I have not been posting much latley

[genek]

With all of the shows that we have done since November, picking up several huge accounts (beer manufacturing and a Catalog company) and getting ready for our 3rd wholesale show this year. I have been so busy I have not had much time to post anything.

Some ask my secret on how I get so much work. it is simple, I get out and find customers that need my product. I do shows, High quality shows. Shows that you have to Jury to be able to do that show. We just finished our 2nd show for this year. The Kentucky Craft Market. We sold over $4,000.00 in 3 days. We may have picked up the eastern part of the National Park system.

What I am seeing is a trend to go American made. One of the shows that we did so far this year. It was a requirement that our parts and wood had to come from America. We Had to provide proof of where our wood, screws, nails etc came from for each product.

1st round new wholesale sales are always a test of ones product. They will buy just a few of each item to test in their store. If Ones product goes over good. They will re-order in larger numbers.
One of the things That I teach to Local artist and Crafters is that You need to develop product that will have re-orders every 4 to 5 weeks. This way You have steady orders coming in and less slow times. Another thing that I teach is that You need to hit all three price ranges with Your product. You have a low end item, a mid range item and then a High end Item. Your low end and Mid range priced items will be your bread and butter, Your high end Item (when it sales) will be just Icing on a cake.
Having good product is not all that is needed to get customers, You can have a building full of product, but if you are not moving that product it is nothing more than fire wood.
You have to develop your market. You have to gain, Keep and Keep adding new customers. You have to add 30% new product each year. I have customers the second I tell them I have a new product and that it will be out for re-view at a show, they come to that show. I have customers that come in from Washington State to see this years new Products that we added.
You have to develop good customers, good products and maintain both.
I will be offering classes this coming year on booth design, layout, what one needs to do and not do at shows, How to get customers to buy your product. How to sale yourself and your product to customers.

I have already booked one class for a school that has been following my success for several years and they called this week asking me to teach a two day class on sales and marketing.

[Davo]

I enjoy hearing your success stories, its motivating

[dlcw]

Question Gene,

How do you deal with the customers that want 100K piece pricing but only want to order 5 to 10 pieces from you? This is the problem I am always running into when I try to do some wholesale work with customers. They seem to think that if they order it local, they don't need to order the containers they would normally have to order from overseas. But when they do order containers, they get super price breaks. This is the same level of pricing they want from me but in 5 to 10 quantity order sizes. The math just doesn't work.

[genek]

Simple they pay the pricing for the 5 to 10 Piece range. When they first ask about pricing I tell them the price for 1 to 250, 251 to 500, 501 and above. If they order 10 they pay the price of the ones 1 to 250. I do not allow them to change my pricing. they can take my prices or go else where. I do orders in the 5,000. I am working on a order now for Berea College of 5,000 skittle pins. They know my pricing when they order. you pay for the quantity that they order, with them knowing my pricing when they give me their order they know that I will price based on their order not what they want to pay. You can not compete with China, Do not try to, Let them buy the cheap product. At some point in time China will be Higher than we are. I am already seeing that occur. I had a customer that took work off shore, now he has came back asking me to price it for him. The labor, shipping and time delays are now a major problem for him.

Remember you control what your price is and what is shipped out of your location, Make your bill reflect that. On orders like that I require a P.O. very legal binding. To get that price they must give me a P.O. Number for that amount.

[genek]

I do not work for free or low wages, I can not afford to do so. If they want container pricing I have to get Container orders With a P.O. And if You think that will back out,, Require a contract for the full orders no less. If they are going to pull a stunt Like that at least own their rear end with a contract.