Clark asks:
> We sell our products through WW online. Even with that
> I think we only sold a few hundred copies. So I dont
> know if you can expect to sell 3000 even in a year.
> But I dont really know. All I can say are my numbers
> (which I actually need to confirm).
>
> Eric, John? What do you guys think? You are the pros
> at this...
We sell a lot less of Penumbra via telephone/mail/online orders -- because
they're widely available in stores and it's easier and cheaper for someone
to buy them locally. I had someone call last week to mail order, and I
said, "Do you really want to spend $5 shipping on a $9 item? Go on and bug
your local store. They can get this for you as fast as I can. If they
really truly can't get it, call me back, but bring the name and phone number
of your store so I can call them and figure out whta's wrong." In contrast,
our other product lines (which are not as widely available in stores) sell a
lot more -- but certainly not in the thousands. If we sell 100 of something
direct in a year, that's pretty extraordinary.
(Convention sales are a somewhat different matter, if a product is new.)
For us, direct sales are more of a customer service issue than anything--we
want to make product available in case the system breaks down. So,
ironically, our direct sales tend to go the opposite direction of our
overall company health.
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John Nephew voice (651) 638-0077 fax (651) 638-0084
President, Atlas Games www.atlas-games.com
