products sourcing

[LEF]

Hi,
Thanks Glenda for your support.
Could I ask you a question?
How did you introduce yourself to the wholesalers?
I am using words like, I am starting a business selling product on the internet and I am looking for wholesalers, but I don't think that sounds very professional.
Any tips you could give me would be great!
Thanks,
LEF

[GlendaKay]

LEF

I take a professional approach from the start in attitude and presentation. I know where I will be in a year or two and they will be thrilled to work with me then. So I take the attitude of that success now. I'm pleasant, but straight to the point and somewhat firm. I don't give them any info they don't need or ask for. I keep it very simple and short.
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Ex.:

Hi this is Glenda Kay Morse with Access Warehouse.

I’m a Retailer and I’d like to get your wholesale product catalog.

Do you have a hard copy or an online version?
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Once they tell they have a catalog I just say great. Let me give you my address, which is the mail box that sounds like a corporate building.

If I get a voice mail I just leave my name, company, phone number and that I'd like a catalog.

[GlendaKay]

I have this phone script along with my full address, tax number, phone number everything on the script in front of me. I want no glitches of brain freeze when I remember my home phone top of brain instead of my new business number.

I always tell them the truth I just don't tell them my life story.
If they ask about my web site I tell them it's being worked on. Which it is.
If they say the only do Brick and Motor, I say "great. Did you happen to see the news article about how store retail sales are down, while online sales are up and hitting new highs. Keep me in mind if you want to expand." One decided to consider making a change to policy.

If they ask what I sell or what I'm looking for. I tell them I'm a retailer and I'm looking for new wholesalers who might have a products I'd be interested in selling.

If they have a huge variety and want me to focus on something I just pick something they have, like housewares. After I see more of what they have in that area I can consider getting back to them later on other items if I want to.

Think about this, when you go get a JOB for say, $20 and hour, you go in and start working. What money did you take home the first day? second day? etc. You don't get paid for maybe 2 weeks or more. But even on the first day you were still making and worth $20 an hour.

Now you are in business and let's say you plan to make a least 1 Million in this over the next 2 years. You'll make a little now and it will grow and you'll make more later. That's 4000 work hours. Break it down over the 2 years and you are making $250 an hour right now. You'll pick up the paycheck later.

You are a highly paid professional business person and that wholesaler could make good money working with you. You have nothing to be timid about or try to explain or excuse yourself. You are practicing your business. A doctor "practices" medicine, but at one point he had his very first patient.

[LEF]

Thanks so much for that very helpful explanation.
It will really help in boosting my confidence and make it easier for me to approach strangers!

[MegaSales]

Thanks Glenda,

I was having the similar problem knowing what to say and how to say things to manufacturers or wholesalers and now not as much. I am getting more people to send me their catalogs.
I am having a few problems with local wholesalers. They don't want to deal with me because I am local and they are either also on the net or planning on being there soon and don't want the competition from someone local. I asked one business if I was from another state
would he sell to me wholesale and he said yes and I asked if we are all putting the information for sale on the internet does it matter if I am two miles from you or another state away. He said it is just not good business sense to sell to a local. So I thanked him for the opportunity and if he changed his mind here is my name, etc.

[Harrison]

I realize this is a couple of weeks back-I'm a little behind on my "flood" due to to the recent death of my mother. Anyway, in your post you indicated you identified 64 wholesalers from the 4 state region surrounding you. My question: how did you IDENTIFY these companies as WHOLESALERS ? I got on yellowpages.com in Denver (I'm in Colorado)but frankly didn't know how to search the yellowpages. Did a search on wholesalers, didn't rally come up with anything. Any assistance you can offer would be appreciated. I'm computer literate and know how to search Google, Yahoo, etc., just having an issue with the above as far as identification of wholesalers. Thanks