My last post, How to Take Feedback Like a Multi-vitamin, gave you some tips to use feedback to help grow your business. Once the post aired, however, I realized that many of you were really looking for something a little more basic: how to get feedback from retailers. So let’s hop from one metaphor to another, today I want you to think back to the middle school notes you sent and received…yes, no, maybe? –Emily of Clementine

Illustration by Emily McDowell for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Many of my posts touch on the interaction between wholesale lines and your interaction with retail shops. I started this column off (3 years ago!) by telling you how to get a retailer’s attention, then followed up with how to stay in contact and how to submit your line by email and snail mail. I also talked about why retailers might be rejecting your line, and specifically talked about how you can ask for feedback when a retailer says no to your line. But I know this is one of the biggest challenges to putting yourself out there as a wholesale line, so let’s tackle the two best ways to get feedback: you can ask, or you can ask and offer.

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ASK: It seems simple, but sometimes simply asking is the best way to gather feedback from retailers. Retailers don’t reply to emails because: we are incredibly busy and we don’t want to say no/you didn’t give us the invitation to say maybe. But sometimes, we really do have quick, relevant feedback that could help grow your line.

Who to ask

Retailers who don’t yet carry your line, those who expressed an interest but never followed up, or those who haven’t ordered for a long time.

When to ask

At the close of your follow up email, or any correspondence after the initial outreach. Most retailers make a gut YES, NO, MAYBE determination within 30 seconds of opening your email/mailer. You’ll hear from the YESES. It’s the NO and MAYBES that will drive you crazy, because you won’t hear from either of them.

What to ask

There are really only two questions you’re asking and you should keep it short and simple, like a middle school note:

• Would my work ever be right for your shop: yes, no, maybe?
• If maybe, is there something I could do to to sway you to a yes?

How to ask

Make it clear that you actually want feedback. Craft your own version of: “I hope to keep you updated on my line as it grows, but I don’t want to bother you. If you would like to continue to follow my line, please answer yes, no, or maybe. If your answer is maybe, I would really value any quick thoughts or hesitations you have about my line.”

What’s to love about this type of feedback? You get a better sense of who your people are. If you craft your question well, the MAYBES might say more which could lead to more yeses. And if you’re ready for the sting, it will get you some nopes, that will help you stop wasting your time on the shops that aren’t right, so you can go after the ones that are (Oh, and it’s a great cure for the dreaded radio silence.)

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ASK + OFFER: You understand the ask. The offer is what makes a retailer actually stop, sit down, and reply thoughtfully.

Who to ask

Retailers who currently carry, or have carried your line in the past.

When to ask

Anytime you’re hungry for substantial feedback, considering a change in your line, or want to increase your wholesale outreach.

What to ask

You are asking retailers who have sold your work to give you thoughtful feedback about how to improve your line. You are asking specific questions, (probably in the form of an online survey) that will help you get real answers to what they perceive as your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. Craft your questions so that you do not get generic responses.

What to offer

Something they would appreciate, that you can easily give: free product, a discount code to your shop, or free shipping. How much? Consider what would make you stop and fill out a survey. I would generally figure an offer of $25-$50 for every 15 minutes.

How to ask

Make it clear that you would love to have their insight as a retailer who sells their work, that you’re looking for specific feedback to help grow your line and that you value their time so you want to offer them something if they take the time to help your line grow.

What’s to love about this type of feedback? You get real answers, often a suggestion that can strengthen you relationships with stores to get you feedback (and friendship?) that’s ongoing!

Clementine‘s current card wall, feedback welcome.

