Selling
| Feb '12 |
New for Valentine's Day - Love Petals Gift Set |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
For those of you who retail and maybe even those of you who don't, we just added a beautiful romance themed gift set. Called Love Petals, our new gift set contains three artfully decorated tea tins each filled with and enchanting new blends sure to entice the shopper and the sipper alike. |
||
| Dec '11 |
Holiday Bestsellers and Crowd Pleasers |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Welcome to December! It is hard to believe we are in the very last month of the year and knee deep in the holiday season. Tea retailers are going full throttle selling tea gifts and tea servers are brewing up holiday treats. |
||
| Dec '11 |
December Quick Tips! |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Throughout the month of December, your selling skills will be put to the test. Volume, exhaustion and harried customers will combine to make you less than your usual sparkling self. |
||
| Nov '11 |
Here It Comes - Holiday Season 2011! |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
In October many of our tea friends mentioned they were just trying to get their minds around the holiday season. It seems to be upon us quickly this year and there will be a scramble for gifty things. The good news, like every year, is that tea is a great gift: It's useful, guilt-free, generally healthy and oh-so-affordable. The tricky part is the packaging. |
||
| Nov '11 |
Thankgiving 2011 |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Nothing makes a person appreciate the little things like difficult times. Whether the difficulties are personal or more visceral like losing heat and power during a storm, sometimes circumstances can makes us ponder what we really need in life. |
||
| Nov '11 |
Rolling With The Punches |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Sometimes, for all your planning and persistence, things just go awry. Unforeseen obstacles present themselves at the worst possible times and cause ripples that seemingly affect everything in their path. When this happens it is easy to focus on problems. They certainly demand attention and require it for correction but too many times business folks will fixate on the negative. |
||
| Sep '11 |
Pushing Leaf |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
While chatting with a tea friend last week, who is also in the business of tea, we happened upon the topic of sales skills. When one thinks about selling, it is very easy to conjure up the caricature of a sleazy, do-anything-for-the-sale, kind of a used car guy. If this is what your teashop staff thinks about selling, you might have to deprogram them a bit. |
||
| Jul '11 |
Dog Days Cometh |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Here in the Northern Hemisphere, July brings the famous sultry weather associated with the "Dog Days of Summer." This time of year is named for Sirius the Dog Star and the ancient beliefs associated with its position in the heavens above. July days are typically hot and long, created a desire for cold beverages and lots of them. |
||
| Jul '11 |
Coming Soon! VarieTEA Electric Kettle |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Fans of our modestly priced, bestselling, variable temperature kettle, UtiliTEA will be glad to see a slightly more upscale version in our new VarieTEA Kettle. |
||
| May '11 |
Peddling Leaves |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
As many of you know, selling tea is not for the faint of heart. With so little inherent tea culture in the US and the proliferation of coffee in the last century, getting into tea retailing is not even remotely a get rich quick endeavor. |
||
| Jan '11 |
Banishing Winter Blues |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
There's a lot of winter left and tea is the perfect comfort food. Non-caloric when pure, full of flavor and natural soul soothing L-Theanine, I can't think of a winter where tea didn't see me through. |
||
| Dec '10 |
The Old v. The New |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Every year the holiday season has inherent challenges such as what to offer, how much of it to buy and what events to plan. There is also always the conflict of whether to offer the traditional versus what is novel. Should you go with the tried and true or be daring and take risks with the new and untested? |
||
| Nov '10 |
Ambiance |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
With the holidays fast approaching, entertaining at home is on everyone’s minds. Guests will be coming, meals are to be prepared and tables to be set. Holiday decor can mean so much when gathering with loved ones so it is important to set a festive tone |
||
| Nov '10 |
It's GO Time! |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Are you wondering where the year went? Seems like moments ago we were celebrating 2010 as a brand new year and making plans and goals for the months to come when - lo and behold we are all knee deep in Q4 poised to do the most business of the year. |
