Point of Sales problem: how to make sales for custom printing services with no office

7573 Views 29 Replies 21 Participants Last post by serreal1, Sep 23, 2011

Dollacab

Discussion Starter · Oct 3, 2006

Hi, I've been in the screenprinting business for three years and I am now close to bankrupcy becuase I don't have any point of sales/service for my company du to fiancial problems. I started this business on my own, brough all the equipement myself, moved out of my mother's into my own appartement where I'm running my shop. I then associated myself with a partner who graduated in business marketing but it didn't work, we weren't clicking.

A year after I started running my shop from my own appartment, sales are still slow. 90% of my sales are coming from customer order. I do everything myself and it kind of makes it hard to follow through everything. I would hire staff but no $$ to pay employees.

I don't have the funds to run a marketing/publicity campain. I started making some good money but my revenues are not stable. Especially now that the summer season is over, I havn't had an order ever since August.

how do you approach a sale rep with no $$, pay per comission only. What do you guys think about renting a comercial space in a retail store in order to pay the rent by giving the retailer a certain comission on all my sales?

Thanks

1 - 20 of 30 Posts

guest5779

· #2 · Oct 3, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

A successful marketing platform does not need to be built on $ (premanufactured if you will), it is built on experience and community involvement.

Before you get any further, please let us know what kind of work you do, or are aiming to do. What are you goals etc.? From there we can help you develop specific marketing objectives, and ways to attain them.

Rodney

· #3 · Oct 3, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

You definitely don't need a point of sale (retail location) to be successful.

Lou (badalou in the forums) doesn't have a Point of Sale location, but he's able to attract new customers by word of mouth and by getting out there in the public and talking about his business.

"Bringing your office to the customer" can be an asset for you if you work it right. You have to have confidence in your service and what you're doing, and just get out there and find clients (listing in the phone book, talk to local schools, businesses, non profits and ask them their bidding process, etc).

T-BOT

· #4 · Oct 4, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

Andrew, Hang in there.

What are you set-up to do now and where are you ?

....may be some peeps here can pass you some jobs/work.

badalou

· #5 · Oct 4, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

here is an example of how I get business. last week I was walking in the mall and spotted this kiosk (For those of you who don't know. it is a free standing unit in the middle of the mall that usually displays one type of product) This guy was selling only Hip Hop Urban tees. OK now I am an old fart.. can I say that Rod.. Hip Hop and Urban is just not my bag.. So there I was looking at he labels of the shirts.. The guy who runs this is heavy set (3x) Hispanic and covered and tattoos.. sir can I help you was what he asked. I said No I was just checking out the labels.. I said I was in the Biz of making tee shirts. He said , really? I said yeah.. he said.. hay man do you know where I can get me some shirts that say "Stockton on them, people been asking." OK, now some of you know me by now.. there was this long pause.. "Well, yeah!" "Oh, do have them? "No," I remarked.. 'But if you tell me what you want, I bet I can design it.. "really!".. "yeah, give me a day".. .. he did and I did.. I know have 12 black tees hanging in his kiosk with Stockton City Limits Street sign on them sizes xlarge to 4 x. Just a dozen mind you.. but They are so cool looking and the guy loves them..They have our area code on the bottom right and on the back another street sign that says.. DA VALLEY. I did tell him one thing.. We have a high crime rate and I said I hope I don't read about some gang banger found dead wearing a black tee shirt with Stockton City Limits on it.. Question.. would that be good advertising or bad.. But the point is.. 2 worlds came together.. he got what he wanted.. I got what I wanted.. hopefully this will continue.. It is me on the streets..Looking for "DA BIZ"

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Reactions: 1

binki

· #6 · Oct 4, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

badalou said:
OK now I am an old fart..

true

That said,
badalou has just described a cold sales call to the letter. We pretty much do the same thing. Here is how our latest sale went down.

We had a service company over at the house. The owner of the company is wearing a logo'd shirt.

Me: 'Where do you get your shirts done?' Answer
Owner: 'We get them from corporate but we don't like them'
Me: 'We do shirts, do you want a quote?'
Owner: 'Let me talk to my partner' gave her a business card.

One week later:
Owner: 'Can you give us a sample?'
Me: 'Sure'

We have given the sample. For 'screen printing' we are higher than 'Corporate' but for embroidery we are half the price. Plus, our shirts are much higher quality than what they are getting so we may be getting this one.

