Gift Rep Sandy

Archive for the ‘Working with Buyers & Shops’ Category

Selling gift products is fun and profitable when all goes as planned.  Sometimes, unexpected issues arise where special attention is needed.  After selling to gift stores for several years, I have compiled a list of different logistical issues I encountered while operating my sales rep business.  Some of those issues are addressed below:

Ownership/management change and inevitably affects your relationship and potential sales with a particular store.  Maybe you have a great relationship with a manager or owner only to find they’ve been replaced by a person that does not relate to you or your products.

Absentee owners can pose a different set of issues to deal with:  Who has the authority to place orders?  Who is the accounts payable contact should there be a billing question?  If the owner is from out of state, how will you get an appointment to present your products?

Religious issues can have a great impact on what types of products a store may purchase.  Since I sell a lot of ‘gag gifts’, I need to be sensitive to the reaction these products may have on the store and their customers.  These products can sell great in stores, but you need to be aware of any specific desires or religious persuasion of the store and the region where they are located.

Over buying for special local events can be disastrous to some stores.  Special groups sponsoring local events may give stores exaggerated figures on tourists and sales that may cause a store to over buy for the event.

Buyers losing focus on their stores theme can be another serious problem if you fall into the trap of selling any products to any store.  If a store specializes in cowboy related products, for example, and wants to buy a baby items, the products may not sell.  Unfortunately, the buyer may consciously or unconsciously blame you for the failure and not buy cowboy related products from you either!

Dealing with buyers and vendors disagreements can sometimes make or break your relationship with a store buyer.  If you can smooth over a past problem, you gain the respect and confidence of your buyers.  If the problem is on-going, it can affect future sales of other lines with this buyer.

Vendor product displays. Some vendors supply stores with special or custom displays for their products.  As a sales rep, I made it my responsibility to help maintain any displays a vendor would provide.

Conducting store shows and/or sampling. If you sell food or personal care products, you may be asked by your vendors or (more often) your buyers to conduct a sampling booth.  Samplings require planning between your vendors and buyers to address all the logistically issues.

Following is the list of non-tradition gift store that can be overlooked by most sales reps.  Exploring opportunities in these stores while you are developing your territory can expand your customer base:

C-stores with Gift Sections. Not every Convenience Store you visit will have a gift section or be willing to buy from you. Listed are two main categories of C-stores which are very distinct and different to deal with:

Restaurants with Gift Shops. Some restaurants, especially those located near a tourist attraction, state park, or historical site, reserve retail space in front of the restaurant area for a small gift shop.  These shops are great locations for gourmet or specialty food products including candy and confections.

Farm Stores. One would not normally consider a farm store to be a place to see gifts, but there are some that carry a line of souvenir type products.

Food Co-operatives – multi-owners or multi-members. Food Co-ops are becoming popular as a hybrid type of gourmet food store – not quite a specialty food store, but not a grocery store either – featuring unusual and often locally made (or grown) products.

Consignment Stores. Most consignments stores feature crafter items sold on consignment, but I have seen a few that are owned-operated and buy a few gift items to compliment their products.  .

Gift Basket Companies. Since many gift basket companies conduct business out of their homes or warehouses, they are often overlooked by sales reps.

Fruit Stands and Produce Markets. Agricultural regions around the country frequently have fruit stands or produce markets.  Fruit stands feature locally made food products, local gifts or souvenirs alongside their produce.

Meat Markets. These types of stores most reps would not visit, but often offer complimentary products related to their meat counter.  Some of the biggest sauce or seasoning sections I have seen has been in meat markets.

Museum or Government-Operated Shops. Most people have visited a state or national park or regional museum during vacations and have visited their gift stores.  These stores feature specially-themed regional souvenirs and books.

Remote Vacation Resort Stores. Idaho features lots of ‘backcountry’ or rustic lodges in remote outdoor regions where vacationers travel to hunt, fish or engage in other recreational sports.

