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greenoak
02-25-2009, 09:17 AM
today a new guy is coming to buy from us....hes hoping to buy 30 or 40 pieces of furniture....he found us on the web...
thats the good part..heres the pathetic part...so this morning ive spent over an hour playing around with etsy.trying to learn the ropes there, ..its my new project...which might bring in 200 $ this month.....
i what i should be doing is working on/ recreating the situation that got mr.bigs attention....etsy is nothing so far, , mr. big is crucial...10 mr.bigs would be transforming and a huge plus for our business...

i guess im just in the zone on the couch and escaping from this huge day for us...hes flying in to chicago as im here working on the teeny details of my etsy store..
which offers steampunk supplies...
i have to be out there and ready for the day in about an hour...
this does feel kind of pathetic to me...i am concentrating on the wrong thing....i know my web works ...its just kind of murky...im not quite sure what was the good part, probably the pictures......... i will definitely ask how he found me..usually they cant remember and just say on the internet... ..ann

huggytree
02-25-2009, 09:39 AM
id take mr.big out to lunch or dinner....then you can spend more time asking how he found you and why he chose you....he will remember.....learn all about him...how he does what he does....then maybe you can figure out how to market to his 'type' or find his 'type'....

make him a friend....not just a customer...

find out what you need to do to get him to come back soon and repeat...what kind of things does he like, so you can look for items which are a good match for him...you could call him with updates or email him photo's weekly

vangogh
02-25-2009, 11:23 AM
Ann I think what you're doing is normal. Mr Big is important to your business and that might be putting some added pressure on you. You're probably filled with anticipation too and waiting for his arrival is making you antsy. So you're filling some time with busy work just so the time will pass in a way that hopefully doesn't leave you thinking about Mr Big non-stop.

Good luck and let us know how it all turned out.

Dan Furman
02-25-2009, 11:46 AM
Let me ask a serious question - do you really want 10 Mr. Bigs? I mean, really, really, or does the thought scare you just a tad?

We often resist "good things", especially in matters of business and financial, because they take us out of our comfort zone (it's kind of a form of self-sabotage, although that term is a little harsh.) Yes, one Mr. Big is nice - will make for a nice Spring. But 10 Mr. Bigs is life (and business) changing. Many of us do not want to change all that much (at least on a subconscious level), because, well, it's scary.

I do this myself (it's quite normal, and sometimes a defense mechanism) - I limit myself to one "big" project at a time. Meaning I'll take on a three month project for a client, but resist adding another until the first is done. I say "I can't handle it", but in reality, I kind of don't want to. Because that changes me from a one man writing shop to an agency, and, in the back of my mind, I'm not keen on becoming an agency.

Spider
02-25-2009, 12:26 PM
...mr. big is crucial...10 mr.bigs would be transforming and a huge plus for our business...Ann, Is your business geared up to service 10 Mr.Bigs all at once? From what you have said, it doesn't seem so. Indeed, is your business even geared up to handle one Mr.Big? You seem apprehensive about even this one. Are you?

It seems to me that a business cannot get 10 big customers and then adapt to catering to them - that's a sure way to lose them all. A business must be ready and capable of looking after these 10 big customers BEFORE they walk through the door.

I'd think it better to make sure you are ready to give superior service to this one, then prepare to handle two. When you have the two, then prepare to handle four.... and so on. But, however you choose to do it, you must always be ahead of the game. Trying to play catch-up in customer service is quite likely to lead to a less than desirable outcome.

Congratulations on this one! I look forward to hearing how your meeting went.

KristineS
02-25-2009, 12:29 PM
My guess would be you're probably feeling a bit of nerves right now. Sometimes concentrating on something else is the best way to calm yourself down. That way, when Mr. Big walks in the door you're smiling and confident, not nervous and wound up.

