5 Hot Apparel Markets:
How to Sell Even More
Decorated Apparel
A Stitches University Presentation
Moderated by Nicole Rollender
Stitches Editor
Director of Education, ASI
ASICENTRAL.COM/WEBINARS
Webcast Moderator
Nicole Rollender
• Editor, Stitches magazine, and
Embroidery Business Insights and
Stitches Small Business newsletters
• Director of ASI Education
• E-mail: [email protected];
follow her on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/ASI_Stitches
Panelist
PAT BALDES is the sole proprietor of
Personalization Solutions Inc., a
consulting firm based in Fair Haven,
MI. With more than 20 years in the
decorated apparel industry, Baldes
has a wide knowledge base and a
deep understanding of
personalization options in most
media applications. She's a
consultant at industry trade shows
and special events for a select
group of key industry companies.
Panelist
JENNIFER COX is the co-founder of
Kent, OH-based National Network of
Embroidery Professionals. She joined a
sole proprietorship needle arts and
embroidery business in 1991, which was
then incorporated into Designs on You
Inc. She handled all the outside sales,
marketing and customer service for the
family embroidery business.
Panelist
JOYCE JAGGER is the founder and
owner of The Embroidery Coach, a
training and consulting business that
helps new embroiderers get started
and existing embroiderers increase
their bottom line. She's been in the
embroidery industry for 30 years,
and owned and operated a
successful multi-head embroidery
business for 22 years. In 2006 she
started the membership site
www.embroiderytipsandmore.com,
which features over 150 videos on
topics ranging from machine basics
to hooping to repairing embroidery
mistakes.
AGENDA
You’ll leave knowing:
• The top five markets you should be targeting
• What types of organizations and buyers you’ll
find in each industry
• What types of apparel and embellishments you
should offer for an apparel program
• How to find the decision-makers
• How to make your pitch and close the sale.
What are the 5 hottest apparel markets?
•
•
•
•
•
Financial Institutions
Government Agencies
Health Care
Education
Service Industries
HOT MARKET: FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Who buys decorated apparel?
•
•
•
•
Banks
Credit unions
Mortgage companies
Brokerage firms (higher-end incentive
gifts)
• Recognition programs in bank chains,
for example
HOT MARKET: FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
What’s unique about selling to the
financial market?
• Buyers want their decorated apparel to signal
“credibility” to clients.
• What you offer buyers must have a classic style
and color.
• Think retail, but at a less-expensive price point.
• Financial companies have more female wearers.
• Embellishments must be upscale-looking and
tasteful.
HOT MARKET: FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
How do I find the buyers?
• Banks and credit unions are everywhere. Ask
for the manager of a given branch to find out
who’s responsible for their apparel program,
but you can work your way up the food chain.
• For leads, join networking groups, check the
Yellow Pages and ask for referrals.
HOT MARKET: FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
What kind of apparel program should I
present?
• Top-selling items: woven shirts, ¾-sleeve
wovens for women, name-brand (adidas, Bill
Blass, Nike) polos and knits
• Performance features: easy-care, wrinkle-free,
stain-resistant
• Apparel available in a wide size range
• Men’s and women’s coordinates are essential
• What to avoid: T-shirts, sheer or form-fitting
shirts and low-quality items
HOT MARKET: FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Let’s talk about selling in the real
world…
• A sample “perfect pitch”
• Real-world success story
• Pitfalls to avoid on sales calls
HOT MARKET: GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
Who buys decorated apparel?
• Local municipalities
• State and federal agencies
• Government agencies also work with
subcontractors
• Check out police, fire and rescue personnel
• Construction, road crew and city workers
HOT MARKET: GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
What’s unique about selling to
government agencies & subcontractors?
• Buyers want value – price and quality are big
selling points.
• Convenience is also a big selling point. What
extra services, such as packaging or delivery
options, can you offer?
• Excellent opportunity to sell private-label apparel
• Minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses
can sell to this market (see www.giveme5.com).
