Greeting Card Designer

Are you interfering with your Sales Rep's job?

Here is an excerpt from the book "Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores."

Sometimes it is hard to know where to draw the line between the artist’s job and the rep’s job. For me, an easy rule of thumb was: The artist should not be communicating with the store.

If there is a question on an order, the artist should call the rep and not call the store.

If the artist starts calling stores, it means either 1) The rep is not fulfilling their role or 2) The artist is interfering with the rep’s responsibilities.

Here is a typical example of a potential conflict:

Event: A store calls you (the artist) and leaves a message because they want to order more cards.

Solution: Instead of calling the store back, you contact the rep as soon as possible and ask them to follow through on the order.

Goal: You want the store to rely on the reps for customer service and communication.

Why: If you allow stores to order directly from you, it will create more work, you will probably receive a smaller order, and it will confuse the rep.

If an artist starts taking phone orders directly from stores, several problems can develop:

-More Work

It will take you more time to process an order because not only will you have to contact the rep and give them a copy of the order, but you might end up writing an order incorrectly if the store does not have the proper ordering codes and tries to verbally describe the cards by the way they look. Phone orders can also turn into larger tasks if they request other things such as faxing your catalog.

-Lost Appointments

You may be unaware of a prior arrangement the rep made. Perhaps the rep was going to drop by the store tomorrow to deliver catalogs, and take an order. If you took the order over the phone, the rep has less incentive to go to the store. Then catalogs are not delivered, missing envelopes are not replaced and racks are not straightened.

-Smaller Orders

If you have limited sales skills, you will probably generate a smaller order than the rep would. It is my experience that the rep can sell more cards than the artist can.

-Disruption of Sales Plan

You might interfere with a rep’s sales strategy. Some reps have specific sales calendars where they show all their Valentine’s cards on a certain date. If a store is not thinking clearly in the moment, and orders all their Valentine’s cards from you directly, this can undermine the rep’s overall plan for other artists they represent.

-Unexpected Agreements

If a store orders from you directly, they might request extra perks the rep is uncomfortable with. For example, if you agree to a discount, that will affect the rep’s commission

Since the rep receives the commission no matter who takes the order, always encourage the store to contact the rep instead of you. It makes a lot less work for everyone. This does not mean you should hang up the phone if a store calls you. Just explain that you do not normally process direct orders. Always let the rep know you took the order.

In my opinion, once you start working with sales reps, unless it is an emergency or the rep is on vacation, it is disrespectful to take orders directly from a store unless you have a clear understanding with the rep. You do not want a rep showing up to an appointment with your card line, expecting to make a sale, only to have the store buyer say "oh, I just ordered those cards from the artist." It wastes the rep's time and causes distrust between the rep and artist.

If you do take an order from a store, pay the rep a commission for any order generated in a rep's territory. An artist might argue "But I took this order, therefore I deserve the commission, and not the rep." However, the rep does more than write orders. Most of what they do, an artist never sees, such straightening card racks and replacing lost envelopes.

On the other hand, if you find a store complaining a lot, saying the rep never calls back, this is a problem. Try to find out what is going on. It is possible your rep is not fulfilling their obligation to you or perhaps the store had a tendency to complain about many things.

Sometimes you might get in a situation where you are in a conflict between a store and a rep. I tend to error on the side of supporting the rep's preference, especially if I have worked with them for several years and trust their judgment.

An example of this is if two competitive stores next door to each other want to buy your cards. Since it is standard policy that a reps do not sell to stores near each other, someone needs to decide which store can carry your cards. The store that is not chosen will probably be unhappy about it.

I like to let the rep decide what store they prefer to work with, even if it means a smaller order for me. Usually reps have good reasons for their store preferences. Perhaps they know that one store is slow at paying bills, or has been in business for a short time. By showing faith in the rep's judgment, it allows them the freedom to make decisions on your behalf.

Reps are people-persons, and tend to be peacemakers. More often than not, if a problem arises, the rep has already invested many hours trying to resolve it, long before you even hear about it.

This Article is an excerpt from the book: Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores: How to find and work with Greeting Card Sales Reps

If you already make your own greeting cards, this book explains how to get your cards into stores and sell them sell nationwide. Included are guidelines on: how to price your cards for a profit, how to get professional feedback, where to find a sales representative and and what industry standards you should follow. All the information is also applicable to gift items, such as magnets, journals, calendars, collectibles, etc.