If you've done everything you can do to be ready for Mr. Big, then it makes sense to do something else. If you haven't, that's a different story.

greenoak
02-25-2009, 12:51 PM
thanks for the feedback...thans vg...thats how im looking at it....
i really hear you spider,,,and i have a good record of under promising and over delivering....and i really promise very little... the internet did its job and hes coming...so now the stuff will have to speak for itself...and he will have to decide if he can make money on it.... he has talked to me a whole lot on the phone and by email...
dan, i hear you too..the guy who built our house was like that...he only did our project no others..and got it done right on time with very few hassles.....it was just great...
i guess i do sound antsy....but i can definitely take care of one mr big...if its the right stuff for him...im not worried about that at all...i have another customer who buys more than that every month..and another who bought 19 pieces last week out of the blue...while i was gone even!!.....i must sound needier than i really am... we have 10,000 sq feet packed full ...
i would love to have 5 mr bigs, maybe not 10.....we could handle that easily...our inventory is pretty big, over 300 peices of furniture at all tiimes.......and we have good buying networks.....wholesale is what i understand and have lots of experience dealing with...... thats what we used to have before the antique world caved in..
..wholesale is my thing...and im out here trying to be good at retail... which is paying all our bills...
and which im not really a natural at....with wholesale you just have to show them and give them the price and they know if we are good together or not...our business was built on big customers like this guy who i havent met yet........
my etsy project is kind of an adventure.and interesting becasue oits on the internet andi have the stuff to make it work...maybe not the skills tho...... but not crucial at all......ps...the plane was delayed so they dont get in until tonight...
oh and we are taking huggys advice too...beer at our irish pub and dinner...
ann

votrechien
02-26-2009, 01:39 PM
Let me ask a serious question - do you really want 10 Mr. Bigs? I mean, really, really, or does the thought scare you just a tad?

We often resist "good things", especially in matters of business and financial, because they take us out of our comfort zone (it's kind of a form of self-sabotage, although that term is a little harsh.) Yes, one Mr. Big is nice - will make for a nice Spring. But 10 Mr. Bigs is life (and business) changing. Many of us do not want to change all that much (at least on a subconscious level), because, well, it's scary.

I do this myself (it's quite normal, and sometimes a defense mechanism) - I limit myself to one "big" project at a time. Meaning I'll take on a three month project for a client, but resist adding another until the first is done. I say "I can't handle it", but in reality, I kind of don't want to. Because that changes me from a one man writing shop to an agency, and, in the back of my mind, I'm not keen on becoming an agency.

So true and almost a moment of realization for me. I've worked for other small businesses and now own my own and I can wholeheartedly agree with this summary.

It's one of the big catch 22's about entrepreneurialism- most of us get in the game for the riches (yea yea, and the other stuff too!), yet most of us are afraid to do what it takes to get to our goal.

I guess this is the power of 'the secret' (remember on Oprah?). Once you convince yourself to get over the mental roadblocks, your goals await you.

vangogh
02-26-2009, 02:10 PM
Absolutely. Usually the biggest stumbling block we have in business is ourselves. A big part of business success is simply doing the work and hanging in there. I think one of the reasons most business fail in the first year is because they give up.

Ideas are easy. Knowing what to do is actually pretty easy too. It's the doing that's difficult.

greenoak
02-26-2009, 04:33 PM
of course i couldnt afford to double my inventory in a week....but we are pretty flexible and we could change our buying........
i would be thrilled to adjust to 10 mr bigs!!! we could grow into it fast... it wouldnt scare me.... just finding those guys is the hard part.......
btw...he came and it went great..
ann

Blessed
02-26-2009, 04:40 PM
Glad to hear it went well for you! Good luck finding the next 9 Mr. Bigs!

Spider
02-26-2009, 06:26 PM
... Usually the biggest stumbling block we have in business is ourselves. A big part of business success is simply doing the work and hanging in there. I think one of the reasons most business fail in the first year is because they give up.
Ideas are easy. Knowing what to do is actually pretty easy too. It's the doing that's difficult.
It's funny this should come up at this time. I have recently had several people question the validity of business coaching - some more stridently than others. "Who needs coaching?" they say. "My business is doing okay." Yet, it seems to me it's the okay businesses and the successful businesses that benefit most from coaching.

