416 | 2025 Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales Strategies with Jessica Totillo Coster, eCommerce Badassery
According to Experian, Black Friday 2025 spending in the US is predicted to reach over $12 billion in online sales alone, and global spending is forecasted to be between $80 and $82 billion. That's a lot of money. Despite consumer caution and economic pressures here in the United States, this represents an 8 to 10% increase over last year. 2024's Black Friday buying season totaled almost $11 billion. Why am I sharing these stats with you? Because Q4 is a critical sales season for product-based business owners and we want you to be prepared. Jessica Totillo Coster of eCommerce Badassery is back on the podcast today, and we are talking about Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales strategies. Specifically, what's working, what we want you to avoid, and why we insist that you keep your sales strategy as simple as possible. Today’s episode is brought to you by our Proof to Product LABS coaching program. This is a coaching program specifically built for product-based business owners, with members from across industries and across the globe. We have member-only events inside of LABS, so request your invitation to join below! REQUEST YOUR INVITATION You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/416 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
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415 | Wholesale vs DTC: Why These Are Different Business Models with Katie Hunt
I’m going to give a little tough love: some of you are new to selling wholesale, and it shows. I am seeing a lot of people using direct-to-consumer strategies when they're launching their wholesale program and then feeling frustrated when the orders don't come in. Here's the thing: it's not your products that aren't a great fit for them, and you're not doing anything wrong. It's that wholesale and retail are completely different business models, and they require different strategies, timelines, and messaging. Today on the podcast, I'm breaking down the key differences between selling retail and selling wholesale, what each one of these things means, and how the buying process is different. Understanding this will completely change how you approach your sales and marketing for both revenue streams. Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12-part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today! SIGN UP You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/415 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
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414 | Depth vs. Breadth: Finding the Right Focus in Your Business with Katie Hunt
I don't know about you, but I do a lot of my best thinking in the shower, in the car as I'm driving kids around, or doing pickups and drop-offs. I've got these little breaks between taking kids to different places, and that's actually where I do a lot of my coaching with my Advisory Board clients. We're talking back and forth on Voxer, they're dropping questions in my phone, and I'm responding back. Anyhow, I'm sharing because I was sitting in my car the other day thinking, and there are a few things that I have wanted to talk about with you here on the podcast in more of an off-the-cuff, unscripted way. I'm hearing from a lot of you who want to hear what's on my mind more casually right now. You like the interviews and solo episodes, but you also want to hear in real-time what I'm thinking about and what I'm working on with my clients. So one of the things I'm going to talk about today is the difference between going deep in something and going wide. Today’s episode is brought to you by our Proof to Product resource library. It’s where you can get your hands on our free resources to help you start, streamline and scale your business in your own way and at your own pace. GET FREE ACCESS You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/414 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
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413 | Talking Economy, Tariffs, and Customer Retention [Inside Peek into LABs]
If you are anything like my clients in LABS, you may be wondering, how do I plan for the future when the world feels upside down? More importantly, what should I be focusing on next? Today, I'm sharing a short clip from one of our recent coaching calls inside of our LABS Community. LABS is the space where product-based business owners come together to get clarity, build connections, and practical strategies that they can put to work right away. The clip you're hearing today is from one of our recent coaching calls. We're checking in on the state of the economy and talking about what matters most for product brands in this final stretch of the year. Things like: Keeping your best customers coming back How to build stronger relationships with both wholesale and direct-to-consumer buyers Making smarter choices about diversifying your revenue In these monthly calls in LABS, members get to ask their specific questions. Whether it's me or one of our coaches or the guest experts that we bring in, they're getting direct feedback on what they need in real time. It's an interactive, supportive speaker space that keeps people moving forward in their business. If you like what you hear today, definitely check LABS out! Today’s episode is brought to you by our Proof to Product LABS coaching program. This is a coaching program specifically built for product-based business owners, with members from across industries and across the globe. We have member-only events inside of LABS, so request your invitation to join below! REQUEST YOUR INVITATION You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/413 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