Rule No. 1 of sales: Never, Never, Never, NEVER stop selling

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badalou

· #7 · Oct 4, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

Rule No. 1 of sales: Never, Never, Never, NEVER stop selling

You da man

jimiyo

· #8 · Oct 4, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

ABC

always be closin. HAHHAHA ( boiler room )

binki

· #9 · Oct 4, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

jimiyo said:
( boiler room )

That is the best 'B' movie ever made except for maybe 'Gone in 60 Seconds' (the 70's version, not the most recent one which was more like a 'C' or 'D' movie)

Solmu

· #10 · Oct 4, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

binki said:
(the 70's version, not the most recent one which was more like a 'C' or 'D' movie)

The remake was more of a 36C.

mnchknlady

· #11 · Oct 4, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

I feel we may be in the same boat as Andrew... We work out of our house and haven't been able to keep the momentum up. Both me and my husband are self employed and new to the area so we haven't been able to connect with the community. I think this will be key to our success and I think your posts above just reinforced that for me. Thanks for the advice.

Rodney

· #12 · Oct 4, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

Great posts Binki and Lou. Thanks for sharing the selling tips!

Dollacab

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 4, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

well I do custom t-shirts from my appartment. I specialize in pre manufacture urban custom t-shirt and I do order for small business as well. I am currently located in Montreal, Canada. I often travel to city fairs, carnivals and special events. My goals are to establish myself as a screnprinter for small businesses in Montreal and its surronding aras. maybe get a commercial space for summer 07. I also have a website where my customers can order but I havn't publicisted it yet. I don't have the $$ to get a merchand service from banks so im thinking about using paypal to start

error426 said:
A successful marketing platform does not need to be built on $ (premanufactured if you will), it is built on experience and community involvement.

Before you get any further, please let us know what kind of work you do, or are aiming to do. What are you goals etc.? From there we can help you develop specific marketing objectives, and ways to attain them.

mnchknlady

· #14 · Oct 4, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

Dollacab said:
I also have a website where my customers can order but I havn't publicisted it yet. I don't have the $$ to get a merchand service from banks so im thinking about using paypal to start

We use PayPal Virtual Terminal and are working to integrate their payments pro (or whatever it is called) into our backend so that our checkout is seemless and PayPal is never revealed. It's really easy and after going through the hassle of a merchant account and gateway in the past and being stuck in a contract and it not paying off, PayPal is a perfect solution for us at the moment.

sarafina

· #15 · Oct 4, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

Dollacab said:
well I do custom t-shirts from my appartment. I specialize in pre manufacture urban custom t-shirt and I do order for small business as well. I am currently located in Montreal, Canada. I often travel to city fairs, carnivals and special events. My goals are to establish myself as a screnprinter for small businesses in Montreal and its surronding aras. maybe get a commercial space for summer 07. I also have a website where my customers can order but I havn't publicisted it yet. I don't have the $$ to get a merchand service from banks so im thinking about using paypal to start

Check out http://merchant-accounts.ca

I haven't used them personally but I heard good things.

Dollacab

Discussion Starter · #16 · Oct 7, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

Thanks for the encouragement. Well I am located in Montreal, Canada I have no jobs to do at this moment unfortunatly

T-BOT said:
Andrew, Hang in there.

What are you set-up to do now and where are you ?

....may be some peeps here can pass you some jobs/work.

binki

· #17 · Oct 7, 2006

Here are some more things you can do.

Join the Chamber of Commerce
Attend local street fairs
Go to local booster club meetings
Sponsor a youth sports team

Once people start to know what you do you will start to get orders. Before long you will wish you had some time to yourself instead of making all those t-shirts for everyone.

Reactions: 1

benthiam

· #18 · Oct 7, 2006

That's really bad..

Well, what I do is get people who wanna earn a little pocket money, like friends who are studying, friends who think the company they are working at should be doing some tees soon etc..

Now, they will be like your salesmen, pushing and looking for more and more sales cos they wanna earn more and more. That's how it works..

But, let this last for a year.. then the rest is all on you!

Cheers!!

Dollacab

Discussion Starter · #19 · Oct 7, 2006

Re: Point of Sales problem

community involvment, sounds like something I need to do

my goals are to make at leat 75-100K/ year , to have a POS after saving enough money basically

[quot=error426]A successful marketing platform does not need to be built on $ (premanufactured if you will), it is built on experience and community involvement.

Before you get any further, please let us know what kind of work you do, or are aiming to do. What are you goals etc.? From there we can help you develop specific marketing objectives, and ways to attain them.[/quote]

Dollacab

Discussion Starter · #20 · Oct 7, 2006

very good advise, will do

binki said:
Here are some more things you can do.

Join the Chamber of Commerce
Attend local street fairs
Go to local booster club meetings
Sponsor a youth sports team

Once people start to know what you do you will start to get orders. Before long you will wish you had some time to yourself instead of making all those t-shirts for everyone.

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