Below are three things to consider that will help make your next wholesale trade show a success!
1. Be SURE wholesale is right for you.
- What are your margins currently?
- Can you physically make lots more product and get paid lots less per item?
- How does your product fit into the market—both locally and beyond?
2. Design the Best booth to feature your product.
- Is it portable and adaptable to fit different booth layouts?
- Is your booth color and layout consistent with your logo and product?
- Do you display the optimal “Goldilocks” amount of product—not too much, not too little, but just right?
- Have you included large scale photography as well as professional signage and lighting to make your product “POP?”
- Do you use the corners, keep product off the floor and use non-polarizing colors?
3. Sales RULE! Without them your investment of time, effort and money are worthless. . .
- Are your order forms easy for you to write up the sale quickly?
- Is pricing clear (and in big enough font for the >40 buyer to read?)
- Can YOU really SELL? REALLY?
OK, so there are more questions than answers here. There is a reason for that:
Choosing to “go wholesale” and committing the time, effort and finances for a booth is a very complex decision. Here are some steps and assistance to help you:
- Do the financial analysis—even if numbers “aren’t your thing.” Maine SBDC advisors can help guide you through this process.
- Sign up for the Maine SBDC’s Tradeshow Workshop. These seminars can help you get these things figured out.
- If you are not a born salesperson GET HELP! The best booth design and a fabulous product are NOTHING unless you understand sales and can seal the deal—over and over again. Your local SBDC advisor can teach you the basics and help you practice until you are good at this.