Spiral Wishing Well Rep Program
Sales Strategy and Tools
Note: This page is designed for those who are considering making the decision to become a Rep, or have already done so. It is not linked from the main website, so we encourage you to bookmark it or save it to your favorites. All the links in this middle column open in a NEW BROWSER WINDOW so you don't have to worry about losing your place here.
There are a number of suggested formats for business cards, ID badges, and other sales cards in this section. You will want to personalize them with your name and contact information. There are four basic ways to do this, depending on your computer skills and printing capabilities:
1) You can re-create the same format on your computer from scratch.
2) You can ask us to send a Word document attachment which you can then modify with your name.
3) You can right-click on the image, then select "Copy", then open a Word document or photo-manager software, right-click and "Paste". Then you can modify it using Text Boxes or photo-manager software.
4) If you don't have access or skills in these areas, let us know and we can make the necessary materials available for you in a packet for $20, customized with your name and contact info.
The following information will provide suggestions, strategy, and wording for your maximum success.
These strategies are a compilation of years of experience from our own sales, and reports from other Reps. Of course, you will want to adapt the wording as necessary, but this will provide a basic framework from which to proceed.
Table of Contents
We have hyperlinked the Table of Contents for this page so you can quickly find a particular section when you come back to it later for clarification. However, we encourage you to go through it in order the first time.
How to Identify Yourself
Business Cards or Brochures
Easiest Sales
Best Stores
Selling to Non-Profit Organizations vs. directly to stores
Three HUGE Benefits for Stores
Sponsorships
Tax Deductions
Organized Record Keeping and Reporting
Split Revenue Option
Attire
Demonstration Hints
Handling Objections
Parts and Service
Competition
Inquiry Referrals to your area
Website Policy
Appendix of Printable Items
How to Identify Yourself
Officially, you are an “Independent Rep.” The word “independent” means that you do not work for us. In the sales industry, “Rep” sometimes means that you “represent” a company or take orders for a company. But that is not how we use the term. Our definition is more along the line that you represent the Spiral Wishing Wells...that you buy our products wholesale, and sell them for a profit. So the most descriptive term would be that you are a “reseller”. But that is awkward when it comes to introducing yourself. So you can say, “I am the Rep (or Distributor) for Spiral Wishing Wells in this area.”
We recommend that you wear an ID Badge when you enter a store, not only to make the initial contact, but whenever you come for a follow-up visit. The simplest ID Badge is the business card shown below slipped into a clear name badge holder with a clip or neck strap available at any office supply store.
Business Cards, Rim Card, and Brochures
Business Cards: We DO NOT recommend that you hand out business cards, brochures, or sales sheets…unless it is AFTER you have provided a demo. Having said that, it is very appropriate and professional for you to have business cards. Here is a template that you can use.
Rim Card: We have also prepared a suggested rim sticker (below) for you to place on the rim of the funnel, either on the front or on the back, or inside the back.
We recommend you place it on the back rim of every Well you place for demo and on the Wells that you sell. Be sure to have this sticker already applied to these Wells so you don't have to ask permission to do it later. At the very worst, if they don't want it on their Well, you or they can remove it. But we have not heard of any store that has ever objected to this offer being on the Well.
On the Wells that you rent, place this sticker on the front-center of the rim. If the rentee purchases that Well, which will happen often, then you (or they) can remove the front sticker and put one on the back.
As such, these stickers should be printed on durable peel-and-stick paper which is commonly available at all office supply stores or quick print shops.
Regarding brochures, from a sales point of view, we believe that brochures are passed out way too often. Prospective buyers often ask for a brochure (or business card) as a polite way to get rid of the salesperson. So we recommend that you try to avoid leaving brochures unless it is AFTER a demo. All the written details in the world are not as important as the demonstration.
One of the problems with brochures is that, by their nature, they almost have to suggest potential income amounts. We recommend that you try to stay away from doing that as much as possible. Let the amount that comes in during the two-day demo speak for itself.
We have prepared a sample one-page generic sales sheet that you may use.
