Nervous about selling to gift shops or other retailers?

Discover the
WHOLESALING SECRETS
of a
 highly successful
9+ year gift industry sales rep
 
(& specialty food entrepreneur)

with 459 wholesale customers
in 23 states!

Finally, HIDDEN TRUTHS about
How to Sell Wholesale!

"Whether you make or distribute (or import) specialty food, candles, jewelry, handmade soap, crafts, confections, dolls, post cards,
greeting cards, knick knacks, pottery - ceramics, woodcrafts, 
stuffed animals, post cards, t-shirts, souvenirs, housewares,

or even publish regional or "gift appropriate" book titles,
I will take the mystery out of marketing to gift retailers!
(And help grow your business to an ENTIRELY new level!)"

Sandy Dell, "Gift Rep Sandy"
                Orofino, Idaho

Greetings from Idaho!

Ever walked into a retail store with your prized wares - the ones you created from concept to production - cradled in your arms? All the while hoping the store buyer will feel as excited about your line as you do?

As you walk in with your candles or homemade soap, you envision a happy, smiling customer ordering several cases, and promising to merchandise your products prominently near the cash register, since "your goodies are just what I was looking for!", he or she says.

It CAN happen. But the more likely scenario is - you will get politely (or not so politely) told "NO! Not interested, sorry," about 10 seconds into your conversation. Then you watch their southern exposure as you walk back through the front door, with your virtual tail between your legs.

Not only is the experience humiliating, but the perceived failure and painful rejection may dampen your enthusiasm for the entire business!

Maybe, like me, you've been to craft shows, fairs, or other events with a booth where people oohed and aaahed over your specialty or gourmet food, greeting card line, or pottery -- and even came back for more! And many friends and customers suggest you start selling to retail gift shops (or other stores), and really get your products "out there!".

"These are really great. You have a winner!", they assure you.

So you finally did it... walked into a store, all excited, but nervous. Maybe even wobbly legs. And got rejected. Or even worse (although you may not think so at the time), they agreed to take your products "on consignment".

And if you didn't know what you were doing, you might've quoted a wholesale price TOO LOW, and are now stuck working very hard, for little money. Or just as bad, you OVER-priced - and either never got any orders at all...or even if you did, no re-orders.

Plus, there's the risk you might never get paid, since retailers typically expect "Net 30" or similar terms (so you must wait for a check). And if they sense you are a newbie... you are TOAST!!

Well, it simply doesn't need to be that way!

Since January of 2001, I've operated Idaho Gifts Wholesale, representing products for a wide variety of small business, like yours, to gift retail stores of every description. (Actually, I started the business originally as Lewis Clark Gifts & Souvenirs, but that's a story for another day!)

In my capacity as an independent sales rep, I've personally called on over 1250 retail outlets of some kind, mostly gift stores. And over the years, I've placed at least an order or two in 400+ of those. While I've scaled back in the last two years (health issues), I still maintain a regular wholesale customer base of about 120 to 130 retail stores. Plus a few dozen more long-distance wholesale accounts who found my keyword-rich web sites and ordered wholesale without me ever walking into their stores.

Successful lines I've "repped" over the years, include:

  • a WIDE variety of gourmet and specialty foods (especially wild huckleberry stuff),
  • greeting cards,
  • personal care products (handmade soap, lip balms, massage oil),
  • post cards,
  • regional books,
  • souvenirs (mugs, spoons, t-shirts),
  • handicrafts,
  • art prints,
  • woodcrafts,
  • novelty knick-knacks,
  • candles,
  • confections,
  • home decor,
  • Christmas ornaments,
  • stuffed animals,
  • imported "kiddie" specialty merchandise,
  • ceramics and pottery,
  • jewelry,
  • pet gifts,
  • and more!

A tiny bit of background on how I got here...my husband, Malcolm, helped me launch the repping business in early 2001. In late 2002, he branched off, creating a line of our OWN products, mostly specialty foods such as BarbieQ Sauce and Hairy Habanero Catsup. But also personal care products such as huckleberry lip balms and homemade gift soap for men. Our lines are still selling strong, at both wholesale and retail online, under the brands IDAHO REDNECK and Gold Mountain Gourmet.

So like you, we see wholesaling through the eyes of a producer, publisher, distributor, or importer; plus as reps calling on large numbers of retailers.

Over the years, we've personally counseled a dozen of our "producer" friends and associates on how to improve and expand their wholesale business. Plus, late last year, I started my blog, with 131 followers as of this writing.

