EP49

The podcast host, Kristen Fisher, is excited about an episode where she answers questions from listeners. The first question is about handling capacity issues for a handmade product for wholesale. Kristen advises limiting availability and clearly communicating this to buyers. She also suggests leveraging email marketing and nurturing relationships with buyers. The second question is about brand reps and their role in getting into big stores. Kristen explains that brand reps can be helpful in getting your brand noticed by retailers, but success may vary depending on the type of retailer and product. Some retailers prefer to work directly with brands. Welcome to the Buyer Side Chat podcast, where I take you inside the mindset of a buyer to help you scale your product business profitably. I am your host, Kristen Fisher, your Buyer Bestie. I'm so glad you're here spending some time with me today. I'm very excited about this episode because I freaking love doing these. It's an ask me anything chat. So you submitted questions on Instagram and the DMs, and a few of you filled out the form if you're in the Buyer Side Club over on Facebook, and I'm really excited to dive into them. There were a couple of overlapping questions, which always makes me excited to see because that means that, you know, you're all, everybody that's listening is kind of in that same mindset. So it's very much about wholesale today and scaling your business and mindset. So a lot of those overlapping themes came into this. So I picked a couple of the questions that I think most accurately represented the majority of the questions that came in, and I have so much fun with these because I just love hearing directly from you and being able to, I don't know, provide some value and really help you directly on the podcast because I'm doing this for you to give you a place to tune into every week where you're just like, okay, I know I'm going to learn a little something or get into the right mindset and hang out and chat with Kristen for a little bit. Like, I want you to be my friend and listen in and feel like you get value out of this. So I love doing these so much because I feel like it really helps me to connect this platform and this medium with you directly. I was, I put something on Instagram last week about this, and I was like, should I call this the Buyer Hotline? And I got so many people DM in, like, I love calling it the Buyer Hotline because that's kind of what I want this to feel like. You know, like, before there was, like, Google and it was, like, the old Ask Jeeves days. Like, I feel like those are the, that's, like, the hotline vibe. So this is the Buyer Hotline. So if you have questions that you think of, always DM me with those questions, and if you're in the club, there's a form in there that you can submit questions, and then whenever I do these, I might do this once a quarter, maybe more, we'll see. You can drop a question in whenever it comes into your mind, and I can answer them. Okay. So let's get into it. So the first question, I'm wondering how to handle capacity issues on one of my handmade products for wholesale specifically. I have one handmade product, bandanas, and it's a higher labor item. Is it okay to limit availability for wholesale when I'm at capacity? I'm not sure if it's going to be frustrating for shops if availability on that product comes and goes. And I think that this is really specifically to fair, where people just kind of go on in order, right? So when I read this, I immediately thought to myself, okay, this is a multi-part answer. So directly answering the question, yes, from my perspective, it is okay to limit your availability. However, I would make sure that you have done the due diligence to make it extremely clear in your product listing, so the product title, the description, anywhere that you can put it that it is a handmade product and inventory and lead times fluctuate and vary. So on fair, you can put a note on there that says like, hey, message me with any inquiries if you need more inventory than you're seeing available, if the lead time is in question, whatever. Make it very obvious that they can message you and that it is a handmade item so that they kind of get used to that. I also think that this is a really good opportunity to leverage your email marketing and really cultivating those relationships with your buyers to really have them be in the loop from a communication perspective. So on the front end, whenever you have a new customer come in and order, or a new retailer, I should say, come in and order those bandanas from you or whatever your handmade product is, if you don't make bandanas, that you have something else similar to this situation. After they place their order, check in with them in a week or so and just say, hey, we hope that you love these bandanas. We hand make this with so much love and attention to detail. So I'm sure they're going to sell so well for you, and I want to make sure that you're super aware of our lead times and the fact that these could take a little long to restock. So if they start to sell well for you, just want to make sure you're aware, check in with us and whatever, so that you establish that initial communication with them. Also, whenever it comes to just in general communication with your wholesale customers or your wholesale buyers, oftentimes I see my clients, my one-on-one clients, where they're not really connecting with their customers on an ongoing basis. It's like you want them to get the order, they get the order, you might send them that one follow-up email, and then it's like kind of crickets, and you're just waiting for them to reorder. No, you definitely want to continue to nurture those relationships. So as you are getting low in stock or you're preparing to do a restock, reach out to them and say, hey, just letting you know, you've placed these bandanas in the last like 90 days. Just letting you know, we're getting low, we're about to do a restock. If you have, you know, if you want to place a pre-order or you want