10/9/21 - I'm Giving Away Free Lessons in Selling Widgets - Pots and Plants for Sale

Newsflash:

I don't know sh!+, except low, low prices.

But if you're paying attention, it's clear that I'm doing something right, or else how would I get all these widgets?

You don’t get this far without knowing a thing or two about sourcing value, attracting customers, or closing deals; and mastering these principles yields benefit in any industry, regardless of what goods or services you’re vending.

I just happen to be selling pottery and house plants, at the best prices in town, but my playbook could be applied to just about any old widget.

LOCATION

Online or otherwise, where you’re situated relative to your customers takes precedence over all. If you’re not visible and convenient for them, it doesn’t matter if your price makes you the best game in town.

My convenient location is right off Highway 36 and the Pecos exit in North Denver. This puts me within 25 miles and a 30 minute drive of most neighborhoods in the Front Range, which I’ve found to be the limit of what most people will drive.

If your customer is in Boulder County, I’d divide these numbers by three, because these people are the California equivalent of “West Siders”, which isn’t a compliment. Longmont, on the other hand, has shown to be the exception.

For various reasons I insist that people message me for my specific address, which isn’t best practice, but it works for me:

<< 909 >> << 744 >> << 7708 >>

- or -

@ahouseofpots

PRICE

To be better than the rest, you need to offer the lowest prices on likeminded commodities or enough cumulative value to encourage a transaction. This begins with solid procurement and supply chain management, which means you’re competing with billion dollar big box stores, which I do.

I’ve been smoking Home Depot on terracotta prices for over four years now. My glazed ceramics cost less than any local supplier in the state. Lowe’s rarely goes as low as I consistently do on planters.

Unlike local nurseries and boutique shops, I know the key to a customer’s heart is giving them the best price possible on the items they want. It’s not about the highest markup percentage possible, but how many units moved. My best price possible doesn’t matter if it’s not the best price available, and so I make sure no one beats my prices.

There’s a reason I sell both wholesale and retail.

INVENTORY

The best prices on zero inventory nets zero sales. Having the best prices and a convenient location amounts to little if there’s little you have that appeals to your customers.

To remain high stock, I buy thousands of pounds of pottery at a time, so I can have thousands of different options available even in times of drought throughout Denver. There's tons of pots right now.

I listen to my customers and stock the things they want, which is why, despite being a large volume pottery dealer primarily, I sell apartment sized cactus, philodendron, aloe, pothos, succulents, and so on.

DISCOUNTS

Getting interested parties interested in your commodities isn’t enough; you have to close the deal.

Here’s why every paying customer receives extra value when making a purchase.

All purchases of two or more items receive a cash discount, free additional items, or some kind gesture like comp’ing your sales tax.

If you can afford to take the best prices in town even lower like I do, odds are you’re not going to have difficulties selling your toothpaste and toilet paper.

AVAILABILITY

To accrue the most sales, you need to be available around the clock at your customer’s whim to process their transaction. In this regard, I am not optimal, as I’m only available on the weekends (Saturday & Sunday) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

I do try to compensate for this short coming by allowing for appointments midweek, though there’s no guarantee I’m available any day besides Sat & Sun.

SEARCHABILITY

Searchability online correlates to physical visibility or reputation among your customer base in that the more people that see your wares, the more likely they’re to appear where you’d like them to. This explains why I’ll cut and paste old Pottery Jargon from time to time, so I’m more likely to be found in search.

I’ll be blunt, I’m too exhausted for anything but half-baked pottery jargon:

Let’s hash out blazing landscaping estate sale deals on plants, planters, and cheap garden gear. I won’t bogart my backyard pottery and ceramics, including the Italian terracotta, Gainey MCM pots, cacti, or other gardener chronic. If you’re blazing through yard sale content, put down the tree and plant yourself without the pottery. It’s about time you re-up on euphorbia, macetas, cacti, decorative ceramic gardening, and succulents that grow faster than a weed, chief. You know, a cactus is a succulent, and Sherrelwood is the home of the landscape planter that’s local, clay, decorative, and a better deal than a nursery. There’s more to say, but I think I’d rather watch grass grow instead.

Considering letting your other weekend plans go up in smoke? Here’s how far the pots are from wherever you are from:

Centennial (23 mi.), Broomfield (9 mi.), Denver (8 mi.), Parker (32 mi.), Northglenn (6 mi.), Longmont (26 mi.), Lakewood (14 mi.), Lafayette (14 mi.), Loveland (45 mi.), Westminster (2.5 mi.), Greeley (57 mi.), Golden (14 mi.), Littleton (18 mi.), Sherrelwood (0 mi.), Federal Heights (2 mi.), Erie (21 mi.), Front Range (1.3 to 130 mi.), Louisville (13 mi.), Superior (13 mi.), Thornton (5 mi.), Castle Rock (37 mi.), Arvada (6.5 mi.), Boulder (20 mi.), Fort Collins (58 mi.), Aurora (14-25 mi.), Commerce City (5 mi.)

LIKABILITY

Presenting your commodities in a manner that is amenable and desirable is critical to sales. Have I managed to achieve this here? No, and, quite likely, it’s the opposite, so I’m just going to stop.

*** Come buy pottery from me today ***