HOT MARKET: GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
How do I find the buyers?
• A distributor must create a Central Contractor
Registration profile to put his business on the fed’s
radar (www.ccr.gov). Your CCR profile identifies your
ownership of the business and the products and
services you can provide the government.
• You can find federal business work through their
subcontractors – large private firms such as Lockheed
Martin and Northrop Grumman which have to meet
the same capabilities as the feds.
• Contact small-business specialists at large
corporations, who can send you a list of the goods
and services they’re looking for. Check
www.gsaadvtange.com for info on large businesses
that hold government contracts.
HOT MARKET: GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
What kind of apparel program should I
present?
• Value polos and T-shirts, hats, wind shirts,
jackets, shoes and bags. Tip: Many polos and
T-shirts sell for less than $7.50.
• Uniform programs are big.
• Safety and work gear are big sellers (reflective
vests, Kevlar gloves for police, driving gloves,
anti-vibration gloves).
HOT MARKET: GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
What kind of embellishments should I
recommend?
• Embroidered logos and name drops
• Industrial-strength embellishments, such as
patches and emblems
• On flame-retardant clothing, screen printing and
patches are a better choice than embroidery.
• Reflective tape and other visibility-oriented
embellishments
• Clients want items branded with the name of their
fire company, police station or rescue squad, plus
name drops.
HOT MARKET: GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
What about safety apparel?
• Workers on federal aid highways or roadways eligible for
federal funds must wear high-visibility class II ANSI
(American National Standards Institute) shirts, vests, pants
and jackets.
• National Fire Protection Association now requires one safety
vest for every seat on fire trucks and other safety vehicles;
flame-resistant/-retardant apparel is also a requirement.
• Arc-resistant apparel protects workers from live energy that
can arc from its original source and electrocute the worker.
• Additional groups to sell to: construction workers, adopt-ahighway workers, tow-truck drivers, electric company
linemen, construction workers, utility workers, city workers,
carpenters, tree-service workers, landscaping companies,
HVAC companies, mechanical electrical workers, anyone who
works within 10 feet of a gas line, people who install new
kitchens, etc.
HOT MARKET: GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
Let’s talk about selling in the real
world…
• A sample “perfect pitch”
• Real-world success story
• Pitfalls to avoid on sales calls
HOT MARKET: HEALTH CARE
Who buys decorated apparel?
• Medical office staff (receptionists, nurses,
doctors), hospital staff (receptionists, office
workers, medical staff, counselors, cafeteria
workers, janitorial staff, etc.)
• Lab technicians
• Physical therapists
• Speech pathologists
• Home nursing/hospice care
HOT MARKET: HEALTH CARE
What’s unique about selling to the healthcare market?
• Buyers purchase logoed items for a variety of
people: employees, trade shows and patients
• Men’s and women’s coordinates are essential.
• Apparel available in a wide size range
• Orders will be fairly consistent as staff need
replacement garb; new employees in large
facilities.
• Opportunities to sell a lot of apparel/related items
into facilities; for example, maternity wards, NICU
and parenting groups (logoed apparel/related
items for mothers and infants)
HOT MARKET: HEALTH CARE
How do I find the buyers?
• Referrals are often a good “in” to the healthcare market (and pharmaceutical market).
• Another good strategy is to visit medical
offices with your card, catalog and decorated
samples to offer to the receptionist
• Good news: Proving to be a recession-proof
market; budgets for decorated apparel in
health care are still intact.
HOT MARKET: HEALTH CARE
What kind of apparel program should I
present?
• Coordinated group of stand-alone items that are simple and
clean; present groupings of outfits placed together so buyers
can see how apparel will look on a group of employees.
Example: Choose a simple color story such as purple and
white; feature about six items in the program, including shirts
with various sleeve lengths and cardigans.
• Include items such as scrubs, polos, wovens, cardigans and
bags.
