#Register as artist greeting card shop full
#Register as artist greeting card shop plus
#Register as artist greeting card shop free

IвЂ™m always interested in your take on things!ДЄs a former rep on the front lines, I saw many opportunities that could have been lost, sold with a little incentive. I could go through each item with comments, but IвЂ™d be вЂњcomplainer KateвЂќ which is not my goal in life! My main mission is to help independent artists create a business that is a win-win for them, for the store, for the rep. Not only does the rep have to ship them back to you, but you have to credit her commissions back and keep track of all this on paper as-it-is-happening: Typical things that happen: Did the store actually return them or just say they were going to? Did they give them to the rep? Did the rep mail them to me? Is the store sending them COD and I will I have a huge shipping bill? When I get them, are they shelf worn, damaged and unsellable? What if half of them are missing? What if they sent me the wrong artists cards? It sets up bad practices that only lead to becoming a вЂњcard-slave.вЂќДЇor example: You canвЂ™t imagine the overhead of time involved tracking returns for cards.

This list might be doable for a huge corporations 100+ employees who can swallow huge losses, but as a start up card designer I would not encourage these other things. Some of these go against industry standards such as #3. I promised myself I would stop spending so much time on the computer, but I canвЂ™t help myself from responding to this article.ДЄs a prior card manufacturer for 15 years, # 2 and #6 are the only oneвЂ™s I might agree with, but the others I disagree with.

#Register as artist greeting card shop plus

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#Register as artist greeting card shop full

Visit his site to see the full line and the great offers he has for retailers. Many thanks to Scott Austin of Snafu Designs for the photo. ItвЂ™s typical for the rep to destroy those returned items, as many times the value of the product doesnвЂ™t justify the shipping charge.Дo you know other вЂњtricks of the tradeвЂќ to get wholesale buyers to try your line? Please comment and share your experiences!

Buyers sometimes ship these back or the rep picks up the return for you (obviously this is more popular). Allow a percentage (typically 10%) of stock to come back to you as a credit on the next order. Some of your card stock will become damaged in the store, or just be slow sellers. Allow returns of all leftovers in exchange for credit on their next order from you. Got Christmas cards, Valentines or other holiday cards to sell? Most card companies allow returns on unsold seasonal cards, and store buyers expect it. Offer this only to prospective accounts you feel sure will pay their bills. Extended dating means allowing extra time to pay for their order (60-90 days, typically), which may make the difference in getting that order. Many card vendors require pre-payment for first time orders, or they give net 30 terms. At that point, they pay only for what they sold. Let the buyer know you are so certain of success, that you will take back all remaining stock if your line doesnвЂ™t sell after a certain period (six months, for example). ItвЂ™s a great incentive at a trade show to encourage buying right there and then, or make it a limited-time offer to drive sales.

#Register as artist greeting card shop free

Every buyer is looking for a way to make better margins, and free shipping cuts their costs. The total dollar amount of the dead stock you remove from their store becomes a credit towards their new order from you! You donвЂ™t have to buy for full wholesale вЂ“ make an offer вЂ“ half of wholesale or less may get a bite. Buy out this stock in exchange for вЂњreal estateвЂќ (the pockets those dead cards were sitting in). Every store has really slow sellers hanging around from other card companies whose products they no longer carry. This is a super incentive that works quite well.

Quite often they choose enough product for a minimum anyway.

Let them order whatever they want, just to get in the door. Even if you normally require minimums, waive that for new accounts. Or have your sales rep do so for total customer service, and to make sure the display looks terrific. If the account is close by, deliver the fixture, build and stock it.

Offer a free fixture to display your card line.

Experienced sales reps and savvy card companies make these irresistible offers and deals from time to time вЂ“ and so can you! Choose carefully what you will offer вЂ“ it should meet the needs of the buyer, and give them the incentive to try your line.