Startup Card Publisher Seeking Artists

Mike Press is launching a new ecard web site later this year and is seeking a portfolio of online cards to offer. New to the card market, Mike has a long background in high-tech marketing and is pursuing a novel business model which targets well above average prices, while providing a unique value proposition.

Designs aimed at the major holidays in classic, classy style are especially desired.

The web site is on track to launch in September/October this year. If you have designs available for license, please contact Mike at mikepress@mail.com describing your offerings and desired terms.

Greeting Card Sales Rep Contracts

Here is an excerpt from the book "Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores."

In my experience of working with over 100 greeting card sales reps, I have found that contracts are rarely used. Even if you don't have a contract; it is advisable to write your own business policies. If for some reason there is confusion about commission rates or shipping costs, then it is all in writing. I call this an “Agreement Form” and I asked the rep to read and sign it before I shipped a sample deck of cards to them. For example, one of my policies was that I did not accept returns. For some reps, this might be a surprise. It is better they know up front instead of finding out later, after they accept a return from a store. Having them sign a form will motivate them to read your policies thoroughly.

An agreement form might include the following:

-The rep’s territory.

-Card prices
This lists the wholesale price of your cards in dozens and half dozens, and if there is any discount for larger quantities.

-The rep’s commission.
This is normally 20 percent for handmade cards.

-Payday
This is the day of the month the rep is paid. I made it a policy to pay reps two weeks after the prior month ended. For example, their commission for all the orders I shipped in May would be paid on June 15.

-Minimum order
This is the minimum sized order you will accept. A good starting point is $100, but in the beginning, it is OK to not have a minimum. This allows the store to try out your line first, without investing in a large order.

-Returns
State whether you accept returns and on what conditions. For example, you might accept undamaged holiday card returns.

-Promo materials
This says what sales support materials you offer, such as catalogs, store signs or headers (sign behind cards on a rack that say things like “Birthday”) or store racks.

-Late accounts.
This says you will notify the rep of stores who are ninety days overdue on paying. This allows the rep to know the status of slow payers. They might want to help you collect.

-Rack program
This describes whether you offer card racks. It is something you probably do not need at the beginning of your business, but later, reps can help you consider different options for offering racks to stores.

-Shipping charges
Are your charges by weight or by a percentage of the invoice? I chose to have a percentage of the invoice, so that even the rep could estimate the shipping charges when at a sales meeting.

Sales Rep Territories

Here is an excerpt from the book "Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores."

Greeting Card Sales Reps work by geographic territories and it is the responsibility of the artist to make sure no territory overlaps with another rep. For example, if you have a rep that covers northern New Hampshire, and another one that covers southern New Hampshire, make sure that the line is clearly divided between them.

A simple way to keep track of territories is to purchase a United States Zip Code atlas:
http://goo.gl/bIQB0

You can photocopy individual maps and request that the rep outline the area they cover.

States with small populations like New Mexico may be covered by one rep, and the boundaries are clear, whereas densely populated metropolitan areas like New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco may have several reps in a small geographic area. In these cases, unless these reps all work together in a group, it is critical to make sure you have all the territories mapped out.

Territories tend to be separated by population, and not necessarily by state. A northern California rep might cross the Nevada border to sell in Lake Tahoe because the Nevada rep does not travel that far north. A Chicago rep might dip down into Indiana since the metropolitan area spills over the border.

Pros and Cons of working with Rep Groups

Here is an excerpt from the book "Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores."

Rep Groups
Rep groups are a team of sales reps who all work together to cover a large territory. Usually there is one "principal", or owner of the group, and this person has "sub-reps," or people that work under them and get a smaller commission. I have worked with rep groups and they tended to be around 6-10 people.

On the surface, this might sound like a great opportunity to hire a team of reps at all once, but there are pros and cons of rep groups.

Pros:
-The group has already divided the territory, so you do not have to worry about overlapping areas.

-You only have to write one commission check for all the reps.

-They often have permanent showrooms.

-Then tend to exhibit at tradeshows.

-They generally have a uniform system and set of policies.

-They tend to have high profile accounts, and possibly work with store chains.

-You can do all your communication through the rep principle instead of each individual rep.

Cons:
-If they drop your line, you lose many reps all at once.

-The subreps have a high turnover rate. Some are trying new careers and don’t realize all the responsibilities involved in being a card rep. They may also be inexperienced in sales.

-My experience is about half of the reps in a group are great sellers and the rest I may never hear from. This can be disappointing if you have gone to the trouble of sending sample decks to all of them.

