Do you want to know how to sell your product to a boutique in your local area or across the country? If so, the following are some quick tips and strategies on how to get started today!
When dealing with a boutique, it is important to note that the owner is typically the buyer or purchasing agent. If not the owner, the store manager usually handles the buying. Nevertheless, there is typically a buyer who buys for a particular boutique, and they are fairly easy to find because they usually work at their store!
This is very different from major retailers because you can actually hop in your car and approach these boutique owners with your products. And that’s what I would do! I would start locally. I would hop in my car, bring my products with me and introduce my product to the buyer/ owner.
And as soon as I figure out what works in terms of my pitch, I would then start selling to boutiques in other regions and then start hiring sales representatives to take it from there.
Why do I suggest waiting to work with sales representatives?
In my opinion, I believe that when you are first getting started, it’s important to invest the time in getting to know your potential buyers.
What are they saying about your product? What do they like about it? What don’t they like about your product?
If you have a sales rep out on the road, you can ask them to get this information for you. But the time spent one-on-one with your early clients will be invaluable to your success because you will learn so much!
Think about it – if you are the one who initially approaches boutiques about your product, you will learn about packaging, pricing, objections, deliverables that you need in order to do business with these retailers.
You will also learn an invaluable skill – you will learn how to grow your own revenue!
You can’t always rely on sales reps to grow your business – sometimes they quit or they don’t sell enough or they get busy selling other people’s products.
What are you going to do if you really need extra revenue but your sales rep disappears? It’s your responsibly to keep your business growing as you hire more sales reps!
So my suggestion is to get the skills necessary to approach these boutiques yourself. Learn what you need to learn and hand the sales over to reps that can help you grow your business once you’ve closed a few sales.
I know this is contrary to popular belief but I’ve worked with 1000’s of small product companies across the globe – and I’ve definitely seen a pattern with small business owners. Those that are willing to get uncomfortable and do some of the dirty work usually experience success more often. 🙂
I know there are always exceptions to the rule, but I’m hoping you get my point. No one cares about your business more than you, so give it your best shot by first approaching boutique retailers yourself and then approaching sales reps to expand the business for you once you have everything dialed in.
To receive some additional tips, watch this short video on the subject:
To your success,
Karen Waksman
Retail MBA
P.S. We have a training program that can walk you through the process of exactly how to approach, pitch and sell to boutiques. No sales experience or buyer relationships required! If interested, check out- Small Retail MBA.
Successfully Selling Products to Boutiques
Venturing into the world of boutique sales can be an opportunity for business owners and artisans alike. Boutiques are known for providing a shopping experience attracting customers who appreciate handcrafted, niche and exclusive products. However navigating this realm as a beginner can be quite challenging. This comprehensive guide aims to equip you with strategies and essential tips that will enable you to sell your products to boutiques and establish fruitful partnerships.
Researching and Identifying Your Target Boutiques
The first step in selling your products to boutiques is conducting research. Identifying the ones that align with your product offerings and brand identity. Seek out boutiques that cater specifically to your target audience while sharing an aesthetic or theme that matches your products. Valuable resources such as directories, trade shows and social media platforms can help you discover boutiques.
Understanding the Unique Selling Points of Boutiques
It’s crucial to take the time to understand what sets each boutique apart from others in terms of their selling points and style. By doing you’ll gain insights, into how your products can complement their offerings. Tailoring your pitch in a way that addresses their needs and customer preferences will significantly increase the likelihood of securing a partnership.
Crafting an Engaging Wholesale Catalog
Your wholesale catalog serves as a representation of both your brand and products. It is important to create a catalog that showcases the essence of your brand while highlighting the features of each product effectively.
Create an visually attractive catalog that effectively showcases the features, benefits and wholesale prices of your products. Make sure to include high quality images, detailed descriptions and information, about minimum order quantities.
Formulate a pricing strategy
It’s crucial to establish the pricing strategy when selling to boutiques. Calculate both your retail prices in order to ensure profitability while also offering rates. Be prepared to negotiate with boutique owners. Have confidence in the value of your products and their pricing.
Craft a captivating pitch
When approaching boutique owners it’s important to craft a pitch. Introduce yourself share your brand story and explain why your products are a fit for their boutique. Emphasize how your products can enhance their stores offerings and provide customers with a shopping experience.
Foster personal connections
Building relationships is key to boutique sales. Attend industry events, trade shows and networking gatherings to connect with boutique owners face to face. Follow up after meetings. Maintain open communication to establish trust and rapport.
Offer opportunities
In cases providing consignment opportunities can serve as a stepping stone for building relationships with boutiques. Consignment allows boutique owners to test your products in their stores without costs increasing their confidence, in the marketability of your products.
To ensure repeat business and positive word of mouth referrals it is crucial to provide top notch customer service. This entails addressing boutique owners inquiries fulfilling orders in a manner and handling any issues with utmost professionalism. When boutique owners are satisfied they are more likely to reorder your products and recommend them to others.
In the changing landscape it’s important to stay flexible and adaptable. Boutique owners may have requirements or seasonal preferences that you should be ready to accommodate. This could involve offering products providing collections or adjusting pricing for promotional purposes.
Selling to Boutiques
When starting out selling to boutiques it is essential to dedicate time and effort towards research and building relationships. It is crucial to understand the target boutiques create a pitch and offer competitive pricing in order to secure partnerships. Developing connections, with boutique owners while consistently delivering customer service will foster long term collaborations. Embracing flexibility and adaptability will enable you to cater to the evolving boutique market and meet customer demands. By following these tips while staying true, to your brand identity you can embark on a journey of selling your offerings to boutiques while delighting customers along the way.
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Step-by-step training on how to sell to major retailers
We explain exactly how to do that and how to get started today. I’ve taught tens of thousands of companies on how to get your products to the stores. And so we’re here to support you. Or please subscribe to our Youtube channel and or be on the lookout for additional training that we create.
We are here to expedite the process of making money with your physical products and that’s what we’re all about. Take a look at our advanced training, live events, certification programs and so much more.
In this training, I will discuss some of the things to think about when approaching a retailer to sell your products and become a vendor. Hope it helps! 🙂
Karen Waksman,
Retail MBA
Questions? Contact Us!
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Email: info@retailmba.com
Retail MBA provides a step-by-step formula on How to Sell to Major Retailers, Online Retailers, Smaller Retailers, Catalogs and More. No Experience Required! These solutions continue to convert for clients year-over-year! These are Time-Tested and Proven Strategies that we utilize ourselves when going after stores! Everything we teach, we test. Want access to these formulas? ANY one of our programs and coaching systems gives you access to them now. With that said…
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Thanks so much.
And…if you like this training, you will love these new short training sessions as well! Click on the links provided to watch and grow your consumer product business TODAY!