After dozens of requests from friends and blog followers for an information resource on "How to Sell Wholesale to Gift Shops", we decided to bite the bullet! After weeks of writing (and more weeks of editing by Malcolm), the 82-page 'COMPLETE GUIDE for Selling to Gift Shops and Other Independent Retailers' is now available!

In this value-packed resource, you will find HUNDREDS of practical tips, techniques, stories, and how-to tactics that REMOVE the fear and anxiety from walking into (or contacting) a retail gift store and asking a buyer or manager to carry your line.

For example, you will discover all you need to know about:

WHOLESALE PRICING:

  • How to price your products for wholesaling! 
  • Setting a gross profit margin!  
  • How to “cost” your products for the long term!  
  • Understanding gift retailer pricing policies!  
  • COST-PLUS vs. MARKET pricing analysis! 
  • And much more…!  

FINDING GIFT RETAILERS:

  • The five best ways to LOCATE gift retail outlets! 
  • 29 TYPES of gift shops (plus SIX MORE you need to know about)!   
  • The three EASIEST gift store ‘segments’ to sell to 
  • And much more…!  

THE SALES PRESENTATION:

  • The BIG FIVE types of presentation materials you need before you start selling! 
  • Developing a Sales "Story-Telling" Mindset!  
  • How to lay out a “Pitch” book!  
  • Generic sales "order books" vs. order forms... which to use when!
  • Cold-calling vs. Appointments… and which one is usually best!  
  • How to take GREAT product photos!  
  • What you MUST do before meeting the store manager or buyer!  
  • Key elements of the SALES PRESENTATION!  
  • The 8 (or 9) pieces of information you must put on your wholesale Sales Flyers! (And in what order!) 
  • How to introduce samples during your presentation!  
  • A little trick with “order books” that will save you a bunch of time!  
  • The “R-B-R Principle” and how it makes buyers look forward to your next visit!  
  • How to deal with requests for geographic “exclusivity”! 
  • The importance of persistence!  
  • And much more…!  

TAKING WHOLESALE ORDERS: 

  • Best ways to sweeten the pot (and reduce the risk) for the wholesale store buyer! 
  • Tips for CLINCHING THE SALE!  
  • How to know when to SHUT UP and just take the order!  
  • Pros and Cons of extending “Net 30” terms 
  • 3 top reasons buyers DON’T buy (even when they should)! 
  • Dealing with the perception of rejection!  
  • ‘After the sale’ tips that set you apart from the crowd!  
  • When to require a “trade credit application” 
  • And much more…!  

WHOLESALE DELIVERY SYSTEMS:

  • Setting up a shipping fulfillment center 
  • Personal delivery vs. shipping with UPS, USPS, or FedEx!  
  • Why the best shipping method for retail orders is different than for wholesale!  
  • Handling the delicate matter of handling charges (including insurance)!  
  • Who pays for shipping? 
  • Packing your shipments to minimize damage!  
  • Invoices vs. packing slips… why and when?  
  • Where to find bagfuls of USED packing materials (and save money)! 
  • And much more…!  

OFFICE OPERATIONS:

  • Setting up your bookkeeping systems 
  • Things to include in your customer database you never thought of!  
  • How to SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE RE-ORDERS using a simple calling schedule!  
  • And much more…!  

COLLECTIONS:

  • How to handle late payments 
  • A simple mindset to keep customers happy when collecting (and get payments faster)!  
  • How to collect 70-80% of late payments with one phone call! 
  • And much more…!  

GIFT SHOP CONSIGNMENT:

  • Why CONSIGNMENT is usually a bad idea!  
  • The two situations where consignment is a GOOD IDEA!  
  • If you do consign, what you must do to protect your investment!  
  • Elements of a good consignment agreement! 
  • And much more…!  

WHOLESALE MARKETING SPECIAL TOPICS:

  • The two absolute best times of the year to launch new products 
  • How to sell wholesale to web retailers!  
  • Catalogs, direct mail letters, and postcards 
  • How to use the phone effectively for orders and re-orders!  
  • A short primer on selling to long distance accounts!  
  • Point-of-purchase (POP) displays and “shelf talkers”!  
  • Pros and cons of toll-free 800 numbers for customer service AND even fax lines!  
  • Using email and newsletters to keep in touch with customers!  

RECOMMENDED VENDORS for: 

 

  • Merchant accounts  
  • Virtual fax  
  • 800 number services  

AND MUCH, MUCH MORE! 

