how to sell to boutiques

The 5 Main Questions from Fashion Entrepreneurs I Received This Week (#askjanesbrain)

November 29, 2016 by Jane Hamill 2 Comments

The 5 Main Fashion Business Questions I Got This Week

Emerging designers send in random questions about their clothing or accessories line all the time. I wish I could answer them all personally but holy heck that would take 12 hours a day. Instead, there’s #askjanesbrain. Today I’m answering 5 questions in the hopes that the answers will help you too!

1. What’s the split between a designer and a boutique for a Trunk Show?

Q: Jane,

For a boutique that carries my clothing line, what should I expect the split to be? I seem to have agreed to a 60/40 split thinking that it was 40 for me, but looking at the contract, the retailer is giving me 60. Wondering if I should say I’ll do 50/50.

This would be on additional merchandise that I’m bringing to the Trunk show event (in Detroit). Given that we’re traveling there for it, I wonder if my taking the 60 is reasonable. Happy Monday…!

A: Usually it’s the wholesale price for vendor (that’s you). Sounds like you got a great deal! Don’t say another word.

2. How do I decide what to sell where?

Q: How do you distinguish what goes online and what should go into the retail market? What items should I incorporate into the line?

A: While it’s impossible to know your particular situation, here is some general guidance. Usually, it’s the same pieces online and in retail because otherwise you are producing way too many styles to keep track of and then you are running 2 businesses. And, if you know which avenue is most important to you then you may want to try both.

There are some circumstances that you would not want to sell online. For example, couture dresses. You should sell them in retail stores because you would want the customer to be able to try them on. Couture is very difficult to sell online.

3. How do I find out where a particular fabric came from?

Q: Hi Jane,

I enjoy reading your emails, and have many saved for when I’ll hopefully be able to use them, :). I’m trying to find out where a fabric that a large retailer uses for its home/bath line comes from. It appears to be from India, but is there any way to find out the name of the mill, when all I have is the tag? Is this help you can provide, or point me in the right direction?

Thank you, – K

Note from Jane: For this question, I was pretty sure the answer was no way but I thought I’d double check with my go-to guy for all things apparel manufacturing, Boaz David, from HumanB.

Hey Boaz,

See Q above. I assume the answer is no. Whaddayathink? –JH

A: Boaz’ Response: Hi Jane,

There is no way to find it. We can always try and source it or something similar to it. However, 2 things to keep in mind, if it’s a large retailer then…

a) Chances are that the factory that made the product is vertical and is creating the fabric as well (not only CMT), possibly that the fabric was created specifically for that retailer. If not, then…

b) The fabric will most likely require a large minimum for production which is fine for that large retailer but probably not for your client.

Hope that helps.

Boaz (Boaz David, founder of humanb.com)

4. Do I charge the same price for my product online as I do at a selling event?

Q: Hi Jane. I know we had our private strategy session already to address pricing my product. For my online business we decided building shipping costs into the price and offering free shipping was the way to go.

Starting tomorrow I’m selling my hats at a designer’s booth. Do I charge the same price as online? Or remove shipping from the price and charge less since there is no shipping involved? Always appreciate your great feedback.

Thanks, – M

A: Hi M, Same price. Good luck with the selling.

5. We’re just starting to sell to retailers and don’t want be taken advantage of due to inexperience

Q: Hi Jane, I was in your live webinar and asked a question, but because of time it went unanswered.

I am a grad student (~~XXXX~~) College and I’m assisting a designer to get her product into boutiques and retailers. We haven’t had any signings yet but have a lot of interest and are getting close. One retailer who was interested said that if we signed with them, they would need to be the exclusive retailer in Chicago. Is that a normal request by a boutique to make? If so, should we counter with a minimum purchase number that they must order because of that caveat?

I would really appreciate your feedback and any advice you may have. I just don’t want to feel taken advantage of because of our inexperience.

Best, – T

A: Good question, T! If you agree to an exclusive, the order should be a good size. Is your product in the luxury market?? If so, that’s not unusual. If it’s not, to block off an entire city seems unnecessary. They could ask for an exclusive in certain neighborhoods or a zip code perhaps, or ask you NOT to sell to certain key competitors.

