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Marketing

Toy Buyer

Real-Life Activities

Real-Life Communication

Chris Newell is a toy buyer. He says communication skills are essential. "That's how you base your buying -- you listen to your customers, you listen to what's going on in the marketplace. That's how you find out what people are interested in."

Toy buyers must especially know what interests kids. "You couldn't be in the toy business or a toy buyer if you couldn't talk to children," says Newell.

And there some rules toy buyers must consider when they talk with children. "You don't talk down to them, but you talk to them at a level they can understand," says Newell.

Toy buyers must also be able to read body language. This is especially so when they have to deal with young toddlers. "Obviously, a young child is not very talkative," Newell says. "But if you place a toy in their hands, you can gauge their reaction. So you are communicating in that way."

Toy buyers must also be able to network with other toy buyers because you never know who might get you a deal when you are looking to buy, says buyer Evan Kaltman. They must also be able to negotiate, he says.

You are looking for some specific merchandise. A fellow buyer tells you about a broker who has some of the merchandise you want. Better yet, he is selling it at 40 percent off the list price. But you want 50 percent off. The negotiations begin.

Here are the facts you and the broker must consider.

  • You really need some Fluffy the Bat merchandise.
  • The broker and you work in L.A.
  • If the broker cannot sell the product, he has to put in on a truck and send it back to the manufacturer in Atlanta. It will pay less than you would.
  • The merchandise came from a wholesaler that went bankrupt.
  • The broker offers you a 40 percent discount.
  • You want a 50 percent discount.
  • You are only interested in some of the products the broker sells.
  • The list price of the merchandise is $20,000.
  • The material you want would cost you about $6,000 with the 40 percent discount included.
  • It is loaded in a truck.
  • The broker is willing to give you a 50 percent discount if you buy everything.

How do you think the negotiation would go?