fashion design

I’m Launching a New Accessories Line. When Should I Start Telling People It’s Coming?

May 11, 2017 by Jane Hamill 7 Comments

I’m Launching a New Accessories Line. When Should I Start Telling People It’s Coming?

Do you ever wonder when you should start promoting a new product? Or, when is it too soon and when is too late to tell people?

It doesn’t matter if it’s your 1st or your 50th product launch, we all want customers to buy as soon as we have something new to sell. We all worry that we won’t have enough customers – kind of like when you throw a party and worry that no one will show up and you’ll be stuck with all this food and drink and embarrassment…

Anyway…I recently got this question in the #askjanesbrain bin…

Q: “I’m getting ready to start my accessories line and I also inspire women over forty to live their best life. I’m at the early stages of developing my product and I won’t be able to sell for many months. What should I be doing in the meantime?” – Anonymous

A: Well, Anon…May I call you Anon? I get this type of question a LOT. I’m happy to hear you know there are things you can and should be doing even without a product ready to sell yet. Before I give you my answer, here’s a short story…

A while back I read about an author asking a book promoter how and when she should start promoting her book. She asked,

“I’m writing a book and it should be ready in about three months. When do I start promoting it?”

The expert answered…

“3 years ago.”

Ummm…what?

The author followed up with,

“But how can I promote my book if people can’t actually buy it yet?”

If you’re feeling puzzled like the author was, you’re not alone.

There’s a simple mindset shift that will make this clear. Instead of thinking about promoting your actual product, consider gathering a group of like-minded people together.

***NOTE: I have a COMPLETE online training on this topic – a LIVE online class to help you GET SALES from day one of a new product launch.

Here’s an example of how to do it…

If you want to sell activewear, ask yourself — what kind of activewear? Who’s the person who will buy it? Is it the soccer mom Lululemon type? Or is it women who rock climb, mountain bike, more hardcore? Maybe it’s activewear for a healthy mindful Yoga type.

Whatever target customer you choose, I encourage you to be very, very specific in which type of person you pick.

After you pick your PERSON, here’s what to do next…

Every other week, produce bits of content that will attract the person who will eventually buy your product. Just try to add value to their lives in some small way — entertain, educate, connect. My suggestion is to house this content on a blog. You can use social media as well, of course, but the main hub of your content is on your blog.

Your goal is to build a following, a community, of like-minded people based around the LIFESTYLE of this person, not the actual product.

But coming up with all this content doesn’t have to be as hard as you think.

Here are some simple types of blog posts / content you could produce that won’t be scary, annoying, or take too much time:

Listicles
A picture diary
Book/movie/product reviews
3 minute Facebook Live videos answering a question related to your niche (then post the same videos back on your blog)
Behind-the-scenes of your journey to launching a new product
Inspirational quote graphics from people you admire
Quick iPhone videos with simple tips on anything that you’re good at

The key is to work it backwards.

Determine who you want to sell your product to when it’s ready
Figure out what interests them that relates to your niche
Produce relative content CONSISTENTLY to attract them to you
Keep them engaged and happy
Let them know when your product is ready and ASK for the sale

Now imagine this…you’ve been consistently putting useful, awesome content for 3 months (6, 9, 12 – whatever you can do) before your product is ready. What you’ve actually done is created a TON of trust within your community. When you have people’s trust, it’s much easier to say…

“Hey guys I know you already like seeing my tutorials and reading my quick tips, how ’bout you buy this?”

See how this works? Then you GET SALES form the very first day you launch your product. Bam!

If you’re interested to learn more about getting a following of paying customers, we have a course for that.

How to Build a Following for Your Brand EVEN if Your Product Isn’t Ready to Sell.

As always, thanks for reading!

Jane

Independent Fashion Designers: You will LOVE this video!

August 8, 2011 by Jane Hamill Leave a Comment

Thank you, Twitter

Because that’s how I found this video from Project NY (via Mercedes Gonzalez of Global Purchasing). Even a jaded garment industry veteran like me found this video exciting – it is GREAT. So come all ye apparel and accessories designers – or those who want to start a clothing line or whatever it is you do – ENJOY!

Go here to watch the video: http://vimeo.com/27052916

P.S. Find me on Twitter to stay up-to-date on all the action.

Time Management for Fashion Designers: Where do the hours go?

July 15, 2011 by Jane Hamill Leave a Comment

The way you start your day could be killing your productivity and setting you up for nonsense all day. Here’s a clip from our Time Management online course.

Click above or go here to watch this clip: http://youtu.be/LbqgJ5Nb4k0

Where do the hours go? Want some help with that?? Want to get more done?
Fashion Brain’s got answers for creative types. We’ve been there. We know.

Do you want to know more? Click here to check out the full Time Management course here and Stop Wasting Your Time today!!!

Do your friends like your designs?

June 24, 2011 by Jane Hamill Leave a Comment

It’s great to know your friends and family like your line, right?

I mean, for me, every single article I write gets great response.

From my Mom.

Here’s an email she recently sent me…

“Jane, as usual, you are a genius! Loved the trunk show info!!”