Jane

Has this Q&A been helpful to you?

I hope so. I know what it’s like to feel clueless and assume everyone else knows stuff I don’t know. If you like this Q&A format and you want more posts like this, please share it and let me know your HONEST feedback in the comments below. It means a lot to me.

If you have a specific question you want answered, you can submit it to #askjanesbrain right here or post it up to Instagram, Twitter, or The Facebooks with the hashtag #askjanesbrain. If your question gets picked, I’ll answer it in a video or post like this.

Thanks for reading!

Jane

What to Say to a Retailer and What a Buyer is Really Thinking About YOU (part 2 of 2)

March 27, 2015 by Jane Hamill 2 Comments

This is the 2^nd article in a two part series. Click here for part one.

Before you can start to sell to buyers, it’s helpful to know what’s REALLY going on in their minds.

There are 2 important things you need to understand.

1) Retail buyers really just want to know 2 things about your line:

How does it fit into my store?
Can I make money from it?

You must be clear on these two points to get a shop’s attention. They care a lot less than we’d like to think about your line philosophy and your inspiration for the season’s styles. You want to focus on filling the stores’ needs rather than telling them about yourself and how great your line is. Sad but true.

Be sure you know who your line “hangs with” and why you feel it would sell in their particular store before you approach them.

2) Buyers already have objections to buying your line – even before they have any idea what you sell, have seen your pricing, or met you.

While this may not seem fair – how could they object to my product if they don’t even know what I sell yet? – it’s completely true.

It’s your job to identify the objections swirling in a buyer’s mind before they even tell you. Because, honestly, they’re NOT going to tell you. Instead, they just won’t give you an appointment or place an order and you won’t know why.

So here’s what you can do…

Ask yourself this question. What’s the internal dialogue going on in a buyer’s mind?

Buyers have pre-conceived ideas about emerging designers. I know this because I was an emerging designer AND I was a retail buyer. The 2 are NOT thinking the same thing!

Here’s what buyers are worried about with emerging designers:

Poor quality – “most newbies think their line is better than it is…”
Poor fit – “newbies do NOT spend enough time perfecting their fit then get defensive when I say anything about it…”
Customer service – “new companies don’t have systems in place to respond to me when I have a problem or a question…”
Standing behind their product – “if I have an issue, many emerging designers just don’t want to hear it or don’t believe what I’m saying – they’re so concerned about getting screwed by retailers…”
Shipping on time – “if this is their first or 2^nd season, they don’t have enough experience to guarantee I’ll actually GET what I ordered on time…”
No track record – “emerging designers want me to take a chance on their line but I have no indication that they can actually ship a quality garment on time, that fits well, and will sell in my store. They want me to take all the risk but they’re not willing to accommodate my fear of losing money on their product…”

For all these reasons above, many retailers are not always willing to take a chance on a new collection. They’ve been burned before and they often feel it just isn’t worth the risk.

So how do you get an order if buyers are so risk-adverse?

Understand their objections BEFORE you start selling
Address these objections in your marketing and sales outreach
Be flexible

I’ll use 2 specific case studies of designers I’m working with right now…

Designer A:

Buyer objection: “You’re too new and we’re worried you cannot actually deliver what you promise.”
Address the objection: “You may be hesitant to buy my line because it’s my first season. I would be too as I owned an online boutique for years. Just so you understand, I’m a seasoned online retailer (this designer ran an online vintage store before she started her collection). I know what it’s like to run a business, provide customer support, and ship a product out on time”.
Be flexible: The designer could offer a small test order for the store to build trust. No minimum order and a promise to swap out anything that’s not selling in 30 days.

Designer B:

Buyer objection: “You say you can deliver a quality product that actually fits a woman’s body but this is your first season so you probably can’t actually do it.”
Address the objection: “It’s my first collection and you may be concerned about the quality and fit of my line. In my case, however, I am working with a production manager that has 20+ years of experience (Boaz David from humanb.com) and has worked with the factories I’m using for years. It’s not just me promising good quality – a newbie – I have a professional team behind me.
Be flexible: “I assure you if there are any issues with quality or fit, you can call me directly and I’ll handle it personally. I want the line to sell in your store and I’m committed to working as your partner on that. I’m not going to sell it and forget it.”