-Groups tend to carry many large lines and independent artists can fall in between the cracks.

-You cannot drop a poor performing subrep and replace them with someone else. Working with groups is usually an all-or-nothing package.

-Because rep groups tend to have high staff turnover, this can be frustrating for stores. Usually one of the first warning signs that a group is not working out is if a store calls you and wants to know who their rep is. Ideally, the store should always know this, or at least they should know how to contact the prinicipal (owner) of the group to find out.

Working With Solo Reps
I found my top selling reps tended to be solo reps and not rep groups. I'm not sure why they sold more, but I attribute it to the freedom to make independent decisions on what lines they carry and what stores they service. Members of a rep group do not have this authority.

Solo reps tend to have years of experience and long-term relationships with store buyers. This can also be true for the owner of a rep group, but less true for their subreps.

Greeting Card Sales Reps 101

Here is an excerpt from the book "Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores."

There are many benefits of starting small and getting your cards into stores before you look for a rep. If you rush to get a rep and then find out your card line has some problems, reps might tell other reps and then it can be hard to get a second rep. Even if you make dramatic changes in your line, you could still end up living in the shadow of outdated information circulating around about your cards.

I learned this after creating three lines. The first two flopped, and the third one succeeded. I am glad I did not try to expand my business early on because the reps would have experienced my failures with me. Then I would have been known as “the artist who has a crummy line”! However, because I waited until I had a good line before I expanded my business, my reps did not experience my first two flops!

On the other end of the spectrum, nothing travels faster than good news. If your line sells well, reps will start contacting you out of nowhere. When I got an account with a national bookstore chain, I had a dozen reps call me, asking if they could carry my line. I did not know any of these people, but they were aware of me because they saw my cards appear on the store shelves. They also told other reps about my line, who worked in adjacent territories.

What Reps Do

A rep’s primary responsibility is to sell cards. She (most are women) makes appointments with card buyers in stores and shows samples made by artists and publishers (collectively called “manufacturers”).

Besides your cards, she might carry dozens of other card lines by different artists, along gift products such as mugs, candles, magnets, or calendars. The store buyer selects items to purchase, the rep writes up order on the spot, and then sends the order to the artist (usually by U.S. mail, fax, or email). When the artist receives the order, he or she is responsible for shipping the cards to the store and collecting the payment. The store then pays the artist, and the artist pays the rep.

If a rep brings ten different lines into a meeting, and each line has one hundred card styles, a buyer could easily see one thousand cards in a single meeting. However, the rep does not want to overwhelm the buyer with too many products, so she may limit the number of items viewed in one meeting. She might bring Valentine’s cards one time and show new releases a few months later.

Other things reps do are: keep sales records, travel long distances, keep physically fit, and straighten display racks. A good rep builds relationships, is reliable, is aware of community issues and possesses a congenial personality. She is also extremely skilled at finding parking places!

An artist rarely sees all these qualities from a distance, yet they are vital skills that help designers grow a successful business.

There is no comparable advertising investment, online site, mobile technology, tradeshow or marketing strategy that can do what reps do.

It is nearly impossible to perform all of these functions without physically being in a store. Luckily, there are thousands of greeting card reps throughout the United States.

Independent Reps versus In-house Reps

Another type of rep is called an “in-house” rep. In-house reps are usually full-time salaried employees who work for primarily for one greeting card company. They do not generally carry lines by independent artists. In this book, I am only discussing “independent reps”, and not in-house reps, but it helps to know about them just in case you hear the term and want to learn more about the card industry.

Larger publishers might have both types of reps. In fact, sometimes an indie artist and large publisher might have the same rep because the larger company cannot afford a full time sales person for a specific territory. Without knowing it, this rep becomes a great equalizer between large companies and indie artists. You can actually have the same opportunity to get your products into the marketplace, as a seasoned publisher does since the rep is carrying both lines.

Pricing and Profits: The Tale of 2 Greeting Card Businesses

Here is an excerpt from the book "Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores."

When growing a card business, I learned early on to purchase items that are only necessary, and avoid the enticement of pseudo business expenses, like tax deductable perks.
For example, imagine these two humorous scenarios. Which card business would you rather have?

Business #1:

You are sitting in your rented sunlit art studio with your new computer, loaded with the latest software, and you have just returned from the art supply store to see what fun things you could buy. Earlier in the day, you stopped by the Chamber of Commerce to buy a ticket to a networking dinner at a country club.

