1 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:06,110 There it's Sue. 2 00:00:06,170 --> 00:00:08,720 And thanks for joining me for tips and talk day. 3 00:00:09,350 --> 00:00:13,340 These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions and 4 00:00:13,340 --> 00:00:16,880 things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small business. 5 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:18,950 If you'd like to submit a topic, 6 00:00:19,250 --> 00:00:22,730 DME, over on Instagram at gift biz unwrapped, 7 00:00:23,510 --> 00:00:26,240 I'm going to share with you a concept that I've been 8 00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:28,010 talking about for a while now, 9 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:32,600 but I don't think I've ever formally defined it or explained 10 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,900 the underlying reason why you would have this in place. 11 00:00:36,170 --> 00:00:39,590 So we're going to cover a concept that I call the 12 00:00:39,590 --> 00:00:41,810 sales channel panel. 13 00:00:42,650 --> 00:00:46,730 This is the key so that you can maintain sales and 14 00:00:46,730 --> 00:00:50,960 manage through all the different crisises that come up and sales 15 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:52,280 blocks that we have. 16 00:00:52,430 --> 00:00:56,540 The sales channel panel is what was missing when we all 17 00:00:56,540 --> 00:00:58,430 got so caught off guard. 18 00:00:58,430 --> 00:00:59,150 Last year, 19 00:00:59,810 --> 00:01:03,260 I remember people who only did craft shows. 20 00:01:03,290 --> 00:01:05,000 All they did was sell face to face. 21 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,330 And all of a sudden that was like our knees were 22 00:01:08,330 --> 00:01:09,590 cut out from under us, 23 00:01:09,590 --> 00:01:14,180 right? Because the one single way we always used to bring 24 00:01:14,180 --> 00:01:15,020 in sales, 25 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:15,980 all of a sudden, 26 00:01:15,980 --> 00:01:19,760 just poof vanished like seriously. 27 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:22,880 It was almost like within a week first we had the 28 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:27,200 ability to sell face-to-face and then all of a sudden we 29 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:31,400 didn't, this type of thing can happen in a number of 30 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:32,090 different ways. 31 00:01:32,090 --> 00:01:35,210 It's not just what we just experienced last year. 32 00:01:35,450 --> 00:01:37,820 I remember three or four years ago. 33 00:01:37,820 --> 00:01:42,530 Now when Facebook went down for a short time or Instagram 34 00:01:42,530 --> 00:01:42,920 or down, 35 00:01:42,950 --> 00:01:43,460 oh my gosh, 36 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,730 Instagram went down for a minute and you would think the 37 00:01:46,730 --> 00:01:48,500 whole world had collapsed. 38 00:01:48,890 --> 00:01:52,880 And the reason is we were so reliant on one way 39 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,000 to bring in sales that when that was missing, 40 00:01:56,300 --> 00:01:58,640 there was nothing else we can do. 41 00:01:59,210 --> 00:02:03,680 Having a sales channel panel in place is what's going to 42 00:02:03,770 --> 00:02:07,520 lay the groundwork so that when these struggles come up, 43 00:02:07,610 --> 00:02:11,510 when one way of making sales gets shut off, 44 00:02:11,990 --> 00:02:13,670 you are not totally defeated. 45 00:02:13,670 --> 00:02:17,690 You are not totally left without any options to turn to. 46 00:02:18,290 --> 00:02:19,580 And unfortunately, 47 00:02:19,820 --> 00:02:21,260 that's, what's been happening, 48 00:02:21,470 --> 00:02:22,520 not just once, 49 00:02:22,550 --> 00:02:23,660 not just twice. 50 00:02:23,690 --> 00:02:26,420 And I think when we get back onto an even keel, 51 00:02:26,810 --> 00:02:29,210 we just let things start to slide again, 52 00:02:29,210 --> 00:02:32,540 because we feel like maybe it's back to business as usual. 53 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:34,670 And for a few months, 54 00:02:34,670 --> 00:02:39,230 I think potentially wishful thinking things did feel like they were 55 00:02:39,230 --> 00:02:40,010 really back. 56 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:40,310 You know, 57 00:02:40,310 --> 00:02:42,140 we were opening up again. 58 00:02:42,500 --> 00:02:45,560 You could go into stores anywhere inside and not be wearing 59 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:46,190 the masks. 