August - 2010
Editor's Note
I just blew back from the Windy City – the ASI Chicago Show was a blast, and we had the second-highest number of attendees ever at this ASI Show location. We also introduced 35 new Education Day classes and debuted seven new speakers.
Two of my favorite industry people – Jimmy Lamb, manager of communication at Sawgrass Technologies, and Dana Zezzo, vice president of sales for Pro Towels Etc. (asi/79746) – co-presented our new Wearables University power class: "Ultimate Wearables Crash Course: Everything You Need to Know About Selling Apparel in 120 Minutes." They guided more than 50 decorators and apparel distributors through the tricky process of becoming a top decorated-apparel salesperson. I want to share just a few of their great tips with you.
If you really want to get your clients sold on decorated apparel, start showing them YouTube videos of embroidery or screen-printing processes in action when you're making your sales calls. "You've got to bring these processes to life for them," Zezzo said. "This is your career – you're a branding specialist. You've got to know these processes inside out."
Smart decorators are also able to show clients why the decorated apparel they offer isn't run-of-the-mill. "You have to be able to visually tell clients why the embroidered logos you're going to put on garments are higher-quality than the next guy's," Lamb said. He advised attendees to produce all types of imprinted logos, from sublimation to rhinestones to laser appliqué, to take on sales calls.
In addition, knowing how to handle price questions honestly is vital to making the sale. "You can't avoid talking about price," Zezzo said. "But what you can do is tell your clients, ‘I offer retail-grade merchandise up to $50 a piece.' " Lamb added that by then showing clients three choices per item (in a good, better, best scenario), decorators will up their chances of making the sale. "You just make it easy for them to choose an item," he said. Zezzo noted that the "better" item should be one that's mid-range in price, has a wide size range and is available in a variety of colors, since that's the item the client will likely choose. So, sell on!
Nicole Rollender
nrollender@asicentral.com