When you sit down to add up your monthly bills, you are surprised to find you are spending $2,000 a month, but all the receipts have nothing to do with making a greeting card. Rather, they are for rent, business lunches, a new drafting table, art books and business cards.

The next day, when you share this information with your husband (partner, kid, wife, mother, fill in the blank), they say, “This hobby of yours is too expensive. I think you need to give it up. We could have used that $2,000 to pay for the rent (braces, gas, insurance, food, fill in the blank).”

Business #2:

You just had coffee with a few neighbors who work at home. You learn that one neighbor needs invitations made for her daughter’s graduation and another neighbor tells you about freecycle http://www.freecycle.org/ , an online group where you can get free stuff like art supplies and furniture.

When you come home and add up your monthly bills, you learn you have profited $2,000. You share this information with your family and they are happy for you. Your husband (partner, kid, wife, mother, fill in the blank) suggests moving the exercise bike to the garage, and turning the workout room into your office.

Because your business is profitable, you decide to make a commitment towards growth and purchase larger quantities of supplies for bulk discounts. You have an inner sense of accomplishment from putting your art out into the world.

When I first started my card business, I had many difficulties when it came to sales. When downturns came, I was tempted to think my business was just something I dabbled in while working a full time job. Then I would stick it out, get more advice, make adjustments, and soon found there were more ups than there were downs.

If you feel like you are on a roller coaster, that is to be expected. Any good business generally starts that way, and things change as you go along. My biggest piece of advice for dealing with this is: If you start feeling disappointed, take action. Ask for advice; make adjustments and work on new ideas.

Pricing Your Cards

Here is an excerpt from the book "Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores."

Pricing Your Cards

Selling to retail stores is very different from selling to individual customers at craft fairs. Stores usually buy cards in larger quantities, and for wholesale prices.

For example, if you normally sell your cards for $4 each at craft fairs, you cannot expect a retail store to buy them for the same price. Stores need to make a profit, which requires them to double the price at which they buy them.

It may be unrealistic to expect a store to just double your $4 price and sell your cards for $8. Unless your cards are very unusual or have detachable gifts, the average consumer may not purchase a card in that price range. Therefore, it is helpful to evaluate your costs, look at your profits and manufacturing processes so you can sell your cards at a good price. You and the store both need to make money!

Even though your profit per card is smaller if you cut your price half, in the end, you will actually make more money. One store might order two hundred cards at once and then reorder quarterly. Therefore, it is better to sell large volumes of cards to several stores for a lower price rather it is to sell a few cards at a higher price to people at a craft fair.

Sometimes artists get so excited about getting their cards into stores, that they neglect to look at their costs of making a card. It is important to know early on that you will make a profit. Six months down the road, you don't want to find yourself working for ten cents an hour. It’s not fair to you, the store, or the rep if you suddenly quit the business because you are not making any money. Therefore, I think it is important to make sure all your numbers add up before you look for a rep.

Determining Materials Costs

Like any manufacturing businesses, the greeting card business has different types of costs, but the most important one is the materials costs. Materials are the physica supplies used to make your cards. Examples might be: glue, paint, cellophane bags, envelopes, and paper. As a rule of thumb, if it cannot be “touched,” and is not a part of the greeting card, it is not a materials cost. For example, a shipping label is not a materials cost because it is not part of the actual greeting card.

When determining materials costs, disassemble your finished card, and make a list of all the parts, including things like a spot of glue, an envelope, paper and ink. Determine how much each item costs per card. If your cards are printed, you might only have two costs: The card and the envelope.

It’s easy to have your heart set on one specific type of paper for your cards, but if the cost is too high, try to be flexible. Sales reps have often told me that artists have a tendency to be overly picky about things that store and customers don’t really care about, such as how thick an envelope is, or what kind of paper the card is printed on.

Profitability Formula

As a rule of thumb, I have found that if you make 20 to 25 percent profit on each card, then you are doing great!

Use these guidelines below to evaluate your costs. If they do not match, look at where you can make adjustments by either using less expensive materials or changing the design.

These percentages are based on wholesale prices. For example, if I sell my cards to a store for $1.50 each, my goal is to make a profit of at least 20 percent (or 30 cents) on each card.

Aim for the following, as if it were a round pie with separate segments. If you want to sell your card at a different price, just substitute your number in place of the $1.50 and do the math.

15 to 35 percent of the 1.50 is for materials costs mentioned above (22-52 cents).
10 to 20 percent of the 1.50 is for labor of making the card. (15-30 cents).
10 to 20 percent of the 1.50 is set aside for overhead costs (15-30 cents).
20 percent or more of the 1.50 is your profit (30 cents).
20 percent of the 1.50 is for a sales representative (30 cents).

