Comments on: How To Sell More At Your Retail Store: 4 Tips

By: matlock

matlock — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:17:03 +0000

Some things I learned over the years from craft fairs & such venues…
1. Be willing to negoatiate price a little bit. People like to think they are “getting a deal” and not over a barrel when they buy.
2. Engage the costomer, ask them about the area, and such. Ask them about their lives, people LOVE to feel interesting, and it puts them at ease if a vendor is frendly and personable to them.
3. Never assume the guy dressed like a bum is poor. Its the average folks who buy the most overall.
4. All people want to buy, they need a good reason to buy from you… Give them a good one. Value, quality, and a fair price & good service are GOLDEN.
5. Have a business card of flyer there to give as well. That way when the show is over, and the sale goes home, if someone visiting sees your product and “wants one as well’ there is a way to “contact you”. I always put a small sticker on the product with contact info on it as well. It has increased my after the show sales…
6. Have a good mixture of items in the high dollar, mid & low range as well. When you sell to only one range of costomer, you cut yourself out of 2/3 of the other people there. I would rather sell something to EVERYONE than have to depend on ONE type of buyer to come to my booth.
7. Dont just “sell the product” have a “story to go with it”. People like to know the when, what, how, where, & why of a product or craft.
8. A live demo of what you make will generate interest, people like to see it done and everyone likes a show…
9. People like having “one of a kind” items, it feeds the “it’s special and I own it” part of their ego. The more exclusive, one of it’s kind. or rare, it seems the more “worth” attributed to it.
10. Always have a give away piece for the day, with little entry tickets, and a pen to fill em out. People like to “take a chance & win something” Just a name & phone number is all you need. But you can get an address or email too for your mailing list as well if you wish. Have a draw time, and call that person to come claim their prize. Be sure to post their name and a pic of them with the prize as well. I always do at least one early on the first day. Local people like to see their neighbors or folks they know in a communtiy “win” and the plus to this is the person who wins, will dang sure let everyone they know… KNOW WHERE THEY WON IT TOO! It will increase your “foot traffic” and help BOOST YOUR SALES!
11. Remember the 25/100 rule. a costomer who buys from you and is happy will tell a minimum of 25 people they KNOW about it. BUT if there expierence is BAD, then they will tell at least a 100 people THEY SEE at random at the show about it!
12. Have good product, stand behind it, satisfy your costomer as best you can and be fair & honest. You will always do well at a show. People remember a square deal, and will come back or tell others about you.

By: Sell More At Your Retail Store - Business Opportunities Weblog

Sell More At Your Retail Store - Business Opportunities Weblog — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:31:49 +0000

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By: Jack Trent

Jack Trent — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:57:44 +0000

I stopped here to see if you said anything I didn’t already know. I’m a smug Main St merchant who survived the 70′s, the [gulp]80′s, and now THIS! We are niche retailers – forced by market trends to sell what people need, but cannot find in department stores. I”m so protective of my niche, I don’t even tell what it is.

We prosper because we carry no debt, own our inventory, and deal in products that change little with the seasons.

Your point about pricing “what the market will bear” has been our greatest challenge. I keep telling my daughter to raise the price on certain items and lower them on others [without regard to cost].

She resists because she doesn’t monitor our margin which hovers at about 63%.

If an item moves consistently, the price goes up. If an item is necessary to our mix of hard to find merchandise, but is beyond the comfort zone of our customers – we lower the price to sometimes only a 56% margin. People love that we carry that product… and at such a good price.

We have a new store which is foundering because of location…. but we are increasing our market share from competitors failing…. so I am tentatively hopeful.

We are also negotiating a rent reduction, because the center keeps losing tenants. Always the predator…. I pay the leasing company in bits and late – to emphasize our predicament. So far.. so good.

It’s a jungle out there.

By: bobphibbs

bobphibbs — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:58:28 +0000

Great point Michelle – whoo hoo – couldn’t have said it better myself! Passively hoping is very different from passionately selling!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:28:25 +0000

I like this post. In my own blogs – which offer tips for craft artists can find easy tips to run their businesses better – your statements truly validate what I have been saying for awhile. Without a good story, there is no real reason for someone to want to buy what you are selling. I see people at shows (often neighbors) who are very passive when it comes to selling – “I make this” and that is it. Whoo hoo – so you make it, so do others that I have visited – what makes your special?! After all many people may find something that catches their eye and be on the fence – maybe it is the price that they aren’t sure about (a perfect lead to show how ones work is valuable) or where they might put the purchase in their home (a hint to talk about some testimonials others have about the item). The way I see it – whether it is a customer at a craft show or in a retail shop, if you see you have someone “hooked” that is the time to step in and give reasons why people should BUY it. That’s just my two cents Like the blog!! – Michelle (owner of By the Bay Botanicals – http://www.bythebaybotanicals.com and blogger of http://www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com )

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Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:12:45 +0000

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