Start Up Kids Line

Keeping the sales pipeline full; consistency and persistence

May 10th, 2007

Wow, what a novel concept, a consistent sales cycle actually pays off. We picked up a new account yesterday, and it’s a great boutique, so it’ll be great. I’m holding myself to all the “pseudo appointments” I make – by which I mean those appointments where a sales rep has told me when the owner will be in the store next. That’s how I landed the account yesterday. And here’s a little tidbit of information that might speak to why persistence pays off: I had been to that boutique two times before, and I had left my catalog both times. When I met the owner yesterday, she said she hadn’t seen either of them.

I’ve learned that the owners / buyers will rarely, if ever, actually “get back to you”. You have to call back, you have to keep trying. But it’ll work, eventually you’ll get in, and if nothing else, your company name will start to ring in their ears. I know this from companies that won’t stop calling us to carry their lines in our boutique – even if I’m not ready to buy, I know the name of those few companies over all the other competitors out there.

Now, I have to see if I can stay persistent. Today starts my catalog follow-up calls. I’m trying to track the whole darn process. For all the catalogs that got mailed out last Friday, I have follow-up calls today. Catalogs have really, really gone out every day, at a steady pace of three a day, since last Friday. And we’ve got a new account rolling – so I’m going to keep going with it.

I also met an owner yesterday who didn’t buy anything. I have to say that they both loved the reversible baby poncho we have – the same one people were willing to wait for at Baby Celebration – but both said they couldn’t take it in until winter. When I was at KIDShow, a lot of the vendors were telling me the market is changing – that buyers want to buy for the current season. This would alter a lot of things about the manufacturing process.Worthy of a seperate post.

Yesterday was an especially good day because the package which got lost so long ago has finally been replaced. Never found the old one, but I created two brand new custom-designed blankets and they have been delivered. Talk about blowing away a black cloud – that was hanging over my head for two months with all the drama. But it’s over, and they were beautiful blankets in the perfect colors this time – so in the end it was better to get a “do-over”. I’m just happy it’s over. YES!!!!

          

Entry Filed under: Sales & Marketing