I will be honest, I could spend all day talking to creative product lines about how to edit and expand your lines. It’s why I love writing this column and why I started consulting. But before I began offering feedback like it was my (actual) job, I honestly felt awkward, I thought I was intruding. I bet most of your retailers feel the same way, so give them an easy way to say: yes, or maybe and then come back and share your middle school note folding skills. xo ~Emily

“How should I reach out to retailers?” is a question that looms large in both casual conversations and my professional consulting with product based designers. As a retailer, it seems obvious which approaches will work and which won’t, but through conversations with you, I realize it’s not so clear. With that in mind, I began breaking this topic down to give you real examples. My first post here discussed how to get a shop owner’s attention. More recently, I wrote about How to Submit Your Line to Retailers by Email. Today’s post will talk about when and how to submit your line to retailers by mail. Email is great, but sometimes there’s just no substitution for presenting your products by good-old-fashioned snail mail. –Emily of Clementine

Illustration by Emily McDowell for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Ok, let’s dive in to reach out:

• WHAT does it mean to submit your line via mail? Submitting your line via mail means that you send a small selection of your physical products via USPS/UPS/FEDEX to a new retail shop with the hopes that they will pick up your line. It does not mean you hand-deliver your products to a shop. It does not mean you send your catalog in the mail. It does not mean you e-mail a link to your catalog. (And yes, you should put that phone down.)

• WHY should you send physical products and not just a catalog? Crafting emails to a large group of potential retailers is a great way to cast a broad net. But emails get lost in the shuffle and simply don’t have the same effect as seeing work in person. You should consider sending an introduction by mail if:
  • You want to pick up new wholesale accounts.
  • You want to capture a retailer’s attention/get on their radar, even if they don’t pick up your line immediately.
  • You want to gain social (or traditional) media attention.
  • You didn’t have a great response to an email mailing.
  • Your products don’t translate in 2D/online nearly as well as in person.

• WHEN should you submit by mail? Submitting your line by mail is vulnerable and time consuming. I recommend making a plan and a timeline to hold yourself accountable. Consider timing it as part of a marketing plan or other external event to create a reference point for your work.  When is the perfect time? When some combination of the following happen:
  • You’re launching a wholesale line and want to reach out to potential retailers.
  • You are launching a new collection in your wholesale line and want to reach out to potential retailers and treat existing retailers.
  • You’ve done your homework on which retail shops would be a good fit for your line.
  • You’re skipping a trade show.
  • You have the money to invest.
  • You have a wholesale line that you are confident has depth, variety and something new to add to the wholesale marketplace.
  • You have the inventory to fulfill potential orders.

• WHEN shouldn’t you submit by mail? Retailers all have slightly different schedules for when they’re not looking to pick up new lines, but I would generally avoid:
  • The winter holiday season (Thanksgiving - New Years), because we’re just incredibly busy.
  • Directly after a big national show, because we may have spent too much money.
  • When you don’t have the inventory in place to fulfill an order, because there’s nothing that will turn a retailer off faster than getting in touch for an order and being told many items are out of stock or it will be several weeks before the order can ship.

• WHO should you reach out to by mail?
  • Retailers who you feel confident would carry your line at their store.
  • Retailers who have reached out to you, who you met at a creaft/gift show, or have expressed an interest in another venue (maybe even social media).
  • Retailers whose aesthetic you are so smitten with, you want to gift them with samples from your line even if you aren’t confident they’ll pick you up.

The Hive Studio submission: product samples, wrapped in fabric gift wrap, catalog and note: submission perfection!

• WHAT should you send? Introducing a wholesale line by mail can look very different from line to line. I recommend creating a budget for this mailer and a goal for the impact you want to have. Then, divide your budget by the number of stores you want to mail to and sketch out what to include. Consider including:
  • A selection of products that highlight your line, especially those that don’t translate well in photographs/online.
  • Products that are tailored to a retail shop owner’s interests, geographic area and/or other insights you have gleaned about their shop.
  • A physical catalog.
  • A handwritten note. What should you say? Something similar to what you say in your email, but in your own handwriting!
  • Details that reinforce your brand: Ribbon, wrapping, swag, and extra touches enhance the experience of meeting your line and may be the reason you are picked up.
  • Clear, easy contact information via every social and traditional channel.
  • A promise to follow up.

