Welcome to the first of maybe some, maybe many, but definitely at least ONE post on: advice for brands no one asked for from a retailer.
It's a working title. (What about "Business THOTs"? I'll come back to that.)
I have been chewing on a question for a few month. I wondered if there were any articles about it, and thought about asking people who give out business advice as their job "Hey you ever brought this up at all?" and decided you know what? Imma bring it up myself.
Hang tight for a sec while I launch into a quick background. Think of it like those recipe posts where they make you sit through a sermon before you get the guac recipe.
As a retailer for a stationery shop, I have a lot of sources for products. The biggest being tradeshows, but tradeshows are, in my opinion, withering, especially after COVID. The other reason they're kinda scant these days is a li'l thing called Faire.com.
For anyone unfamiliar, but without getting too much into it, Faire is an online marketplace for retailers, who also started an online tradeshow during the pandy which takes place (you guessed it!) twice a year right before the in-person tradeshows. Faire is an OCEAN of makers and brands...and much like our actual ocean, has lots of trash. Picking through it to find treasure will make your eyes bleed.
Which is why my tried and true methods are (pause to check if I wanna spill my secret...ok fine) scrolling Instagram for new talent and combing local maker markets.
Boston and New England have a very vibrant maker scene and my favorite thing to do is go to shows and look for things for Calliope. Finding products there means it's very likely no one else has what I have and BONUS I'm supporting a local artist.
I carry business cards, I chat with the person behind the table, I ask if they wholesale and they get excited and I tell them to contact me.
Here comes the question.
WHY AREN'T YOU CONTACTING ME?????
I have lost count of the times I have gone to a market, talked to a maker, they wholesale, they take my card. They seem excited and I never hear from them. I'm sorry but do you not like money? I really cannot understand this.
I have talked to artists about everything from picking up their line for Calliope, to teaching a class, to even having a custom piece made and it's crickets. I have no reason to think these people did not want to do business and were just being polite, so what's the deal?
If you're a maker, and someone hands you a card and says "I have a shop and I love your line" ya gotta reach out. Even if you said at the time that you can wholesale and you lied because you didn't wanna look like a noob but you really don't feel comfortable at the moment then SAY that. Otherwise you have a shop owner who's at best like WTF and at worst you've completely soured any possible future partnership.
Wondering why *I* don't reach out if I don't hear from someone? A few reasons:
- It's not my job. I handed you the card. The ball's in your court.
- I have a thousand things to do and 2 thousand things going through my mind. I'm not going to remember, point blank. I need you to email me and be like "hey remember me?" because I ASKED YOU TO.
- I'm not going to chase you down. If you can't respond to my request for an email then it doesn't make a good impression for doing business with you.
That may sound harsh but what else do I have to go on?
At the end of the day it's really a huge bummer to go to a market, find something so cute, meet the maker, have a good chat and think I found a new brand for the shop and then I don't hear from them. As we speak there's a card sitting on my desk from someone I met. I gave her my card, I told her "Email me your Faire shop link" and she never did. That was 3 weeks ago.
9 times out of 10 guys? For me, you email me a little "hey there"; a reminder of who you are and a link, I will open it right then and there and as long as conditions are right, I'll order.
So let's review: if a retailer comes to you, likes your work, you exchange pleasantries and they request you contact them; CONTACT THEM. Even if it's to say "not now." Because if you don't? It may be not EVER.
What do you think? Are you a retailer who's had this happen? Are you a maker and have ghosted someone? Wanna share why?