In summary of this section, we think it is best not to leave any information at all when you place the demo, other than the sticker on the back of the rim. Let the Well do all the talking. But if circumstances dictate, then a business card and the one-page brochuer can be used...sparingly.
Easiest Sales
As discussed in the main Rep page, the easiest places to sell a Spiral Wishing Well are museums, zoos, aquariums, planetariums, libraries, YMCA's, Humane Societies, etc. because they have all the following elements in place:
1) They need to raise money. Public funding is getting more and more difficult to find.
2) They have a location. They don't need to set up a relationship with a retail store.
3) Most of them like the added educational aspects, especially children’s museums, planetariums, and libraries.
If you have one or more of these institutions in your area, you will be able to generate some quick sales and cash flow. Look on our list to see if they already have a Well. If they do, find out who is in charge. It is usually the Development Office, or “the person in charge of fund raising for the institution”.
As always, carry a Well in whenever possible, especially because they will be able to see the new improvements compared to the old model they have. In addition to being able to sell them an additional Well for another entrance or location, you might also be able to sell them a replacement. In fact, some of the places that have had Wells for a long time might have broken them, put them in the back room or thrown them out, and they will be eager to get a new one back up and operating.
If they don’t have a Well, then use the Warm Puppy Approach with the wording adapted to that location.
It is possible for you to sell Seven-Footers to public institutions without having to purchase one as a demo, just not as easily as if you can show it to them. But you can certainly carry in a smaller one, get their interest, then show them a picture of a Seven-Footer from our website and offer to sell it to them at the same price. Then you can order one from us, drop-shipped directly to them, and you can pocket the $2,000 or $3,000 profit in the process.
Be sure to let us know if you sell any Wells to museums, zoos, libraries or other public institutions from your inventory so we can add them to the website list.
Best Stores
Without a doubt, the best type of stores are Wal-Marts, McDonalds, and other national chains because there are lots of them, they have large amounts of customers, and they all have an existing relationship with a preferred corporate charity.
But of course, the “biggest” is not always the simplest. For every Wal-Mart you drive to, you will pass dozens of smaller stores who also want to raise money for charities the easy way. And Spiral Wishing Wells are definitely the easy way.
Obviously, the smaller the store or restaurant, especially in terms of the number of customers, the longer it will take for them to pay off the cost of a Well. But we have been very surprised at some of the small, even oddball places that have purchased a Well and at the amounts they raise. For instance, a hubcap shop next to an auto-wrecking yard bought a Well that is raising amazing amounts of money from the men who come in to purchase hubcaps. Why? Because the owners are motivated. Their child has spina bifida (a childhood disease) and they are highly motivated to raise money for spina bifida research. They put it in the center of the customer area, make change with a lot of coins, and always encourage their customers to, "Have some fun with the Wishing Well which helps this great cause."
Also, some small stores serve a very attractive demographic for sponsors. For instance, a beauty shop is not likely to purchase a Well because they don't have enough foot traffic to justify it. But there are a number of businesses that would love to get their name in front of the women who go to beauty shops. As an example, there is an orthodontist customer who has sponsored a Well in every beauty shop in his area because that is where the mothers of children who need orthodontia.
So be careful about pre-judging small locations. You will be surprised who will buy a Well. Still, the greater the foot-traffic, the better. Even after you sell Wells to all the "top-tier" locations, you can still find small-store customers by matching them with sponsors.
As a category, family restaurants are great because people EXPECT to wait. While they are waiting, the Wishing Well provides fun and distraction. While waiting for their food, some parents send their children to the Well with a handful of coins, and replenish it over and over until they are out of change. Of course, many times people stand or sit in a “wait to be seated” area, and that is a great time for them to have fun with a Well.
Learn Their Preferred Charity
Almost every national and regional store and restaurant has a preferred charity. All you have to do is look it up on their internet website, or call a local store and ask them for the name of their corporate charity. You don’t need to tell them why you want to know since you will want to carry a Well in to them as their first impression. This phone call is only to ask them that simple question.
Armed with the knowledge of their preferred charity, when you carry in the Well, you will want to customize the Warm Puppy Approach to include their preferred charity in your wording.