One truly special thing you get from this Guide, is the perspective of TWO very different minds. Malcolm is a big picture person, a strategist, who loves to design and develop business systems (and is VERY good at it!). I am a tactical person. I love to follow a proven system, and sell, and develop successful long-term relationships.

Frankly, selling wholesale is not something either of us might have excelled at by ourselves. But as a result of working together, with two very different perspectives, we created a winning team and a successful business.

Now YOU can benefit from this dual perspective - a rich point-of-view you will find in no other resource on the subject.

Between the two of us (we both work in aspects of each other's businesses), we offer a combined 18 years as reps, and 15 years as specialty food entrepreneurs. That's 33 years of combined total experience including the perspective as both a producer and a rep. All through the eyes of two very different business personalities. Now yours, in this Complete Guide for Selling Wholesale to Gift Shops!

But wait, that's not all! (Oh boy, now I sound like an infomercial... please forgive me!)

I am offering you a number of wholesaling mini-bonuses!

When we started our company, we were not completely sure what some paperwork and forms should even look like. We've removed some of the fuzziness on this topic, by offering you a handful of "paper trail" items we believe will help.

Note, there is NOTHING FANCY here... just basic stuff. But these forms and fliers enjoy a history of usefulness through thousands of orders from hundreds of gift stores. So there is value. (Of course, these all evolved a bit over time - we didn't hit the mark, right out of the chute! But now YOU can benefit from our learning.)

Anyway, your mini-bonus list ($51 value) includes:

  • Four sample wholesale "sales fliers". I use all four of these currently in my repping business. Two are for products Malcolm and I sell, and two are for clients of mine. They all follow the same basic principle about what information to include in a flier for selling to gift shops. Simple concept, big photos, and all the right information.
  • Two versions of a sample "trade credit application". One a PDF, the other editable in Word, for your ease of use. I originally built the PDF in MS Publisher, but any graphics software will work. The Word version is perfectly fine to get started - although it runs to two pages instead of one.
  • A matching sample Invoice and Packing Slip. The Guide gives complete instructions on how and why and when to use either one. The relationship of packing slips to invoices was a bit unclear when we first started this business.
  • A sample consignment agreement in MS Word, and editable for you to use, should you foray into the consigment realm. (PS DO NOT CONSIGN UNTIL YOU READ THAT CHAPTER!)
  • An editable (in Word) sample "order form" showing you all the information I recommend you include on a form you mail to, fax to, or leave with prospective buyers.

So, are you ready to see what we want for all this information?

Almost there, please bear with me while I run through the final set of REALLY amazing bonuses. (And you are going to like these!)

(BUT IF YOU MUST PEEK, CLICK HERE FOR THE 'TOO LOW' PRICE!)

Malcolm and I wrote three very informative ebooks (which we could easily sell separately) on supporting topics. These will help you MARKET and EXPAND via wholesaling, beyond the sometimes "lonely" of marketing on your lonesome.

With these three resources you may start leveraging key opportunities to expand beyond your own selling efforts. When you are ready for the next level, these will get you started! (Maybe you are ready now, I hope so!)

BONUS EBOOK #1: (14 pages, 3755 words)
($17 value)
EXHIBITING AT
WHOLESALE GIFT TRADE SHOWS!

In this resource, you will discover ALL the basics (and many advanced tips) for operating a successful trade show booth. The first time we exhibited, at the Portland Gift Show in 2002, we won the award for Best Newcomer Exhibit, among hundreds of booths! Of course, there are reasons for that!

Things covered in this ebook, include:

What are gift “trade shows”?
How wholesale shows differ from retail shows and fairs!
Reasons and strategies for exhibiting at wholesale shows!
The trade show “business model”!
Typical (and range) of costs for a gift trade show!
The absolute BEST time to reserve your booth!
Why you MUST bring a stapler!
Choosing a show “category” for your booth!
What if products must be “juried” to get into the show?
Promotion dos and don’ts PRIOR to the show!
How to make buyers put you on their “must see” list!
THE most important thing to collect from EVERY buyer!
Operating a successful booth!
Tips for marketing AT the show!
How to set yourself apart and attract passer-by buyers!
MUST DO strategies AFTER the show!
And MUCH more!


