May 25th is right around the corner, and that means it’s time to dust off the BBQ equipment, and invite friends and family to share a well-deserved break during the Memorial Day holidays… but before you get lost in the festivities, first take a few moments to check out our Wholesale tips to Remember and Celebrate Memorial Day!
One… Get into the spirit of the holidays by donating a truckload of merchandise to the local U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Veterans Outreach Center, or other affiliate agencies in your city. Be sure to build a clear and simple inventory list for your accounting department, and make sure everyone knows about your generosity! Posting a few lines of commentary on your own website or newsletter isn’t that hard, and it will give readers a fresh perspective on your organization. Doing this is easy, and it could also help you out during tax-time. It will make you feel good to help those in need, and it will broadcast a clear signal to your buyers that might inspire them to think of you the next time they want to make a critical supply decision.
Two… Implement a free shipping policy on all wholesale orders for those who have served in the armed forces. This could be information you already know — but if it isn’t — it could be a great way to build additional rapport with your customers. Most Wholesaler businesses are already implementing a free shipping policy for buyers that spend over a certain dollar amount, so why not do something civic-minded, and do your part by offering free shipping for buyers (such as retailers) that have served in the military?
Three… Encourage your buyers to run a 10% store special for certain items to celebrate Memorial Day. You can offer discounted prices to buyers who participate in your limited-offer program, and it will create a nice set of incentives for your customer’s customers to buy from them. That’s never a bad thing, and favors like those are often returned with continued loyalty from those who support your business.
Four… Support your distributors and give them perks for supporting you Memorial Day specials. It could come in the form of a coupon, a voucher, or rebate offer. Up the ante, and scale the savings upward when your buyers make bigger purchases. It’s a small price to pay for the increased volume during a sagging second quarter. Times are tough for some of your buyers right now, and what goes around comes around when you do something to help out.
Five… If you want to give your customers something light-hearted to read, think about creating a supplementary email update, featuring a cross-section of your existing buyers who happen to be veterans. It will put them in the spotlight, and put you on their minds.
Six… Send out a newsletter to your buyers encouraging them to… well, buy! Really, what does it cost you to take a minute to generate a new piece of direct marketing for your buyers? There’s never too many ways to tell your customers why they should be buying from you, and it’s often true that activity is directly linked with success.
Seven… While you’re busy grilling up a steak on the BBQ, putting your down-time to work for you is as simple as making sure those around you know about your spur-of-the-moment ideas, before they go up in smoke. Use social networks: like Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace to stay connected with other wholesalers, retailers, and manufacturers. It’s also a great way to share your ideas, network & transact with buyers, find out about industry events, and learn about wholesale tips, trends, news, ect… When you get a free moment- Tweet Us on how you celebrated this Memorial Day!
Eight… Take a minute to familiarize yourself with theU.S. Government GSA list of buyers. It’s a long one, and it certainly won’t be suitable reading while you’re floating in the pool, but if you pull the highlights from it that are relevant to your industry, you just might find some new ideas and spot some interesting trends.
Nine… Got some video on your website? No? Well, you might want to make some. Putting a small video clip on your website will enhance the user experience, and it’s no secret that while a picture is worth a thousand words, a little bit of professionally-produced video could count as a conversation! While you’re busy making that intriguing email newsletter about your vet buyers, make sure to grab a few seconds’ worth of interview or commentary footage to share with the world.
Ten… Don’t forget to have some fun while you’re at it. The whole idea of a holiday is to relax, and everyone needs some time to cool off and recharge their batteries. Take a dip in the pool, and grab another glass of iced tea… it’s going to be a great Summer of Wholesale!