Having shared those general points, let’s review Wal-Mart and McDonald’s specifically. You can apply these points to several other large retail chains.
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart raises millions of dollars for Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) each year. In fact, they have a loosely-enforced rule that the ONLY charity that can receive funds raised INSIDE their stores is CMN. Some Wal-Marts raise money for local charities or national disasters like hurricane relief, but most of them follow the corporate rule about CMN. They have a volunteer “associate” (employee) inside the store that is the “CMN Coordinator”. That same person might also fill the broader position of “Good Works Coordinator”.
Raising money for CMN is a serious matter for Wal-Mart, and Spiral Wishing Wells provide the best tool for meeting their goals and objectives.
Hundreds of Wal-Marts already have Wells. But many do not, and they are adding more stores every day. If any Super Wal-Marts (the ones with grocery sections too) in your area already have one Well, offer them another one. If they don't want to buy it with an up-front purchase, offer to let them pay for it over time with half the revenue. That will be a great deal for them, and for you.
If you have a Wal-Mart in your area without a Well, give them a "warm puppy demo" and they will fall in love with it! If you have multiple stores in your area, they all talk among themselves, but you can also ask the the person in the store where you provide the first demo for the names of their counterparts in the other stores. The easiest Wells to sell are follow-up sales that often do not need a demonstration.
McDonald’s
McDonalds raises money for Ronald McDonald House Charities. This includes a broad spectrum of programs, the best-known of which are Ronald McDonald Houses where parents stay near hospitals when their children are patients. They also take their fund raising seriously, and you will be solving a problem for them with a Wishing Well.
Most McDonald’s want a Two-Footer because of their limited floor space. But some of the larger floor-plans want Three-Footers.
You can also mention to McDonald’s (or other fast-food restaurants) that they can offer their Wishing Well to local churches and high school events which is the kind of publicity they crave! It becomes a “loaner” that carries the McDonald’s "Sponsored by" logo and message.
In fact, you can mention that to all retail store prospects because I can guarantee you that they receive constant requests for donating something to local fund raising events. With a Well, they can say,
That solves a problem for them, gives them additional exposure, and they will tell their fellow-managers about how well it works for them. |
Again, all McDonald managers and franchise owners talk with each other. So you will be able to provide Wells to every one in you region.
These two examples, when multiplied by all the other stores and restaurant chains in your area give you a good idea of the potential number of sales available to you.
Selling to Non-Profit Organizations vs. Directly to Stores
We are often asked the question, “Which is better: To approach charities or to approach stores? Of course, this question is not asking about approaching charities with their own floor space such as museums and zoos. They are always the easiest sales. This question is more about the Wells that are placed in stores.
If a charity already has an existing relationship with a retail store chain, then it can be very simple and productive to make your presentation to the charity and let them communicate with the store management. But as a general rule, It is easier to sell to the retail stores for these reasons:
1) Non-Profit organizations don’t have much money. So they often don’t have enough to buy the Wells. Remember, they exist to “receive” donations, not to spend money. Of course, if they have a relationship with a store chain and they can place Wells there, then we recommend that you provide the Wells to them and let them pay you with the initial income.
2) Most non-profits think of fund raising as asking for donations. They usually don’t engage in device programs. There are well-known exceptions such as Salvation Army with their Christmas kettles, but that is rare.
3) Most charities do not have the volunteer force necessary to place, service, collect, and count the money. Again, if they have an existing relationship with a store chain, the store chain will usually furnish a volunteer employee to watch over the Well, keep it clean, and remove the coins on a regular basis.
How do you approach a charity? How do you know if they have an existing relationship with a store chain?
You can find out a lot of information by looking at the charity's website. For instance, Taco Bell is a major corporate sponsor of Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA). You can visit the local BGCA, demonstrate the Well, and ask them if they would like to have Wells in all the local Taco Bells. Remember, charities really like the revenue, but they also like the fact that every Wishing Well is a way for the charity to display their services to the community. It can lead to attracting volunteers and donors far beyond the coin revenue. So be sure to mention both benefits such as, "Not only do the Wells raise much-needed income, each one serves as a "billboard" that promotes awareness about your organization."