BONUS EBOOK #2: (28 pages, 7544 words)
($27 value)
WEB SITES FOR WHOLESALING

How wholesale websites differ from retail sites!
3 ways to manage wholesale ordering online!
Why you should do KEYWORD ANALYSIS before putting up your site!
Why you need a separate web site for wholesaling!
Why quality photos are your best selling tool for buyers!
The BIG FOUR social networking sites, and why you MUST be signed up!
What blogging and article marketing do for your online traffic!
Why video is the next big thing… even for “catalog” sites like yours!
A secret tip for DRAMATICALLY improving sales conversions on your site!
3 BIG sources for inbound traffic links!
My personal recommendations for:
• Web hosting
• Website building software
• U-build template website building services
• Merchant accounts
• Shopping carts
• Keyword research tools
• Customer review software
• Offsite hard drive backup
And MUCH more!


BONUS EBOOK #3: (19 pages, 6203 words)
($29 value)
HOW TO FIND, RECRUIT, and MANAGE INDEPENDENT SALES REPS!

What do “sales reps” offer to a producer like you?
What's the difference between a rep and other “MIDDLEMAN” businesses?
What are “rep groups” and “gift marts” and why you should care!
In-house or "company" vs. “independent” sales reps!
The eight main ways to find sales reps (and which ONE is absolutely the best)!
Ten questions to ask EVERY sales rep BEFORE you sign on the dotted line!

Four personality types of sales reps (a bit humorous)!

12 key components of a sales rep agreement!
Who supplies or pays for sales flyers and samples to reps and buyers?
Developing a good policy on “free samples”!
What are standard rep commission rates in the gift industry?
Terms for canceling a rep agreement!
Do you pay commissions based on sales or paid invoices?
What is a typical rep payment schedule?
How to handle commissions on uncollectable accounts!
11 tips on managing reps, from my personal experience!
Bonus: How to work with DISTRIBUTORS!

And much more!


Well, now I suppose it's "last call", or time for me to ante up, and tell you what we are asking for this wealth of practical information!

CLICK HERE... if you just CAN'T WAIT!

I could easily sell the COMPLETE GUIDE for Selling to Gift Shops (and Other Indendent Retailers) for $97. There is nothing else like it on the market! And the information is relatively exhaustive.

The mini-bonuses are valued at $51, and the editable forms are worth untold hours of your time, if you were to try and figure them out from scratch. And I could easily sell the Gift Trade Show, Web Wholesaling, and Hiring Reps ebooks separately for $17, $27, and $29 respectively.

The total package, if you could even get all this information individually or together, ANYWHERE else, is worth then, a whopping $221.

Of course, you know I'm going to make you a deal! After all, I AM in sales (and I hope you will use my information and these tactics to become WILDLY successful selling your own wonderful products to retail stores!).

I am asking a conservative $47 for this entire package of information!
(But PS - not done 'dealing' yet!)

That's about what you would make on one, at most two, sales to gift shops, even if your line is pretty small. In fact, my guarantee is this:

READ the Complete Guide. Put the information to work in your business, and if you do not land a sale to a retailer within 60 days, ask for your money back, and I will CHEERFULLY refund your full purchase price. AND YOU MAY KEEP THE BONUS MATERIALS as my personal 'thank you' for just trying out the information.

But wait!

(Here is that infomercial stuff again... keep this in mind, when you are reading the section on "first order incentives" in the Complete Guide!)

Since I just launched this material, I am in need of good testimonials about the value of this resource to you and your business success. For the first 100 people who buy, I am cutting ANOTHER $20 off the $47 price, with the humble request that you take a few minutes to find my "SELLING TO GIFT SHOPS" blog, and post a review.

I am especially hoping for comments about how a particular part of the Guide, or the overall resource, opened your eyes to a successful practice or two in your wholesaling business. I would also LOVE to hear your personal (and business) success stories on selling to retailers. Or frankly, post just about anything you would like to share about wholesaling or the Complete Guide or bonus materials. Oh, and feel free to share more than once... I love positive feedback!

  • So here we go again, the price RIGHT NOW, until I get 100 buyers, is....

    NOT $221 (Package value)
    NOT $97 (Guide value)
    NOT $47 (My regular package price)
     

but only $27.

If I help you make just ONE DECENT SALE to a gift store or other retail shop, this resource guide will MORE THAN pay for itself immediately! And you will do much better than that, I guarantee it. If I can create a successful, long-term lifestyle business in a rural state like Idaho, while working from home, near a small town (Orofino, Idaho - population 3000), you can make this information work for your business too!

Your copy of the Complete Guide, and ALL THE BONUSES are available for IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD, by clicking below, and following the directions.

