Dressing a Brand Be the Apparel Expert Your Customers Need!
Fun Facts One piece of outerwear makes an average of 2,650 impressions! Up to 86% of consumers think more positively about a company after receiving a promotional jacket. Across all ages, outerwear is a Top 5 influential product, and the #1 promo product influencing 18-34 year-olds. 85% remember the advertiser on an apparel item, the highest of all promotional products.
What Makes You the Expert? EDUCATE TO DIFFERENTIATE: Stand out as the apparel expert BE A BRANDCHANGER: You re an extension of their Marketing Team FORGET SELLING: Give an Impression Session!
#1: TALK THE TECH TALK Scientific Advances Fabrics Insulation Wicking Antimicrobial Waterproof/Breathable
WATERPROOF/BREATHABILITY Waterproof: The surface does not allow water to penetrate Breathable: The inside allows body heat to escape
#2: Be a fit fanatic Understanding size charts Size scale samples Spreadsheets/Google doc to help end users
WOMEN S SIZE CHART HOW TO MEASURE YOUR BODY D. A B C CHEST: Measure around the fullest part, keeping the measuring tape horizontal. WAIST: Measure around the narrowest part of waist (typically the small of your back and where body bends side to side), keeping the measuring tape horizontal. HIPS: Measure around the fullest part of your hips, keeping the measuring tape horizontal. E. A. B. E. A. B. D E F NECK (MEN): Measure around the base of your neck. SLEEVE LENGTH: With arm relaxed at side and slightly bent, measure from the center back neck, across shoulder to elbow, and down to wrist. INSEAM: Measure from the top of your inner leg along the inside seam to the bottom of your leg. C. F. C. F. CHOOSING THE RIGHT SIZE If your body measurements for chest, waist, and hips result in different suggested sizes, order the size that corresponds to your chest measurement for tops and waist measurement for bottoms. If your body measurement is between two sizes, order the smaller size for a tighter fit and the larger size for a looser fit.
Women s fit Bust and hip measurements are key Size Bust Key # Tee Shirt Woven Shirt Sweater Fleece Winter jacket Medium 36 38 38 39 40 41 44 Size Hip Key # Tee Shirt Woven Shirt Sweater Fleece Winter jacket Medium 38-40 40 41 42 43 46
#3: SHARPEN YOUR SOURCING SMARTS The Journey of the Jacket Is longer than you may think
JOURNEY OF THE JACKET Type of Apparel # of parts # of steps # days to make fabric Tee Shirt 4 7 7-14 Polo Shirt 7 <15 7-30 Typical Jacket 30-40 120+ 25-45 SC Insulated Jacket with Hood 48 240 60
INQUIRING CUSTOMERS WANT TO KNOW Made in the U.S.A.? A Higher Purpose? Responsible Sourcing?
Responsible sourcing ü Product testing and supporting GCC documents (General Conformity Certificates) ü Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) ü Prop 65 ü Supplier Code of Conduct (statement of the company s environmental, safety and quality commitments)
BE A BRAND CHANGER: YOU RE AN EXTENSION OF THEIR MARKETING TEAM MAKE THE CLOSET, NOT THE DRAWER DECORATION THE FINISHING TOUCH MAKE A MARK WITH MADE TO ORDER
MAKE THE CLOSET, NOT THE DRAWER Brand ROI only happens when the apparel is worn USEFUL = PERFORMANCE/COMFORT ATTRACTIVE = FIT ENJOYABLE = ON TREND THINK: CORPORATE
FORGET SELLING GIVE AN IMPRESSION SESSION! DON T BE A CATALOG DROPPER Q&A TO SAVE THE DAY 10 TIPS: SET YOUR 2018 SALES SOARING
Q & A TO SAVE THE DAY 1) Budget? 2) Quantity? 3) In-hands Date? 4) End User Demographic? 5) Use? 6) Branding/Message Goals?
HOW TO SELL THE JACKET OFF YOUR BACK AND PUT MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET. You will stand out as a valuable promotional consultant if you differentiate yourself with better knowledge of apparel. Here are 10 tips to demonstrating your value: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Start with a fabric story. Well made, unique fabrics translate to high quality garments that people will want to wear. Conversely, poor quality fabrics = cheap garments = recipient does not ever wear. Be able to spot and speak to differences in fabrics, performance, details, and fit. Build value for that retail detail & differentiation. Show the MSRP if it s a retail brand (and thus meets a retail buyers stringent quality and trend standards!) Sell the fit. Unisex is out and it s not complicated to sell men s and women s sizes. Your females will be happier and won t wear apparel that does not fit well, look good, feel good. Apparel only helps a company s brand if it gets worn. According to ASI, a piece of branded apparel makes an average of 2500 impressions! But, not if discarded. Make it your mission to sell apparel that makes the closet not the toss pile. Don t be just a catalog dropper. Show your value and purpose and how your knowledge can help your customer make the right apparel selection that aligns with their brand. Ask the right questions: the use, the audience, when needed, branding (and decoration) goals, size ranges, quantity, budget. Overcome apparel sales fears. Lean on your supplier to help with style recommendations, virtuals, size charts, sample size runs, decoration ideas. Samples: The hand is worth a thousand words. Utilize the supplier s sample program to buy or borrow. Plus, wear what you want to sell. Invest in spec samples to seal the deal. Understand made-to-order. Stand out by offering a one-of-a-kind option to distinguish your customer s brand. Learn the keys to a successful custom sourcing and avoid common pitfalls. You ll need a solid sourcing partner. Decoration do s: Learn the best methods for the proposed garment, understand pricing, ask about trends/new methods, know the options and limitations of certain logos.
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