follow up from my ad

[rubato456]

well i am giving a follow up on a post i made saying i had gotten a request for soap samples and brochure for two new natural care stores in chicago. i sent the soaps, lip balm and a brochure out and i just heard back that they liked the products very much and that they are going to order from me. he said that the first store is going to open in january and the second in april. i'm very excited but i'm wondering how to respond to this.....he didn't talk price or exact quantity other than to initially say he was interested in 'several cases'.

i want to ask the name of his store and how many unit (bars) he is thinking per case and i also want to know if my price is in line w/ what he had in mind. i also want to know which soaps he will be ordering as i don't currently have 48 soaps in every sample i sent him (i sent him 5 different soap samples) what is the best way to do this without seeming pushy.....he said he was very pleased w/ the product and with the prompt way in which i got them out to him and that i should feel free to call him anytime......

any suggestions/comments would be welcome. this is my first larger wholesale relationship. previously i have sold 20 bars to a local store down the street.

 

[heyjude]

Deborah,

That is such exciting news!!!! I am so happy for you. Since I don't sell I really don't have much to add in a business sort of way, but I'm sure some of the other members will chime in.

Way to go girl!!!

Jude

 

[MsBien]

That's wonderful news!

I think that if you have questions you should ask them now. He also may need to know what your lead time is. Now that you're selling you've got to be proactive IMHO. I think it's important to make things clear now (for both of you).

Stacie

 

[Saltysteele]

you better get to making soap!!!

 

[rubato456]

well i queried him further about the name of his store and which of the samples he thought he might be interested in ordering. he said

"As I mentioned before I am still in the early stages of getting a store. Once I get set up I will give you all the details. If I go ahead and carry your product line I can talk to your brother down the road but now I'm only in the beginning stage. Once the store is about to open I can contact you to place an order for 2 cases. Thanks for checking in."

that kind of throws a wet blanket on things.....i mentioned that my brother is a columninst for the chicago sun times and if he were interested i could talk to my brother about a column on his store, if he were interested. before he said he was ordering, now it's 'if i carry your product line'......oh well, i guess that's how it goes. :cry:

 

[JenniferSews]

I'd draw up a wholesale agreement. Include a minimum order, as well as the lead time you'll need from order to shipping. Then I'd mail that to him so there's no suprises down the road when he wants 50 bars (or just 6) in a week. From a buyers perspective it helped me to have the requirements down on paper so I could refer back to it when I was planning my ordering. I hated having to go back and email someone with questions a dozen times. Good luck!!

 

[Guest]

I don't think it is over , he is probably as excited about his store as you are about your soap and he may going crazy trying to get everything in place for his new store. Getting a little ahead of himself at times .kwim

Kitn

 

[IanT]

Yup making a store takes lots of planning, so he has put you in his "bag" of suppliers (no doubt he is probably doing the same with numerous other companies).... I would just write up an agreement as others have suggested.... Its business so just be nice and professional, state the facts and let him know youll work with him and give him the best customer service he's seen yet!

 

[Deb]

I aree on the wholesale agreement, and leave it up to him to decide after that. He may, he may not, but in the long run staying professionally friendly is what is going to either win you the contract, or should the worst happen, win you the backup contract.

he may well be swamped without time to register what he wrote, but he does need to know about your lead time. oh, and date validate the offer, as otherwise in 10 years time he might come back 'but your contract says....'

 

[rubato456]

i think the contract is a great idea. are there any standard forms to use that you would recommend. i'm not real great in the legal dept. do i have to hire a lawyer to draft one. that could be very expehsive

 

[JenniferSews]

If you search on the web you can usually find a few examples that could work for your business. I make a list of points I want to cover and write my own based on the examples and my list. It takes a while but I've never hired a lawyer for it. I'm too cheap!