PROFIT.)
· DON’T point out the flaws and mistakes in your work.
· DON’T self-deprecate yourself or your work. A good friend always said, "Don't put yourself down. Other people will do it for you." Seriously, the only thing worse than overreaching pride is forcing the buyer to come to the defense of your work. It is what it is. If it's as good as you can do now, and we ALL could do better, accept that this is what it is right now.
· DON’T make assumptions or jump to conclusions. If you are puzzled, or don’t understand what they tell you or why, ASK.
· DON’T be afraid to ask for referral to another store in the area IF and WHEN they decide your work isn’t a good fit for them.
· DON’T accept everything they say as fact. One buyer may feel your work is overpriced, another store may feel they can carry that price point. One store may feel your work is not unique enough, another may find it’s just what they’re looking for.
· DON’T assume “they’re out to get you.”
· DON’T close doors. Just because they don’t buy from you today, doesn’t mean a new owner/manager won’t someday. Also, your work will morph, develop, improve. Next year they might LOVE it. (It happened to me!)
· DON’T dwell on the negative. If things don't go as planned, figure out what you’ve learned from the experience--and move on.
THE BIGGEST "DO" OF ALL:
· DO remember that buyers are people, too.
There are a jillion reasons why they act the way they do, most of which have nothing to do with you or your work.
They get tired, they get unhappy, they have fights with their partners just before you walk in the door.
They get tired of having to say “no” to people whose work just doesn’t fit and won’t take “no” for an answer.
They wish their ship would come in, they wish customers would just come in and buy their stock, for cryin’ out loud…
They are proud of their store.
Some are happy, proactive, sympathetic, supportive and encouraging. Some are fussy, patronizing, absent-minded and gloomy.
Some of them can’t wait to get out of bed every morning and into the store, and some would jump at a real offer to sell it in a heartbeat.
Your mission is not to figure out who they are, or why they act the way they do, or be their friend, or show them who’s the better person. You are not there to have judgment passed on your work, your life, yourself.
You are there to see if your work is right for their store, and if their store is right for your work.
Try it, observe, listen, learn, let go and move on to the next opportunity is a great motto for wholesaling your work.
