“From the Internet Window to Macy's Window” 10 Ways to Increase the Sales of Your Product

“From the Internet Window to Macy's Window”

10 Ways to Increase the Sales of Your Product

Santa Barbara SCORE, in conjunction with the Small Business Administration, helps small businesses and startups by offering free mentoring/counseling relationships in all fields of business with the assistance of individuals possessing deep experience in those fields.

We utilize personal client contact and online tools provided by SCORE’s national organization exclusively for our clients. SB SCORE alone provides completely objective, confidential, free mentoring throughout our relationship.

John Richardson, a SCORE counselor, is a proven Senior Level Technologist with over 12 years of in-depth experience delivering web based e-commerce solutions (point of sale and fulfillment)

Paul Weiss, a SCORE counselor, has been bringing products to market throughout his professional life. He spent 12 years at Macy’s Department Store, rising to the level of senior men’s furnishings buyer. Paul then went on to building of several major branded men's clothing companies.

“From the Internet Window to Macy's Window”10 Ways to Increase the Sales of Your Product

The internet is the first step in selling a product

• It will allow you to test your product & receive feedback & testimonies to its viability

• You will learn what your customer thinks of your pricing, styling, coloring,

packaging, etc... Furthermore, it will give you the opporunity to make the

necessary adjustments before going into the larger brick & mortar retail market

• It will also give you the opporunity to establish yourself as a legitimate resource in

your product category

• You will then be able to use your success on the internet to validate yourself when

approaching brick & mortar retailers

It's the new sample case


1) Marketing Site - "Your 24 hour sales person"

• CMS - Content Management System/SEO - Search Engine

Optimization

• Mobile Responsive

• Built in Blog

Internet


2) Affiliate Agreements - " Independent Sales Reps"

• Third Party Management (www.Shareasale.com)

• They market your product

• You pay them a commission

Internet


3) Online Meetings - "Be everywhere for pennies"

• Presentations without the travel costs

• Webinars - Continue to educate your customers

• join.me - Free!!, Citrix Online

Internet


4) Social Media - "Meeting your customer online"

• Build your Brand

• Deliver your message

• Get a pulse on what your potential customers are saying

Internet


5) Other - "Use these to spread the word"

• Groupon

• Electronic Trade Publications

• Email Marketing

Internet


6) Your own retail store

• Start up costs & costs of running the store

• Need to be an expert on all areas of the business (buying, selling,

inventory, accounting, etc...)

• Leasing departments (Kiosks)

Brick and Mortar


7) Direct Contact with Retailers• Finding the appropriate contact people & making contact

• Visiting buying offices (out of state)

• Attending trade shows (visitor or exhibitor)

Brick and Mortar


8) Independent Sales Representatives• Finding the right Rep w/ connections in your industry

• Determining commission rates that fit into your margins

Brick and Mortar


9) Wholesale / Manufacturing - "Selling Partners"

• Finding appropriate manufacturing facilities domestically and/or

overseas

• Quality control / Human rights

• Inventory control & inventory flow

Brick and Mortar


10) Licensing Agreement - "Pot of Gold"

• Determining the right licensing partners

• Determining what the royalties & responsibilities of the licensee

of your product are

• Keeping true to your brand when bringing in outside influences

• The importance of trademark protection

Brick and Mortar


Internet

Comparison Factors(H = High, M = Medium, L = Low)

Costs Risk Effort Impact

1. Marketing Site L L M M/H

2. Affiliate Agreements L L L L/M

3. Online Meetings L L L M/H

4. Social Media M L M M

5. Other L L M M

Brick and Mortar

Comparison Factors(H = High, M = Medium, L = Low)

Costs Risk Effort Impact

6. Your Own Retail Store H H H M/H

7. Direct Contact with Retailers M M H H

8. Independent Sales Representatives M L L M

9. Wholesale/Manufacturing M M M M/H

10. Licensing Agreement M M H M/H

Thank you for attending!

Santa Barbara SCORE, in conjunction with the Small Business Administration, helps small businesses and startups by offering free mentoring/counseling relationships in all fields of business with the assistance of individuals possessing deep experience in those fields.

We utilize personal client contact and online tools provided by SCORE’s national organization exclusively for our clients. SB SCORE alone provides completely objective, confidential, free mentoring throughout our relationship.

If you are interested in Free Local Mentoring:1. Go to our site: www.sbscore.org2. Click in the green box: “Request a Meeting”3. Fill in the information requested, being as possible4. Click “Submit”5. You’re done. You’ve registered to receive mentoring services.

If you are interested in discussing becoming a SCORE Counselor, go to:• http://santabarbara.score.org/volunteer


Documents

“From the Internet Window to Macy's Window” 10 Ways to Increase the Sales of Your Product