What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven't happened yet.
Today I met with a wonderful woman that found my Etsy shop on-line and we now have a wholesale partnership. She has her own business as an Esthetician in the Hillcrest area of San Diego. Along with providing services, she also sells local handmade artisan items. My jewelry is now part of her selection!
The reason I bring this up in my blog is that it really got me thinking about how many times I have allowed wholesale opportunities to slip away in the past. Barbara found me via Etsy and contacted me. While I immediately responded to her e-mail, if she had not replied back and pursued a meeting with me, that would have been the end of it.
I am contacted periodically regarding wholesale and many times they don't lead anywhere. I always assume that perhaps my wholesale prices weren't in line with what the person was looking for or they were contacting a number of jewelry designers and I didn't make the final cut. Whatever the reason, if I don't hear back, it's never occurred to me to send a follow-up e-mail.
Well, as of now, that changes! There is no reason to not send a quick, polite follow-up e-mail if I don't hear back from someone with a wholesale inquiry. In the past, I've been so quick to dismiss these opportunities based on what could be incorrect assumptions. Who knows - maybe the timing was just wrong at the initial contact and my follow-up is just the reminder they need to make an order. We're all busy and I can think of many times that I've had items in my on-line cart at many businesses and never ordered just because I got busy doing something else and didn't get around to it. We can all attest to that, can't we?
So, in order to grow my business, I need to be more pro-active with people who contact me regarding orders. No more just responding then assuming they changed their mind when I don't hear back. I have to realize that it's not pushy to send a second or even third response. As long as it's done politely and I wait a reasonable amount of time, it's just good business!
Can you think of times when you've dropped the ball just because you didn't hear back from someone who inquired about your business?
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