349 | Making Strategic Buying Decisions and Navigating the Sales Rep Relationship with Keli Faw, Crow & Canary
I love bringing a variety of perspectives and people from the retail space to this podcast. Buyers, sales reps, you name it, they've been on the Proof to Product podcast.
This week's episode, I'm joined by Keli Faw, who is the owner of Crow & Canary. Crow & Canary might sound familiar as we've had the previous owner, Carina Murray, on the show in episode 232. Carina has also been a long-time Paper Camp speaker and supporter of our Proof to Product community.
Keli took over Crow & Canary in early 2023 after being a sales rep for the agency and a shop owner in Seattle. With over 13 years of experience as a retailer and a background in communications and PR, including stints at Microsoft and Nordstrom, Keli brings a wealth of knowledge to our conversation
In this episode, Keli shares the challenges retailers face, from managing seasonal returns to making strategic buying decisions. We discuss the impacts of online platforms like Faire and Amazon on the wholesale markets and why there needs to be transparency and strong communication between buyers, reps, and brands.
Keli also shares her insights on navigating the sales rep relationship amidst the changes brought on by the pandemic and social media and the importance of understanding individual store dynamics and product diversification. Whether you are a retailer, a sales rep, or a brand owner, this episode offers valuable takeaways on optimizing those wholesale relationships and staying proactive in your business planning.
Today’s episode is sponsored by our Unlock Buyer Secrets Interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things really well:
We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us
We need to have clear pricing and terms & conditions
We need to clearly communicate and add value at each touchpoint
We need to focus on building strong relationships with our customers.
And all of this becomes infinitely easier when we actively listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series will give you a competitive edge by providing an exclusive window into what buyers want and need from you. And, the best part, it's only $27 bucks.
MEET KELI
Prior to entering the world of sales representation, Keli Faw could be found operating her own retail outpost in Seattle for close to 15 years. Prior to diving into the wild ride that is small business ownership, she held communication roles at Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller firms in the Puget Sound. While much of her entrepreneurial days were spent with textiles and teaching, an early love for paper and the power of sharing sentiments through cards made the opportunity to be a stationery rep an easy decision. Being able to support and champion accounts through making their job easier and understanding how hard the merchant job is these days is a great honor.
The opportunity to take on the ownership and acting principal rep for Crow & Canary presented itself in the summer of 2022. It would be six months of a grueling work and travel to get things set up and prepared to fill the big, beloved metaphorical shoes of founder, Carina Murray in January of 2023. Keli continues to be an active sales rep, working with accounts daily, as well as working with the close to 20 lines that Crow & Canary represents and supporting her team of reps on both coasts.
CONNECT WITH KRISTIN
WEBSITE: https://crowandcanary.com | INSTAGRAM: @crowandcanary
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
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