to answer any questions, like now is the time, so that you can just start getting them familiar with you popping in their inbox, asking a really like personal question, not just a marketing email. So this will help to kind of create some demand and let them know that this is a hot item so that they are aware that it sells out for you. So that's like the direct answer. Now, when I said it's a multi-part answer, my second part to this is I would really encourage you to start thinking now how you would scale this product up. So if a major retailer, like your dream retailer came to you and wanted to order a couple thousand units. Now, this is just if this is something that you want for your brand, because it's okay if you don't want that. But if you do envision your brand scaling up and being in a major retailer, and they came to you and they said, hey, I want to place an order for, you know, three thousand units. Could you handle that? If not, I want you to start thinking now how you could. Start doing the research now so that you're prepared when they do reach out to you and you're not just like waiting for that order to come and then you get crushed or you can't fulfill the order. So knowing the person that sent in this message, I would guess you're already working on this. But I just want you to maybe encourage to think even bigger on how it can be scaled So that doesn't mean you have to necessarily start producing overseas right now or actually start creating it this way. But I'd love for you to have a plan in place so that you could action on it quickly when that does come. So maybe there's a sewing house in the United States where you could outsource overseas or you have a production line, a production assembly plan in place so that if you do get this order, you know how to move quickly so you don't lose the order. I also think that it's kind of like that that corporate phrase, like, you know, you want to dress for the job that you really want or the position that you really want or on the CEO side or the the small business owner side scaling to be that CEO, like act like the CEO now. It kind of it just shows you that embodying that role right now helps you to essentially I don't want to say manifest that because I don't want it to be misconstrued. But whenever you live with that intentionality of like, I am working right now to grow and scale this business. So I'm going to act right now like this product is on the shelves of insert your dream retailer. So in summary, yes, you can limit availability, but be very, very clear in your communication and leverage that as an opportunity to create some demand with your end communication touchpoints with your buyers and retailers. And also start thinking about scaling that product up and how you could outsource that. What I didn't say, though, too, is just because you're outsourcing doesn't mean you're completely giving up the entirety of it being handmade. So you could have it sewn elsewhere, and you could add a personalization to it. So it still has that, you know, personalized handmade component to it. Okay. Hopefully, that answers your question and helps give you a little bit of guidance. Okay, question number two, I would love to know your thoughts on brand reps. I've been thinking lately that it may be the way to get into big stores. I love this conversation. I'm actually chatting with a couple of brand reps to see if I can get one on the podcast because I think this will be a really fun conversation. So I was very happy to see this question come in. So this answer, I think, is very dependent upon what types of major retailers you're looking to get into. Brand reps can definitely do a lot of the heavy lifting for you when it comes to getting new retailers or getting your brand, I should say, in front of new retailers and doing the selling and really pitching it. So I think that they can help you. They can even, honestly, get you into other small and mid-sized brands maybe more quickly than you can do on your own, depending on what type of brand rep or what brand rep you go with. You may or may not have more success getting into bigger brands than you would if you're just like hitting the pavement and doing an outreach or going to trade shows. It's one of those things where not all big brands use reps. Some buyers, like in particular maybe trendier retailers, will work with very few brand reps because they prefer to kind of find those brands and go directly to them. It also depends, too, on what type of product you sell. I think like drinkware and certain brands just do better with a brand rep from my perspective. If you align yourself with a brand rep that is very much the vibe of your brand, I think that is where you're going to have the most success because some brand reps just carry a whole slew of brands and there's no point of view. Other brand reps have a very distinct point of view. So I can think of one brand rep that I work with in particular that very much works with women-owned brands that have kind of a boho aesthetic, I would say, like boho feminine aesthetic. And she carries jewelry and accessories and candles and skincare and stationery, but they all have a very specific vibe. And so depending on what type of brand you have and what type of retailers you're looking to get into, you want to be really intentional about what type of brand rep and showroom you're working with because that will get you the most bang for your buck because you'll attract the retailers that you want to get into because the retailers and the buyers that are working with these different showrooms will intentionally work with the showroom and the brand rep that they know fits the aesthetic of their store. But one thing I'll say, too, is the benefit of working with a brand rep is they help you with the communication, the back and forth to help you basically get set up with a retailer. So they're the middleman. You don't have to do all the back and forth if there's any negotiations or any issues or anything like that. They'll take care of that for you. And particularly