• Offer layering pieces that will keep wearers warm and also
carry a logo.
• Performance features: easy-care, fade-resistant, wrinkle-free
and stain-resistant
• Eco-friendly apparel
HOT MARKET: HEALTH CARE
What kind of embellishments should I
recommend?
• Avoid busy artwork.
• Health-care companies have long, complicated
names; try not to be too wordy in the
embroidery. A clear logo is better than too
many words.
• Recommend more center-chest embroidery or
embellishments as it’s always visible.
• Recommend name drops.
• Embroidery and screen printing work best.
HOT MARKET: HEALTH CARE
Let’s talk about selling in the real
world…
• A sample “perfect pitch”
• Real-world success story
• Pitfalls to avoid on sales calls
HOT MARKET: EDUCATION
Who buys decorated apparel?
• Schools (preschool up to the university level,
from uniforms to sorority and fraternity wear)
• Any teams, cheer or dance squads, or other
school-related clubs
• PTA groups and fundraisers
• Also look at local gyms, daycare centers and
youth centers (also church youth groups),
day/summer camps
HOT MARKET: EDUCATION
What’s unique about selling to the
education market? How do I find the
buyers?
• Proving to be a recession-proof market; budgets
for decorated apparel are still intact.
• Referrals are often a good “in” to the education
market (parents, teachers, administrators).
• The catch is that each school department usually
has its own buyer or person in charge; try to
connect with the principal (for example, give the
school a percentage of the sale to help offset costs
and programs).
• Another incentive: Offer to bag orders individually.
HOT MARKET: EDUCATION
What kind of apparel program should I
present?
• Offer a wide range of sizes from youth to adult
4XL.
Examples:
– School uniforms: Work with a uniform supplier to put
together a robust selection of apparel for summer and
winter uniforms for male and female students, with
add-ons such as coats, scarves, hats and bags.
– Cheer teams: Cheer uniforms, boxers, pajama pants,
sweatshirts, bags and workout gear that matches the
school’s branding
HOT MARKET: EDUCATION
What kind of embellishments should I
recommend?
• Color matching to school colors is of number
one importance.
• Embroidery, screen printing and digital
printing are top choices.
• Appliqué and tackle twill are ideal for
teamwear and sorority/fraternity garb.
HOT MARKET: SERVICE INDUSTRY
Who buys decorated apparel?
• Food service: restaurants (stand-alone and
chains)
• Hospitality: Hotels, motels, resorts and spas
• Retail: store (stand-alone and chains)
HOT MARKET: SERVICE INDUSTRY
What’s unique about selling to
the service market? How do I find the
buyers?
• Service buyers are looking for quality items at a
value price.
• Buyers want coordinated programs for
male/female employees; at a presentation, you
need to show a complete program with logo
options.
• Contact your local restaurant association, union
office, municipality or construction association;
ask for the person who handles their marketing
or uniform sales.
HOT MARKET: SERVICE INDUSTRY
What kind of apparel program should I
present?
• Coordinated group of stand-alone items that
are simple and clean; present groupings of
outfits placed together so buyers can see how
apparel will look on a group of employees.
• Performance features: easy-care, faderesistant, wrinkle-free and stain-resistant
HOT MARKET: SERVICE INDUSTRY
What kind of embellishments should I
recommend?
• Embroidery and screen printing are best for
uniforms.
• Ensure that the decoration can withstand
home and industrial washings.
• Recommend name drops.
• Recommend several decoration locations, such
as chest, sleeve, yoke and hem.
HOT MARKET: SERVICE INDUSTRY
Let’s talk about selling in the real
world…
• A sample “perfect pitch”
• Real-world success story
• Pitfalls to avoid on sales calls
Audience: Q & A
Contact Information
Nicole Rollender: [email protected]
Pat Baldes: [email protected]
Jennifer Cox: [email protected]
Joyce Jagger: [email protected]
ASICentral.com/Webinars