Another good example is Children's Hospitals. Because so many large corporations support CMN (Wal-Mart, Dairy Queen, Toys-R-Us, and others), and since the money spent to purchase the Wells comes out of the store's CMN fund anyway, the hospital's CMN coordinators understand that it is in their best interest to get as many Wells placed as possible. And the sooner the better. So they are very willing to fund them. One of the best examples of this is in New Mexico where the hospital has now placed Wells in all their regional Wal-Mart stores, over 30 at last count.
Approaching Stores Although we recommend that you keep the Warm Puppy Approach as simple as possible, as the sequence unfolds, you will have the opportunity to focus on the benefits to the store. This section, the picture to the right, and the three graphics and descriptions below are designed to help you lock in the concept so that you can share it with stores with confidence. There are three distinct benefits for stores to have Spiral Wishing Wells. They are a powerful set of benefits for a one-time "temporary" cost. It is just a matter of informing them. The picture to the right shows the three "benefit areas" on the Well, and the expanded graphics below describe how each one is so powerful for the store. |
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1) 100% of the money raised goes to the store's choice of charity or charities. Be sure to tell them that you never charge or receive any splits. They own the Well. As you point to the charity portion of the sign, let them know that they can change the charity as often as they wish by slipping a different recipient into the plastic sign frame. Or they can make a whole new poster if they wish. |
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2) Let them know that they can loan their Well out to churches, schools, and charities for their fund raising events and receive great exposure and advertising benefits. These events often include media coverage for added exposure. There is no other way for stores to advertise inside a church, but Wishing Wells are like the "Trojan Horse" of advertising. They can generate fantastic advertising benefits inside churches!
Let them know that the borrowing charity does all the work. They pick it up, promote it, and bring it back. The borrowing charity will also gladly pass out brochures or coupons to all the attendees which will drive even more traffic to the store. We provide everything the store needs for this part of the program, described here. |
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3) The store can put their own name on the lower sign, or get one of their vendors or another local company to sponsor the Well. They can give the additional sponsorship revenue to their preferred charity, or use it to pay for the Well and earn a profit on the floor space they are providing. The recommended rates are $100 per month, or $1,000 per year, depending on the value of their floor space. |
Vendor Sponsorships
The above picture shows a local dentist as a sponsor. Many stores, especially grocery and department stores, have vendors that supply products to them. There is HUGE competition among vendors for prime floor, isle, and shelf space within the stores, and vendors will eagerly pay for better placement.
So it is no surprise that they will pay to get their name, logo, and message on a Spiral Wishing Well that is placed in the prime entrance and exit paths of the store. As a bonus, it is in the context of helping a charity.
But you don't have to arrange this. The store can do it easily. All you have to do is suggest it. This is usually done AFTER they have asked you how much the Wells cost.
As part of the answer, you can say:
"You can make your cost FREE by getting one of your vendors to pay the entire cost in exchange for getting their brand on the sign on the bottom of the Well (point to the sample sponsor sign in a picture you bring with you). In fact, they will pay this annually, so you will be able to make a profit on the floor space while still giving 100% of the coin revenue to your charity."
That is a POWERFUL paragraph. They get all the benefits, and not only does it cost them nothing, it actually generates a profit. It doesn't get any better than that.
Where to place the sponsor logo or message on the Well
There is plenty of space on the rim of the funnel, or on the base. It is up to the store or the vendor who will be responsible for the sign or sticker. We recommend a 12" round sign on a plastic disk bolted to the door of the base. You can print and show them a sample picture from the website, including a close-up.
Vinyl lettering and 4-color peel-and-stick technology is available at all local quick-sign stores and many office supply stores. But most vendors will already have their own sign makers. Again, the sponsorship sign is their responsibility.
Tax Deductions
Owning your own business has many rewards, including the tax deductions. The IRS allows you to deduct expenses involved in your business. This can include your automobile (or at least the mileage), printing, computer, ISP, telephone (both office and cell), uniform (if any), and any other direct expense.