with large retailers, there is a very, very steep learning curve going from selling to small and medium-sized retailers to a large retailer when you're using their systems and all of their rules when it comes to shipping and packaging and labeling and pricing and all of that. So the brand rep definitely will help you with that. But on the flip side, I want to say I want you to be prepared that there's a decent percent of the commission that will go to them. And in some instances, there is a fee to the rep on top of that as well. So just depending on where you're at from a scaling perspective, an investment perspective, I just want you to really keep that in mind. All right. Question number three, how do I approach new retailers? We do a lot of trade shows, and I am so versed in talking about my product, and I absolutely light up when I do. But how do I portray that to new retailers who don't know me? I love this. I think this is such a testament to creating a brand that, I mean, like you said, it lights you up and you exude that whenever you see people in person, and it's like you have no problem talking about that and expressing that in person because it shows on your gorgeous face. So the big thing is how can you bottle that up, and how can you get really creative about how you are getting your message across? I'd first encourage you to look at, okay, what are your marketing materials? What's the tone in your emails when you're doing the outreach? Does that vibe, that excitement, that energy and passion that you have for your brand translate to that? A lot of times I will see pitch emails that are just so clearly taken from a template. There's nothing wrong with taking a template, but you have to infuse your own personality. Please do not use chat GPT to write these emails because it's so obvious when it's very scripted. You can take a scripted piece of it, but then really tailor the email to have your own personal spin on it. Think creatively. How does your photography represent your brand to its fullest? It might be time. I don't know for you, but specifically the person that asked this question, but I just encourage you to think, does my photography really embody the brand? Am I shown in my photography? That's a big thing too. You want to make sure your face is somewhere on your website. It's on FAIR. It's in your catalog. It's present because that is what helps bring that personal connection into your brand. Also think about your use of videos. How can you get creative with your video, with a brand video? Something where you can point those new buyers to that video to say, hey, to learn more about my brand, check out this video here. Maybe it's you face to camera. Maybe it's a voiceover showing beautiful videography, and maybe you invest in that. I just want you to think about how you can incorporate that. Also, if you have a brand with a lot of UGC, user-generated content, maybe that's a way to work it in too to show that it's not just you being lit up by it because you're attached closely to it, but you also have an obsessed customer base that are dying to get that new candle fragrance in or for you to bring that fragrance back that you sold out of last year or for your new cashmere line to come out because every time you have cashmere, they want that new color. Or your product line, maybe if you have obsessed customers, how can you incorporate that into your sales pitch so that it's kind of backed up with proof that your obsession with your brand also translates to your customers? Because really, at the end of the day, buyers want your obsessed customers to become their obsessed customers. It's all one big pool of customers, and so they want to see that. I would just encourage you to think about brainstorming some fresh, creative, unique ways of telling that story on paper or on the screen when you can't be there in person to actually talk to them and pitch to them. Okay? Hopefully, that helps answer that question a little bit for you. Okay, question number four. I really like this one, and there was a lot of this, not all exactly the same, but some version of the same. Okay. How do you manage this coaching business and Boku without having complete breakdowns every day? LOL. I have my product biz, and I feel so all over the place on the rollercoaster every day. I'm working this year and getting myself out of the overwhelm. I resonated with this so much, and I love that you guys think I don't have breakdowns every day. I'm like, wow, I'm really doing a good job. No, I don't have breakdowns every day, but it is not easy. It is a complete challenge that I am continuously working on, and if you don't think that it's always going to be some level of a rollercoaster and always a challenge, then you're probably not in the right business. The difference is your mindset and how you view those challenges. If you can spin the challenge to be something that gets you excited and viewing it as a growth moment versus a downer moment, and that doesn't mean you can't be like, oh crap, this really sucks, or I'm going to sit in my field for 24 hours, and then I got to keep moving forward because there's actually something I can learn from this. That is the shift you have to have when you're balancing and scaling in particular because no matter what level you're at, if you're just starting out, if you've been in business for a year, if you've been in business for multiple years and you're just scaling and scaling and scaling, at every rung of the ladder, there are new challenges that present itself and you have to be excited by those in order to continue on. For me, it is not possible to not have support in my business. Now, support means a couple things. There's the friends and the family and my husband that I can lean on for that emotional support when I need it. There is the team component and outsourcing component where I'm getting help in the business and I'm continuously working on fine-tuning that and getting the support that totally aligns with the goals and the vision and how I lead those amazing women, and