Turning your dream into reality can take hard work -- especially, if you turning your dream into a business.So what drives most people to success?  Well, I believe it starts with passion ... and believing you can do it!I would never succeeded as a sales rep if I didn't truly believe I could do it o...

If you are looking to hire a sales rep, you should be prepared to ask the pertinent questions that will help you make a good decision.In my eGuide, ‘How to Find, Recruit and Manage Sales Reps‘, I included a list of questions that I felt every sales rep should  answer when approached by a produc...

Nearly everything we do in life involved some level of selling.  We “sell” ourselves to a potential employee when we go to an interview; we sell ourselves to the member of the opposite sex when we start a relationship; and we sell ourselves to our friends and business associates when we want to...

If you are familiar with personality testing, you know there are four different personality styles people portray while communicating with you.  Familiarizing yourself with the different styles and how they affect the way buyers respond to your sales pitch, will help you understand how to best sell...

Two of the major obstacles can get in the way of closing sales are Fear of failure and fear of rejection.  Every person who wants to sell their products deals with these fears, but over time and with a little practice, you can turn these fears in a positive experience rather than a negative one.Fi...

I am at my most ‘thoughtful’ or even whimsical period during this time of the year.  Since I manage a couple of retail website (selling mostly gourmet foods), Thanksgiving through the end of the year is usually the busiest time for me.  And this year was no exception!But now, orders have slowe...

The holiday season is the time of year when orders can get lost, packed wrong or even sent out incorrectly.  The crazy business that goes on this time of the year makes it hard to keep up and mistakes are easier to make.Last November, we placed an order to a supplier for some Idaho products for our...

This is a busy time of the year for most producers who sell retail or wholesale.  Personally, we do nearly 2/3rd of our Tastes of Idaho business this time of the year.Having said that, I was looking for a way to help support your efforts (as well as my own!), when I found this series of posts from ...

With holiday orders coming in over the next month, having a good shipping procedure will save much time and frustration.My husband, Malcolm is a packing & shipping expert.  Here is his advice for efficient packing & shipping during the holiday season (keep in mind, we ship lots of glass jars):As lo...

Handling customer communications, especially during this time of the year, can really be challenging.  If you are like me, I am in such a rush to get all the orders out in a timely basis, that I don't always have my 'happy voice' going on in my head .... or out my mouth (just ask my husband if you ...

I spent many years traveling around the state of Idaho selling items to gift and retail outlets.  Although I was successful at what I did, I am always open to learning more from other folks who are selling to retail buyers.Upon my search for good articles to share, I found this wonderful article ca...

With all the 'noise' in the world today, it is so easy to get distracted, waste time and lose your focus.Personally, I know I waste more time that I should on non-essential tasks.  Thankfully, I have devised a system via my Microsoft Outlook program to remind me of the important work I need to acco...

If you are like most producers, the next coming months are the busiest time for your business.How do you keep up?  Over the years, we have hired friends to help with shipping during the holiday rush.  But there are other ways to lighten your load:  Outsourcing! Entrepreneur Magazine recently pub...

Emailing is a necessary and wonderful tool for contacting buyers to pitch your products.  But what do you say and how can you craft good email pitches that will gain attention from buyers?Sound challenging or difficult?  Not really. First thing I recommend BEFORE you even start your email pitch s...

Now, during pre-holiday season, emailing your customers can jump start sales for you in a big way.So, I have to ask:  Have you started your customer email list campaigns?First, let me help by starting with a few definitions from Artsy Shark:Email – electronic mail that you send from your computer...

You can have the best product in the world, and not be able to convince a buyer to purchase it for their store!During my time as a sales rep, I think I have heard all the stories on why retail buyers don't buy.  Most of the time they won't tell you, but often, if you listen, they will drop hints ab...

As many of you know, I managed a woodcraft co-op store in the ’90s.  I loved selling  those beautiful handcrafted wooden products to customers who came in the store to admire the unique creations.I found working with the professional crafters a big of a challenge at times. As the manager and sa...

Knowing what and which social medias to use can make you a successful marketer of your particular business.  But, as you know, not all social medias are the same or have the same purpose.I recent discovered an interesting way to look at each different social networks from Amanda MacArthur as posted...

If you have a successful business selling through craft fairs or online, you may wonder why wholesale your products.Previously, I posted an article:  Why Wholesale Your Products?  Many reasons to wholesale are listed in this article.In addition, there are many benefits to wholesaling are often unk...

We receive some interesting questions from readers from time to time.  Here is one that I thought I would share:One question I have is about business/product insurance. We only sell online right now and haven’t obtained anything yet. Is that something that is required/recommended before getting i...

If you have a home based business, sometimes it can be challenging to make ends meet.  But did you consider that you may have multiple streams of income from your product based business?When I retired from full time, on the road, sales repping, we were faced with adding multiple streams of income q...

Now is the time to prepare for wholesale trade shows.  If you plan to exhibit, I hope you have done all the registration work, but then what?Even if you put together the best looking booth with wonderful products and displays, you may not get the best viewing unless you plan your strategy ahead of ...

Do you 'discount' your product pricing to arrive at your wholesale price?  I know many feel this is the best way to come up with wholesaling pricing.But there are several reasons why this is not an effective:Pricing should ALWAYS be based first on your costs to produce/make the item.Your retail pri...

I received the following question from a reader, that, with her permission, I would like to share:I have been marketing to national retailers and have been asked for an exclusive to my product from an independent toy store in (state). I have no idea how much a minimum order should be. I do not have ...

With the use of credit and debit cards, late payments and collections is not the problem it was in the past when most retail buyers usually requested Net 30 day terms.I have addressed this situation in a past article:  Collection Tips.  My advice then, and still is to use caution and compassion wh...

Consignment is not always the best option for getting your products out in the marketplace.  But if this is the direction you want to go, you need to be prepared!I have written a resource on the subject that will cover the following information:Why consignment is usually a bad idea!The FOUR situati...

Having worked with lots of producers/artisans who are new to wholesaling, I know some of the most common issues.  Lots of pre-planning needs to be done before you make your first sales contact.  I have seen too many overly excited people wanting to wholesale, but were just not ready.The first poli...

During my years of sales repping, one of the most important tips I could share with new wholesale business is to remember to FOLLOW UP!Now, what do I mean by following up?Let's say you stop at a new shop and get a chance to talk to the buyer.  She/he loves your products and is interested in placing...

I receive lots of inquiries from folks about selling wholesale to retailers.But the most asked question is typically about pricing your products.I find that too many professional crafters take their retail price, discount it 50% and use that as their wholesale price!Wrong, Wrong, WRONG!Using this me...

Creating a good website is much easier in the last few years than when I first got online in 1998.  At the time, I was working with a webmaster to design a site for local crafters.  Getting professional crafters to understand the importance of a web presence at that time nearly took an act of God!...