Business

Keeping up with your current stores

If you want consistent sales……..You need to stay on top of your current stores. They really need to be contacted all the time.  It's hard to imagine, but they often won't place a reorder just because they sold the last one….. sometimes they don't even know they sold the last one.  It could have been a lazy sales person who never wrote it down, they thought about it but then the store got busy, you just don't know what can get in the way.  It is YOUR job to keep this sales funnel alive.    So don't be shy, pick up that phone and see how things are going…..at least every 4-6 weeks until you get a sense of their buying cycle.
 
One method of communicating can be with a newsletter program like Constant Contact, Mailchimp etc…Stores love incentives. Figure out what you can offer them to entice an order – especially the first time.   Perhaps you can offer free shipping or 20% off. Everybody loves a bargain – see what you can come up with. If you have a cosmetic line maybe you offer samples or free testers. See what seems best for your customers.
 
Another good way to keep up communication with your mailing list is to send out short emails once a week with some general free tip about selling, general sales statistics, a cool new line you heard about that they might want to carry, or even a new way to use your product that you just discovered, or even a way to repurpose your product or some other product you recently bought. Everyone loves a free tip and ideas that are clever and can help them out in some way.
 
Whatever floats your boat, figure out how to stay in communication with your stores so they think of you often.
 
Love to hear what you are doing to stay in touch.
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    Written by Sarah Shaw

    There are 3 comments

  • Deb Miller says:

    Great tips. One I learned the hard way — make sure that you are emailing the right person! Most of the emails we have for stores are for their accounts payable person, as that is what is provided for invoicing. We have to take extra time and care to make sure our reps also get us the email for the person who makes buying decisions. Otherwise, all those great emails may never be read by anyone who will act on them!

  • Kila says:

    Great information. I have trouble even following up with stores on initial contact, so the reminders are helpful.

     

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