Some Reps hire their children to help unpack, assemble, and for other tasks, and pay them a very generous wage. Then their children pay their own tuition, buy their own clothes, and pay for other expenses that their parents would otherwise have to fund with after-tax dollars. The children also learn all the great benefits of a job in the process. Look at it this way: An allowance is NOT tax deductible. But legitimate wages are.
We are not able to give you official advice on this issue or assume any responsibility for your legal obligations, so we encourage you to contact your accountant to learn how to maximize your deductions safely. In the mean time, keep track of ALL your expenses.
Organized Record Keeping and Reporting
As with all business endeavors, it is important to be organized. That does not mean you have to chart out every step you will take over the next few months, but we do encourage you to form a plan. It makes sense to “pick the low-hanging fruit” by placing Wells in the easiest locations first. That will help you place more Wells from that early exposure, and to get sponsors.
But it also makes sense to minimize your driving route…especially with the cost of fuel these days. So you may want to place demos in all the qualified stores down the same street.
We suggest you use a physical or computer notebook to keep track of the stores you contact, the person you speak with, a summary of conversations or status, with a date beside each entry, the name of the charity, etc.
If you want to send us a brief summary of your sales and any notes about how things are going, we will gladly give you feedback and helpful hints. If you place Wells in museums, zoos, libraries, or any other public institutions, it is IMPERATIVE that you report that to us so we can include it in our public web list.
Split Revenue Options
As we mention in our main Rep page, we do not allow ONGOING splits. It is quicker, easier, and more profitable to sell the Wells outright to stores, especially those who already have a preferred charity, and to earn your ongoing profit from the sale of the toys.
However, this does not mean that you cannot let a customer pay for their Well with the INITIAL proceeds, or a split thereof. But you cannot receive an ongoing split after the Well is paid for. We are making a distinction between ONGOING and INITIAL so that we can continue the important reputation that we (and our Reps) never receive any portion of the ongoing income.
If you develop a unique type of "commercial" placement that might be best suited for an ongoing split program, please contact us for permission to do that.
Attire
We recommend you dress in professional business attire when representing the Spiral Wishing Wells. Quite frankly, store owners, managers, prospective sponsors, and charities will not respect you if you dress too casually. "Business casual" might be appropriate in some circumstances. Business casual is nice slacks and an open shirt for men while "professional business" would include a tie for men and a pant-suit or dress for women. The most successful Reps dress professionally.
Demonstration Hints
Always have coins in your pocket. Not pennies, but silver-colored coins: nickels, dimes, and quarters. That is what you want decision-makers to see spinning around the funnel. I learned that fact during the very first demonstration I made back in 1985 to the Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio. I carried the Well in without an appointment. The receptionist looked at it and asked, "What is that?"
I replied, "I can show you better than I can tell you." In my opinion, that is one of the best sales lines of all time because it takes the pressure off of words and puts the focus on the demonstration.
I dropped a coin down the ramp, the receptionist had a gleeful response, and museum visitors started emptying their pockets as the receptionist called the manager on her phone. As the museum manager approached, he saw his visitors having fun. What a great impression that is on a decision-maker. We stood there and talked for several minutes. All I did was answer his questions. Every time someone tossed in a penny, other people tossed in pennies. I would then drop in a quarter, and the color of coins always changed to silver. (That’s why Wal-Mart greeters with silver coins in their pockets always generate more revenue than stores that don’t use that little priming incentive.)
The Air Force Museum experience is an interesting story for other reasons too. I left the Well with them for the weekend. This was my first “warm puppy approach”. When I called back on Monday, Col. Wolfe (the manager) said, “We love it, We’ll buy it.”
I replied, "Great, I’ll come down and pick up a check.”
He said, “Son, you don’t understand the US Government. You are going to have to fill out several forms and be approved by the government to be a supplier. Then we have to offer bids to other companies to give them a chance to quote on the project. Even though we know that no one else is making these devices, we still have to go through this process. It will take at least six months for you to get paid.”
