Speak Up - Sweet Persistance

I learned a valuable lesson today - it doesn’t hurt to ask.  I’ve been looking for a new source of upholstery fabric as my old stash is running low - it’s good though it means  I’ve had some sales lately.  A few weeks ago I made some calls around town begging for a few more donations of expired swatch books.  In the past I’ve been able to get supplies from friends and not had to move much outside my comfort zone.  My zone, well it’s a marshmellow kind of place where I have all the fabric I could ever use and I don’t have to buy it and I don’t have to do anything too scary.

My Marshmellow zone doesn’t exist so I had to do what for me is a little scary.  I started calling and explaining who I am and what I do and why I’d love to have them make a donation.  Then I go by and leave my name and phone number on a business card asking for donations, and then I make weekly follow up calls, I say thank you a lot and try to be sweetly persistent.  I guess that all depends on how you see persistent, some people might call it annoying, but I am sure that it’s much nicer than that…. hee!  hee!

Today, I got a phone call!!!  I did a pick up and now I have new swatch books to work with!!!  Score a point for sweet persistance, and the sweet woman who called and donated the books - she told me that usually they just throw them away.  Can I tell you how much I love being in the business of working with things that many people consider garbage.  What a nice win-win, I get the needed supplies and the store cuts down on some waste.