Selling Pointers

1. Arrival of the Partnership Box
It’s exciting receiving your box in the mail and seeing all the great items that are included for you to sell.  Be sure to go through the items on the sales order that comes inside your box to ensure that your order was filled correctly.  If it was not, please mark on the sales order the missing/additional items and also let us know so we can deduct or add that amount to your final invoice.  Please remember that we are nearly a 100% volunteer-run organization and mistakes do happen!


2. Before the Sale
Brush up on Fair Trade and PJT products.  Read the PJT Fair Trade Cheat Sheet and the Partners’ Product Guide to help you answer your customers’ questions.


3. Sale Location
Know your display space and dimensions.  How many tables, chairs will you need?  Is there display space?  Do you need to take you own table coverings?  


4. Sale Day Checklist:

Pencils and pens	Markers
Pins	Scissors
Small and large Scotch tape	Stapler
Ready made signs with names and prices of your products that can be pinned to the product	Baskets/containers for smaller items (bookmarks, coin purses, finger puppets, etc.)
Coat hangers	Paper for making signs
Change and a container/box to put cash collected in	Calculator (if your math is rusty!)
Small boxes to serve as stands for displaying (especially ceramics)	A small sign at the cashier indicating checks should be made payable to your designated group
Solid color fabrics to cover the small boxes	Plastic Bags for Purchase

5. Setting Up
As soon as possible, begin setting up your display.  You will get questions and interruptions as you work, making the setup take more time than you may have planned.  Group products by usage:  purses, baby and children’s items, household accessories, Christmas, and clothing.  Display (attractively!) as many products as possible and pin their name and price to each one.  Make it as easy as possible for customers to understand our products and prices without your personal explanation for you; you may be talking to other customers and not able to answer all questions from all people.


6. Informational Display
Display Fair Trade and PJT information in a prominent place and ask customers to take some information with them. 


7. Product Display
Have display items “invitingly messy.”  If everything is in exact order, customers are less inclined to browse.  Especially for baby blankets and ruanas open them up and drape them with similar products.  Bring props like wine bottles or pillow forms to make your products more appealing.  Encourage customers to try on shawls, vests, pastoral stoles, and clothing, play with finger puppets, unzip purses, portfolios, etc.  And if possible, bring a mirror so people can see how great they look wearing PJT merchandise. 


8. Lure the Customer In!
Stand up.  It’s easier to sell when you have eye-contact with the prospective customer.  And don’t forget, wear comfortable shoes so your feet don’t ache by the end of the day. Try to engage passers-by in conversation that pulls them into your booth…”  “How about something wild and wooly from Peru?”  “We have great gift ideas for anyone hard to shop for.”  In the back of your head think, “The more I sell, the more the artisans in Peru will benefit.”  And don’t forget, have fun!!


9. The Sale
When the customer decides to purchase a product, be sure to:
a. Thank them for their purchase
b. Hand them a brochure or other PJT information available
c. Tell them to visit our website, www.partnersforjusttrade.org
d. Ask them to sign-up to receive more information about PJT products by filling their contact information out on the PJT sign-up sheet.


10. Packing Up
When your sale is over, pack the inventory so that matching products are together as much as possible.  But we ask that you take time repacking the box and folding items so that our hard-working volunteers in St. Louis do not have to iron the textiles that are returned.


11. After the Sale
Convert cash and checks to one check (made payable to Partners for Just Trade), and mail it along with any unsold items to PJT’s office within 2 weeks of your sale, and the PJT Information Sign-up Sheet. 
The unsold items are important to our inventory and will be used to fulfill other orders upon their return. If you'd like to extend your sale, just let us know so we can be sure to make a note of it in our records.


12. Evaluation Form
Fill out the Partnership Box evaluation form and e-mail, fax, or mail it back with your unsold goods it to PJT.  Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.


13. Thank you!
Thank you very much for all of your hard work!  Pat yourself on the back…you’ve made a positive impact on artisans’ lives in Peru.  And lastly, don’t forget to help us spread the word by telling your friends about PJT and keep buying Fair Trade!