Outdoor Wear or Sporting Goods Stores seem to be an unusual place to sell gift products, but some of my best accounts are in sporting goods stores

Chambers of Commerce Visitor Centers. In Idaho, many Chamber of Commerce offices manage the local Visitor Centers with small gift shops.

Corporate Accounts. Sales reps, including myself, seldom solicit corporate accounts.  Usually, these contacts are a one-time sale of a potential high volume.  Businesses like these frequently buy for a certain event or promotion they are conducting.

In addition to your sales calls, there are other fun and exciting activities you may become involved with as a sales rep.

Conducting store shows and/or sampling. If you sell food or personal care products, you may be asked by your vendors or (more often) your buyers to conduct a sampling booth.  Watching the consumer’s response to your sampling can be fun and give you some great feedback on the products you are selling.

Helping with or assembling store displays. Often when a large order arrives at your store, you may ask to assist with the displays.  Trying out your creative juices with a product you know well can be a new exciting change from your sales calls (and it also gives you the chance to put “your products” in the best selling spot available!).

Becoming a retail consultant to your buyers. Since you are out in the field visiting lots of different stores, you will accumulate a wealth of information on trends you can share with your buyers.  Lots of small shop owners do not have the advantages you do in visiting other stores or gift shows to find out what is new or what is selling.  You will find that you have changed from the sales person to the trusted friendly consultant!

There is no good or bad way to a sales presentation.  Most important thing to remember is to be yourself!  No need for a phony or hard sales pitch as your products should speak for themselves.

Here is a list of items to consider during your sales calls:

1.       Familiarize yourself with the store before approaching the buyer or manager.

2.       If it appears that the buyer and manager are two separate people, introduce yourself to the manager first.  Often that will give you a greater chance of selling to the buyer.

3.       Be friendly with the buyer and/or manager.  Remember you need to sell YOURSELF first before you can sell your products!

4.       While showing your products, LISTEN to what the buyer is telling you.  Lots of information can be gleaned by listening and reading through the lines of what he or she is telling you.

5.       Hand the sample to the buyer to touch and feel.

6.       Ask for the order!  Often giving buyers a choice between product A or product B is better than asking if they want to buy product A.

7.       Assume the sale!  Speak as though the buyer has already bought the product.

8.       Answer all the buyers questions and make sure they understand the terms of purchase.

9.       Write the entire order – including shipping and billing information – in your order book, have the buyer sign the order and give them a copy.

10.  Leave any sales materials and business cards with the buyer and give them a warm thank-you when you leave.

Cold calling a store (showing up at the store without any pre-arranged appointment or notice) is one of two different approaches in making a presentation to a buyer. The other method is making an appointment ahead of time.  There are many advantages and disadvantages to using either method.

When cold-calling, you have the convenience of visiting a store when you arrive in town.  You have the added benefit of talking face to face with a potential buyer where it is harder for them to tell you they are not interested.  On the other hand, making appointments ahead of time will often mean you have your buyer’s full attention without disruptions during your presentation.

The down side of cold-calling is when you arrive the buyer may not be in the store, may not have the time to talk with you, or will not talk to you without an appointment.

Cold-calling the first time you visit a store to introduce yourself to the buyer, even if they don’t have time to talk to you at that time, is a very effective approach that worked well for me.  This sales technique gives you time to find out that the buyer is, what their store is like and how you can best work with them in the future.  Next time you plan a sales trip to their store and area, you will know that you need to make an appointment or follow whatever instructions you will given during you initial cold call with this store.

The main point is to use with the method that works best for your potential buyers.  Some buyers will, under no circumstances, meet with you unless you call ahead for an appointment.  Others are perfectly content to see you when you come in – assuming they are not overly busy at the time.  Once you get to know your buyers, they will be more open to working with you.  Just be considerate of their preferences, whichever method they prefer you to use when servicing their account.