After nearly fifteen years, I've re-entered the exciting world of retail sales as a gift rep, also known as a road rep, road warrior or outside sales rep.
Creative Dreamer Jewelry - Handcrafted jewelry and bookmarks made made from the bark of paper birch trees.
What happened fifteen years ago that put a stop to my rep career? A car came out of no-where, slammed into me and my head hit the windshield, actually cracking the glass, leaving me with a closed-head injury and a whole lot of post traumatic stress when it comes to driving. Basically, I couldn't make myself get in the car and drive anywhere.
Resigned, I took a job as a paralegal and did that for 8 years, then, fed up with office politics, and working for "the man", I quit on the spot, and activated my real estate license and sold new homes, a status requiring no driving.
Fast forward to 2014 and I'm bored and disillusioned with real estate and dealing with the whole economy i.e. short sales, foreclosures.
Selling gifts is abundantly more fun and rewarding, both for me and my customers. Retail gift shop owners buying gifts for their location are happy and excited. It's like Christmas every day.
You may ask, what is so exciting about being a gift rep? I'm speaking strictly for myself, but outside of actually owning a retail gift shop, helping owners of gift shops stock their shelves with products I would have chosen myself if it was my own shop, is exciting and satisfying. Bringing attention to gifts I have scoured the Internet for and found because they are different from anything they presently sell, and then having that product become a "Best Seller" is very rewarding.
I've put my license on ice, ordered new business cards, sent out cards and letters to gift, hospital, museum and independent pharmacies letting them know I'll be knocking on their door with a sample case full of "good things" as Martha would say.
Because Delaware's State Bug is the Ladybug beetle, I designed a card and envelope to send to Delaware gift shops:
Then I turned it into a "musical card":
My "Good Things" are gifts, cards and impulse items manufactured by different companies which have asked me to take their products on the road and introduce, and hopefully sell, them to local retailers, museum and hospital gift shops, as well as other suitable businesses, such as independent pharmacies and convenience stores.
Reps have territories. Mine is the Delmarva Peninsula which covers the State of Delaware, the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and down as far as Chincoteague, Virginia.
Ideally, a gift rep carries at least twenty different lines. In my case, one of my lines, Smart Charms, offers many impulse items, as well as custom-design services for those shops, groups or organizations that like to brand themselves or offer items with a certain logo on them, i.e. custom lighthouse magnets, trivets, spoons, and pins to coastal resort gift shop depicting the local lighthouse smartcharms.com/custom.asp.
Smart Charms doesn't charge setup or artwork fees, a difference I'm hoping these groups will appreciate (and place a BIG order).
So far my lines are:
Lightmark Arts - Greeting cards featuring dogs in cars, trucks and such and cats wherever.
Sarah Hoduck Chicken Art - Chickens depicted drinking wine, coffee and tea.
Bungalow Canyon - Beautiful journals, note pads and desk sets.
Lightmark Arts - Greeting cards featuring dogs in cars, trucks and such and cats wherever.
Sarah Hoduck Chicken Art - Chickens depicted drinking wine, coffee and tea.
Bungalow Canyon - Beautiful journals, note pads and desk sets.
Smart Charms - Specializing in custom and impulse items.
Primal Elements - Personal care products and candles.
Zeppa Studios - Animal-themed gifts.
Arbor Vitae Cards - Beautiful greeting cards and stationery featuring seashells, shorebirds, florals, butterflies and cute animals.
For Arts Sake - For all your greeting card and stationery needs.
For Arts Sake - For all your greeting card and stationery needs.
Classy Nail Files - Amazing assortment of glass nail files made in the USA as well as a line of fingerless gloves to show off your manicure.
Branelli Beads - Jewelry made in the USA. New line of charms, lockets and bangles.
Creative Dreamer Jewelry - Handcrafted jewelry and bookmarks made made from the bark of paper birch trees.
Chubby Chap - A BIG lip balm.
Things To Do Too - One product featuring dogs on note pads.
Smart Alex Cards - Naughty cards that will make you laugh out loud.
I think I have a terrific mix of cards, gifts and impulse items that I'm betting on my customers will love as much as I do. Meantime, I'm searching and searching for that "perfect gift" that makes someone laugh, bring tears or feel emotions, and just have to buy.
Now, the sample case is packed and I'm ready to roll...
Saturday, May 17, 2014
That horse and buggy is hitched up in the parking lot of a popular retail location in my territory, Byler's Store, www.bylers.com just outside of Dover, Delaware, home of a small enclave of Amish. It is not unusual to find a hitching post (and a pile of horse hocky) in a parking lot in Dover. The Amish don't drive cars, but they do accept rides from non-Amish. I doubt anyone has missed seeing an episode or commercial for the television program Amish Mafia, so I don't need to go into a long description of the Amish lifestyle. My husband, Bill, and I shop at Bylers at least once a week, and on this particular trip I left my Sheffield & Co. business card at the customer service desk after inquiring about who did their buying. Later on I'll share whether or not they actually did purchase from me and what they purchased, and how that purchase worked out for them, and whether it was one of those "Best Sellers".
Stay tuned.
