hollycandle

I agree wholesale has been the best for me.

sounds like she ruined a good deal

I'd tell her in a nice way that she gets what she pays for.

if she wants crap go buy crap.

I would love to see your web site!

Holly, Id like to see your regular website of products. Could you post that please?

I might post it sometime later after I am more established and respected on the board, and don't look like a fly by night marketer.

Thanks for asking.

But FWIW, welcome to the board.

Thanks:)

Please don't misconstrue my posting a link to my website as me being a know-it-all with all the answers.

I understand where you are coming from and understand what me placing my link on my posts might have looked like to everyone.

Have you read the posts that I have made? I am just chiming in on things that I have experienced, just giving my two cents. I never say "hey check out my site".

Did "the others" hard sell you with their stuff, like "hey if you want to learn how to make candles then you should check out my site?" If they did then I completely understand your problem with them.

But hey give a girl a chance. I'm not doing that. If someone clicks to my site it's because they liked what I had to say in a post...not because I said "hey come here to learn..."

I honestly thought I was contributing to the board and you are completely negating any of the content that I posted just because of a link.

Please accept my apology.

Totally understandable...this works in lots of businesses...

When I sold real estate this applied too. We didn't care about selling the houses that we had open houses for, but we did want to use it to find other potential customers. Lots of people go to open houses just for fun and aren't even in the market, BUT if you get their contact info and send them promotions throughout the year, then when they are in the market they might call you. Selling the house that you have open would just be a bonus.

I don't bombard them with meaningless sales pitches.

Most of the time they are excited about getting a promotion.

the marketing changes when they purchase something. I then personalize the promotions.

Something like...

"I know how much you like burning Cinnamon Bun in your home...well for the next seven days you can buy one get one half off"

What's the harm in marketing to people who you know like to burn candles.

Not every person who stops by your booth will purchase.

Do you think that it's possible that a certain percentage of people who stop by and don't purchase at the fair could potentially make a purchase in the future?

They sometimes do.

I should have said it differently...

I don't care about the sales...I care about getting peoples names who are interested in candles.

There are all sorts of reasons that people don't purchase something the first time they see it.

But if I can market to people and say

"hey remember me...you stopped by my booth at _____craft fair the other day, we're having a sale on_____ for the next 7 days. Here are the details."

You can potentially gain a customer for life rather than a single sale at the fair.

I can understand if you see crap from spammers...I guess I thought that by providing worthwhile and contributing posts I might not be seen that way.

My apologies.

What??? Bug

I then have my own list of people who are interested in candles.

Then I can send promotions to them. I like to create a relationship with customers so that they aren't tempted to purchase from another vendor.

I send out b-day cards with a coupon. I send out happy anniversary cards with coupons. etc...etc...

Having a list of buyers that you can market to over and over again is a business. Having a one time sale is not!

Just my thoughts.

Do you really make candles or are you just trying to push your "how to" book? :rolleyes2 Carole

Wow Carole!

Carole, we're on message board community about making candles where almost everyone here already knows how to make candles. It does me no good to market "how to make candles" on this site...because everyone already knows how.

What about my posts has made you decide to ask such a thing - other than my website address on my posts?

I'm not shouting...HEY BUY MY PRODUCT!

I have not touted my product in any way. Geeze

I am just trying to be a contributing member of the community...like you.

You have a very nice site by the way.

You are quite welcome!!

Keep us updated!

Hey have you read Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich?

It changed my life.

I think they ought to refund this years fee.

And give you half off next year!!!

I don't care how many candles I sell at shows...I care about how many names and addresses I get so I can market to them throughout the year.

There's more money in the back end than in a single sale.

Any sales I make are just icing on the cake!!!

That's just me though:)

This is an opportunity for you to shine!

Do what you have to do to make ends meet --- full time.

And work on your fortune part time.

One of the quickest roads to failure with any part time business that one wants to take full time is the mindset.

I know it sounds quacky...

but it's true...once you change your mindset from "working part time in your business" to "working part time on your fortune until you can work full time on your fortune" you will never realize the true success that you desire.

Good luck!!!!

The real question that you should be caring about is...

...did your candles sell...better or worse than previous years, with your new look?

Did you make more money?

If they want to kick you out of their craft show because you display doesn't look "primitive enough" or whatever...Then I say heck with them...get creative and prove to them that you don't need their stinking craft show to sell your candles.

Don't let them break your spirit!

Holly

nicely said Holly

Thanks rebeccajo99

Hi there flutterbye,

That's terribly sad news about your depart from the hand crafted candle world. I really do bet your candles are missed by everyone who sought them out.

Here's a thought for you that you could consider that I have used to overcome this problem.

"Your customers" aren't the people who are looking for those cheap run-of-the-mill, no heart and soul put into candles.

Your customers are those who truly appreciate a finely crafted product that you used your hands...heart...and soul...not a machine to create. ...Yes those people are out there.

When someone says something like:

"I saw these candles at Kohls or Gordmans, scented, made of real wax and battery operated for only $5.99 each or so and so makes what you do for half the price, why do you have to charge so much more?

They simply want something to smell half-way good, look decent, and be CHEAP!

Here's a good tidbit of marketing advice I learned several years back about pricing.

"The marketplace takes you at your own appraisal"!!

If you compete with the discounters, what are you saying about your product? You are saying that what you make is as cheap and crappy as the Mainstays Candles at walmart.

Who cares if all the discounters are selling cheap stuff...the people who buy it know its cheap crap. But they are buying for different reasons than the people who are looking for the caliber of candles that you create.

If you put your heart and soul into making beautiful candles...then price them accordingly.

Don't try to be in a price competition...because you can't win (and you don't want to win at being the cheapest.)

Being the cheapest or even in the average price range is rarely the best profiting strategy.

You can always give compelling reasons with your marketing as to why your candles are worth much more than your closest competitor.

Don't worry about bargain shoppers...the upscale buyers are out there!!

Go find them!!

Holly

I agree with Brenda, I've experienced the same thing with 4360. But they always burn the same.

Who know's

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http://www.hollycandlesecrets.com

the best way I avoid this kind of headache is to double box and send UPS.

My husband used to work for UPS and he said that packages were treated pretty disrespectfully at times but I haven't yet had someone complain about broken or cracked containers.

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http://www.hollycandlesecrets.com

I always get started early. I pour as many as I can of every scent.

If I end up pouring more than I need...then I find a way to sell them. It's a great way to force market yourself.

But I'm a bit over the top sometimes (at least my hubby tells me so) HA!

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http://www.hollycandlesecrets.com

Check out ebay for the design service.

Type in logo design or label design.

you can get an awesome label for $30 or so.

Also try guru.com for the design service.

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http://www.hollycandlesecrets.com

I love the containers...Does anyone else check out Hobby Lobby when they have half off their stained glass containers.

They look beautiful too!

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http://www.hollycandlesecrets.com

What is your display like?

What does your product look like? i.e. are they just mason jars with lids and labels? Or are they dressed up at all.

You can sell a bad product with excellent marketing.

A excellent product won't sell without good marketing just because it's an excellent product.

But with an excellent product and excellent marketing you can clean house!!