  CLICK HERE FOR SELLING TO GIFT SHOPS SUCCESSFULLY!

HAPPY WHOLESALING!

Sandy Dell
"Gift Rep Sandy"
http://sellingtogiftshops.com

PS Soon, (maybe sooner than you think!) we'll be offering group and personal coaching programs to a limited few who want to get results on "selling to gift shops" more quickly. Only purchasers of the Complete Guide are eligible... and you might get a discount (hint, hint) for being an existing customer! Aren't we sales people sneaky?

Regardless, I hope to help as many of you as possible achieve success in your wholesaling efforts. As my repping career winds down, I need some "atta girls" to keep me warm and fuzzy (although Malcolm does a pretty good job too!).

(Note that after purchase, your upcoming monthly credit card statement will show "Gourmet Innovations" as the source of your purchase... this is the name of the LLC for my and Malcolm's specialty food company, and the name on our merchant account!)

OH, and ONE MORE SHOT to BUY,
if you Passed ALL the Orange Links Above!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Sandy has introduced our lines effectively, and been quite successful in securing new accounts for us, while also servicing many existing accounts. She has positioned our lines most favorably against our competitors in the huckleberry business, of which there are many!"

"She seems to have the right approach to selling products to potential customers without pressuring them. Her goal is to succeed!"

"I am pleased to recommend, wholeheartedly, Sandy's skills in marketing to anyone."

Harry Menser, Co-Owner
GemBerry Products
Sandpoint, Idaho
(Rep client since 2001)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Sandy Dell has
represented my products for many years, and tripled my sales the first three years. She is an experienced sales rep who is faithful and diligent on behalf of her clients."

Sandee Tuck, Owner
Sandee's Candees
Salmon, Idaho
(Rep client since 2002. She's appeared many times on the Food Network show "Unwrapped", with her top selling "Spud Fudge"!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpts of a letter
from a wholesale customer in 2006!

"We wanted to let you know, that we appreciate you in so many ways:

1. You are consistent and faithful in returning to our store time after time, even when we aren't one of your bigger accounts.

2. You are always optimistic and cheerful, even when you may not have had an order all day, for all we know ...

3. You are helpful and cooperative, supportive and complimentary, even when you have nothing to gain, monetarily, from your helping us...

You are making good decisions, and we wish you much success in the coming years!"

Don and Joan
Gift Shop on the River
Orofino, Idaho

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Sandy is very detail oriented, and watches her clients' bottom line. She
always looks out for my best interests and makes suggestions, giving
input and communicating at all phases of the sale. She is not only knowledgeable in her field but offers a great work ethic and values me
as a customer."

"Her top qualities are: Personable, Expert, and High Integrity!"

Donya M. Schweizer
Donya Maries
"Beyond Chocolate"
Depoe Bay, Oregon
(Rep client since 2007)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


"Sandy represents us to retail gift stores and speciaty food shops, which she's done very successfully for a number of years. Sandy traveled over a wide territory from Montana to Washington, and her follow-up and feedback was invaluable to us as a company."

"Sandy is very knowledgeable and thorough in her approach to researching products, markets, and territories she is planning to sell to. Also, she offers a very innovative approach to marketing that serves her (and us) well!"

"I highly recommend Sandy as a professional in a lot of areas. If you care to call me for additional information, please feel free to do so!"

Kris McIllvenna
Greenbriar Foods, Inc.
WildBeary Huckleberry
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
(Rep client since 2005)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"We've used the services of Sandy Dell for eight years, as a sales rep for our cards, books, shirts, and gift items. She calls on wholesale accounts throughout Idaho on our behalf, placing our products with new accounts, and restocking existing customers. She's persuaded many existing accounts to expand the number of our items they carry."

"We've found her to be enthusiastic, diligent, and detail-oriented. Idaho is a tough territory to work, because of the distances involved, challenging terrain, and small population. But Sandy's improved our business in the state greatly, finding good accounts where there are few stores of any kind, and building customer loyalty through regular, dependable service."

"She's also proven adaptable to changing and difficult conditions. For example, she makes proposals for orders when the buyer isn't available, then follows up later to get the order. Most reps have not been willing to do that, preferring to pass up the order if a buyer is not present on-site."

"Her hard work and energy have helped build new wholeale business, and enabled us to keep business we'd otherwise lost. We sincerely recommend her!"

Paul Stanton, President
Duckboy Cards
Hamilton, Montana
(Rep client since 2002)