Here’s your assignment to help you sell more to boutiques.

Make a list of all the reasons (objections) buyers may have to buying your collection. Do it now – just print this out and get started – while it’s on your mind:

Now make a list of what you can say or do to address these concerns BEFORE you even hear it out of a buyer’s mouth (because they probably won’t say it but they’re definitely thinking it):

Now look at what you’re doing with your buyer email/phone/mail outreach. What specific changes can you make to better appeal to buyers?

So tell me this…

Is this article helpful to you? If so, please LIKE it and SHARE it with your friends

And also tell me this…

What’s your NEXT action step? What are you going to do NOW to sell more of your line? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Jane

P.S. I teach the ENTIRE process of selling to boutiques in this online course. If you really want to get in to stores, take the course! It teaches you the script to use with a buyer, the “perfect email” for a buyer, and ways to get over your fear of self-promotion. Click here to check it out now.

What to Say to a Retail Buyer When You’re Pitching Boutiques (Part 1)

March 20, 2015 by Jane Hamill 27 Comments

I work with a lot of clothing and accessories designers about how to sell their product wholesale and approach retail buyers. Honestly, most of them just want to use email to pitch stores. I get that, it’s HARD to pick up the phone and sell your own creative work.

But email is usually not enough to get a buyer’s attention. In fact, I strongly recommend a combination of mail, email, phone, and in-person visits (whenever possible).

Since “what to say to a retail buyer” is such a huge topic, I’m going to split this into 2 posts. I’ll start with what buyers HATE to hear from designers.

What’s the WORST thing you can say to a retail buyer?

I have a strong opinion on this one. I owned my boutique for over 14 years and I heard a lot of great pitches from emerging designers — and plenty of bad ones too. Every single year I pitched my womenswear line. Jane Hamill, to stores and at the same time I was the buyer of my own shop and got pitched. I’d have to say the one line that’s universally hated by buyers (you hear chatter about it in the lunch line at Coterie, for instance) is this…

“I just know this would be perfect for your store.”

Ugh. Seriously? You just know it? And how is that, because you’ve spent so much time in my store?

This phrase is really annoying to a retail buyer. I know what designers are trying to say, and they have good intentions. What they mean is this:

“I think my line would be a great fit for your store and I want to sell to you.”

What a retailer hears is a different thing entirely. Their internal dialogue goes something like this:

“Don’t tell me what’s right for my store. You have NO idea what it takes to run this business. It’s not YOUR financial risk, you don’t understand my customer the way I do.” Insert further rant here…

As a former buyer I can almost guarantee that if you say “my product is a great fit for your store” it will bother the retailer. This seemingly benign statement gets taken the wrong way – and it really puts the buyer on the defensive. That’s not a good way to start the sales process.

Here’s what you can say instead:

“My line hangs well with some of the other lines you carry, like ____________ and ______________.”

Make sense?

Name some lines you know they carry in their shop. You can find out what vendors they stock by going to their website or Facebook Page. I prefer checking a retailer’s Facebook Page because it’s usually updated more often and the vendors are more likely to be current.

For many designers, approaching a retail buyer and knowing what to say can be daunting. I remember when I had my first showroom rep, I called her up and asked her for the “script” to use when I got on the phone with a boutique.

She laughed and told me, “Jane, you just start talking and be nice.” I was completely overwhelmed and nervous! I wanted her to write out a little script – so I could practice it and not sound like an idiot. She refused.

That’s why I give designers a script. I know how scary it is when you’re just starting out. It’s easier to follow something than just wing it.

Here’s a sample of one of the scripts for stopping by a boutique:

Scenario #1 – Let’s say you walk into a shop

Amy is shop owner.

Jane walks in the store. “Hi! Are you the buyer?”