• HOW should you follow up?
  • By email, one to two weeks later

I hope that’s enough to get you started. Remember: Reaching out by mail takes effort, so make it count. Please ask any follow up questions in the comment section! xo Emily

p.s. Want more on this topic?

• I tag #knowyourbrickandmortar on instagram to capture moments the best Brick + Mortar moments at Clementine, including when I think wholesale vendors do a great job of catching my eye.
• Want my feedback tailored to your line? I do that too, click here to learn more.

I spent the better part of this week tending to my submissions folder. This task is exhausting. I want to provide a thoughtful reply to each submission, but I can’t. I don’t have the time, and I fear that my feedback – even if well intentioned – will be taken as an insult. I’ve given feedback that has been taken as an insult. I never want to be the reason a line stops growing and I’ve used that to justify my short replies. But I always have more to say. Today, I want to share a few of the potentially tender reasons I don’t accept lines. I hope you’ll take them in the manner they’re meant: as true constructive fuel that can help a line grow. ~ Emily of Clementine.

Illustration by Emily McDowell for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Many of you already run strong, stunning, professional lines that are carried by many shops. This post isn’t for you. You may apply to shops like mine and not get picked up and it really is because the timing isn’t right, or I admire what you do, but it’s just not a fit. However, there are other lines who are new and growing, in the early stumbling stages, getting rejected or simply hearing crickets after you apply. This post is for you. There are some concrete, fixable reasons that you may be rejected. This feedback can be awkward to give one-on-one, but I believe our creative community could use a little constructive criticism.

So here goes:

• Your line lacks an understanding of design and/or a compelling aesthetic. Let’s be blunt, not everyone is fit to run a successful wholesale stationery line. You may love to draw. You may have always dreamed of having a card line. These things should propel you forward, but they don’t compel me to order from you. I’m overwhelmed by the number of submissions I receive that seem to lack a basic understanding of design (borders, type, color, pattern). Retailers can, and should, disagree on the aesthetics that they choose for their store, but we all want lines that meet basic standards of design. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s time to invest in some course work: visual art and graphic design. There are some incredible online options these days, and continuing education courses you can take. Hone your skills, sharpen your eye. Get excited about what you don’t know.
  • Beyond good design, of course, is the overall look: the art and sentiments themselves. I have seen many early attempts that are very heartfelt, but simply not very good. This is a hard area to receive feedback on, because it hurts and it’s hard to solicit feedback on because your friends and family will lie. It’s time to explore Etsy, craft fairs, and other sales venues where you see if there’s a market for your work. In other words, send your submission to retailers after your dream of having a card line has actually taken root and begun to grow.

• Your line doesn’t look professional. On the other hand, you may be a really talented artist, but you don’t seem to care about how to sell. You may, for example, decide to turn your [fine art, photography, doodles, etc] into cards, and you didn’t give much thought to how to present it. Major tells in this area are: poor printing quality, inconsistency in paper, poor envelope quality, and poor packaging. Bottom line: printing quality matters, packaging matters. If you’re not willing to invest in your line, I’m unlikely to invest in you. Go to the stores where you envision your line and look critically at the items that are already there. Your line should not mimic what has already been picked, but it should be able to stand along side the current lines.

• You don’t seem to understand what wholesale is. I get it – wholesale talk can seem like a big secret society when you’re on the other side. But the truth is, there’s very little you can’t Google your way into. For that reason, if you submit your line without the basics: a catalog and line sheet and some industry standards around pricing, minimums, and policies – it’s a red flag that working with you may mean more work for me.

• Your line isn’t extensive or cohesive enough. Early on, many talented crafters take a spaghetti-against-the-wall approach to see what sticks. Are you a designer, a potter, a seamstress? Do you want your cards to be letterpress or flat printed? Are you offering custom items? It’s ok to try out different product lines and methods, but when you present your line to retailers, it should feel cohesive and it should be extensive enough to convey that I’ll be able to rely on you for fresh products as the seasons change.

