Why sales is the worst part of my job

[malcontent]

Just a thought, as someone who has a lot of experience with ads and marketing: for those local stores, the fact that you have a platform of 2.72 million subscribers would very likely be a selling point. You could be like "Obviously I'll tell people where they can buy these and send them to your store." That kind of advertising reach would be a substantial outlay for a small business in any other context. Either way, good luck with this endeavor!

[andrewhasiuk]

I do markets and trade shows like the one in this video and I've found what really helps is if you can have a desk or table of some kind where you can be working on your product.

This way you are approachable, but not intimidating. The people around me who stand in the middle of their booth are passed by everyone because no one wants to be stuck in an awkward situation where they have to say "no" to your face.

I bring a workbench with me and I finish products, pack orders, whatever and give a friendly "hello" to people who come to my booth, not people who are clearly walking past me. It makes a far more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere and I make way more sales this way.

[veritasium]

I admire your perseverance! And putting yourself out there even though it’s uncomfortable. “Gave away six coathinger sets to people who live in tiny houses.” Haha - those are your customers!!

[rozacy]

“I’m good at trying hard, and I’m good at trying different. In between those two things there’s a path forward” wow hell of a motivation quote

[adambrand]

As a “seasoned” outside sales rep with expo experience - you did good for your first round.

Walking in cold to places is hard but gets easier with every handle you pull. You really nailed it after your first pitch, you’re looking for that break the mold moment where your “pitch” becomes two people having a fun conversation. BUT that being said you should create a couple of key points so you can remember to say everything you want and people can easily digest your information.

For example:
- I’m selling x amount of hangers at y price, your margin will be z
- if you sell more than expected we can always talk about bulk price which will drive your margin up
- I think your store is perfect for this product because of XYZ

Also someone mentioned using your YouTube platform as an ad platform for local businesses, that might feel weird but it is something should consider. Maybe shoot a little episode after signing 5-10 places promoting your early brick and motor adopters. You could interview the owners and they can talk about their store for 2 minutes. Would be a cool video and help promote everyone involved. (In that case the promo video becomes part of your sales pitch)

This comment is too long, I love your channel, have fun selling and good luck ⚡️

[besmart]

I'm here for your traveling salesman phase

[SolidToneGuitarTech]

“I don’t want the reason that my business fails to be because I was a coward” is the most relatable feeling for any business owner. It takes a lot of courage to make your business a reality and a lot of hard work to make it barely sustainable. Keep up the good work and I’m sure some day you’ll realize it was worth it! All my best wishes from
Colombia! 🇨🇴

[hugboat]

Counterintuitive event tip: busy booths / tables actually attract more people. How does that help you if no one is at your booth? It may seem disingenuous, but having a random friend checking out your stuff and talking to you as if they were a passerby can make random people want to stop and see what the buzz is about.

[tsbrownie]

I was a top retail salesperson and if you go to a store that the right fit for your product, the manager WANTS to talk to you. Don't be shy / scared. You are doing them a favor by bringing them money/success. Every other store is a waste of your time and theirs (and many managers will let you know, don't take it personally, it's business and time = money). Bottom line, target retail shops carefully. Second most important thing is the 1 minute pitch that explains how the product helps 1) the store, 2) their customer. All else is a waste of time. 1) things like profit, inventory cost, secondary sales, turnover, sales rep training not needed, etc. are fascinating to store managers. 2) Why their customers will benefit: more clothes-less space, clothes last longer (?), etc. i.e. how hard will the sales be? Don't be afraid to talk business, "I see it's not a good fit for you, thanks for your time. Before I go, may I pick your brain? Is there someplace around that might be a good match?"

[juliacornejo]

Ok but the tiny coat hinger shelf kit, I lost it. It's so CUTE!!
It's so awesome to see how far you've come and the amount of room there is to grow (which is a lot) to see more of your amazing products!!

[ARepublicIfYouCanKeepIt]

Simone, I spent 35 years in business development and say that I never sold a product to anyone. I viewed my mission as providing people with the information that they needed in order to make a considered decision. Simple as that.

Once you get over the idea that rejection is some kind of personal reflection, you quickly realize that "no" isn't fatal. In fact, the quicker you get to "no", the better as you wind up saving the one thing that none of us gets more of...time.

You're wicked smart, incredibly engaging and passionate about your product, ideas and people. Who wouldn't want to carry your product?

[CleoAbram]

Like you said at the end, you are good at trying hard and good at trying different. And we all know you're GREAT at making amazing things. Cheering for you and all that's ahead for Yetch!

[Dan-Black]

If you haven't already, you should send information to touring bands, or the companies that manage/rent those types of tour buses or RVs. Also maybe find social media groups for people who do custom RV/camper conventions. And people who do van life -- maybe even offer to send a couple promotional ones to prominent van life youtubers/tiktokers, so they can try out your hingers and hopefully feature them in a video that more people will see.

I'm just trying to think of people who would be willing to pay the higher costs because space is a premium, and hopefully that could get more demand for the product, which as you said, would then let the prices come down due to larger production runs. Sorry if you've already tried the ones I mentioned; I'm sure you've thought of at least some of those already.

[Richthofen]

My wife spent a year before our son was born building her own business where she manufactured amazing handbags. These were bespoke, designer quality, made from recycled materials. They were amazing and she poured her heart into each one, which was time consuming. The lesson we learned, after hustling the craft fair circuit and only selling a few (this was right around the time Etsy let in the overseas mass producing resellers), was that it wasn't enough to have an amazing product. You have to have a plan to sell, and that's an entirely new skill to learn. Sometimes the most amazing things don't have a market, or aren't ready for the market. Good luck, and thanks for documenting your journey.

[benjocz]

"I just don't want the reason that my business fails to be because I was a coward" was so real for me. I love the doing and I hate the selling for all of the same reasons you listed (dont want to overstep, dont want to bother, etc.). You are awesome for putting yourself out there. And the product is perfect so you have nothing to worry about.

[dansegelov]

Sales is not 'trying to convince people to buy your product, ' it's actually about finding the people who have a need for your product.

It's a lot less scary when you realise that you are really just satisfying an existing desire, instead of trying to conjure one into existence!

Don't ask people for their time. Don't start by telling them about yourself, your business or your product. Start by asking about THEM.

"Hi I'm Simone. Are you a tiny home owner?" "I've heard that storage is a major concern in tiny homes." How are you currently storing your clothing?" etc etc...

[oldschooldos]

That sales suitcase is death by cuteness, superb work. You've tackled scarier things than social interactions, you can and will crush it!

[asmalldragon]

Putting everything in the suitcase was VERY smart! Really shows off how compact and effective the product is at doing what it needs to do and it clearly adds a bit of surprise and excitement to the pitch! I love the reaction you got from it. Best of luck to you!!! You got this!!

[digital_gadget]

"I just don't want the reason my business fails is because I was a coward." that hits home SO MUCH

[RareEarthSeries]

Sales is normal people kryptonite. Being bad at sales and finding it uncomfortable is in my opinion a badge of honour.