I replied, “That’s no problem, we’ll just split the revenue until then.”
He quickly shot back, “That won't work. Come now and I’ll get a check waiting for you!”
It was an amazing turn-around, and he handed me a United States government check for the full amount that afternoon. Since that time, that one Spiral Wishing Well has raised over $1,000,000 worth of coins, and dozens of other museums have ordered Wells after seeing that one at the Air Force Museum. No wonder he didn’t want to split the revenue!
That is the same experience we want our local Reps to have. It all starts with the demo. Everything else is easy.
Promotions and Contests
There are many different ways to turn short term campaigns into huge successes such as the $7,300+ raised in one day, $248,000 raised in a month and a half, and $10 million raised for a mostly unknown charity in six years.
It takes more organization, but the results are impressive and help you sell Wells and toys.
Click here to read about some of these promotions and contests.
Hauling and Carrying Wells
You can haul a Three-Footer in a small car, but you would have to partially disassemble it. A mini-van or SUV with the seats down works a lot better. You can easily fit two or three completely assembled Two and/or Three-Footers inside. You will need a pick-up or trailer for the Seven Footer, or we can drop ship it directly to your customer so you don't have to handle it at all. This picture is of a Waverunner trailer which has a temporary wood deck attached that holds two Seven Footers. |
Two people can easily carry the Seven Footer. But it is too large for one person to lift or carry. |
The Two and Three-Footers weigh only about 25 to 30 pounds. Most peole can carry them as illustrated here. (Actually, it is better with the left hand under the back rim of the funnel.) For added stability, after you have it set up, you can put 4 or 5 zip-lock bags of sand or gravel inside the base. Most people don't do that, but it is probably the safe thing to do. It also reduces the chances of an unauthorized person carrying it out. Thankfully, Wells are usually placed in supervised locations, and theft is not a problem. |
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It is always best to carry the completely assembled Well into the store. If it is uncomfortable for you to carry it, you can use a little red wagon (available at most toy stores or departments) or a 4-wheel dolly (available at hardware stores) like the ones shown here. |
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Taking Pictures
Always take your tax-deductible digital camera with you when you demonstrate the Well. After you have asked if you can leave it with them for a couple of days, ask:
"May I take your picture standing next to the Well? I'll make a copy and give it to you when I come back in a couple days."
People like to have their picture taken. And it is a great way to enlist their support. It creates a sense of ownership that helps with the close. Also, on a number of occasions, I have been able to take pictures of parents and children in the same visit. Just ask permission. People love to pose.
If you have a color photo-quality printer (now tax-deductible of course!), make a copy (or have one made by a photo developer if necessary) and sign your name on the bottom with:
Thank you for your support.
(Your Signature)
Then hand that to them when you come back. At the end of the 2-day demo, when you hand them the money and tell them how much that would be per month, handing them a signed picture is a GREAT way to help close them on the sale. It is so effective, it is almost unfair!
In fact, we would like to get copies of those pictures too, as we like to add them to the website. So be sure to send us pictures of managers with their Wells.
But one word of caution. Do not use pictures of Wells to replace live demos. Some Reps have wondered if they can just show pictures of installations in other stores, but that is not nearly as successful as a live "warm puppy approach" that can answer the critical questions for the decision-maker. Also, it is not necessarily an advantage to show pictures of Wells you have placed in other nearby stores. All stores prefer the idea that they are unique rather than one of many stores. It is better to let them see other Wells on their own as they might visit other stores or restaurants.
How to handle objections
Objections are normally related to the cost or having the necessary floor space.
When someone says, “Wow, that’s a lot of money,” we suggest your answer be, “Yes, but it pays for itself very quickly, and you can recover your cost out of the initial revenue if you wish...so it is essentially free.” Notice that you first agree, then provide a solution. Another of our favorite answers is, “Yes, but how many would you like if they were free?” This gives the opportunity to point out that they are essentially free since they are paid for very quickly by the coins that are tossed in. You can provide the same kind of answer to bring up the option of them getting a vendor to pay for it: "Yes, but you can get a vendor to sponsor it, and provide a profit for your floor space, and still give 100% of the revenue to your charity."
