Loading...
Answers
MenuI developed melamine plate for kids. It have nice design and package but I struggle with sales. How can I sell it?
I worked 2 years for design company as production manager. I learned how to manufacture products, but I don't have knowledge in sales and marketing. I invested all my savings. And developed my first product It is a melamine plate set in shape of a car for kids. The idea was to design plate which will make meal time more fun for kids. But so far I have sold only 100 pcs, and I still have 900. How I can sell it? I will appreciate all suggestions you can give me.
Answers
The best way to sell anything is to find a similar product to yours (but less competitive) and find out how / where they sell theres.
The truth is you'll need to make a lot of visits and calls which will mean rejection, but just know that it's a numbers game... meaning, it's all about the # of calls, emails, meetings you take - and over time you'll eventually get sales.
There's no silver bullet, only a lot of lead bullets. You just need to start firing the gun (= pick up the phone and try selling it to stores).
Again, find out who's been successful in this market, and copy what they did if you have no ideas how to proceed.
I agree with everything that has been said and interested to know who has bought it thus far? How did they find you? It will be good to know who exactly is the market so we can brainstorm more ideas on who/how to sell!
You might want to look for good distribution channels where there are communities built in parenting or making food fun for kids. Teaming up with them (think mommy bloggers, educators, etc.) to review your plates might provide an additional boost if you can offer them some sort of small incentive.
Additionally - have you contacted the 100 who have bought and asked them 1) how they found you 2) What about the product enticed them to fork over their cash for what you have created? Finding this out can lead to ways to offer your plates in areas where your target customers go/visit online as well as if they would recommend their plates to family and friends.
For paid traffic options -- you would want to be mindful. For example the CPC on google for, "melamine plates" is over $5 a click but you might be able to play around with keywords so that even low traffic terms would a) cost you less b) might provide a better conversion because it could be a feature or benefit of the plate that peeks their interest.
I hope this helps as a push off! More than happy to dive in if you can provide more specifics.
The very first thing you need to do is have your “brand” figured out. A lot of companies go right to marketing before they have their brand established. Marketing is tactical and it is what you do. Branding is who you are. Your brand should define what you do – marketing – and what tools (social media, websites, partnerships, PR, etc.) are the best vehicles to communicate your brand with. You will also need to define your audience personas. There is a process in doing branding correctly. I would be happy to discuss with you if you want to set up a call. Thank you.
You need a good sales rep that had the connection into the retail markets that you want to be in. A soild pitch deck and sales sheet for each SKU is absolutely necessary to get noticed. The sales rep getting you in there is only half the battle. Getting them to actually get interested in the product is all based on your deck and dollars. There is a lot more that comes with retail. Getting in the door is one thing. You will need marketing dollars to get there. If you want a connection to a great sales rep I can help you.
Related Questions
-
What are best strategies to sell LED light tubes and industrial lighting/lamps online a) in general and b) on amazon?
I'd ask Rocco Baldassarre. He is the best online marketing consultant I've ever seen and can surely give you concrete advice. Said that, my advice would be a) your own e-commerce store so you can drive traffic to it without losing money on commissions b) learn from best selling products (you can see sales ranks of competing products if you register as an amazon affiliate marketer; it's free) and copy their structure, split test regularly Hope it helps!CM
-
How much equity should I ask as a CMO in a startup?
