Overly sensitive seller or not?

[Kenaslan]

I would agree with most people here. I doubt she made the soaps herself. I do not sell at shows. Too many people for my taste. And too much work. I would rather not be seen, and sell wholesale. I amazed that people would still buy from her if she was unwilling to answer simple questions. Did she have an attractive display that would make you "want" to buy?

 

[Tabitha]

If she had made the soap she would have gobbled up the oportunity to brag on her ingredients and process.

 

[Guest]

Well, I don't know what to tell you honestly, because I learned how to make soap by asking the lady at the market whom I had been buying from how to do it, and she told me. She was super friendly and nice, and was really happy that I was excited about it. I would be kinda shocked to see otherwise but at the same time it doesn't surprise me, because some people may feel threatened by ?ing.....

 

[newbie]

Kenaslan, that was exactly why I went over to her booth. She was making sales like you would not believe, but her stand was not particularly attractive. She had a table that was pegboarded with multiple rows of soaps. THere was a place for each scent- had a flat board with the scent name on it just in front of that soap's space. Each pegged space held about 3-4 bars stacked on top of one another. The table was about 2/5 feet deep and about 5 feet wide, covered in this pegboard. It was hard to figure out if the named scent was in front of or in back of the name. She had a number of decent signs up advertising prices and the oils. It looked utilitarian rather than attractive. No frills, no colors- every last thing was in black and white or light brown. Nothing inthe background except her stacks of plastic containers holding her extra stock. It amazed me that she had so much business because it was not eye-catching. But she clearly had something right!

 

[kbuska]

Perhaps her soap contained crack. It always keeps em coming back!

-Ken

 

[Hazel]

Perhaps her soap contained crack. It always keeps em coming back!

-Ken

Ah ha! That's the secret ingredient. Now we know. Thanks for revealing it, Ken.

 

[Tegan]

Nah....not Crack....probably meth...I mean....if you already have lye on hand.....*snicker*

 

[Fragola]

Since your purpose was finding out what she was doing right, you should have focused more on her customers: gender, clothing, single individuals or families, what other products it seems they have purchased in their bags, how did they choose the soaps (color, smell, more soaps of the same type or more different soaps), which soaps seem to sell better. And definitely buy a couple of bars yourself

You seem to be describing the diversity of her offer as a strong sales point. Based on what you noticed what were the distinctive traits of the soaps? A fragrance, the color, the labeled oils or any other ingredients ? Did the soaps have strong fragrances and bright colors or more on the dull side ... ?

Something else: did she have any competition ? At the festival, but not only that: if her customers wouldn't buy her soaps, where would they buy their soaps ?

Kenaslan, that was exactly why I went over to her booth. She was making sales like you would not believe, but her stand was not particularly attractive.

Ok, I will be exaggerating a little here, but it seems to some degree you went there because you believed she should be less successful. You possibly formed that belief even before closely inspecting her soaps and counting her DOS.

Based on that, it would be unreasonable for you to expect to be welcomed with open arms

 

[busymakinsoap!]

I'm with Fragola on this one.

I've worked in retail most of my life. I know that every customer is a potential sale, but it gets fairly easy to distiguish the 'real' customers from those who are inspecting, or comparing product to something they already own/make/sell - they ask more questions; which at times can be quite confrontational, and they are quick to point out the faults in a product.

I'm not saying that you were confrontational, or picking holes Newbie, but perhaps she misread it to be that way.

I did it in LUSH the other day, I inspected everything and was grossed out by there unpackaged soap that was covered in hair and dust and when I was acknowledged by a sales person I was acutally really short with them - I walked out and couldnt believe how I had acted. :shock:

My guess would also be, that if she is selling well she must have some regulars, which means her product cant be all bad.

 

[FreeRabbit]

maybe she thought by the questions that you are competition? I always like to tell people about my hobby but also I need to remember not to talk TO MUCH to potential competitors?
also maybe she thought the vibe leads to negative feedback? (no offence yes? but if she's stupid enough to sell soap with DOS she won't want to be yelled at in front of more people)

 

[Guest]

Perhaps her soap contained crack. It always keeps em coming back!

-Ken

lol, that is what I say about the chips at Mexican places.

 

[Guest]

I'm with Fragola on this one.

I've worked in retail most of my life. I know that every customer is a potential sale, but it gets fairly easy to distiguish the 'real' customers from those who are inspecting, or comparing product to something they already own/make/sell - they ask more questions; which at times can be quite confrontational, and they are quick to point out the faults in a product.

I'm not saying that you were confrontational, or picking holes Newbie, but perhaps she misread it to be that way.

I did it in LUSH the other day, I inspected everything and was grossed out by there unpackaged soap that was covered in hair and dust and when I was acknowledged by a sales person I was acutally really short with them - I walked out and couldnt believe how I had acted. :shock:

My guess would also be, that if she is selling well she must have some regulars, which means her product cant be all bad.

Don't feel bad! Lush in my experience is like Teavana, it really depends on the sales associate. Maybe the one you got was really over the top pushy or something?!? I have had a similar experience in a Teavana and nearly lost it, and had to leave to calm down, because I really hate being PRESSURED to buy 3 lbs of tea at a time. I kinda get the same vibe at Lush, but maybe I just went to a bad one...

 

[newbie]

There was no one else selling soaps at a dedicated stand at the festival. Some people had a few felted bars- being the wool festival and all- but no other soap stands. I don't know that I was expecting her to have poorer business; I'm not sure. I couldn't see anything particularly distinctive about her stand, and you know how some stands or displays just draw your attention, and thought there must be something to it, with the amount of traffic she was getting, so I went over. I felt more curious than anything. That's why I was surprised when I looked at her stand. it seemed very bland to me. It wasn't possible to see anything but the ends of the soaps and she used no colorants, so it wasn't attractiveness of the soaps that drew people. The scents weren't great. I don't know- I was fascinated by what made her sales. I couldn't figure it out. ANd she had a style of speaking that was clipped and busy. Still a mystery to me. I was just taken aback by her response so I wondered if I had stepped over a line I didn't know existed. Otherwise, I guess it's not possible to dissect it too much- too many unknowns.

The crack comment made me laugh.