also higher-level coaching support. I'm not saying to just invest before you're ready, but also when it comes to this question of I'm in the overwhelm, I can't see past this chaotic rollercoaster every day and feeling like I'm spiraling out of control because I'm juggling 9 million balls. I can't even see through the trees. That is when you do need to invest in support and coaching because they are coming into your business with a very, what's the word, there's no emotional attachment to your business. A really solid coach is coming in and saying here's your opportunity, here's a path forward. Let's talk about does this align with your goals and your vision and where you want to see this going. Let's lay a path out. Let's get a plan on paper. Let's put a strategy in place that you can execute to and then they'll hold you accountable. I can do this so well for my clients. I have a really hard time doing it for myself. I am the first to admit that. I know what I should do. I'm really good at mapping it out, but then whenever the day-to-day chaos comes and I feel a breakdown coming on, I know that I need support to help me with that. I waited too long in my business to find a coach because, quite frankly, I didn't even really know they existed. Maybe they didn't really exist when I first launched the business, but I am so lit up by helping people because I didn't have it for the first few years and I was Googling, I was making mistakes, I was figuring it out, piecemealing it together, and I would have killed to have a coach. In a year or two of my business, I would have killed to have a coach. I would have scaled so much faster because they just help you get out of your roadblocks and put a plan in place. The reason I don't have breakdowns every day is because I have support in my business in a couple of aspects and I've been really intentional about that. I feel like this question came at a perfect time because I really hope for you that you can find support wherever you're at in whatever stage you are in your business. I hope you can find support to help get you there. I've said this before. Is it a business bestie that can help you? That is one thing. That's like an emotional you're on the same playing field, but when you get a coach that can get you to that next level, that is when you can really scale and see the benefits of strategy and executing to that strategy consistently. I am so freaking lit up by this and I'm so excited to share this. I wasn't going to share it on the podcast, but when I saw this question came in, I was like, you know what? It's happening. I am so freaking pumped to share. I'm hosting a new intensive called the product scaling intensive, and this is a small group coaching mini mind environment. I'm keeping it very tight, particularly for this beta launch because I want to just get in the weeds of the business of the people and the women that show up in this group. So I am at capacity with coaching one-on-one and I feel like I just want to help so many more women and this makes the most freaking sense because I'm taking two years of one-on-one coaching and I am creating this program that is completely tailored to your business needs to help you scale. So the right person for this is someone who has been in business for a couple of years and you're scaling. You've done the initial, like you've gotten your product and your brand off the ground. You're selling in at least one channel well, and you're just like trying to get through and break through that to the next level and really figure out how to grow your wholesale business, how to optimize your assortment, how to make more profit in your business with the data that you have. That is what this program is going to be all about, and we kick off on 2-14. It includes one-on-one coaching, it includes group Q&A, it includes a Voxer channel where you can ask me questions any day of the week and get feedback from the other women in the group that are in the same place as you, and there will be guest experts coming in. Those experts are going to be tailored exactly to your needs. So I will give you an in-depth questionnaire, like what is going on in your business, what do you need help with, and this program will be completely tailored to you. It's not just a cookie cutter DIY course. It is like what is going on in your business, what do you need to get to that next level, and let's get in there, get under the hood, and do the work together. So I'm super, super pumped about this. Spots are extremely limited. Like I said, I am at capacity outside of this, so this is the only way to work with me through Q2. I am going to pour everything into this and to the one-on-one clients that I'm already serving, and this will be it. So if you've been craving that coaching support and getting to that next level and really scaling profitably, and you've been like, I love Kristen, I want to work with Kristen, guess what? I love you, too, and I want to work with you, too. So I'm going to put a link in the show notes with some more information, and there's a link in there that you can apply, and we can start chatting and just see if it's the right fit. I want to make sure it is a room of women that are in a similar place in business so that you really get the benefit not only of working with me, but also being surrounded by the other small business owners in the room. So Product Scaling Intensive is here. I cannot wait to start having the conversations with you, and I hope that you found this helpful. Whether you're ready for coaching or not, I am happy that you're showing up here and asking me these questions in the DMs and just connecting with me because I'm here to support you and coach you and mentor you in any way that I can. So thank you so much for being here, and we will have another Buyer Hotline Ask Me Anything chat probably in the next couple months, so DM me anytime. I save all the DMs, and we'll make sure that I get answers to you. Okay, I hope this is helpful, and I hope you have an amazing sales week. I will talk to you next Monday.