If you can only ask one question, ask this one: “If I sold as many cards as I wanted, will I make enough money to be happy?”

Alternatively, you can break this down into the following:
- After expenses are deducted, how much profit do I make per card?
- How much money am I making per hour?
- If sales doubled next month and I need to pay someone to help me, can I afford it?

Getting Professional Feedback on Your Card Line

Here is an excerpt from the book "Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores"

Once you create your first assortment of cards (maybe 24-36 cards), it is important to have a professional look at your designs. You can probably find someone in your community, such as a store owner.

Here are some of the best ways I got feedback on card designs. They are all from people in the local community:

Met a Store Chain Manager
I asked a manager of a greeting card store if she would be willing to advise me and other artists, because we wanted to learn how to make good card designs. She met with us after closing time, looked at our cards and answered our questions. She told us which occasions sold well (birthday), what colors to avoid (black and white) and why we should design in a vertical format instead of horizontal (more cards fit on a shelf).

We were grateful she was willing to spend her free time helping us, but our meeting was just as important to her. She did not realize her knowledge and skills were valuable to artists. Normally she spent most days managing staff, unpacking boxes and stocking card racks. Just by doing these daily tasks, she learned a lot about greeting cards.

Approached the Grinch
I hovered around a tiny bookstore for weeks, trying to get up the courage to go in and ask the owner to look at my cards. He looked a little like the Grinch, which was intimidating. It turned out he wasn’t the Grinch, but he did offer brutally honest advice, explained to me why no one in his store would buy my cards, and then proceeded to place an order for several dozen!

Went to a Class
One day I saw a class advertised in the Learning Annex publication http://www.learningannex.com/ about the greeting card business. I thought it would be a great way to get advice on my cards, so I signed up.

The teacher told a story of how he left his corporate sales career and started a card business with a partner. Since he came from a business background, and not an artist’s background, his view of the card business was numbers and formulas.

After his lecture, I showed him my handmade cards and the first thing he said to me was “you need to change these designs so other people can make them. You cannot grow a card business if you are the only person making your cards.” That was a great piece of advice. After that, I completely changed the designs.

Attended a Meeting
One day I opened my mail to find an invitation to a paper seminar sponsored by a local paper company.
When I arrived, I was amazed to find that in our group of twenty attendees, there was a nationally known, well-respected greeting card designer. It was a great opportunity to get feedback.

Wrote to an Artist
One day while shopping, I bought a handmade card by a local artist and I liked it so much, I sent her one of my cards asking for her advice. Since her cards were a completely different style from mine, I thought it would be OK to contact her. Not only did she help me, but she invited me to her studio!

Asked a Sales Rep
I went to a local wholesale gift show that exhibited many wares by different artists and manufacturers. I met a sales representative in an exhibitor’s booth, and asked her if I could take her out to lunch in exchange for giving me feedback on my cards.I thought: What is the worst that can happen? All she can do is say ‘no’. Luckily, she said yes.

Greeting card sales representatives are a great resource for feedback. They see a variety of products and often have a gut sense of predicting trends and knowing what will sell. Since reps are often approached by artists, it is nice to offer them something for their time, such as taking them out to lunch or a consultant’s fee. They usually have a very busy schedule; so, tell them up front you will limit your meeting to an hour. If they decide to stay longer, then great, you can too. Alternatively, if they only have 5 minutes, that is still enough time to get some basic advice.

On-the-Spot Feedback

If you are unable to get a formal appointment for feedback, try to visit at least six stores and ask for “on the spot” feedback. Here is how to do this:

Visit a store during slow times, such as a weekday morning. If an employee is not busy helping a customer, ask them if the “card buyer” would be willing to give you five minutes for some honest feedback on your designs. Explain that you are not trying to sell anything; you just want to improve your cards to make them more marketable.

Remember, there are different kinds of staff people in the store. The person running the cash register may not be the person who buys cards or is qualified to evaluate designs, so always make sure you ask for the “card buyer.” More often than not, they will come onto the floor to assist you.

If the card buyer has a positive response to your cards, also ask for a price recommendation. Perhaps they know what the standard pricing is for cards like yours. If all you do is walk away with a page full of notes and information, that is a complete success.

In a situation like this, you only want feedback, but there is a possibility a store might want to order your cards, so bring an order form, brochure or business card along just in case.