60 00:02:46,220 --> 00:02:47,630 And now once again, 61 00:02:47,630 --> 00:02:48,380 what's happening, 62 00:02:48,620 --> 00:02:50,210 we're starting to restrict again, 63 00:02:50,780 --> 00:02:51,530 just last week. 64 00:02:51,530 --> 00:02:53,720 I found out that one of the big trade shows that 65 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,810 I planned to attend was up and now guess what? 66 00:02:57,560 --> 00:02:59,000 It's down again. 67 00:02:59,470 --> 00:03:01,780 So we're going to go through another wave of this, 68 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:03,100 which again, 69 00:03:03,100 --> 00:03:07,570 reinforces the reasoning behind why you would need something like a 70 00:03:07,570 --> 00:03:09,490 sales channel panel. 71 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,010 So now let me explain and give you the details of 72 00:03:12,010 --> 00:03:14,200 what this is all about and explain the strategy. 73 00:03:15,010 --> 00:03:18,130 When you have a sales channel panel. 74 00:03:18,490 --> 00:03:22,390 Literally, what this means is that you have all the elements 75 00:03:22,390 --> 00:03:26,200 in place for your business to get visibility. 76 00:03:26,620 --> 00:03:29,230 Because if you don't have people knowing you exist and knowing 77 00:03:29,230 --> 00:03:29,860 what you offer, 78 00:03:30,570 --> 00:03:32,220 they never have a chance to buy. 79 00:03:32,700 --> 00:03:37,020 It allows you to way to communicate with potential customers. 80 00:03:37,050 --> 00:03:38,850 So prospects and customers, 81 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,270 and then a way to capture sales. 82 00:03:42,780 --> 00:03:47,070 I define seven elements to a sales channel panel, 83 00:03:47,310 --> 00:03:49,560 and I'm going to share with you what these elements are. 84 00:03:49,860 --> 00:03:52,110 And then I'm going to tell you how the whole sales 85 00:03:52,110 --> 00:03:53,880 channel panel works together. 86 00:03:54,300 --> 00:03:56,760 The first element is a website. 87 00:03:57,030 --> 00:03:59,460 Obviously you have to have a website if ever you're going 88 00:03:59,460 --> 00:04:02,100 to conduct and close any business online. 89 00:04:02,130 --> 00:04:03,720 That's what e-commerce is all about. 90 00:04:04,350 --> 00:04:09,060 Second in person shows whether they're craft shows, 91 00:04:09,090 --> 00:04:10,380 farmer's markets, 92 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:11,730 church, bazaars, 93 00:04:12,030 --> 00:04:14,310 sidewalk sales within your community, 94 00:04:14,730 --> 00:04:16,680 anywhere where you're selling in person, 95 00:04:16,710 --> 00:04:18,480 we can throw in retail shops. 96 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:20,370 If you happen to have a brick and mortar shop, 97 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:25,170 anywhere you sell in person is another element of your sales 98 00:04:25,170 --> 00:04:26,160 channel panel. 99 00:04:27,180 --> 00:04:27,960 Number three, 100 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:29,610 networking groups. 101 00:04:29,670 --> 00:04:32,670 And I break this into two different categories here. 102 00:04:33,060 --> 00:04:35,940 Networking groups have a professional level. 103 00:04:35,940 --> 00:04:39,390 So these would be like your chamber of commerce BNI, 104 00:04:39,420 --> 00:04:41,730 which are lead passing type groups. 105 00:04:42,180 --> 00:04:46,410 And then you also have networking groups that are more social. 106 00:04:47,130 --> 00:04:49,290 It could be if your children are in school, 107 00:04:49,350 --> 00:04:51,480 the group of parents that you hang out with, 108 00:04:51,510 --> 00:04:55,230 or if you're in any of the committees within the schools, 109 00:04:55,650 --> 00:04:58,230 this could be a book club that you participate in, 110 00:04:58,290 --> 00:05:00,780 or a group that you work out with at the health 111 00:05:00,780 --> 00:05:03,510 club. All of these are social groups. 112 00:05:03,570 --> 00:05:05,250 And this is yes, 113 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:07,560 part of your sales channel panel, 114 00:05:07,590 --> 00:05:10,950 because these are people who could potentially buy from you. 115 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:12,420 Number four, 116 00:05:12,420 --> 00:05:15,510 in terms of a sales channel panel is connections that you 117 00:05:15,510 --> 00:05:18,150 have, that you could do collaborations with. 118 00:05:18,390 --> 00:05:21,120 So other people who are in your community, 119 00:05:21,150 --> 00:05:26,550 you sell to the same customer locally or other people nationwide, 120 00:05:26,580 --> 00:05:28,560 where you have a compatible audience, 121 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:30,450 you don't sell the exact same product, 122 00:05:30,450 --> 00:05:32,190 so you're not competing with each other, 123 00:05:32,610 --> 00:05:36,390 but your audience would be looking at your products because they 124 00:05:36,390 --> 00:05:37,740 have similar interests. 