Another objection you will hear from time to time is, "We don't have the floor space...". If they really don’t have the floor space, there isn’t much you can do to change that, other than offer the Two-Footer. But you can certainly mention the sponsor idea and point out that it will become profitable floor space.
Parts and Service
Although you are not obligated to do so, we recommend you service your customers, even after the sale. Since they will refer other store managers to you, it is always best to serve them cheerfully.
In fact, if there are already Wells in your area, they might want to upgrade to the newest models, and you can nurture a relationship that can lead to Vortx sales by offering the upgrade option to them. We have a parts page that offers prices “at cost” as a service to those who have already paid the retail price. These prices are already wholesale, so there isn’t a margin for you to profit from supplying the parts. Therefore, you can simply refer them to that page, or order the parts for them.
But once that is done, you have a new demonstrator for the Vortx, and another Well that can lead to other Well sales.
Most Reps also install the replacement part at no charge as a way to further impress the store with their service. You may want to print the parts page to have as a reference.
We own the patents on these devices. However, from time to time, we have experienced "knock offs". So we have to take them to task, and dissuade them to protect our corporate and Rep interests.
If you see other Wells in your area, please let us know. It would be great if you could take a picture and email it to us along with the contact information on the device so we can see if it is one of our previous models. Please do not contact or discuss the issue with them. That is our job. We would also like for you to send us the charity contact information on the sign (if any).
For your reference, you can see some of our older models here.
How we handle inquiries and referrals in your area
Some Reps wonder if they will lose sales to stores or charities that might contact us directly after a local demo. As long as you don’t charge them more than we do, they will have no motivation to go around you. You can provide local service, set the Well up for them, and you might even want to absorb the shipping cost to make the deal. We are not able to do any of that from here.
We do not want to be in competition with you, especially if you are regularly ordering Wells. If you are active, you are the BEST way to supply Wells to your area, so we will refer inquiries back to you.
Of course, remember that this is not a franchise and we cannot restrict sales that might come into your area if sold by another Rep or to a store chain. But that would be very rare, if at all.
Reps may not create a Spiral Wishing Well website or add our products to an existing site without our permission. The Rep program is SPECIFICALLY offering the opportunity to develop a local business based on in-person demos and contacts.
We do not need or want Reps to receive website inquiries from general searches from areas other than their own territory. We will continue to serve general inquiries with our website.
If we do give permission to add our products to a new or existing website, it will be so the Rep can use it as an "electronic brochure" that they can show to local customers they develop from their own efforts. If they do get random inquiries from other areas, they must forward those inquiries to us without delay. We will either serve those customers directly, or refer them to a local Rep if one exists, just as we will do for inquiries in your territory.
Our experience clearly informs us that websites are NOT effective for local business. There is no advantage to having a personal website when prospective business is a result of a physical demo, or someone seeing a local Well at a store or other location. Rather, we recommend that you include our website on any handouts, but with your contact information. That format will reinforce to your prospective customers that you are an official Rep, and it will reinforce the published pricing.
If you have not already done so, please review the general retail website. It is rich with background information and support. Click here to go to the home page. It will open in a separate browser so you don't lose this page. We recommend that you click through the left-side links and scan the main pages pages of each section, then go back and "drill down" through the sub-pages.
Click here to go to the Main Rep page
Appendix
Summary of sales sheets and other items you may want to print which are discussed above:
- Business Card
- Rim Sticker Sign ID and Rental Offer Card
- Sales sheet for stores
- Vortx Sales Card This card can be modified to include your contact information, or that of your cooperating retailer. Or, if you don't want to handle the toy sales, you can leave it as it comes on the generic sign. If you want to modify the phone number yourself, hover your mouse over the picture, right-click and select "Copy". Then open a Word or Photo Manager software, right-click and Paste it so you can modify the phone number. If you want us to do it for you and send you a master that you can have printed locally, just let us know.
Contact
Click here to send an email
Or call: 1-937-384-0003 (9 to 6 Eastern)