Umm hmmm. And last month…

“Honey, I don’t know how you do it. I KNOW everyone must LOVE the info you give designers as much as I do, You are truly amazing!”

And the other day…

“Sweetie, I don’t know the other half of your dynamic duo, the German gal named Birgit. But if she’s half as talented as you are then your Line Review Workshops will be a giant success unlike anything the country has ever seen!”

Now I could listen to this all day, trust me. And of course I’m exaggerating a bit – but not much.

My friends and family love what I do. They don’t work in this biz. They like me so they think my work is great too.

When I need an honest opinion of my work.

I go to someone in my industry. With experience. Who will be honest with me and who’s not afraid to hurt my feelings a little bit.

For constructive criticism on how to move my business forward,

I get a pro. I have a mentor who tells me like it is, gives it to me straight, and knows her stuff. She is completely honest with me and that’s what I pay her for. And she’s kind about it – I know she wants the best for me.

And that’s what we’ll do for you with a

PROFESSIONAL LINE REVIEW

Honest feedback from 2 long-time industry experts that give you precise steps to make your line more salable. I guarantee it will save you time, energy, and money in the long run. 2 hour private sessions with Birgit Rohm and me, Jane Hamill (the dynamic duo).Know your chances of success BEFORE you go to market with your line.

Want to sign up? Have some questions? Not sure if it’s right for you? Just email me at brain@fashionbrainacademy.com or call me at 773.551.2111

P.S. Hi Mom, hope you don’t mind. I really do love your feedback – see you Sunday for dinner.

Email Marketing No-No’s for Creative Entrepreneurs

May 24, 2011 by Jane Hamill 1 Comment

Otherwise known as...3 Ways to Avoid Annoying the Crap out of Your Customers When You Email Them…

1) Do NOT contact your customers ONLY when you want to sell them something

You really have to think about it. What’s your goal with email marketing?

Going after a quick sale?
Trying to engage a customer or a potential customer?

If you’re going after a quick sale, then by all means just mark everything down 70% off and hack away at people. If you want to build a “relationship” with the customer – truly engage them – and reap the benefits of repeat business, you’ll want to consider offering them something besides just your product. For example, if you sell jeans, offer them stories about the origin of denim (it ain’t from the good ol’ USA, btw).

Get people excited about jeans – make them nostalgic about the Wild West and show them pics of some cool cowboys. How about Robert Redford in Electric Horesman (the outfits alone are worth watching the movie)? Or go a different route with the original Brooke Shields ad– “nothing comes between me and my Calvins”. You could show them how your jeans are made – the craftsmanship, the rivets, all the cool stuff at the factory. Offering customers useful or funny information, presented in a clever, lively manner really does keep people interested.

2) Do not offer them “A Special Invitation”

If you write this phrase in the subject line, you are boring people to death. If you were really sending a special invitation, it would come in an envelope.

3) Do NOT ignore your customers

I know what you’re thinking. You don’t want to be “bothering them” and you don’t want to “spam anybody”. I get it, I really do. The truth is that people like a schedule whether they know it or not, or if they even realize it. You should be sending something out at least 2x a month. And keep it consistent, say every other Tuesday. Customers start to notice that you are regular, reliable, organized and they start to take you more seriously. Of course, your emails cannot be boring nor should you try to sell something every time. Your marketing strategy should take the long view. Think of it like a marathon, not a sprint. Work on creating that relationship with your customer so you can keep them happy and keep them buying.

Direct marketing genius Dan Kennedy says, “for every month you ignore your customers, you lose 10% of your influence on them”. In my mind, “influence” means who they think of to buy from when they are looking to buy. If you aren’t in front of them, they may forget about you and buy from someone else. And it’s usually NOT because they didn’t like your product. It’s just because the other product is THERE and yours isn’t.

My biggest mistake as a fashion designer – how I didn’t trust my gut and lost $25K

March 24, 2011 by Jane Hamill 6 Comments

First, thanks to everyone for coming to my FREE fashion tele-class! I met a lot of great new fashion designers, and can’t wait to see you launch some successful lines!

One thing I’ve talked about repeatedly is that you need to be a business person first, fashion designer second if you want to launch a line that makes money. As a brand new fashion designer, I made tons of fashion business mistakes. I made one of the biggest when I didn’t trust my gut, and it ended up costing me $25,000 in sales. Here’s what happened:

I get my first big order

I was 25 and barely out of fashion design school when I started selling my designs out of my own women’s clothing boutique. Just two months after I opened, a buyer from a major department store walked in, and soon I shipped my first order to three of their stores. I was thrilled!

I ran into trouble with the second delivery. I had ordered the fabric with plenty of lead time, but when it was two weeks late I finally heard from the fabric supplier. The black fabric I ordered was out of stock, and could they replace it with a “charming forest green?” I had promised the store outfits in two colors — red and black — and I was afraid I’d lose the whole order if I only delivered red. Since there was no time to order this exact fabric in black, I sent a swatch of the green to the department store buyer and to my surprise, she approved it.

