Discuss the process of getting your t-shirt line into brick and mortar stores and selling offline. Topics include industry tradeshows, events, line sheets, sales reps and other retailing tips and advice.
I keep getting contacted by retail shops that sound VERY interested in carrying my shirts. The problem is, I e-mail them my info sheet, and never here from them again. I try calling, and feel like I'm getting the cold-shoulder.
I know something must be seriously wrong with the way I'm going about this.
Will someone experience with wholesale look at my info/price sheet and give me some constructive criticism?
I can e-mail it to anyone interested. Then we could post here to let everyone know the needed changes so others won't make the same mistakes.
Thanks.
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It may be the way you are presenting your material? Pricing? Perhaps your telephone etiquette.
Just a general suggestion, there are lots of books and tapes on coldcalling and sales techniques. My other half comes from an intensive sales background and my background is marketing.
Seems corny, but I have really learned some useful tips for making follow-up calls from his leftover training materials (that I rescued from the trash LOL).
They contacted you...so hopefully it was to buy from you and get information from you. What I mean is....any chance they may use your ideas/concepts?
Would really hate for that to happen.
How about mailing physical information?. I would personally follow-up an email with your product information packet and a follow-up cover letter. Then a follow-up telephone call.
Quote:
Originally Posted by neato
IThe problem is, I e-mail them my info sheet, and never here from them again. I try calling, and feel like I'm getting the cold-shoulder.
Phillip, not sure on the wholesale pricing info. or if what I looked at was wholesale pricing. If what I looked at was around the price of $16. dollars that may be the reason. You may have over priced yourself. My top price is about $7.50 and that is a lady cut tee dark. I go down to $5.15 for up to 150 pieces on all my lights. Remember you are dealing with companies that visit trade shows and are exposed to volume pricing. My rep back est will not show my tees at gift shows because he says they offer really cut throat pricing. it is hard to compete if you don't have a clue what your up against. I know your stuff is great and I love your site but this wholesale thing is a whole new ball game. fake it. Contact some large company that sells stuff like yours to the people your selling to and ask for a price list. or go to a retailer and tell them you would like to contact their sellers and because you want to offer your designs to them. Now you have the shopkeeper also interested and might even get a sale because you did not go in to sell you came for info.. Who know.. Gee I might try that...
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fake it. Contact some large company that sells stuff like yours to the people your selling to and ask for a price list. or go to a retailer and tell them you would like to contact their sellers and because you want to offer your designs to them.
I like that advice. Reminds me of the great movie, "Boiler Room"
Phillip, I took a look at the price sheet and there are some things that definitely need changing. Remember the "act as if":
There is a certain way retailers are accostumed to buying merchandise. If you are new, they normally don't want to do business because they know it will be hassle. You need to learn how to deal with them, so that they know that even though you are knew, you know what you are doing.
First of all, I wouldn't offer discounts based on volume. I would let wholesale be wholesale. If you are able to go down to $4.25 for 150 items and as high as $7 for 12, then I would go with a median and say "This is my wholesale price".
Also I wouldn't put a retail suggestion on a wholesale pricelist. If you want them to not sell your products past a certain price point, I think you can get to that in a contract. Don't scare them away by telling them what you suggest they sell at, before they are really interested in selling.
Shipping is almost always paid by the retailer. They are used to it and expect it. If you offer them free shipping, then it says "newb" all over again, and will scare them away. If you want to offer free shipping to your retail customers on your site, that is great. I wouldn't offer it to retailers that you are selling wholesale to, though. It is part of their cost of doing business.
It would also be good to buy a book, or do some research online about retail terms. Maybe you can find a glossary. You need to know terms like "FOB", "NET30".
Also don't give them an option about your hang tag. Let them know that you have one and leave it at that. You will need to provide them with a upc symbol for each of your products, and each color. Take a look at the thread I had a while back about dealing with retailers. There is some great info about upc symbols there.
You can get upc stickers to stick on your hang tag where your url is. Retailers will reluctant to display your items with hang tags knowing that your url is there and you sell your items on your site, also. But you need a place to put your upc symbols and your hang tag is the perfect place.
Also, don't tell them to add $1.25 to cover the cost of the artist on the Havana Collection. Don't even tell them anything about this. Just simply give them the wholesale pricing on them.
These things are probably why they would initially be interested, but then give you the cold shoulder. Learn some retail terms. Research about how to deal with them, and I can almost guarantee that you will be too busy to be post here!
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Last edited by Comin'OutSwingin; June 22nd, 2006 at 05:26 PM.
__________________ There is a center to everything.. I found mine at.. www.heatpressessentials.com TEE SQUARE IT, LOGO IT! TEE PAD IT!www.tbiz101.com (New)Heat Transfer Education
Getting Retailers to Buy. 