If the above scenario sounds scary because you don’t like walking up to strangers and asking for things, I assure you, it is very easy. I have done this many times and not once did anyone treat me rudely or act irritated. I consistently had good experiences, and people were happy to help me, but I also made sure to respect their time and not interrupt them if they were assisting customers.

These “on the spot” requests for feedback are also a great way to meet local buyers who can often refer you to reps, vendors and other professionals in the industry.

Excerpt from the book: Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores: How to find and work with Greeting Card Sales Reps

If you already make your own greeting cards, this book explains how to get your cards into stores and sell them sell nationwide. Included are guidelines on: how to price your cards for a profit, how to get professional feedback, where to find a sales representative and and what industry standards you should follow. All the information is also applicable to gift items, such as magnets, journals, calendars, collectibles, etc.

Getting Your First Greeting Card Account

Here is an excerpt from the book "Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores."

If you get positive feedback on your card line, then you can start thinking about selling cards to stores (versus just test-marketing).

Getting store accounts is an important step on the way to getting sales reps. Reps want to know the cards already are in stores. It’s kind of a catch 22 because you need reps in order to get into stores in the first place.

At this point it is helpful to know some basic business skills. There is a false stereotype that artists are bad at business, and I like to joke that there are a lot more business people who are bad at art. Therefore, you are actually ahead of the game.

I believe that if you can do the following tasks below, you will be good at running a business. These might sound like common sense, but stores have often told me that many artists neglect them:

Ship orders on time.

Send the correct items.

Charge the correct price.

Do not add excessive shipping charges.

Make sure the cards are packaged so they arrive undamaged and without bent corners.

If cards arrive damaged, replace them immediately at no extra charge. Add some extra free one to offset hassle.

Make sure the cards match the quality of the samples. If the samples had yellow envelopes, make sure all the cards shipped also have the same envelope.

Include a packing slip in the box (a list of all the items that should be in the box).

Mail an invoice (bill).

By performing these simple tasks, it shows that you are a reliable, responsible, and action-oriented businessperson.

Adding Stores

When adding more store accounts, add them slowly. This will help you ramp up your manufacturing and deal with problems that might arise down the road.

For example, when I started selling cards, I kept envelopes in the garage and soon found out the dampness caused the flaps to stick together. I also discovered that packing cards tightly caused the cellophane bags to stick together because they could not “breathe.” Later on, I also discovered the special Japanese paper I relied on was discontinued, and I needed to find a new supplier.

It is easier to deal with unexpected supply problems when servicing just a few stores than if it were a hundred stores. Otherwise, you will get complaints and returns. You especially need to be careful when using unusual supplies that are hard to find. This is why starting small with a few stores is a good idea.

If you can handle growth, consider working towards having at least fifty good-selling designs and removing the slower sellers from your card line. I think it is better to offer fewer cards with great designs rather than a hundred cards of questionable quality.

When you feel you have a solid line and several store accounts, you are probably ready to approach a rep, but don’t be surprised if one hasn’t already contacted you first, especially if your cards are selling well.

This points to the best way to find reps: Create a product that sells, and everything else will fall into place. Reps will just magically appear!

Getting Reorders

To evaluate card sales, I believe reorders are more important than first orders. A reorder means that customers are walking into the store and buying your cards, which requires the store to restock the shelf.

However, first orders only mean the store bought your cards and put them on the shelf. This does not guarantee customers will buy them. This is referred to as “sell-through” rates, meaning the percentage of cards you ship, that actually end up selling.

For most reps, knowing that one store reordered your cards ten times is more impressive than knowing ten stores bought your cards, but did not reorder.

Test Marketing Your Card Line

Here is an excerpt from the book "Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores."

Test Marketing
Another way to get feedback on your cards is to test market them in a store. Don’t dismiss the possibility of giving cards away for a limited amount of time in exchange for temporary shelf space. All you really want to do is to see if customers buy your cards and how much they are willing to pay.

If a store is hesitant to experiment with your cards because they don’t want to give up retail space to an untested product, agree to remove your cards after a month. There is no harm in asking. All they can do is say “no, thanks.”

If you feel shy about walking into a store and asking, “Hey, can I put my cards in your store as an experiment?” you do have some other options:

You might talk to your friends or relatives to see if they know anyone who runs a retail store. Tell them you are willing to give away cards in exchange for shelf space to test market your cards.

I found my first store this way. My friend’s mom ran a health food store and she offered to put my cards in a basket on the counter. She took an interest in my success and reported to me about her customers’ comments.