Greater risk = greater equity. How likely is this to fail or just break even? If you aren't receiving salary yet are among 4-6 non-founders with equivalent sweat investment, all of whom are lower on the totem pole than the two founders, figure out: 1) Taking into account all likely outcomes, what is the most likely outcome in terms of exit? (ex: $10MM.) Keep in mind that 90%+ of all tech startups fail (Allmand Law study), and of those that succeed 88% of M&A deals are under $100MM. Startups that exit at $1B+ are so rare they are called "unicorns"... so don't count on that, no matter how exciting it feels right now. 2) Figure out what 1% equity would give you in terms of payout for the most likely exit. For example, a $10MM exit would give you $100k for every 1% you own. 3) Decide what the chance is that the startup will fail / go bankrupt / get stuck at a $1MM business with no exit in sight. (According to Allman Law's study, 10% stay in business - and far fewer than that actually exit). 4) Multiply the % chance of success by the likely outcome if successful. Now each 1% of equity is worth $10k. You could get lucky and have it be worth millions, or it could be worth nothing. (With the hypothetical numbers I'm giving here, including the odds, you are working for $10k per 1% equity received if the most likely exit is $10MM and the % chance of failure is 90%.) 5) Come up with a vesting path. Commit to one year, get X equity at the end. If you were salaried, the path would be more like 4 years, but since it's free you deserve instant equity as long as you follow through for a reasonable period of time. 6) Assuming you get agreement in writing from the founders, what amount of $ would you take in exchange for 12 months of free work? Now multiply that by 2 to factor in the fact that the payout would be far down the road, and that there is risk. 7) What percentage share of equity would you need in order to equal that payout on exit? 8) Multiply that number by 2-3x to account for likely dilution over time. 9) If the founders aren't willing to give you that much equity in writing, then it's time to move on! If they are, then decide whether you're willing to take the risk in exchange for potentially big rewards (and of course, potentially empty pockets). It's a fascinating topic with a lot of speculation involved, so if you want to discuss in depth, set up a call with me on Clarity. Hope that helps!RD
-
What should my consulting rates be as a freelance developer who can also do SEO, social media optimization and other marketing services?
Pricing for different tasks that require the same amount of time from you tells the Customer (and your subconscious) that you're working at a 5 on task x, but working at a 9 on task y simply because it costs/earns more. That seems to be a disconnect. Your time is your most precious asset, and I would charge for it whatever you're doing. If you build a site, and they are happy with your dev fee, but feel like you should charge less for SEO, simply let them find another SEO guy. That's their choice, but YOU are worth $xx.xx, no matter what you're doing. Also, in general, take whatever you're charging and add 10% to it. If you're still busy, add another 10%. Let the demand level determine how much work you do, and at what cost.SL
-
How can a small offshore development company find companies/software sales people to sell their service in the US/UK?
My company does a lot of consulting with offshore firms who are looking for a way to generate new business, so I hear this question a lot. My first reaction is that you need to totally reverse your mindset when you talk about your own company. You mentioned that you have: a great software developers team, proven track record, passion, real value But, everyone says that. There a 10,000 companies that have those things, so a customer isn't going to notice it. You need to figure out what your company is best at (doesn't have to be technical) and present it as a solution to a specific problem that clients have. Maybe a speciality, or really good project management, really good communications, a special expertise or experience, a personality, experience with a certain type of client.. really anything.. But, there must be some thing that makes your company 'special' otherwise you will be lost in the mix. Don't worry about things like rates, or the fact that you have 'great' developers. Those are generic. Think about why a client would really choose you, and try to build on that! After you understand your company identity, it gets much easier to identify and engage marketing channels because you understand your target.DH
-
How was SnapChat able to grow so quickly?
I'm answering your question assuming that you hope to be able to replicate it's own success in your own mobile app. There are a couple of factors responsible for it's growth that are instructive to anyone building a mobile app. "Leveraging the intimacy and privacy of the mobile phone." We now have an *intimate* relationship with our phone like no other device in the history of technology. Every internet company that started before around 2010 has built their core interactions around "the old web" one which was accessed primarily via a browser on a computer. Companies that start with a clean slate, should be building their interactions around how to do whatever the app is supposed to do while leveraging what is unique to people's relationship to their mobile devices. Photo-sharing has become a core part of the way we communicate now. Snapchat built something that provided an experience that leveraged the feeling of privacy and intimacy that is unique to mobile. "Provided an escape from the "maturity" of other online services." Too many parents, aunts, uncles and other "old people" have encroached into the social networks of teens and young people. As a result, they've had a desire to find places to express themselves in places inaccessible by older generations. An important distinction is that it's not just parents and relatives that young people are trying to avoid, but also employers & colleges who are increasingly using "mature" social networks to review applicants. "Leveraged PR even bad PR" The fact that the app got so much press about it being used to sext was perfect PR for the company, as it essentially reinforced the brand experience that it has today. Essentially, "if it's safe enough to send a sext, it's safe for any kind of communication I want to have." And although the safety and security of Snapchat is actually not as advertised, it still enjoys the reputation of having less impact than any primarily web-based service. Building a successful mobile application is one of the hardest challenges to face designers, programmers and entrepreneurs in the history of writing software. Happy to talk to you if you're considering building a mobile app, about what I've learned about the "table stakes" for success.TW
the startups.com platform
Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.