Targeting Small Bulk Buyers

"My company runs an online store for exporting handmade craft items (pots, tiles, mats, dry flowers, etc.) in bulk quantity -- from a few hundred to many thousands. We are targeting buyers such as home decorators, architects, and planners, small/medium retailers, etc., to avoid intermediaries. Unfortunately we're not successful in reaching our small bulk buyers despite our best efforts. Can you suggest some ways?" -- Partha Bhattacharya, Small Wonder, Calcutta, India

I suggest you place small, 2-column inch display ads (i.e., one column wide, two inches high) in trade journals read by each of these groups, listing your products and referring to your website URL for more information. Distributors send printed catalogs to lists of buyers. Why don't you contact e-mail list brokers that will help you send illustrated HTML e-mail mini-catalogs to buyers (www.wilsonweb.com/webmarket/lists.htm)? Your challenge is to make it easier and less expensive for buyers to purchase from you than from distributors -- no small feat, but possible.