• Your submission seems careless or spammy. I always recommend taking 5 minutes on each retailer’s site to learn their name and any submission guide lines. It takes very little time to be thoughtful and most retailers I know receive so many submissions that if it’s not addressed to us by name, we feel permission not to respond.

• Your intro is too long, too casual, or off-color. I offered a template for email submissions here and I plan to write another about mail submissions. In short: your submission should be short, sweet and professional. It should not be seven paragraphs. It should not be too personal unless we actually know each other. You may assume I’m laid back, don’t mind a well placed curse word, and love to laugh (all true), but your submission email should still err on the side of business casual, not casual Friday. We’ll get to know each other later.

• Your photos and collateral aren’t appealing. Assume I have 30-90 seconds to look at your submission. Good photos and collateral (business cards, and other marketing extras) are often the only reason I linger. They also give a nod to the fact that you understand that our business is visual and that I can rely on you for quality presentation going forward.

• Your line looks too much like another line. In private conversation, this is a frequent topic. My friends and colleagues often disagree on who may be copying who. But for the purposes of picking a line, it’s not the copying that I’m focused on, it’s that your similarity to another line is either a distraction (because all I can think of is whether you’re copying someone else) or it means you don’t stand out on your own. If you want to sell professionally, you should be aware of the work of your peers and step back to critique how and when you may need to veer away from a design that seems played out. Please don’t hop on a new trend after you see it on line. The world only needs more gold foil pineapples if yours are spectacular. What retailer’s really want is to find something we’ve never seen that only you can show.

• You don’t stand out. Lately, I’ve seen an increase in submissions from designers who really do seem to understand the format of a good card, but I flip through the catalog and it’s immediately indistinguishable from dozens of others: the designs seem safe, the colors bland, the sentiments re-hashed versions of what’s out there. It’s hard to truly trust your gut and make the cards that you’re meant to make, but there’s nothing I love more than finding lines that do. You should cringe a little at your prior efforts, and then use them as a springboard to try something new.

If you feel like maybe I’m talking directly to you, rest assured, I’m probably not. These nine bullet points represent issues that I see repeatedly in hundreds of submissions each year. But now, I’m curious to hear from you – if you don’t get an order in response to a submission, do you want to know why? Do you want details? Do you want a dialogue? What more would you want from retailers? I’ve been investigating ways (periscope? Facebook live?) that we could turn this into a discussion. I await your suggestions and promise, when asked, to give true feedback to your line, if (and only if) you request it. I would also love to hear from my fellow retailers – tell me what I might have missed.

I’ll leave you with my current view at Clementine: Mother’s Day + a few other favorite cards on some shoddy shelves that I made, which are basically held together with dreams and wood glue. We all have our strenghts and weaknesses. I always welcome your constructive construction criticism and your feedback…xoxo, Emily

This fall, Clementine, my Brick + Mortar, turned 5. I celebrated. I took stock of the friendships, partnerships, and mentoring I had done. I felt proud and happy. Then, like a punch in the gut, I suddenly felt worn down - heavy with small business fatigue. I imagined working for someone else; letting them make decisions, and giving me a steady paycheck. I left 2015 with two weighty, honest questions:  What do I want to do next year? And, if it’s this, How can I do it really well? ~ Emily of Clementine

Illustration Emily McDowell for Oh So Beautiful Paper

As busy, creative entrepreneurs how do we confront questions of doubt? Like many of you, I have several side-hustles. I love them just as much as my main gig, but I often wonder where and how to focus my energy to be efficient. Last year, I started a styling and creative consulting partnership, I began offering creative consultation, I continued to write here (xo), partnered with Etsy on some of their new wholesale endeavors and, last month, decided to organize creatives to take a stand against gun violence. I love starting new things and having variety to my work. I love how these things relate to each other, but they pull me in different directions. How do I do all of them well?