What makes this a great deal for the store is they get free cards, 100 percent profit, and they don’t have to keep track of invoices or set up an account with you.

I suggest offering at least fifty free cards. If that seems expensive to you, remember that when you grow a business, you will also need to give out free samples to sales reps, so giving away cards is reasonable thing to do.

Remember: Stores like artists. In my experience of approaching card buyers, I found them to be generous and helpful. They like giving feedback and usually prefer carrying local artist’s products, rather than mass-marketed items available in store chains.

How to Present Your Card Line

Here is an excerpt from the book "Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores."

Meeting With Experts

Whether you wander into a bookstore on a whim or decide to set up a formal meeting with a paid professional, consider all these people as “consultants.” That is, anyone who sells, designs or works in the greeting card industry.

Unlike friends and family, a greeting card consultant can offer professional advice on how to make your cards marketable on a wider scale. They also have connections in the industry. This kind of information is priceless.

Remember, in order to grow a successful card business, it is probably better to get advice from “The Grinch” rather than from your grandma!

What to Do in a One-on-One Meeting

If possible, try to arrange a meeting with a consultant in a place where neither of you will be interrupted. Meeting in a cafe is much better than meeting at a busy worksite.

Before the Meeting
The guidelines below are helpful when preparing for a meeting for feedback on your designs:

-Bring a notebook and write down tips from the consultant, whether it is positive or negative.

-Bring your greeting cards to the meeting as a finished product with an envelope, as if you were ready to sell them in a store. This helps the consultant visualize what the product will look like on a rack. If your cards are handmade, you might consider packaging each one individually in a cellophane bag.

-Keep your cards loose. Avoid putting them in photo albums or portfolios where page turning is required. Consultants generally want to shuffle through cards, sort them into piles, and look at their backs. If the cards are restricted to an album format, none of these tasks can be easily performed.

-Try to bring at least two dozen different card designs to the meeting. Three dozen is good, and fifty is even better! By showing a range of cards, the consultant can offer a direction. If you only show one dozen cards, it may be hard to see your vision and potential.

-Number the cards. Either adhere stickers or write on the backs of the cards, using numbers, letters or some other identifier. It’s much easer to refer to “card #7” when taking notes, rather than “the card with a red flower and orangish middle.”

During the Meeting
During the meeting, try to emotionally separate yourself from your art. Encourage the consultant to be brutally honest and assure them they will not hurt your feelings. You could even pretend your cards belong to someone else. That way, it will be easier for you to listen. Here are some additional tips for a meeting:

-Ask them to put your cards into two or three piles by preference. You can make it very simple, such as:

(1) Cards they think could sell.
(2) Cards they don’t think would sell well (or “rejected” cards.)
(3) Cards that could be improved if they were edited, or the art was changed.

-After they create three piles, don’t forget which pile they like. If possible, put the “rejected” cards in a bag out of the way. Avoid remixing them so that when you get home you will remember which ones they liked..

-When asking for feedback, make the distinction that you are asking which ones they think would “sell”, versus which ones they “like.” This allows three things to happen:

(1) It’s easier for them to be honest about the card’s selling potential, instead of being distracted by which ones they personally like.
(2) It gives them permission to “reject the card” instead of “rejecting the artist.”
(3) It shows you are a businessperson, and are primarily interested in making a successful product that sells, versus it being a hobby.

-If you are presenting several different styles, ask if they could foresee developing a larger line around one of your styles. For example, if you have 12 collage cards, 12 letterpress cards and 12 humor cards, ask which style you might expand to 50 cards.

-Regarding the rejected cards, ask them to be specific about what the problem is with each card, and how it could be improved.

-Ask them to comment aloud on their first reaction to each card. You might even hand them cards in a specific order that corresponds to a checklist you brought. Then you can take notes on each card while they comment.

When getting feedback, try not to lose sight of the bigger picture: You are asking for advice on improvement. Come to the meeting prepared that they might say your entire line has a problem. It is possible that you will only need to change the text, color or card size. It is better to know this information early on, rather than after spending $1,000 on printing.

It is only natural to feel disappointed if someone criticizes your work, but remember, you want them to be as honest as possible without feeling they have crossed a sensitive line with you.

A consultant may not like your line only because they are not familiar with your product category. For example, if you make upscale handmade cards, but their specialty is mass-produced cards for store chains, they may not be familiar with the handmade card market.

