It’s all in the family. Sales tips and tricks learned from a generation of entrepreneurs.
On a quiet street in New Jersey, business owner Eliana Morales and her mother Yocelin unlock their doors. It’s 9 a.m. At this time of the morning, they are usually busy preparing for the opening of the store, merchandising the shelves, organizing Wish Local packages, and sourcing products to delight their customers. Today, they’re here to talk to our Wish Local team about their business.
The town of Elizabeth, New Jersey is just a hop, skip, and a jump across the Hudson River from Manhattan. Eliana has run her boutique Iaia Fashion House here for almost three years, but her roots in business have a long history.
Entrepreneurship runs deep in the family. While growing up in Montevideo, Uruguay, Eliana watched her mother go door-to-door selling goods. Her mother’s hustle inspired her to start her own business. Eliana began her store in a similar way, by calling up friends on the phone and making house calls to sell products.
Eventually, she opened her brick-and-mortar location. Her store sells a variety of jewelry, scarves, purses, and fashion accessories. It also offers beauty services such as eyelash extensions and eyebrow shaping. Everything in the shop is cute, fashionable, and affordable.
Iaia Fashion House is genuinely a family-focused business. Eliana operates the store with her mother, and the store itself is named for her beloved grandmother. Iaia means “grandmother” in Spanish.
We asked Eliana, “what inspired you to join the Wish Local Program?”
“This is a funny story,” she responds. “I didn’t read between the lines and thought this was [an opportunity] to sell on Wish. And then I received the phone; I was like I didn’t order no phone from Wish. So then I started reading and was like, oh, this is something completely different! And it started working for my store. I like it. Around 5 out of 10 Wish users buy [from us]!”
Around 5 out of 10 Wish users buy from us!
That’s a 50% conversion rate and a phenomenal accomplishment, one that can have a significant impact on revenue. So we had to know, “What’s your secret to success?”
Eliana tells us, “I spend a couple of hours online [finding inventory]. I like to have a good price. Sometimes I go to see other stores, so I know I don’t order the same things. My customers like that I have stuff you don’t see everywhere.”
Tip #1. Merchandise your store with enticing products that you can’t find anywhere else. It doesn’t hurt to add some eye-catching items near the register.
Taking a look around the store, what she’s saying is true. Eliana stocks the store with trendy fashion accessories that are also unique. It’s not the same type of inventory you’d find from a mall chain or big brand. And the prices are reasonable. It’s easy to see how one might get inspired to make an impulse purchase or two while waiting to pick up their Wish package.
Eliana continues, “Sometimes when I see they are looking, I take a little longer to find the package. If I give it too fast, they’re out. If it’s men, I let them go quick because men don’t usually buy. But if it’s women [because we sell jewelry and fashion], I let them linger.”
Tip #2. Read your audience. If a customer is in a hurry, then provide quick service, but if they’re interested in your products, let them browse.
She shares another gem, “I also give them coupons every time they pick up something. It’s always a different percentage. You know we like to use coupons. I hear, ‘Ooh 15% off, let me use it now, so I don’t lose it!”
Tip #3. Offer a coupon with an expiration date. A sense of urgency will make customers want to use their coupons immediately.
We ask, “so how much has your total revenue increased since joining the program?”
Eliana says, “20-30% more because some of the new customers are coming back. And when they come in, I ask, ‘Are you here to do a pickup?’ and they go ‘No, I’m coming back to do my eyebrows,’ or they bring a friend or a daughter. Sometimes when they’re waiting for us to get the package, you hear, ‘I like this or like that or… OOH!’”
Sometimes when they’re waiting for us to get the package, you hear, ‘I like this or like that or… OOH!
That is the sound of joy and achievement. These shared shoppers are what makes Wish Local so valuable. But it doesn’t take a deep-rooted family history in sales to succeed. Take the advice from this entrepreneurial mother-and-daughter team, and you’ll be on the road to a fruitful partnership.
