How to convince and convert a buyer without a single word -

If you had to tell a buyer right this second, why people should buy stuff from you, and you wouldn’t be allowed to say a single word - would you be able to do it … or would you choke?

You’d think it’s easy explaining who you are and why people should care. But if this were true, every production capacity would be fully booked.

Get ready because what you’re about to learn will literally shape your entire thinking about: "What shall I wear for my meeting with this buyer?"

There’s a simple selling technique you can use to quickly build credibility for your products and your brand.

Wear it.
Yes, wear your own stuff.

Do you ever wonder: "What should I wear to a buyer's meeting?"

It may sound simple, but you would be surprised how many garment exporters overlook this. Even pros overlook this simple detail. They believe that what they wear doesn’t matter when they meet up with customers. They are blind to the opportunities that are often right on the hanger behind their desks. Or in the showroom next to them.

Certainly, when you go to a marriage function you choose how you dress with care and intention.

Likewise, when you go for burgers in the city with friends, you also pick what to wear for the occasion.

However, truly effective garment exporters pick with a strategy what they wear for a meeting – in other words, they understand that it is all about branding.

Promotion in action.

This Saturday evening, I had the opportunity to see this selling tool in action.

My husband and I went to an Open-Air concert in Hamburg's city park.

The Rolling Stones. Amazing show. 82.000 people.

Numberless times Mick Jagger, who is the lead singer of the Rolling Stones, changed his styling on stage. Fancy, sequined glitter jackets, and on-stage fashion. A whole collection it felt he almost changed outfits for every song.

The same style they sold this evening at the event. Sure enough, they will keep selling them throughout all the locations on their tour.

No evidence, I had the impression many people liked the one the singer was wearing on stage.

Look, they sell these styles in their online store.

>> FREE RESOURCE

Set the stage

You’re accomplishing two things here: Expertise & trust.

Stylish, classic, casual, trendy, sporty, formal, whatever it may be – it’s likely that the buyer is dressing according to their own company style.

If you dress like your buyer, it creates a bond of familiarity.

People prefer people that are like them. In the sense of appearance, behavior, optic. Psychologically hardwired. It's human nature.

People assume automatically:

"This person is thinking similar like I do.

She/he has made similar experiences as I have.

She/he feels similar."

These are the basic preconditions for sympathy.

Plus, they understand that you are knowledgeable about trends.

You’re showing you understand them. As a result, they start nodding their heads. And start trusting you.

That's obvious, you don't want to feel like in a costume, you want to feel very o.k. in your own skin with what you wear.

(In case you are not selling underwear, babywear, or nightwear. ? )

Buyers and their teams put their heart and soul into their collections and their retail brands. They work hard to make it a success. And YOU work hard to make it a success. This is subtle to showcase that you work with your buyer's shoulder to shoulder. It says: "I'm all in with you!" I love that. This might happen when you enter the room: They see you, can't help but smile broadly. Discover that it's their own style that you produced for them immediately.

I've seen this happen many times.

Easy thing: you build rapport instantly and you have an interesting matter to talk about.

The bottom line is, they will love you for wearing their stuff.

In case this is a new potential business partner, and you haven't produced for them yet - what if you'd wear items from them?

Yep, your prospect will appreciate you turning up dressed in their brand. Impact almost guaranteed.

My favorite option to choose from

You

created
produced
shipped

it.

Most important: This customer has sold that with immense success.

Frame a quick random story

Somehow during the meeting – as if by coincidence - you can pull out the story of this piece of garment that you are wearing. There are few things more pleasurable in a business than being able to say:

“Usually I love to wear our own stuff. See this ____ (garment) here I’m wearing now it was produced for ___ (your clients' company). They advertised it with a sell-through rate of 92,6% it was one of their bestsellers. I kept one shipment sample for me and it’s one of my favorite."

Boom.

As simple and powerful as this.

You don’t brag about how great your qualities are and that you can produce AQL levels such and such, you simply stand behind your brand and like wearing your own stuff.

Introduce new product groups along the way

Another effective strategy.

For example, this buyer you are meeting is only buying shirts for a few seasons from you.

But you are very capable of accessories, too. How's that for a tease?

Wear a great sample and introduce it by the way.

That’s when your products and your brand jump into action.

Think of it as another route to your USP.

However, don't be trapped in a few situations where what you wear can actually harm or even disqualify you.

Like somebody is showing up at a meeting with an adidas. Wearing a polo with a visible Nike logo. Too obvious, right?

Once I was listening to an agent who told a story to a Kaufhof buyer about a great article they've done with Karstadt. I saw the buyer was not amused.

That doesn't only go for clothing. At the last second, I recognized I was about to use a pen with Edeka branding in a Lidl meeting. A huge relief this pen landed on time in my bag.

Probably the fastest way to screw up the whole meeting and murder any goodwill. Dumb mistakes but an easy fix.

If you don't produce suits, for example, you can obviously not wear a suit that you produced on your own.

Be mindful not to wear a style with visible branding of the direct competitor brands when you meet a buyer.

To sum up, you'll give a bold but silent answer to the question:

Would you buy you?

Oh,yes, you would!

Wear your own stuff - you show confidence and enthusiasm – two emotions that sell.

If Mick Jagger can, so can you.

Act as the frontman for your brand.

Wear your own stuff with pride.

Talk soon,

Heike

P.S. You don't need to make notes - you can simply download the free resource here. Print it out and have the options in front of you for the next time you are about to join a meeting. Have options to choose from that leave your buyers delighted AND make buying your products the natural next step.