125 00:05:38,010 --> 00:05:41,040 So this could be somebody who let's say has pampering products, 126 00:05:41,490 --> 00:05:44,760 and then another person who sells candles. 127 00:05:45,180 --> 00:05:49,530 So a customer who buys pampering products would also probably be 128 00:05:49,530 --> 00:05:51,120 in the market for candles. 129 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:52,980 That's kind of the thing that they're about. 130 00:05:53,430 --> 00:05:55,950 So these two people could come together and collaborate. 131 00:05:55,980 --> 00:06:00,050 So this is another portion of your sales channel panel. 132 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:01,520 Number five, 133 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:03,230 having an email list, 134 00:06:03,470 --> 00:06:05,300 being able to communicate in that way. 135 00:06:05,750 --> 00:06:10,580 I will remind everybody that before social media there was email. 136 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:12,200 That's how we talked with people. 137 00:06:13,220 --> 00:06:14,000 Number six, 138 00:06:14,180 --> 00:06:15,200 obviously. Yes, 139 00:06:15,230 --> 00:06:16,250 social media, 140 00:06:16,310 --> 00:06:20,090 the new still bright child that we all look at, 141 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:22,340 social media and under social media, 142 00:06:22,340 --> 00:06:23,600 there are new platforms, 143 00:06:23,900 --> 00:06:27,410 different things happening all the time in that I'm calling it 144 00:06:27,410 --> 00:06:29,750 the element right of a sales channel panel. 145 00:06:30,770 --> 00:06:34,010 Interesting how clubhouse became so popular. 146 00:06:34,130 --> 00:06:35,540 And now what's happening. 147 00:06:35,930 --> 00:06:38,840 Interest is a little bit waning here on clubhouse. 148 00:06:38,870 --> 00:06:41,570 So you see how things will ebb and peak, 149 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:43,340 right? And number seven, 150 00:06:43,370 --> 00:06:45,320 rounding this out is wholesale. 151 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,260 And along with this are other avenues that spin off of 152 00:06:48,260 --> 00:06:52,250 wholesale, like consignment can artisan co-op that type of thing. 153 00:06:52,790 --> 00:06:56,390 So these are the seven elements of the sales channel panel. 154 00:06:56,420 --> 00:07:00,320 Let me restate them website in person sales, 155 00:07:00,830 --> 00:07:04,490 networking, both professional and social groups, 156 00:07:05,180 --> 00:07:07,700 collaborations, email, 157 00:07:08,390 --> 00:07:09,470 social media, 158 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:10,790 and wholesale. 159 00:07:11,630 --> 00:07:14,330 We go over how to actually set all these up within 160 00:07:14,330 --> 00:07:15,320 maker's MBA. 161 00:07:15,470 --> 00:07:18,590 But my guess is you have several of these in place. 162 00:07:19,100 --> 00:07:20,510 Maybe not all of them, 163 00:07:20,660 --> 00:07:22,610 but several of them already in place. 164 00:07:22,630 --> 00:07:24,700 Nice. Here's the thing. 165 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:25,620 When you, 166 00:07:25,630 --> 00:07:28,390 you get all of these elements in place, 167 00:07:28,630 --> 00:07:30,760 then you're in the driver's seat. 168 00:07:30,790 --> 00:07:34,810 Because then what you're able to do is adjust the intensity 169 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:38,860 of each of these elements based on market conditions. 170 00:07:39,490 --> 00:07:41,260 Let me go back to the story that I was talking 171 00:07:41,260 --> 00:07:42,130 about in the beginning. 172 00:07:42,130 --> 00:07:45,280 So that person who was always showing at craft shows, 173 00:07:45,700 --> 00:07:47,980 and then when the shows shut down, 174 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:50,230 she's looking around like now, 175 00:07:50,230 --> 00:07:51,490 what do I do? 176 00:07:52,090 --> 00:07:55,510 However, if she would have had these other things in place, 177 00:07:55,870 --> 00:07:58,180 if she would have been collecting emails, 178 00:07:58,810 --> 00:08:01,780 if she would have been showing up on social media, 179 00:08:02,500 --> 00:08:06,370 if she maybe had her product placed in some local areas, 180 00:08:06,730 --> 00:08:11,770 she wouldn't have been so singularly reliant on the craft shows. 181 00:08:12,250 --> 00:08:13,330 And so in this case, 182 00:08:13,330 --> 00:08:15,490 just to continue following the story. 183 00:08:15,940 --> 00:08:20,110 When craft shows went down to zero on the sales channel 184 00:08:20,110 --> 00:08:22,090 panel, because she couldn't do it anymore, 185 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:26,140 she could increase social media visibility, 186 00:08:26,830 --> 00:08:28,930 sending out a few more emails, 187 00:08:29,500 --> 00:08:32,110 but when everyone was caught off guard and they didn't have 188 00:08:32,110 --> 00:08:35,890 any of these other things in place that the people who 189 00:08:35,890 --> 00:08:39,850 stumbled. And so what happened throughout the year is everyone was 190 00:08:39,850 --> 00:08:45,550 scrambling to put these things in place and use the strategy 191 00:08:45,550 --> 00:08:49,150 of the sales channel panel is to help all of these 192 00:08:49,150 --> 00:08:51,760 elements at the very least setup. 