The Assemblist Letter 22 - The Art of Sales
Photos by Karen Hernandez for The Assemblist
THE SALES TEAM IS THE SECOND MOST INTEGRAL PART OF A BRAND, BEHIND THE DESIGN TEAM OF COURSE.
The sales team is responsible for buyer relationships, outreach, and also hitting numbers - it’s stressful having that weight on your shoulders! The buyer relationship portion is really important. Building the trust and knowing that you both want to build a brand together, is so much more than making a sale. I think one of the things that is most overlooked, is that sales and marketing often go hand-in-hand. Being a sales girl once myself, I always enjoyed coming up with creative ways to sell product, but then also push the sale at the retail level as well. Examples of this include designer trunk shows, girl's shopping nights, personal styling sessions and more.
As mentioned before, the sales role is one of the most integral in the success of the company. The administration portion has been greatly facilitated by technology and wholesale marketplaces like JOOR, but the personal connection between a sales person and a buyer is priceless. Those connections are really important, and something we hope to foster at The Brand Assembly Square and also Brand Assembly LA between buyers and brands.
Here are a few tips I would suggest for both aspiring sales professionals and buyers:
PICK UP THE PHONE
Establishing human connection is so important to gain the trust of a buyer. Buyers get endless amounts of emails, so it is really important to have that "check-in" outside of market times.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
The landscape is so crowded that sales people need to think outside the box to get their designers noticed.
BE HONEST
This goes for sales people and buyers – I believe it is much more productive when a buyer just says, “It's great, but it is just not for us (the store)." as it also re-focuses the sales person to think about a better positioning of the brand.
Below you'll find a few sales people within the Brand Assembly community that we were able to catch up with during Pre-Fall Market in Los Angeles in January. Check out the brands they work with and join the conversation with us below!
- HILLARY FRANCE, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF BRAND ASSEMBLY
Jacquelyn – Ceri Hoover
"We are so happy to have Ceri Hoover in Los Angeles! Her simplistic, yet luxurious style and mix of ethereal colors really stand out in the show." - Hillary France
RACHEL – DREW CLOTHING
"Drew Clothing and Rachel have been loyal Brand Assembly participants. Their casual cool collection is perfect for our Los Angeles buyers." - Hillary France
JAMIE – CALVIN RUCKER
"Calvin Rucker is one of Brand Assembly’s most coveted brands. Their easy and casual styles are on the top of our buyer's lists." - Hillary France
FOLLOW OUR MARKET ADVENTURES HERE AT THE BRAND ASSEMBLY SQUARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA @BRANDASSEMBLY