Amy: “May I ask why you’re asking? Do you have an appointment?” — buyer’s already on the defensive, thinking “maybe I am the owner, maybe I’m not. But mostly I’m busy here…”

Jane: “Uhmmm no, I was just wondering…”

Amy; “Because if you don’t have an appointment…”

Ooops — this will get you off on the wrong foot. Let’s do it another way.

Scenario #2 Let’s try it again. JH walks into the store

Amy drinking coffee, 50 pieces of mail on desk, looks busy…

JH – I walk in and just start to look around. I am looking around to see if the store’s a good fit for my product and remembering to NOT be too aggressive in my approach.

Amy: “Hi”, barely looks up

JH takes a look around still…

Amy: “May I help you find something?

JH ”Thanks, Actually I’m a designer of _____________ and I really love your store. I was in the area and thought I’d stop in and…

Take it from there. If the buyer’s busy, you can leave a lookbook, linesheet, or postcard and follow up later. If she has a moment and shows interest, you can tell her more and show her a sample.

Here’s what to do next…

Get your booty out of the house. I challenge you to visit ONE store in the next week to say hi. You don’t have to go in there with the intention of pitching them. You’re going there to check it out, say hello, and start to put a face to the name (and your brand).

Whaddayasay? Are you up for it? Leave a comment NOW and let me know.

As always, thanks for reading!

Jane

P.S. I’ll be back with Part 2 in a few days.

Podcast #7: What Retail Buyers are Thinking But Won’t Tell You

May 9, 2014 by Jane Hamill 9 Comments

Podcast episode #7 gets down and dirty with the truth – what’s inside the buyer’s brain that they’ll never tell you.

Click here to get inside a buyer’s mind >>>

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

Why you need to hear the truth but buyers won’t tell you
What keeps a buyer from writing an order for your line
3 pet peeves about working with emerging designers
The #1 reason I didn’t write an order with a new designer when I owned my boutique
Why retailers are not completely honest with you
Ways to overcome buyers’ objections

Here’s the thing…

Most people want to be nice. They don’t want to hurt your feelings. Which often means they don’t tell you what they really think.

This works well in polite society because no one really wants confirmation that their hair is frizzy today, or that my butt looks fat in these jeans, or that I talk too much, or… you get the idea.

But a lack of honest feedback can hurt you when it comes to selling your line to boutiques.

You NEED to hear the truth.

So you can tweak your line.

So you can learn what (if anything) you’re doing wrong.

So you can get the order.

So listen in to today’s podcast as I spill the beans about what buyers are thinking but NOT saying.

Brutal truth and all.

And if you want to learn the entire process of selling to boutiques, I recommend my online course, “How to Sell Your Line to Boutiques”. It goes through the process of approaching a boutique (my proven postcard method), how often to follow up, and what to say.

Did you like this podcast? If so, will you please click the LIKE button and share the love? I would very much appreciate it!

Jane

P.S. Now it’s YOUR turn (and my favorite part of doing a podcast).

Will you PLEASE tell me in the comments below?

A: Has a retail buyer ever turned you down but you have no idea why?

B: What will you do differently if that happens again?

C: Do you have ONE great tip to share with others so we can learn from you?

P.P.S. Here’s the direct podcast link if you have any trouble listening in: http://bit.ly/fbapodcast7

Get Your Clothing or Accessories Line Into Retailers

February 7, 2014 by Jane Hamill 2 Comments

what to do first to approach a retail buyer — click the video below to watch

One question I get nearly every week is this…

“Jane, I want to get my product into boutiques. How do I start?”

Today’s video tells you what to do first – even before you can start approaching retailers. I also explain what to send a buyer and how to make it all about THEM, and not about YOU.

Did you like this video? If you want to go further with this topic and learn the step-by-step process of approaching a store, I have a class for you. My “Sell to Boutiques” course teaches you what to send a buyer, how often to follow up, what to say and what NOT to say to a buyer, the “perfect” email template to use, and how to get over your fear of selling.

PLUS, there’s a bonus “Ask Me Anything” LIVE call just for “students” of the course. It’s coming up on Thursday, March 6th, 2014, at 1 pm EST. All “Sell to Boutiques” students will get the full recording – if you can’t make it live.

