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Another thing to remember: Always price your merchandise lower than what Wal-Mart gets (that is, if they have the same stuff). Make sure you buy low
enough to be flexible with your prices.
The customers love to get a good deal just as much as you do. When you put
prices on your merchandise, it is a lot more professional to mark or label each item with a printed price. Get a price tag gun. This lets your customer know you are for real. For some strange reason, they accept a printed price from one of those price guns as if it were “carved in stone”.
I’ve talked to several vendors who use a price gun to mark their merchandise.
They all agree that it cuts the haggling way, way down. Some vendors I know
never cut their prices at all. Once the price is stamped on the item, they stick to it.
One vendor that I have always liked, never cuts his pre-made prices on anything in his booth. If someone tries to offer him a lower price, he just tells them that if they cannot afford to shop with him - shop somewhere else! What a guy!
If you do not put your prices on your merchandise, the customers will get
suspicious of you - like you just dream up the price depending on what the
customer looks like. Not too smart! You will lose a lot of sales if you try to pull that trick, not to mention the customers who are shy and don’t feel comfortable with having to speak up and ask a stranger (you) about the unseen price.
Copyright © 2004 Larry L. Austin
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In my opinion, nothing is more amateurish than placing merchandise out with no price on it. Also, if you are a traveling couple and both working the booth (you should be), make sure that both of you know the lowest price you can sell a
product for. I don’t know how many times I’ve asked the price on something only to hear, “I’m not sure, my husband/wife went somewhere and won’t be back for a few minutes” NEXT!
I am always amazed at how dumb some vendor couples are.
Another trick that some customers like to pull: They look at an item of yours.
They get a price quote and leave. Usually they depart with, “Well, let me think about it”. Later, they show back up at your booth, conveniently when you just left and they proceed to tell your partner that you said that they could have the article for way below what you really said. This puts your partner in a tight spot. Did that so-and-so really put that low a price on it? Am I going to make the sale, or lose it? Am I going to get chewed out by my partner when they find out either way it goes?
Well you get the picture. I’ve been stuck a few times myself. Remember, know your prices.
If you make a special quote on something, call your partner over and say in front of the customer what kind of deal your have made, just in case you have to go to the restroom, blah, blah, blah.
Copyright © 2004 Larry L. Austin
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