Many people outside the business world dread marketing. They see it as the most difficult thing in business. Likewise, I was in their shoes when I started my own business. I used to get very nervous when I thought of how to sell my goods, since I was into the buying and selling of clothes then, but I conquered my fears when I saw marketing as fun and the rejection from some people I approached as normal. I used to tell myself that, no matter what, every day I go marketing, at least one person would buy from me. With that positive mentality, most times, I made good sales, and the days I did not, I never got disappointed. If you can overcome your fears, you will enjoy marketing.
6 marketing tips for a starter
1. Have goods/products of a high quality: You must have good quality products before you start selling. You will not expect someone to buy a bad product from you today and still buy it from you tomorrow. To avoid losing customers, ensure that you sell excellent and durable products. An excellent product sells itself after your first sale because a satisfied buyer will come back for it.
2. Offer useful services: If your business involves rendering of a service, you should offer a professional and satisfactory one. For example, if you provide mobile hairdressing services to clients in their homes, ensure that you give them the best of what they ask for.
3. Have a good knowledge of what you sell: People get more interested in your products if you can tell them in depth about the constituents and benefits of your products.
4. Be a fluent speaker: Fluency in English and a good vocabulary are magic ingredients in marketing. A good command of English attracts people and makes them want to listen to you. Do not go using slang words when marketing; some people you meet may not take you seriously.
5. Always dress well: There is a saying that you should dress the way you want to be addressed. People always take a second glance at any well-dressed fellow. When you go presenting your goods for sale, wear neat clothes and accessories that fit you well.
6. Be polite: I have seen marketers with an air of importance. Such an attitude would annoy people and make selling difficult for you. Almost everyone likes a respectful person. When you meet people, especially for the first time, treat them with respect; greet them with a smile before introducing yourself and your product/services. You know full well that certain people are hostile towards salespersons because they think they are bothersome, but your politeness would make them be all ears.
Entrepreneurial tips for the day
In the last edition of The Entrepreneur, I provided information on how to start a food vendor business. This week, I will be examining the buying and selling of wear. Buying and selling business involves the purchasing of goods at wholesale prices and selling them at retail prices. You can buy and sell anything. Actually, the buying and selling of wear is an age-old trade. Wear includes clothes, shoes, handbags, belts, caps, etc. Some people buy and sell these things in shops called boutiques, while some sell them without shops. I will be discussing the latter, which is also called the mobile clothing business. Furthermore, this trade is an interesting and a profitable one. Your profit margin involves a lot of things, so it is quite high. Besides, it is easy to start since you do not need a shop for it and you can commence it with any amount you have.
Things needed for a mobile clothing business
1. Capital: This is the money you will use in setting up the business. It is what you will use in buying the clothes or whatever type of wear you want to sell. You do not need a fixed starting capital. Though things are very expensive these days, if you do not have a lot of money yet to buy in bulk, you can start with an amount that can give you at least three dozen pieces of clothes.
2. Fashionable ideas: Only those that are fashionable make it in this business. You have to know and follow the latest fashions, knowing what men and women are wearing at the moment. If you go buying outdated or awkward clothes, you might not be able to sell all of them, and that will hold down your investment. Buy what will sell; know what is in vogue for everyone, depending on your niche.
3. Be ready to travel often: This business requires travelling often because you need to visit our international markets in Nigeria to get unique clothes and accessories at wholesale prices. These popular markets are chiefly Balogun Market in Lagos, Main Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, and Ariaria International Market in Aba, Abia State. Nonetheless, Balogun Market has classier and a wide variety of clothes.
How to market your goods
Selling clothes without a shop is not really difficult, if you can speak to people. Once you have your goods, notify your friends, neighbours, relatives, and colleagues, and I assure you that most of them will buy if you show them beautiful things. You can also sell in offices. You may ask your close ones who work in offices to introduce you to their colleagues. Moreover, if you sell formal clothes, visit banks towards their closing time, and talk to their staff one on one about what you sell. At the close of work, they will tell you where to display your goods for them to see and buy. I can tell you that this set of people buy clothes and pay in good time. I know this because I have done business with many of them.
Trade risks
1. Sales on credit: In this business, you must sell on credit because, though some people still buy and pay instantly, most people do not have ready cash at the time you show them your goods. Hence, you will have to wait for your payments. So, ensure you sell your goods to trustworthy persons to avoid bad credit. Moreover, you should always increase your profit margins when you are selling on credit to cover against payment delays and bad credit.
2. Size: Size is an important factor in this business because humans have different body sizes and shapes, and these could affect your sales negatively sometimes. I have been in a situation where shirts for sale took me a long time to sell because they did not fit the customers that liked their designs. Therefore, for a starter, I suggest that you go for free size clothes: get clothes that kind of stretch. For instance, as you buy clothes with particular sizes, you should include more of t-shirts (male or female), polo shirts, stretch shirts for ladies, jeans (male and female), handbags, belts (male and female), wristwatches, and jewellery.
I hope the above information will be enough for you to commence the aforementioned business. You can call or e-mail me for more details.
