How do I sell wholesale to a B&M store?

[Pam Hawk]

When visiting a gift shop that sells items from local artists and other handmade things, I always linger over these beautiful items and imagine how my plates would look in a display nearby. I have someone working on my behalf in northern Wisconsin to put my plates in gift shops frequented by vacationing people from the big cities down below, but would also love to have some local shops here in Oregon sell my plates as well.

Maybe I'm too chicken to speak up and ask if they will sell my plates? Maybe I think there is some etiquette or rigid set of rules to getting my items into a B&M store? Maybe I'm just a little naiive.

Does anyone have any info, tips, suggestions, and caveats about either approaching store owners to sell my plates - or getting my plates into some sort of wholesale market that buyers shop from? Thanks!

[artsfarm]

Hi Pam! It is kind of hard at first, but once you get going, it gets easier. I know that doesn't help now, but it's true :-)
Scott talked about this in his blog post here on May2, and below that is a link to an Etsy thread about the same thing which has a lot of good pointers from several people. It's definitely worth reading.

One thing that's common and kind of hard to overcome at first is talking to the shop owner/buyer as if they already 'want to' take your things on. Asking 'would you like to..' gives them an easy yes/no option, and you don't want that. This is a basic technique you learn in any sales job. It feels weird to do but again, once you see it working, it gets easier. You want to show them the reason they need your product in their store and point out the advantages to them. If you have sold any number of pieces, bring that up, and be positive as you can, and sincere at the same time. Even if they say no for now, leave your card/brochure with them because they just may order in the future.

I think bakeries, cafes and places like that would also be great sources for you, as well as traditional gift shops. Also, hospital gift shops are another place a lot of people miss out on, just by not thinking about them. Read the blog and thread and you'll see this is a common problem, and that you're not alone. You'll find a lot of good info there.

Personally, I poke around a shop and try to see if we're a good 'fit' before even approaching the owner. I've got my eyes on one place that's opening up this month around the corner from me, and hopefully, something will come of it. Good luck :-)

[Spincus]

The worse that can happen is the say no!


Approach them as if they are partners with you. You want to get advice from them, you want to offer something exciting. You want to see if there is a fit between their buyer and you. You want to see if a fit can be made to work for both of you. Get them involved with your whole business. Get involved in their business is a great way to start (how did you start this biz, how long have you been at it. be in awe of their success, express that.)

How you do this all, is hard to explain, I have been doing it for sooooo many years, it is very natural to me. I make friends I ask them to tell me their story, I share parts of mine.

[Pam Hawk]

Thank you thank you. Excellent.
I had missed the blog post and didn't see the Etsy thread earlier. I just read all of both and am now going to mentally chew on all of that to decide where to start first. In my own town, of course, but with a goal to get my items into the hot touristy towns on the Oregon coast. (Hot=active and popular, not Hot=leave your jacket at home. This is the Oregon coast, after all!)

Darn, an excuse to head downtown and browse through all the boutiques to see which ones would be the best fit and chat with the owners. I guess I can pretend to be confident until I'm comfortable with it.
Wish me luck!

[artsfarm]

You'll be fine, Pam!
Get a good night's sleep, don't be in a rush and just be as informed, confident and enthusiastic as you are with us :-)
After a while, you'll spot places in your daily rounds, shopping or just taking a walk.

Also, check with your local S.C.O.R.E. office (this is for everyone, actually). They often give free consultations and are a great source of business info and support. You can usually find them in the town that's your county seat. They can sometimes be found under the umbrella of the SBA (Small Business Association). The SBA mails out free pamphlets too. for every kind of business on lots of topics from concept, recordkeeping, to startup capital and everything in between.

[Pam Hawk]

That's a good point. I have met with both SCORE and SBA counselors, and it was suggested that hosting in-home parties would be a great way to sell the plates. That way we could do a little demo, etc. I worked on this for a couple months then realized I hate attending home parties and wasn't very enthusiastic about hosting one. So that idea has been shelved for now, until I am ready to have someone else to be a rep and do these parties on their own.

After my show at the end of the month I plan to go back to the SBA for another appt and I'll bring up the B&M questions.

This whole plates thing has really stretched me in ways I hadn't imagined - I'm trying to build this into a full business where ultimately I'll have local artists and seamstresses make the product and sales reps getting it out there. Getting it off the ground, where I am right now, is about as hard and challenging as the first few seconds of riding a bike without training wheels. I'll fall if I stop and I really have to push myself hard to keep the momentum up so I can succeed.

Silly naiive me, I thought this would be quick and easy.