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412 | Your Wholesale Pitch Isn't The Problem with Katie Hunt
I am recording this episode the same week that we are running week three of Paper Camp, which is our marketing week. Marketing week is where we talk to buyers about their buying preferences, how they like to be pitched, how much follow-up is too much, etc. I often see a lot of our students, and even non-students, struggling with this concept of “I'm putting myself out there and I'm not hearing anything back.” Today on the podcast, I wanted to tackle a pretty big misconception that I hear all the time in the wholesale world and one I'm hearing this week too in Paper Camp. “I've been pitching to stores but they're not replying? Maybe my pitch just isn't good enough.” Here's the truth. Most of the time, your pitch isn't the problem. The real issue is your wholesale foundations. Things like: Product readiness Pricing Terms and conditions Those things might not be in alignment with what buyers are expecting to see. Too often, I see brands jumping straight into pitching their products to stores before they've got the back end of their business properly set up for wholesale. That is what is getting in the way of retailers saying yes. In this episode, I want to walk you through some of the common red flags that I see when I'm reviewing product-based business owners catalogs and things like that. I'll also share what makes pitches stand out in a crowded inbox. If you have been second-guessing your wholesale pitch, then this episode is definitely for you. Let's dig into what is really holding you back and how to fix it. Today’s episode is brought to you by our Proof to Product resource library. It’s where you can get your hands on our free resources to help you start, streamline and scale your business in your own way and at your own pace. GET FREE ACCESS You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/412 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
Ranked in the top 1% of ALL podcasts, the Proof to Product podcast is your trusted resource for sustainable business growth - especially if you make and sell physical products!
Join Katie Hunt, each week as she shares strategies & solutions to enhance your sales & marketing so that you’re building a business that supports your best life.
If you’ve ever asked yourself can I make money selling physical products? Am I ready to sell my products wholesale to stores like Target, Anthropologie, Nordstrom or Barnes & Noble? When should I consider hiring a sales team or sales reps? Can I really turn my passion into profits? Whether you’re a just starting out on your business journey or you’ve been at it a while growing an empire, this show is for you.
Proof to Product is like on-demand business school for product sellers spanning a wide range of industries. Whether you’re in home decor, apparel, beauty, food & beverage, hand-made items, jewelry, consumer gifts or the stationery world, you’ll gather new ideas each week to help you grow your profit, build your team and lead with integrity.
Host Katie Hunt and her guests bring you actionable ways to expand your product line, manufacturing overseas, optimize your e-commrce websites on Shopify, Faire, Etsy, Abound, Tundra, Squarespace or in brick & mortar locations. How to start or scale wholesale sales including pitching stores, wholesale outreach, trade show exhibition, working with sales reps, managing inventory, warehousing product, sales systems, wholesale follow-up strategies and working with key accounts. Marketing strategies for small businesses including content creation, leveraging tik tok and instagram tactics without feeling burned out, why you can’t rely solely on social media for sales and why email marketing systems on platforms like Klaviyo, Flodesk and Active Campaign are so powerful. Listen in as Katie and our guest experts help you strategize and tackle your biggest business goals.
Host Katie Hunt brings a unique perspective to entrepreneurship. Since 2011, she’s helped thousands of product brands get their products on the shelves of their favorite retail stores through her Paper Camp program (www.prooftoproduct.com/papercamp). Prior to that she worked in the corporate world for over a decade leading business development and marketing teams. She has two MBAs - one in finance and one in marketing. And, she owned & operated her own product based business for over 8 years, selling her products to stores throughout the world from her garage. Katie knows the struggles you face as a product based business and she’s here to pull back the curtain and share her best kept secrets so that you don’t have to learn things the hard way.
Find our free trainings & resources for product based business owners at www.prooftoproduct.com/resources
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