I get a sinking feeling in my gut

I was surprised. Because I had a sinking feeling in my gut. There’s a reason why black is so popular. It’s slimming, hides dirt and goes with everything. Women know this, I know this. I should have listened to my gut then, but I really knew things were wrong when I was packing the boxes of red and green — it looked so Christmasy — but after all, the buyer had approved the swatch, so it had to be OK, right?

Well, my gut was right. The green did not sell. It was a disaster. The department store buyer told me I had two options — I could take the green outfits back or I could give “markdown money.”

What is Markdown Money?

I was a new fashion designer and had never heard of markdown money, which is when the designer gives a credit to the store when the designer’s merchandise has to be marked down. I was horrified, but I agreed to it because I was afraid of losing future business. I agreed to give a credit on a future order to the tune of $25,000. My business would take a major hit, and I was scared.

Learning to trust my instincts as a fashion business owner

I was mad at the buyer — why should I give the markdown money when she approved the green fabric swatch? She should have taken it out of her own check.

But then I realized I was equally to blame, and I was just as frustrated with myself. I KNEW that green color was wrong. I literally got a sick feeling in my stomach when I saw it. It just wasn’t right.

The good-news ending: this didn’t put me out of business. I learned from my mistake, and these days I don’t ignore that feeling in the pit of my stomach. My mistake was costly and embarrassing, but I was determined to learn from it.

What was your biggest fashion business mistake? What did you learn from mine?

free tele-class on Monday – how get your line ready for market

March 19, 2011 by Jane Hamill 2 Comments

This Monday — I am hosting a FREE tele-class.

This tele-class is all about The 5 most important things you need to know to get your line ready for market.

In fact…
…I’ve made you a quick audio here with all the details:

Click here for the audio: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/audio3.17.11.wav

So really…

Part of what will keep your design business from failing is learning everything you can get your hands on about this biz. This is a chance to learn it for free.

If you’d like to hear me interview retail expert Birgit Rohm (think Escada, Strenesse) and learn how to get your line retailer-ready – and be sure the buyers don’t pass you by…

Click here to register: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/birgitrohm.html

This Monday at 12 noon CST (March 21). It will last about 45 minutes.

I hope to “see” you Monday,

Jane

P.S. Do me a favor? Pass this on to your buddies, post it on facebook, twitter etc. Let’s get this free info in the hands of more struggling designers!

Why aren’t more people buying my line?

January 18, 2011 by Jane Hamill Leave a Comment

So here’s a story for you…

I asked a buddy of mine a few questions the other day on YOUR behalf. YOU being new apparel and accessories designers and want-to-be-soon-designers. BUDDY being a cool woman I know who owns a boutique.

I’m not one to name drop (sigh), but most of you would LOVE her store. She carries contemporary women’s clothing and accessories.

Here’s a wrap-up of the conversation:

She wanted me to tell you, and I quote: “Please don’t just make some Art-y thing that you think is cool. Make something I can SELL.”

That pretty much sums it up.

Now here are some pretty scary statistics.

According to Dun & Bradstreet, “Businesses with fewer than 20 employees have only a 37% chance of surviving four years (of business) and only a 9% chance of surviving 10 years.”

A study done by Inc. magazine and the National Business Incubator Association (NBIA) revealed that 80 % of new businesses fail within the first 5 years

A Small Business Administration (SBA) study found that high-risk ventures, such as restaurants, have a two-year attrition rate as high as 80%. (I would definitely put a fashion design biz in the “high-risk” category.)

I know there are lots of different reasons independent designers go out of business. But if you aren’t selling enough, that’s a doozy. Weak sales mean weak cash flow means trouble.

If you’re sitting around wondering, “Why aren’t more people buying my line?”, then ask yourself if you’re ready to DO something about it.

Find out what’s happening with regards to the following:

1) Your designs – is your product wrong? Take a hard, mean, real look at your product. You think it’s great and so do your friends and family, right? But does the market like it? Are you just making something “art-y” instead of something that can sell? Ask customers and former customers what they’re looking for in a line and LISTEN.

2) Your marketing – maybe the product is OK but you’re not targeting the right people. Do you know WHO really is your target customer? Get a clear picture of where most of your sales actually come from rather than thinking about who you want to sell? Do a little spreadsheet (or just jot it down in a notebook) with who bought what and where you found that customer. If you start to see a pattern, you know where to go to find new customers.

3) Your sales – do you know how to close a sale? If you think your product is OK, and you’re showing it to your ideal customer and they’re not buying, could it be the way you’re selling it? Is your line branded properly and merchandised in a way that makes sense? Are you or your salespeople clear on the benefits of your line for the consumer?

My suggestion is to start concentrating on these things ASAP so you don’t end up a statistic. If you’re crazy busy, just start with one category and go from there.

And please don’t use the excuse that it’s the economy! It is so tired.

I come in contact with plenty of businesses that are thriving and growing. One of my clients did $4,400 in wholesale sales at two trunk shows in November. Another client sold $1,800 recently at a trunk show and her pricepoint is in the $30 – $40 range.

There is business to be had out there. Go get it!

Have a good one!

Jane