Perfecting my sales presentation

May 24th, 2008 by BloggingMommy

We picked up new boutiques in Orange County yesterday. I do not have a background in sales (beyond waitressing / bartending my way through college), so I have been on quite the roller-coaster ride since walking into my first boutique and making my first pitch.

Two new clients yesterday, one was by appointment, one was a cold-call. The appointment yesterday was the first one I’ve been in where they actually had an area for me “set up”. I was thrilled. It made such a difference to have a few moments to get the line sheets and samples out and arranged in an orderly fashion before giving my spiel.

Luckily, I had quite the drive to get to my appointments and I had spent it thinking of how I would present my line with more of a presentation than I have in the past. I’m used to just launching right in with “Our signature item is..”. Now I start with “Have you heard of Baby Fabulous?” and then “let me tell you a little about the company”. Which is just a two-liner high-lighting the main things about our brand.

As I write this, it sounds weird to me that I haven’t had more of a presentation in the past. But everything is a learning experience. Every single time I make a sales pitch to a buyer, I learn something new about how to improve my pitch the next time…if not quite a few new things.

Our line is finally extensive enough that there is literally something for everyone. I’m completely itching to design the clothing collection I’ve been working on in my mind, but there are a few other things to invest in for the business before launching a new line.

Which is good because it gives me plenty of time to do my visualizing regarding all the buzz there will be around the release of my first seasonal collection. I will get there, all in due time.

We had a rewarding evening out with the kids, doing what THEY love - Chuck E. Cheeze. And we worked so hard all week, meaning our kids sacrificed time with us all week - so we spent a good three hours there letting them run themselves ragged. It was a great way to kick of the three day weekend.

about


Patricia Cobe and Ellen H. Parlapiano are authors of the books Mompreneurs® Online: Using the Internet to Build Work@Home Success (Perigee, 2001), Mompreneurs®: A Mother's Practical Step-by-Step Guide to Work-at-Home Success (Perigee, 1996), and founders of MompreneursOnline.com.

They are recognized as leading authorities on women-owned businesses, and have offered entrepreneurial advice on Oprah, the CBS Early Show, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, and numerous other TV and radio shows nationwide.

In the ten years since they coined and trademarked the catchy word “mompreneurs,” they have watched the entrepreneurial mom movement explode.

Meet Our Blogging Team:

  • Baby Product Mom / Phylana Stowers: Phylana is the Founder and CEO of Stowers Swaddlers & Stationery, a business which includes infant swaddling blankets, burp cloths and note cards. The mother of 5 resides in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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  • Blogging Mom / Amber Miner: Amber is the Founder and President of Baby Fabulous and also co-owns BizyBlogs, a blog setup and content services company, with her husband, Jason. The mom of two resides in San Diego, CA.
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  • Inventor Mom/Leslie Haywood: Leslie is Founder and President of Charmed Life Products and inventor of a grilling accessory called Grill Charms ®. The mother of 2 resides in Charleston, South Carolina.
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  • Designer Mom/Melissa Yamello: Melissa is the owner and designer behind Storybook Studio, a company that manufactures art and craft products for children.She also provides graphic illustration/design services. The mom of 2 resides in New Jersey.
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  • Teacher Mom/Beth Butler: Beth is the creator of the Boca Beth bilingual program for young children. The mom of three resides in Tampa, Florida.
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  • Organizer Mom / Cindy Chrysler:Cindy is a Founding Organization Consultant for The Clever Container Co. and assists her husband, John, with his newest venture - Streamside Farm. They make toy barns using 100% reclaimed barn wood. The home schooling mother of four resides in Millington, MI.
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  • Photo Mom/Jill Caren: Jill is a photographer/artist who began Expressions Photo Design, where art and gifts are made from your personal photographs. The mom of one resides in Morganville, NJ. View Blog
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  • Programming Mom/ Susan Scheid: Susan is a web application programmer who developed the e-commerce catalog system OptionCart. The mom of one resides in the Delaware, Ohio area.
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  • Virtual Assistant Mom/Diana Ennen: Diana is the author of numerous books on starting a virtual assistant business, and the President of Virtual Word Publishing . The mom of 3 resides in Margate, FL.
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  • Customer Service Mom/Janene Jaroscak: Janene is Founder and President of Trending Solutions, a customer service and order fulfillment company that supports small businesses. The mother of 1 resides in New Albany, OH.
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  • Music Mom/Cher Klosner Lane: Cher is a singer/songwriter, from the sibling duo, "Cher & Gene Klosner", Co-Founder of Audible Chocolate Productions, Co-creator and Co-producer of the award winning "Stardust" lullaby CD. The mom of one and her husband, Emmy Award winning "The Simpson's" Assistant Director and animator, Ben Lane, reside in Omaha, NE with their son.
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  • On-the-Move Mom/Stacy Dallman: Stacy is the founder of Nookums, LLC and inventor of a baby product called Paci-Plushies™. She recently relocated her family from California to Russia , as her husband plays hockey professionally there. The mother of two shares her amazing journey as a mom and inventor overseas.
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  • Website Mom/Holly Klassen: Holly runs Fussy Baby, a website that helps parents of fussy, colicky or 'high-needs' infants. Holly currently resides in Vancouver, Canada with her husband and two kids.
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