Why should that be? Why isn't it the new business or the struggling business that would benefit most from business coaching? I think it is because people tend to think of coaching as akin to teaching. They feel that a new business owner still has a lot to learn and the experienced business owner doesn't, therefore, the new owner needs a coach and the experienced owner doesn't, right? That's true if you think of a Little League coach - he *teaches* his players how to play the game, but a Major League coach doesn't teach his players how to play - they know that, already. The major league coach does something else other than teach. And I think it pretty obvious which coach imparts the greatest benefit. This can be determined by their payscale!

In the context of this thread, a business coach would help an experienced owner focus on their respective Mr.Bigs and not feel the need to spend time concentrating on the wrong things like playing around with a program which might bring in $200 this month.

Certainly relaxation and 'in-office down time' is necessary and I'm the first to take a break - and what's the point of being your own boss if you can't choose to 'switch off' when you feel like it? These moments do need to be scheduled in, but when a player acknowledges that are doing something they ought not to be doing and not doing something they ought to be doing, that is the time, I believe, to take another look at one's priorities.


...btw...he came and it went great..
annExcellent. Was the deal up to your expectations?

greenoak
02-26-2009, 10:03 PM
yes it definitely was...and he wants more...
what got him to fly here is all our efforts out on the internet., our google , the pictures etc etc....and if i could figure out more ways to attract my ideal guy i would sure do it.....but i just have the best presence i can and have to wait for the right person to see it and want it and have the money to buy it...we come up great on what he googled to find.... indiana antiques...



..on working on the very minor stuff, i hear you and thats why i started out with so pathetic...but really ;;;its is so complicated...but we are open 6 days a week and have workers whether we are busy; or not...we developed our etsy thing during the slow time in january..most of the items were just laying around the shop...not things that ever cost us much.....basically we used the person hired as a clerk to do the etsy work and we did the work between customers..so it didnt actually cost much to do....and our etsy thing is just starting , who knows where it might lead...it gives us more internet exposure..i never know where the next big buyer will come from.... and if it grows maybe it will turn a few thousand in profit by the end of the year...and i usuallly have a couple of hours on the internet each day to just loll around, like on here...lol, not at work..but i have gotten tons of benefit and insight from those hours.....so thats where the etsy time comes in for me...
i try to be so open to other ideas....and im sure i could do better...but i have so much depending on our store i have to be real careful...and i guess i feel like im the expert...and wouldnt want a coach who wasnt familiar with the business im in....that would be a major factor tome.... how could anyone else talk about the specifics of my market....i know a lot of folks probably need coaches...but i dont think im one of them...i know a lot of people i wouild like to coach!!!
anyway im thrilled with the day and so thankful...
ann

seolman
02-26-2009, 10:34 PM
Ann I just wanted to mention how much I appreciate your sharing this situation with everyone. What started out as a negative situation for you turned out to be a great thread with a lot of good advice from many different perspectives - each persons different perspective may be helpful to someone else in a similar situation. ;)

Spider
02-26-2009, 10:38 PM
....and if i could figure out more ways to attract my ideal guy i would sure do it.....but i just have the best presence i can and have to wait for the right person to see it ...

...i try to be so open to other ideas....and im sure i could do better...but i have so much depending on our store i have to be real careful...and i guess i feel like im the expert...and wouldnt want a coach who wasnt familiar with the business im in....that would be a major factor tome.... how could anyone else talk about the specifics of my market....i know a lot of folks probably need coaches...but i dont think im one of them... Not to labor the point, Ann, but you provide the ammunition and I must respond. :)

Those two phrases of yours that I highlighted are indicative of the Little League coach who teaches his players how to play the game. In this you are absolutely correct - if you wanted someone to learn from, you would need a coach who is familiar with and indeed expert in the business you are in. But, because you are an expert in your business, the perfect coach for you would be someone who is an expert in a different business and who has a different experience that will help you figure out more ways - different ways - to attract your ideal customer.

