Pricing
Whether you display wholesale or retail prices at a trade show is up to you. You may want to check with the promoters beforehand to find out the norm for their particular event. Either way, prices need to be easy to find. If your displayed prices are retail, make sure the discount/markdown is in clear view. (A discount/markdown is the difference between your suggested retail price and what the buyer actually pays. So if your retail price is $20 and your markdown is 50%, the buyer's cost is $10. The average buyer expects a 50% markdown from retail. This is sometimes referred to as "keystone".) If you are displaying wholesale prices, be sure your customers know before asking. The quickest way to lose a sale is to tell someone that a price they thought was retail is actually the wholesale price, therefore double what they thought their cost would be. I recommend displaying retail prices with a 50% discount.
Terms
C.O.D. and prepayment are required by many craftspeople for first-time orders. After several reorders from an established customer, a thirty-day "credit line" is sometimes given. This is acceptable with most buyers; however, keep in mind that some buyers, especially those from larger organizations, will not prepay. They are set up to make payment on their billing schedule, which could mean thirty days, sixty days, ninety days or even longer before you get paid. While most buyers are reputable and do pay on time, many craftspeople cannot wait that long to be paid because of their overhead costs. If you cannot accept someone else's payment terms, you may be able to work something out with individual companies. Whatever you decide your terms are, know them beforehand and stick to them as closely as possible.
Minimums
A minimum is a certain dollar amount or number of products that must be purchased initially before a wholesale order will be taken. It can be $100, 100 pieces or just one product; it's up to you to decide what it is worth for you to sell your products at a discount. I recommend using some sort of a minimum order. By doing so, you will ensure that the buyers are buying for their businesses and not just shopping for themselves. The major advantage to wholesaling is repeat business. People who are simply buying products for themselves will not reorder like a buyer who is stocking a store.
Display your minimum opening order so that buyers know without having to ask. If you do not require a minimum opening order, be sure to let customers know that too. The more information you can give without explanation the better. A few signs spread around your booth should easily do the trick.
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