||
| Aug '10 |
Planning Ahead...Autumn |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
As summer winds down and hot days start to give way to cooler nights hinting at the soft approach of autumn, it is time for the savvy tea business owner to plan, plan, and plan some more. |
||
| Jan '10 |
Happy New Year 2010! |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Greetings TeaSmart readers! Hope you have all successfully survived another holiday season and are ready to ride through the rest of winter. Let us welcome the New Year with open arms, and hopes that it will bring less misfortune and greater good for all. |
||
| Dec '09 |
Holiday Season 2009 |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
...Is not for the faint-hearted. There has been so much anticipation and so much debate about how much stock to carry or not carry. And oh so much nervousness! But by all accounts, people are out there, spending and looking for ways to gift appropriately and make the people in their lives feel special. |
||
| Dec '09 |
Adagio Teas Wholesale |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Loose bulk teas, gourmet tea bags and even retail ready Adagio branded tins are available for wholesale purchase. Our famous ingenuiTEA tea maker as well as an assortment of lovely glassware can be purchased by the case at special wholesale pricing. |
||
| Oct '09 |
Boo! It's October! |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Guess what? It's October! That means leaves are changing, cooler weather, hayrides and pumpkin carving - ah, so idyllic! But it also means it is officially fourth quarter. Eeeek! |
||
| Sep '09 |
Too Much, Too Little, Too Late |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Once upon a time life was easy. Historical sales information was a reliable indicator of what could be expected year-to-year and season-to-season. Recent times have been tricky, unprecedented and downright unpredictable. This makes it very hard to project sales and determine how much stock to have on had at any given time. While over-buying seems likely to be a huge pitfall, under-buying is just as serious a business mistake. Let us ponder which is the lesser of two evils. |
||
| May '09 |
Ideas for Profitable Cross-Selling |
Diana Rosen |
|
Cross marketing is an easy, low cost way to bring attention to your teas and accessories by incorporating other products or services that you and your business neighbors offer. You already cross-market each time you display a teapot, strainer or other tea equipment alongside your teas. |
||
| Feb '09 |
Riding Out the (Economic) Storm |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Economic uncertainty has everyone nervous. The media seems hell bent on reporting the bad news and giving us very little good news to keep us going. People are scared to spend money even if they are not feeling a financial pinch. It has been reported that shoppers and corporations are afraid that they will look insensitive to the current struggles of others and are buying less, canceling major events, and reining in spending in general. All this contributes to a downward spiral.
|
||
| Jan '09 |
How To Introduce New Teas |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
With two more months of winter left to endure, we are still in peak tea selling season. Freshen up your tea selection, revive your menu and keep the ball rolling. Some of your vendors may be out of some items post-holiday season, but don't be afraid to try some new teas out on an ever more sophisticated tea customer. |
||
| Dec '08 |
Affordable Gifts |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Retailing in this unsteady economic climate has been particularly challenging. Fortunately, tea is one of the healthiest comfort foods as well as an affordable luxury. It seems the tea retailers that are doing the best are the ones who really understand this and are able to convey it to their customers. |
||
| Oct '08 |
Love vs. Business |
Michael Cramer |
|
Reality of Business - Like so many others, your interest in the business of tea is likely an extension of your love for the product. Our favorite beverage has been known to inspire such dreams. And what could be more alluring than finding yourself an owner of a popular tea room, authoritatively urging perfect strangers to discover tea's full range of colors, taste and aromas. The attractions of tea business are strong indeed. |
||
| Sep '08 |
Ramping Up for Fall |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Ramping Up for Fall |
||
| Aug '08 |
Sowing Seeds |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
|
||
| Jul '08 |
Tea Retailing: A Brave New World |
Brian Keating |
|
Tea Retailing: A Brave New World |
||
| May '08 |
That Awful Tea |
Cynthia Fazekas |
|
Choosing and Selling a Tea You Hate |
||