Getting Your Most Likely Buyers To Buy

Last time we narrowed down your pool of potential wholesale buyers. We now know that we’re only interested in retailers who are either actively looking to buy the kind of lovely thing you make, or who are open to buying it at some point in the future.

Selling your work to these types of customer is very simple.

Concentrate on what matters to them, not to you.

Let me explain.

Across all the hundreds of submissions shopkeepers receive every year, do you know what the two most commonly used words are?

“I” and “my.”

– “I feel my work is perfect for your shop.”

– “I want to sell my work with you.”

– “I’ve decided to offer you the opportunity to be part of something unique.”

– “I would appreciate an appointment so I can show you my work.”

– “I have an ever-increasing number of stockists.”

– “I think my work is so different from what’s available on the high street.”

– “I feel my work is an excellent fit for your aesthetic.”

– “I know that your customers will love my products.”

– “I’m giving you the chance to impress your customers.”

– “I feel this would be extremely beneficial for your store.”

An I-centric pitch email (or catalogue) is a mistake.

Don’t get me wrong – you have to use “I” and “my” sometimes when you approach a store, but what you think and what you want shouldn’t be your priority.

The most persuasive and successful pitches are from makers who understand retailer’s perspective. And we’ll talk about that next time.