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Lobby Biz Ideas topic #80

Subject: "SMC Products" Previous topic | Next topic
Lanell01Sat Aug-26-06 04:44 PM
 
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"SMC Products"


          

Has anyone out there tried to sell SMC products. They seem to have
very nice products and for reasonable prices. If anyone out there knows anything about SMC or knows someone who has been sucessful at it
drop me a line.

Thank as always

Lanell:P

  

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Replies to this topic
Subject Author Message Date ID
RE: SMC Products
Sep 03rd 2006
1
RE: SMC Products
Dec 11th 2006
2
RE: SMC Products
Dec 11th 2006
3

DBeaversSun Sep-03-06 07:33 AM
 
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#1. "RE: SMC Products"
In response to Reply # 0


          

Lanelle,

I know one guy who has been selling SMC for a number of years. It isn't his only business, and probably isn't even his primary income source, but he is working it. I believe you can start by ordering through him with a $25 sign-up, versus the full cost of going direct with SMC.

You'll find Pete posting over on friendsinbusiness.com, and you can contact him by looking for his links in his postings there.

For my money, SMC is going to make money off everyone who signs up, regardless of where the individuals profit or not.

I received an unsolicited mailing from them a number of years ago, and was less than impresses with their suggested methods of distribution. Some of their suggestions included:

- setting up on the side of the road, particularly near busy intersections, displaying a selection of products that you have inventory of for immediate purchases.

- similar except that you pay for a booth or open space to sell at flea markets.

- order a quantity of catalogs and send them out to a mailing lists. Mail order is a tough business, so unless you have a list of existing clients, expect only a few responses for every hundred you send to non-targeted addresses.

- take the same catalogs, visiting local businesses, leaving the catalog behind to be passed around to the office staff. Once you have a few locations that this works, make regular visits, dropping off the seasonal catalogs for Christmas, spring, Mother's Day, whatever. Of course you'll be competing with ABC's direct mail catalog that is already targeting the offices.

- do the business wholesale. Take the catalog around to businesses who'd like to offer any of the SMC products, but you don't want to bother with getting a dealership.

If you saw the infomercial on latenight TV or cable, I just hope you read the fine print on the screen. The successful case histories provided are not representative of the average dealer. Your results may vary - or words to that effect.

Anyway you look at it, if you have a population base of customers in your targeted market, you'll likely have competition for the same of similar products.

Years ago, SMC created a division they called BASCO, Inc. to get into the imprinted market of promotional advertising. Their support for their dealers was marginal compared to how much my distributor does for me offering a wider range of products. They gave up on BASCO several years ago. My BASSCO, Inc name pre-dated SMC's subsidiary.

My corporate name is Bevers' Advertising Specialty Sales Company, Inc., which shortens to BASSCO, Inc.

SMC will sell you a variety of catalogs for year-round, seasonal, and specific categories. They will also sell you a website. No guarantees on profits for you with either.

If you are serious about SMC, I'd suggest you go with a Mentor, possibly Pete, who can show you the ropes. It will lower your cost, reducing your risk, and let you find out if it will be worth your time. If it is, you can always go direct once you have your business working.

Best wishes for whatever business you pursue.

Dennis

Dennis Bevers
BASSCO, Inc.
Full-time, home-based, self-empolyed since 1987.
Dealers needed-US residents only!

  

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wandaMon Dec-11-06 12:08 PM
 
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#2. "RE: SMC Products"
In response to Reply # 0


          

My family and I sold SMC products through flea markets and outside store fronts. Some days we did well other days not so well. It was a lot of work. The products are decent quality. The market is pretty well flooded with what they have to sell. If that is the type of business you would want to go with I would use a variety of different companies and not just SMC.

  

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resellers_robMon Dec-11-06 05:44 PM
 
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#3. "RE: SMC Products"
In response to Reply # 0


          

I would agree with Wanda in maybe looking for complimentary or alternative goods within the same niche line of products. SMC is very heavily marketed and I would suspect that for the most part, it would be pretty thin margins making it difficult to profit from. This would be especially true via on-line selling.

There are some good alternatives available in a variety of similar verticals; although I will not dispute that SMC's marketing materials are very good.

Good Luck.

Rob Siegmund
Resellers Solutions
www.resellers-solutions.com
rob@resellers-solutions.com
866.282.4199

  

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