2015 was about gathering advice and resources to make my business bloom, but I admit, it’s far easier for me to daydream up new ideas than to put them into practice. I’ve been lucky to befriend some incredible small business owners, so I began 2016 by making time to talk to my cohorts about the nitty gritty of what’s next for me. I also relied heavily on the greater small business community, especially on podcasts, to help me think through many of my small business dreams and plans. This year, I need to dig in and create a structure to help my business plans flourish. I wanted to start 2016 by sharing a few of my favorite podcast episodes, many of which I’m revisiting as I plan for the road ahead. I hope they help you move you through your own stumbling points and give you a boost for 2016! (I’d also love to hear your favorites!)

After the Jump, has been, without a doubt, one of my favorite podcasts. Hosted by Design Sponge creator, Grace Bonney, this podcast stopped airing a year ago, but there are 100 incredibly helpful episodes. My favorites include: Episode 6 Meg Mateo Ilasco and Mom Inc. (deleted from the web, but still available on itunes!); Episode 20 Becoming your Brand Episode 39 Raising the Bar; Episode 90 Genevieve Gorder returns.

Magic Lessons is the creative weekend getaway we all dream about in podcast form. This short follows up on Melissa Gilbert’s work with her recent book Big Magic. Each episode comes in two parts – an interview with a creative person who is stuck and then a conversation with one of Gilbert’s co-horts about advice for that person. I adored this short series, but Cheryl Strayed’s advice in episode #2 Pursue your passion like a mofo and Brene Brown’s take in the final episode, Big Strong Magic, were the food I needed to keep my creative heart beating last year (do listen to the complimentary episode for each or they won’t make sense!)

Being Boss is a podcast for creative entrepreneurs hosted by Emily Thompson and Kathleen Shannon.  This is one of my regular listens (thanks to Kristen’s recommendation at the August NYNOW). I especially loved episodes #4 How to Be Boss When You’re Afraid of Failing and episode #53 The Value of Staying Small.

#girlboss radio. Launched after the crazy popularity of Sophia Amoruso’s book, #girlboss, these conversations are refreshingly honest with a kick of irreverence. They’re all fun, but for business, I really liked Episode #4 Sheree Waterson, CEO Nasty Gal.

Profit Power Pursuit.  Tara Gentile asks delightfully pointed questions which lead to real, detailed answers from her guests. I haven’t listened to all of them, but especially enjoyed these two so far: Episode #3 Megan Auman; Episode #8 Keri Chapin.

The Lively Show. Jess Lively is effervescent and upbeat, even when tackling difficult topics. I enjoy the episodes when she digs into tougher life stuff, and interviews grounded, deep women. I especially enjoyed #58 Using Values to Thrive in Work and Family with Tina Roth Eisenberg; and episode #107 Quitting a Full-Time Business for More Joy with Melissa Gruntkosky, which explores the extremely important question of when quitting our passion project may be the best thing for our lives.

Smart Creative Women. Hosted by Monica Lee, there are some wonderfully extensive interviews with creative women. Two of my favorites include Lisa Congdon: A Creative Journey and Emily McDowell’s Amazing Adventure.

Start Up – This podcast is all about the making of Alex Blumberg’s podcast company, Gimlet Media. The transparency and awkwardness in this series is refreshing and compelling. Start with episode #1 How Not to Pitch A Billionaire and see if you want to listen on…

Iron Curtain Press’s The Dream Is Free Print means one thing when you’re dreaming, and another when you’re years in.

We’re experiencing a bit of a golden era of entrepreneurialism. Starting your own business is applauded. Quitting your day job is glorified. Running your own thing is great. But we’re not all cut out for it, and even those who are generally deserve far more support than we’re receiving. I know it’s not time for me to sell the farm (or the store in this case!) but I’m digging in to my resources, I’m making time for tough conversations with fellow business owners (and my family) and I’m genuinely looking forward to some change this year.

What about you? What’s ahead in 2016? What are your stumbling points as a small business owner and where do you turn to overcome them?