OK, so this is going to go shameless plug and then helpful hints. Ready?
Shameless Plug
Exciting news, you guys! I don’t know if you keep an eye on the Where to Shop page, but there are a bunch of new places that you can pick up Glue and Glitter goodies around town!
- You can find Cupcaprons at The Atlanta Cupcake Factory.
- Aurora Coffee is stocking Cup Gloves.
- Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe carries Lunch Kits and Cupcaprons
- Danneman’s Coffee just started carrying Cup Gloves.
- Cup Gloves are now also at Inman Perk Coffee in Inman Park.
- Java Monkey has my Cup Gloves, too!
You can also find me at The Indie Fixx Winter Love Galleria, an online craft market, from now until February 26th!
…So, you’re probably ready for some helpful hints at this point. Right? Right! Here we go!
Helpful Hints
A few folks I’ve been chatting with recently have said that contacting stores is one of the things they have a lot of trouble with. I’m just learning the ins and outs, but I thought I’d share what I’ve learned so far:
Approaching stores is scary business. When I first decided to look into local shops to carry my goods, the thought made me feel physically ill. I thought about those telemarketing calls that seem to always come just as we’re sitting down to dinner. There was no way I wanted my business to be anything like that.
The thing is, I think there is a way to approach a business without coming off as a sleazy salesperson. I wish I remembered where I read this, but I read an interview a long time ago with a shop owner about this very thing. The biggest piece of advice I took away from that interview was this: don’t put them on the spot.
Instead of showing up on their doorstep or calling with a sales pitch, keep it simple at first. Store owners are busy! When you first reach out to them, I think it’s better to start out asking if there’s a good time to discuss [insert your very relevant-to-their-customers-product-here]. It shows that you understand the value of their time, and it’s just way less pushy.
It also helps to rehearse. The first time I called a store about carrying my goods, I almost threw up. No lie. My mind went blank when the phone started ringing. Luckily, I had written down a few notes and practiced what I was going to say!
The last thing I’d recommend is that you have an idea of what you want in mind. If you’re looking for a 60/40 consignment split or want to do a wholesale situation, be clear about what you’re looking for. Like I said, these people are busy. If you have a sample consignment contract or a wholesale price sheet with you, all the better! The more clear you are on the front end, the fewer headaches you’ll have later on. This is a lesson I learned the hard way, and I’d much rather you guys didn’t have to!
Approaching store owners is still tough for me. I’m pretty new to this whole thing, and I get butterflies whenever I pull into a shop’s parking lot with a bag of samples or pick up the phone to call a new place. It gets easier every time, though!
I know that some of you guys are total vets when it comes to this kind of thing. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
18 Responses
Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.
Congratulations on getting your fantastic products in so many stores! I wish there was a good resource for learning more about consignment.. any specific tips on terms? I can’t figure how anyone can afford to do it but maybe it is just specific to my craft.
I agree, it is always scary but such a rush after you leave! Good tips. I try to do some deep breathing before I go in and make sure I have had enough food. Nothing like showing your products with hands shaking like a leaf from a sugar low :cP Also having a good idea of who you are approaching and what their customers are like is always good, though you implied that in your suggestions, too.
Consignment is trickier, because you’ve got to keep up with who has what and rely on the shop to tell you what’s sold. Usually, it’s a 60/40 split, where the artist keeps 60%, but I’ve seen places that do 50/50, too.
The key with consignment is to get an agreement up front, I think. You can probably find sample agreements online and just modify one to fit your needs. Just make sure it includes when you get paid. Net 30 is pretty typical, which means you get paid within 30 days of the sale (usually, the shop will just pay you monthly).
I’ve had some great experiences doing consignment and a few terrible ones. That’s more an offline discussion, though, I think. ;)
Deep breathing and a healthy meal beforehand are great suggestions!
Hmmm…maybe I should do a follow up post on consigning?
I would love that :c) I think a lot of small businesses would like to carry other products but just don’t have the money up front to do wholesale and at the same time many crafters don’t have the capital to produce all the products up front with the hopes that perhaps it will sell. Anything you can tell me about your experiences would be so helpful. I want to be more flexible but I don’t understand enough about it.
Excellent advice! I’ve been thinking about approaching shops but … haven’t really known how to start. Thank you for sharing such wonderful information.
No problem! Is there anything else along these lines that you might like to see a post about? I have a couple of ideas but am open to suggestions!
Thanks for the advice – I appreciate it. I have a few stores, but most of the places have approached me. So thanks for the advice of how to get your foot in the door. xo
I just saw your twitter acct. linked by @djlilray and saw the “cup gloves” and thought, I just saw those at Javamonkey the other day. Lo and behold you DID make them! Those things are awesome, keep at it!
Oh, rad! I hope you picked one up there. ;)
Copied from my facebook link to this post from a crafter and Whole Body Manager/Buyer at Whole Foods: Katerina Encinas-
“she makes some good points and i will admit i’ve chosen not to carry products simply because the person was pushy. i think being passionate about what you make and trying to get that message across is very important but not when it comes with an overbearing messenger. what’s funny reading that article is that it seemed so straightforward and basic… See More, you know…..it’s not like she unlocks any hidden secrets or tips, but reading it from the standpoint of the crafter it takes on a completely different feel. on that side there is some intimidation and thinking about those basics does seem comforting and helpful. being on the other side of it so much, i have to say though, there’s nothing to be scared of! whoever you’re going to talk to is just a person.they’re either going to like your stuff or not. (so don’t ask me why i chickened out and made excuses to myself when i was actually in a store for the express purpose of talking to them about my stuff)” Her kick booty upcycled material bags and wallets can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop/onegreenavocado
Thanks, Tracy! It’s so interesting to hear from the standpoint of a manager/buyer. She’s so right: there’s definitely an intimidation factor. I think it’s because, when you approach a store about your goods, you’re really putting yourself and your creativity out there.
Great list, it looks to me like you covered most of the basics. I think a lot of this covers some of the same suggestions that Kate from The Proprietress made in a guest post on my blog about how to get your work into stores. She’s the former owner of a successful indie boutique who sold her shop to raise her son and now writes a blog about running your own indie boutique. It’s nice to hear it confirmed from the other side sometimes, you know?
Oh, cool! Thanks for the link, Mallory! I’ll definitely take a peek – I’d love to read tips from a boutique-owner’s perspective.
Love hearing others approaches on getting a foot in the door! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Johanna! I’m glad you enjoyed it. :)
Great post. We have our own shop but also wholesale our fabric to others. Unfortunately I find that there is heaps of room for improvement on both sides of the fence. Potential artists often aren’t prepared. Shop owners fail to read their mail/ email and forget appointments. Its a double edged sword. On the up side more artsists are seriously trying to better their business skills and most shop owners aren’t ogres just disorgnised.
Continuing the Discussion