Quick and Easy Ways to Sell More Products
Managing inventory is a tricky business. For those selling live plants, that’s especially true. No matter how carefully you plan, Mother Nature manages to throw you a curve ball fairly often.
If you find yourself with perishable inventory towards the end of your season, here are a few suggestions for getting the most out of it. All can be implemented quickly, and with minimal cost.
Web Specials. Feature the product you want to move prominently on your home page. Include a link to a whole page of overstocks. Give an extra discount on multiple quantities ordered by a specific deadline.
Telephone Upsell. When customers call to order, add on a brief description of another item at a discounted price.
E-mailings. Send a “private sale” notice to customers who have given you permission to e-mail them. Feature an individual item, or offer them a discount on a choice of items.
Postcard Mailings. Postcards aren’t quite as fast as e-mail, but they’re still reasonable. And, unlike e-mail, you can reach your entire house file with a postcard and it’s virtually guaranteed to be read. For more on marketing with postcards, click here.
Try E-Bay . As of this writing, there are 74,607 items listed in eBay’s “Gardening & Plants” category, which includes 38,806 for plants, seeds and bulbs. Prices range from $0.01 to $4,000.
Moving excess inventory requires a little thought and planning, but most of these suggestions can be executed quickly. Add one to your arsenal each time the need arises, and soon you’ll have the systems in place when the need arises down the road.