Check it out here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/blog/e-learning/bootcamps/

Have a great day!

Jane

Selling Your Clothing Line to Boutiques – What Purchase Order Do I Need?

June 7, 2013 by Jane Hamill 1 Comment

Well the weather has finally turned and I was able to start shooting videos outside. What a blast! Today’s video is for fashion startups who want to sell to boutiques but aren’t quite sure how the whole thing works. Check it out here… I’d love to hear your take on this. What’s your purchase order strategy? Do you have a resource you love or tips to make great PO’s? Please leave me a detailed comment below and let me know! Have a great day and thanks for reading, watching, and commenting! Jane

Selling Your Fashion Product: Getting Over the Fear That Stops You

November 23, 2012 by Jane Hamill 2 Comments

Spring 2013 look from Shelby Steiner (http://shelbysteiner.com/) — Spring 2013 look from Chicago fashion designer, Shelby Steiner

The longer I coach design entrepreneurs, the more I start to notice that sometimes there is very little difference between those that succeed and those that fail. At least on the surface.

Sometimes I look at 2 designers and think…

Both are talented
Both work hard
Both really want to succeed

Only one is afraid to fail. To be fair, we’re all afraid to fail. Every single one of us. But some entrepreneurs get frozen in that fear and others move through it more gracefully. The designer that’s less afraid to make a mistake, less worried about looking foolish, less afraid to fail is the one I’ll put my money on every time.

This video helps you deal with that fear. Selling your product creates a lot of stress for entrepreneurs. In the video, I offer you another way to get your frame of mind ready to sell. To feel GOOD about selling and not worried about “bothering people”.

This video is a clip from a live presentation at the Chicago Fashion Incubator

So what do you think? Does fear get in the way of you selling your line properly? Let me know by leaving a comment below, will you?

Bridal designer has a store that wants an exclusive — what to do?

October 8, 2012 by Jane Hamill Leave a Comment

I received a great question from a reader and I thought it would help other designers out there so here goes…

Q: “I am a brand new bridal designer. I am in talks with my first boutique. She wants an exclusive. I do not want to do that but I am not in any shops yet. Should I offer a regional exclusive instead? Also, is it ok to start with lower pricing to get in the door and increase as I go along or should I start high and wait?” -Christina Fort

A: Hi Christina! Thanks for your question. Let’s start with the first part. Bridal works differently than regular women’s RTW lines. It’s pretty common to give a bridal store an exclusive in their city or in their region.

I asked a wonderful designer in my New Designer Program, Christen Schneider from Wed/Altered, for the latest info on the bridal scene. She told me what she’s hearing from shop owners: they want a 4 hour driving radius exclusive. On the East Coast, it’s less, but in the middle of the country that’s the deal and it’s pretty standard.

Regarding the price issue…

I understand the urge to offer lower prices to get your foot in the door, I really do. I felt the exact same way when I started out. But here’s the problem with this “low to go higher later” pricing strategy…

You develop a clientele who expects a certain price range
You raise your prices later and this clientele gets confused, maybe even annoyed
Your customers do not see you as a “fit” for the new prices and you have to develop a new client base at the new prices
You could end up starting from square one pitching new shops or getting “re-classified” in said shops into a new category

I’ve seen this scenario play out many times and it really just wastes your time and effort. Not everyone will agree with my advice, but I say go for short-term pain (higher prices, possibly slower to build business) for long term gain (profit margins that are sustainable and a customer base that “gets” you).

And one more thing… as a new designer, is part of the reason you want to start with lower prices that you don’t have the confidence yet in your line or your pricing? I’ve been there too!

Know this: If you don’t feel confident in your pricing, your customers will not either.

I realize it’s hard to get that confidence when you’re just starting out and it’s a big issue i work on with designers (as well as in the How to Sell to Boutiques Course). If you don’t feel, deep down in your gut, that your product is worth the price, it’s a very tough to sell.

So what do you think? Is what I’m saying true to your experience? What advice do you wish you knew when you were starting out that you could tell Christina? Leave a comment below and let me know. This is a discussion I really look forward to!