Taking all of these suggestions into consideration, remember that one consultant is only one opinion. You need more, ideally five or six people. These six people can be store owners, sales reps, or anyone who works in the greeting card industry. After each meeting, you can apply the suggested improvements and make your line better.

If at this point, you decide that adapting and changing your cards is not your cup of tea, and that you were happier making cards just for friends, that’s OK. It is better to know it now, rather than later, after you invest time and money to start a business. However, if at this point you feel energized and interested in making your cards more marketable to the public, then you are probably the right kind of person to run a card business.

After the Meeting
As with most business interactions, it is always nice to send a thank you note after a meeting. It is also a good practice to keep in contact with a consultant. They can refer you to other people, including sales reps.

Why Stores Like to Work With Greeting Card Reps

Here is an excerpt from the book "Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores"

There are several reasons why stores also like to work with reps:

Reps Offer Unique Products
Reps are often good at finding specialty items, which gives smaller stores an edge over chain stores.

Reps Save Time
Stores also save time by viewing many card lines in one appointment. This is more efficient than requesting catalogs from individual artists and manufacturers.

Reps Bring Samples
Another advantage is the store can hold items in their hands and evaluate their quality.

Reps Prescreen Items
Lastly, stores trust reps to prescreen quality card lines, which reduces financial risk. If a card line does not sell very well, a rep will be hesitant to carry it, and protect the store from a loss.

In order to find and work with reps, you want to get professional feedback on your designs, set appropriate prices and follow industry standards. We will discuss this in the next several chapters.

Mail Art Show

I've never entered art into an art gallery call-out, but thanks to two friend's encouragement, I entered a piece of "mail art" art to the Milk Gallery in Sacramento. I was quite surprised someone bought it and sent me a check! It's not a big one, but it taught me to consider applying for artist call-outs. I used to think call outs were only for professional artists who framed their work and shipped it to galleries (that can be quite complicated and expensive), but now there are a lot of subversive, grass root art shows popping up all over.

For me, mail art is the most fun type of art to make because it travels. If you want to see more mail art that has been submitted to this blog, see the mail art gallery page.

And a special thanks to Marie (letterpress art) and Lesli (dog humor) who is helping me find and submit to call-outs. Marie and Lesli also sold their pieces too!

8 Advantages of Working With Greeting Card Sales Reps

Here is an excerpt from the book "Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores."

Why Artists Like to Work With Reps

Besides generating orders, there are many benefits to working with reps. Here are just a few:

Quick Access to Stores.
Reps offer quick access into the marketplace. Once a rep has a sample set of your card line, they can start showing it to stores immediately.

Reps Sell More Than Artists.
Reps usually have years of sales experience and personal relationships with hundreds of stores. Therefore, a rep is able to sell more cards than an artist could.

Reps Know What Stores Want.
Reps know store owner’s personalities, what kind of products they like, and what types of customers visit each store. Reps build bridges between the artist, the store and the customer.

Reps Are Industry Experts.
Sales reps have valuable information on buying trends and can advise an artist on how to explore new directions.

Easier to Distribute Risk.
An artist can avoid financial risk if they have several independent reps throughout the country. For example, if you put your entire card line in the hands of one middleman, store chain or distributor, and later they drop you, your business will end overnight. On the other hand, if you lose one sales rep, it is only a temporary setback until you find a replacement.

Cost Savings.
One of the biggest advantages of working with sales reps is the artist pays a commission to them instead of a salary (usually 15-20 percent of the wholesale price). Therefore, reps have an incentive to sell more of your cards, because the more they sell, the more money they also make.

Avoid Regulations.
Another benefit of working with reps is that since they are not employees, the artist does not have to deal with state and federal employee regulations such workman’s compensation, disability and social security taxes.

Reps are Invested in the Artist’s Success
When a rep decides to carry a card line, they have made a personal investment in the artist’s success and has confidence the cards will sell. It is a win–win for everyone.

Are you interfering with your Sales Rep's job?

Startup Card Publisher Seeking Artists

Greeting Card Sales Rep Contracts

Sales Rep Territories

Pros and Cons of working with Rep Groups

Greeting Card Sales Reps 101

Pricing and Profits: The Tale of 2 Greeting Card Businesses

Pricing Your Cards

Getting Professional Feedback on Your Card Line

Getting Your First Greeting Card Account

Test Marketing Your Card Line

How to Present Your Card Line

Why Stores Like to Work With Greeting Card Reps

Mail Art Show

8 Advantages of Working With Greeting Card Sales Reps

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