I had another success this week. A local, privately-owned bicycle store agreed to sell Gather No Moss t-shirts. So, our “cyclist” t-shirts are now available at Snitger’s Bicycle Store in Beaver, PA.
The process of pitching to retailers has been interesting for me, since I’m really not a salesman. I also don’t like cold calls, so my approach has been to send a 1-page letter to the specific decision maker at the retailer that explains who we are, what we’re trying to do, and that I’ll be contacting them in a couple days. I then follow up with a phone call a few days later, assuming/hoping that they’ve read my letter and that my call isn’t coming from out of the blue.
Also, for the two retailers that I have so far, I’m selling on consignment, so the only thing the retailer really has to do is provide shelf or hanger space, and their own price tags. I only get paid based on what sells, but it’s a no-lose situation for the retailer, and for me it just means that I’m “floating” the money, since I’ve already purchased and printed the shirts. At this point, since I’m still working full time, I can afford to not have good cash flow. I’m more interested in getting the product out.
Gather no moss!
Brian