193 00:08:51,790 --> 00:08:55,320 And I'm putting this like this is level zero of the 194 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:59,700 panel. And so then you are able to raise and lower 195 00:08:59,700 --> 00:09:04,440 the level of intensity of any of these seven elements based 196 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:05,820 on what's going on around you. 197 00:09:06,270 --> 00:09:09,210 You're not scrambling having to put it all together and get 198 00:09:09,210 --> 00:09:11,400 it established from ground zero, 199 00:09:11,850 --> 00:09:14,700 but you are able to up the level of intensity, 200 00:09:15,180 --> 00:09:19,260 and this is the way you're able to survive and move 201 00:09:19,260 --> 00:09:21,780 quickly and do some pivots very fast. 202 00:09:22,140 --> 00:09:24,960 When things come out of left field that you aren't expecting, 203 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:27,960 and it doesn't have to be a worldwide pandemic, 204 00:09:28,290 --> 00:09:32,730 it could be the weather came in and totally eliminated a 205 00:09:32,730 --> 00:09:34,320 craft show for a weekend. 206 00:09:34,740 --> 00:09:35,610 Or your website, 207 00:09:35,610 --> 00:09:36,870 heaven forbid froze. 208 00:09:37,140 --> 00:09:37,950 How do you get sales? 209 00:09:37,950 --> 00:09:38,970 If something like that happen, 210 00:09:38,970 --> 00:09:40,290 something's wrong with your website. 211 00:09:40,830 --> 00:09:43,860 All of these different types of things will allow you to 212 00:09:43,860 --> 00:09:45,000 recoup sales. 213 00:09:45,270 --> 00:09:48,960 And most importantly have confidence that you'll be able to approach 214 00:09:49,020 --> 00:09:50,820 anything that comes your way. 215 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:52,110 And you'll be fine. 216 00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:54,390 Another way to think about this, 217 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,430 those of you who use Canva, 218 00:09:56,700 --> 00:09:59,640 when you go in and you add a photo into Canva, 219 00:10:00,090 --> 00:10:02,490 you can do a ton of different types of adjustments to 220 00:10:02,490 --> 00:10:03,210 the photo, 221 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:06,450 right? So you can change the brightness. 222 00:10:06,510 --> 00:10:08,820 The contrast saturation, 223 00:10:09,300 --> 00:10:12,240 opacity, highlight fading, 224 00:10:12,870 --> 00:10:13,710 adding a vignette, 225 00:10:13,710 --> 00:10:15,990 like all these different types of things that you can do 226 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,750 that affect the look of the photo, 227 00:10:19,230 --> 00:10:22,260 but they don't change the base photo. 228 00:10:23,010 --> 00:10:25,020 This is a very similar strategy, 229 00:10:25,020 --> 00:10:28,380 just discussed in a different way of the sales channel panel 230 00:10:28,410 --> 00:10:30,810 because your company is the same, 231 00:10:31,260 --> 00:10:35,280 but you would just increase the intensity and lower the intensity 232 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:38,910 on the different elements based on what you need at the 233 00:10:38,910 --> 00:10:40,710 time. It's still your business. 234 00:10:40,740 --> 00:10:42,090 It's still all your products. 235 00:10:42,330 --> 00:10:43,740 It's still you selling, 236 00:10:44,130 --> 00:10:47,070 but you're going out and you're reaching your customers in different 237 00:10:47,070 --> 00:10:51,780 ways with different approaches based on the situation at hand, 238 00:10:52,140 --> 00:10:53,940 again, the sales channel panel, 239 00:10:53,940 --> 00:10:56,220 when you have it all set up in this way, 240 00:10:56,610 --> 00:11:01,560 brings confidence and security to your business in an uncertain world. 241 00:11:02,310 --> 00:11:05,660 And no business can be more solid than that. 242 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:08,930 That's a wrap. 243 00:11:09,290 --> 00:11:11,150 I'm a get to the point kind of girl. 244 00:11:11,300 --> 00:11:14,090 And this is what you can expect from these quick midweek 245 00:11:14,090 --> 00:11:19,160 sessions. Now it's your turn go out and fulfill that dream 246 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:19,910 of yours, 247 00:11:20,210 --> 00:11:22,400 share your handmade products with us. 248 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:23,600 We want them, 249 00:11:23,780 --> 00:11:26,690 and they bring us both so much happiness.