Cross fertilization. Do you see?

greenoak
02-26-2009, 11:27 PM
thanks seolman....
and i hear you spider,,,i think i already get good coaching on here and other places online..maybe its free but ive made a lot of decisions and improvements because of all the cyber coaching flying around....probably some of the good chat on here related to my sales today ...........but no personal paid coaching for me...unless you know the exact spot where a big pile of mr bigs hang out....
ann

Spider
02-27-2009, 09:33 AM
.......but no personal paid coaching for me...unless you know the exact spot where a big pile of mr bigs hang out....I don't, but don't close your mind to the possibility of finding someone else who does. However, notice what you did - you were still contemplating someone who had something to teach you. That isn't what coaching is. Coaches are not teachers.

Anyway, I would be interested to know what you are doing to discover your next Mr.Big - if you are willing to share your techniques?

greenoak
02-27-2009, 10:20 AM
mainly its our website..if the right guy sees it he will come.....it shows just what hes looking for... i need it to look as close to the store as it can and give some kind of feeling for my quality and prices....so he, or more often she, can decide if we are a good fit...its about eye candy really...
also i try to be on some related forums,,,but not in a spammy way....

also we get tons of benefit from referrals...one lady in western canada who ive never met in person reccomended us to another woman with a big thriving store...that person has spent over 30,000 with us.....

we have lots and lots of more local referrals....and i encourage that everywhere i go....
my thing is very far from getting 1000 hits a day and selling to 7 of them...i dont get 1000s of hits a day... ... but maybe they are longtailed hits....is that a word...
the bad thing is , the big buyers out there are a very narrow niche...most stores would be too small to need 30 or 40 pieces and warrant sending a big truck to pick it up,...or not into the antique/shabby/recycled area im selling, .....
another big thing to me is repeat business....ive made this big sale....now the stuff has to make him money... thats the good thing...or the bad...
those are some of my plots....
ann

Spider
02-27-2009, 05:16 PM
Interesting. Are there many really large stores selling - or reselling - the sort of merchandise you supply? I mean, you mentioned selling 30 - 40 pieces of furniture in a single sale. Would that be for a single large store or for a chain of stores? How many buyers might there be in the whole country that purchase antique/used furniture by the truckload?

greenoak
02-27-2009, 06:45 PM
its for single stores.....
there must be several in about any city...but they are kind of hidden....not national as far as i know...kind of more cutting edge or trendy or indie or upscale types of stores...some lots younger some very traditional, wanting the real thing........
the more likely group for us would be a closer store buying 10 to 20 peices a few times a year..... these buyers could come to me in a box truck and get here in a couple of hours....i have a few in that category...
..the one who bought 19 last week was a normal furniture store, about 80 miles away......just exploring into my style....and just a couple hours away....
also big garden centers might need that much from me....these closer folks might come monthly or bimonthly...
another group is people just opening and wanting a storeful of furniture....i get quite a few of these....but its a one time deal...they dont want to resell my furniture..its for their displaly..

in the old days when we started there were lots of big buyers from the west coast who came to the midwest to scoop up our antiques ...they would have to buy a couple 100 pcs in just a 10 day trip....lots of nice big sales then.......
ive often bought over 20 pieces from a dealer...... or at an auction....its pretty normal...

basically im just looking for someone a little higher on the totem pole than us...or higher in the pecking order...and we are in about the cheapest state which has some advantages...

its a wierd business....you cant reproduce any buying situation exactly....and your best customers keep you a secret...and there is hardly any actual wholesale...i have to compete with everybody to buy....in a way its pure capitalism...supply and demand...and total risk in every buy...and lotsof networking and reputation...
too much info? but glad you asked...
ann

Spider
02-28-2009, 01:10 PM
...too much info? but glad you asked...Not too much at all, Ann. I find it fascinating. But then, I like business, in all its varied shapes and sizes. Every business has a unique problem and I love to ponder these problems. Finding customers for some businesses is no more difficult than the yellowpages or the local Classifieds. I can see this is a unique problem for you. Maybe many of your sales can be obtained through Yellowpages and Classifieds, I dont know, but how to find big buyers for your type of business is intriguing.

greenoak
02-28-2009, 11:11 PM
imho, your curiosity and questions probably make you a good coach....
i find it facinating too,and love to hear busness histories...
ann