Pre-sales can be an amazing way to grow your business, and today, Vanessa Graffe is going to guide us through it!
Vanessa launched her store in June 2020. She's here to tell us exactly how she did it and share the incredible journey that has led to her CRUSHING it in the pre-sales game.
There is lots of great info for YOU in this episode, so get ready to take loooots of notes.
I can't wait; let's get started!
Vanessa’s Backstory
Vanessa Graffe started her business in 2018, but it wasn’t until 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, that it really started to grow.
She says that she has always dreamed of owning and running her own boutique, and she’s basically been an entrepreneur since the day she was born. But she didn’t know that, she says, until she found me. (Although I can’t take all the credit for her hard work, I’m pretty happy to hear that!)
Vanessa is from Venezuela. Vanessa has lived in different countries throughout her life. She and her family migrated every three years or so. Because she was always on the move, Vanessa was always ready to adapt to new surroundings.
She moved to the United States about four years ago and was really afraid of being singled out. She neither looked nor sounded like the people around her. But one thing about Vanessa is that she never lets fear control her.
When she got to the States, she made a decision that would later change her life: She wanted to have her own business.
Vanessa was sick of working for other people, especially when she could be using her skills to work for herself (GO VANESSA!!).
She wanted to do what she truly loved but also leave a legacy for her children. Something tangible. Something real.
Vanessa's Quest for Something Better
Vanessa decided to start searching for something that brought her joy, not only when she bought it, but also when she delivered it to others.
She first opened a clothing boutique. She didn't feel like that was her calling and it didn’t work out.
Vanessa was ready to give up yet though. One day, while on a trip to Disney, she walked into the gift store and was simply blown away.
That’s when she got a brilliant idea: She wanted to sell Disney merchandise!
After all, if that store was selling it, she could too. What was stopping her from trying? She was willing to take the gamble, and believe me, saying the gamble paid off might be the biggest understatement of the century!!
Vanessa started looking for vendors that would sell her licensed Disney products right away.
How did that go? What difficulties did Vanessa meet on the way? How did she use pre-sales to grow her business? And how is her business currently doing?
Listen now! Vanessa tells us all about her booming business as well as some tips and tricks for entrepreneurs and being successful with pre-sales.
Top Takeaways
- If you’ve never worked with a manufacturer before, don’t do it on round one.
- When you start with pre-sales, make sure to start with small quantities.
- Each supplier is going to have specific rules, and you’re going to have to follow them.
- Keep your customers informed of the shipping dates and any other updates that are happening.
- Your friends were not given the vision that you have, so keep smiling and moving forward.
- Make sure you sell a product that you are happy with and don't sell junk!
- Create a buzz before you sell.
- Gamify it!
- You can use Facebook groups to find customers.
- Don’t start selling licensed products without a license.
