3 Rules of Processing Wholesale Orders
Selling wholesale is a great way to scale your business, but it is a whole different ball game than selling direct to consumers.
There are important rules you need to follow when wholesaling, specifically surrounding shipping orders and processing payment. Rules that you may not know when you’re new to wholesale (I didn’t!) but when broken may hurt your relationships with buyers or impact future sales.
If you’ve been hesitant to sell wholesale because you don’t know what to expect or you’ve been unsure how things work, we’re here to help.
It’s time to brush up on some rules for wholesale order processing so you look professional and polished–even if you’re faking it until you make it!
Ship on the Requested Date
Buyers carefully choose their ship dates based on a variety of factors that you are not privy to: credit card cycles, turn schedules in the store, other orders they have coming in and available storage space. If they request a specific ship date, ship on that day–not a day sooner; not weeks early or late.
But we’re ready early. They’ll love to have my products a week early. Not likely. When you ship, that messes up their schedule and makes you look unprofessional. Stick to your agreed-upon ship date to avoid any issues.
Process Payment When Orders Ship
Charging the buyer’s credit card before the ship date (see above) is a red flag that you’re new to wholesale. Run the payment when the order ships, and send your customer the shipping details so they know the order is on the way.
Communicate Clearly
Things happen in business, and your customers understand. But only if you communicate with them to let them know what’s going on. When you run into backordered items or shipping issues, talk to the buyer about what’s going on. If possible, have a solution ready when you communicate so your customer knows you have her best interest at heart.
Creating a profitable, sustainable wholesale program is our main focus at Paper Camp, and one that we talk about often here on the blog.
Connect with Katie Hunt
Katie Hunt is a business strategist, podcaster, mentor and mama to four. She helps product based businesses build profitable, sustainable companies through her conferences, courses and coaching programs.
Website: prooftoproduct.com | Instagram: @prooftoproduct
