happy friday!
hope you are all enjoying this beautiful earth day and wishing you a wonderful easter weekend!
i wanted to personally reach out to you and share with you my thoughts on branding your product from a retailer’s point of view. i have come across so many indie designers who have expressed their disappointment when retailers don’t call them back or pass on their line. there could be many reasons why they didn’t respond and sometimes it may not have anything to do with you. they might be over-bought. they might already have that product category covered. it might just be the wrong timing. whatever the reason, don’t take it personally. however, what you CAN do is your 50% in making your product retail-ready.
i’ll admit that as a specialty store owner (and previous department store buyer), i have passed on lines because of all those reasons mentioned above. however, what people don’t realize is that i do save linesheets and correspondence from vendors with potential. when i get follow-up emails and/or reminded of their line thru press, i reach out to them to see what we can conjure up together. so be patient and persistence will pay off. with that said, i have also experienced many vendors where they had the chance to get me on the phone or in-person but were NOT retail-ready. first impression is key and there is no excuse to not do your homework before approaching a retail store. when designers pitch without having done their 50% and also send out mass emails from the get-go, it shows me that they do not really know their ideal customer. stores/buyers want a personalized experience as well and want to connect with the designer. they are constantly looking for emerging designers and artists. BUT, they also want to see that you are doing your part in getting out there and can help them fill a void as well.
are you doing your homework? have you created a website for your business? do you have testimonials or a following fan base? the first place that i will go to check out a new line is my friend – google.com. i want to check out your website and see what people have been saying about you! is your brand name memorable? how’s your packaging? every little detail counts…. but most importantly, your “story” needs to capture my attention in the first 10 seconds.
…. there are so many more tips that i will share with you in my Retail Recipes Bootcamp teleseminar on may 3rd, including which days are the best to call/email buyers to get the best response, pricing strategies and how you can get stores to start calling YOU.
are you ready to make your brand retail-ready? click here.
….. don’t miss out on this opportunity to get your questions answered. if you reserve your spot by tuesday, april 26th (you have 5 days :) you will also get a 15minute follow-up one-on-one call with me after the telecourse to address your current challenges and questions. don’t forget – you will also get my “Retail Recipes Checklist – TOP 10 Things You MUST Do Before Approaching a Retail Store” for attending the seminar.
hope to “see” you there!!
xoxo
Grace Kang
Founder, Retail Recipes
Twitter: @retailrecipes / Facebook
