King’s Day is the day to earn some extra money by selling stuff. How do you handle that? “Fun and humor are the most important qualities of a good salesperson.”
Lorraine Littaur (66) developed her sales skills as head of sales at a large clothing brand and has been on the flea market for forty years. “Selling is my passion. I am always in the same place in Amsterdam South. People know where to find me every year, because I sell quality for affordable prices. It is also important to realize where your customers are and what their tastes are.”
Littaur sells garments for 10, 20 or 25 euros each. “If people can easily buy a number of pieces, I show them what else suits them. If someone has doubts about a single piece and they are nice, then I don’t and I sometimes want to drop the price.”
Her secret? “I make contact and ask open questions. What does their life look like? Do they have children? You get a better idea of what they would be happy with and that way you also have nice conversations.”
Read more below the photo.
Round amounts
Job Wessels (38) goes to the free market in Almelo with daughter Luna (5) and son Boas (8) to sell toys. “It’s the first time for Luna. Boas likes it when he can choose for himself what he is going to sell. You don’t want them to regret it.”
We have already figured out prices. They are round amounts that we put on papers that they have made themselves. This way, the children and customers know exactly what it costs and there is no need to discuss it. And the anticipation is already fun.”
Sell half a day with small children
What if a customer continues to doubt? Littaur: ,,Then I tell them to think about it for a while. Pushing on doesn’t help.” Of the few 100 euros she has earned at the end of the day, she usually goes out for dinner. Still, she’s not in it for the money. “It must be a party. Pleasure and humor are also the most important qualities of a good salesman.”
A tip from Wessels for selling with children? “Choose a part of the day. For example, we stand from eight in the morning until noon. After that, the cake for the little ones is finished. And in the afternoon we cross the free market ourselves, where they spend their earned money just as hard.”
Sell without cash
• Not everyone has (enough) cash in their pocket. Don’t want sales to suffer? With the payment app Tikkie, for example, you can have buyers pay digitally. Via the app you can create an ‘open Tikkie’, without a fixed amount and then generate a QR code. You can print this out and hang it at your stall. The money is immediately in your account after payment.
Sales tips for the open market
• Consider how much money you want for it when selecting the items that can go.
• Choose a place with a lot of traffic.
• ‘Read’ your customers. Do they have a lot to spend? Then don’t hesitate to offer more. If they don’t have much, lower your price if necessary.
• Pushing on won’t help. If anyone is in doubt, let them think about it.
• Make it a party! Someone who enjoys selling not only has a great day, but usually also sells more.
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