A typical trunk show is when the designer or vendor brings their line to a boutique for a special in-shop showing (items used to be carried in a trunk, thus the name).  Generally, but not always, accessories vendors bring stock pieces they can sell during the event while clothing vendors bring samples, take orders, and ship the items later (usually 4 – 8 weeks out).  A show can be from 2 hours long to all afternoon, depending on the boutique, the designer, their wants and needs, and their relationship.  My suggestion for designers starting with a new store is 2 – 3 hours.  You can always stay if things are rockin’ but if it’s slow and you committed to a full day, trust me, that is one loooooooong  day.
 
The shop will pay you the wholesale price for each piece they sell.  It is the shop owner’s decision what retail price the consumer is charged.

And now for the tips…

Tip #1:  You and the Retailer should work as partners.

You and the store are in this together and you want to make it win-win situation.  Try to avoid an “us against them” attitude. Do everything you can to insure the shop has a good experience with you.  A few more points:

Designers win: 

• Your line is featured in front of a whole new clientele (that you didn’t have to find on your own).
• You get a chance to interact with the end-user of your product; this gives you an opportunity to see your things on many different people and hear their feedback (so valuable!)  It makes you a better designer, trust me.
• It gives you a chance to actively SELL your line and explain why and how you designed it.  This can be quite a rush for designers and you get to see what customers really like about your product – it feeds the ego.
• You get instant credibility by being associated with a good store.  When buyers and customers see you sell at such-and such, it makes you more interesting to them.

Stores win:

• Trunk shows are a low risk way to test your product.  Stores don’t pay you for merchandise unless it is a guaranteed sale and they do not tie up their dollars with inventory. They love this!
• It gives the shop an automatic, low-cost special event and creates a buzz with their customers.
• Retailers can offer a much bigger selection and more options for their customers than on a regular day.

Tip #2:  Promote the heck out of it.

Act like a true partner and be pro-active about maximizing you sales during the trunk show – and not relying on the store to do it.  The old days of showing up with your line on the appointed day and waiting for customers to walk in the door are OVER.  You must do more, including:

•   Create signage for the shop window advertising the event and be in charge of installation etc.  Show the shop a sample of what you will do before they make their decision and agree to tailor the signage to their particular taste and storefront.
•  Create a nice postcard or marketing piece to be handed out before the event to the store’s customers.
• Create an email invitation to the event that will go to your current contacts and the store’s list.  In addition to this, send 2 reminders before the event.
• Offer an incentive just for the show.  It doesn’t have to be a discount on your line. It could be a gift with purchase, free shipping, a chance to win a seriously good prize (no, a $50 gift card for your line is not that exciting – a $1000 shopping spree gets attention.)
• Do your homework. Take an afternoon (or 2) before the show and hump it to the other businesses around the area.  Say hi, be friendly, hand out your cards/photos/whatever you have, and ask them nicely to send their customers over. Consider giving them a good reason to send people your way – a $10 gift card to Starbucks for every customer they send?  A % off for their customers or themselves?  I know seems like a lot of work, and it IS, but it pays off.

Tip #3: Follow through and deliver what you promised. 

This is not always the fun part.  It’s a blast to take orders…not as much fun to produce and ship them.  This is the stuff that will make or break your business, however.  If you’re reliable and efficient, your business will prosper – and word gets around..

I’ve seen dozens of designers – hundreds, really – lose momentum because they ship late or not at all, forget to contact who they said they would, and just show a general lack of discipline and dedication.  During the trunk show, try to keep in mind a healthy dose of reality and don’t over-commit yourself or promise things you can’t do.

So now it’s your turn, what’s worked for you? Would you leave a comment below and share tip #4? We’d love to hear it!

Contributor Jane Hamill teaches apparel and accessories designers how to start and grow a profitable business – even if they flunked math and hate selling.  She is the creator of online courses such as “How to Sell Your Line to Boutiques and “How to Start a Fashion Business” and she also coaches entrepreneurs one-on-one. Find her at www.fashionbrainacademy.com.

To begin, “branding” your store and even yourself with great customer service is a fantastic way to stand out from other stores in your community. This can include friendly welcomes into your store, extra little perks such as beverages or sweet treats during store visits, outstanding service for customers who appreciate “the above and beyond” and much more.

For boutiques, the rules are up to you. And so is the challenge. What makes your store stand out? Do your employees represent the same extra special somethings that you do? How can your store – aka your “brand” – be unique in a competitive market? Some tips to help your boutique be the best it can be include:

1. Let your voice be heard. Don’t shy away from any customer that walks through your store, but instead treat everyone as if they are your #1 customer. Spoil them with friendliness, attention and knowledgable product information to help them really experience your store and the products you sell.

2. Brand your boutique. Your logo is one thing, but the overall style you create in your store can help shape the experience your customers have. Use repetitive colors, strong visual appeal, bold features, comfortable additions (think nice dressing rooms or comfy but stylish chairs to sit) that will all help position your store as a leading boutique in it’s enviornment.

3. Be a united team. If there is more than one person working in your store, you should all represent your boutique in a united way. This means from how you greet customers to how you support them as they shop. Strong employee training and expectations can help set this standard among your team.

Remember, part of the appeal of having a boutique is creating it to be an environment that is unique in ALL ways – not just your product assortment. What does your boutique do that makes you stand out? Let us know in our comment section below!

1. Remember to let your customers communicate how they feel. First and foremost, them “venting” is often all they need to make things begin to be better. After they are finished venting, apologize for their unhappiness in your store – even if you do not feel they have been let down in anyway. It’s simply showing you support them in their role as a customer.

2. Really listen to your customers and what their viewpoint of the problem is.Even if this is not your viewpoint, try and deliver a response that shows you respect their opinion. If they are challenging your return policy, for example, you can state why it’s in place and that it had to be enforced. It they are challenging a vendor issue, explain your lack of control but your willingness to help here. Often the explanation alone can help customers see your position in difficult customer scenarios.

3. Fix the problem at hand. Whatever the problem is, find a solution. This may mean breaking your own rules every now and again, but this should not be the quick fix scenario. As an indie store owner, you should have boundaries to help keep your business afloat and likewise, as an indie biz owner you are the boss and should be able to break rules when you feel you need to – or want to. You be the judge. Whatever you do, find a solution to resolve the problem and ideally, leave the customer feeling satisfied that they have experienced valued customer service.

Problems will occur, people will complain and life will go on. This is the nature of everything – especially in a business centered around customer service. What you take of this ultimately determines what value it brings to you. Learn from difficult customers to help your overall business and your overall success. You just may begin to be grateful for the disgruntled customers out there every now and again!

1. Personalize your order confirmations. Unless you are dealing with twenty plus a day, this is very manageable. A customized thank you and receipt of order being placed is a fantastic way to share a customer experience that leaves the customer feeling like they have actually had an experience.

2. Package product with care & beauty. Don’t just wrap a product in tissue, put it in a box and send. Instead, create a beautiful package that is exciting for the customer to open – even if it is not a gift. This experience helps create the brand  of your business, as well as leaves a lasting impression on their overall customer experience.

3. Confirm shipment & delivery. Once a package has been shipped, do not consider your job done. Instead, send an email with an estimated delivery date, then follow up a few days after delivery to ensure everything is satisfactory. Often this will lead to conversations that customers will feel engaged in, sharing insight with you that you would never gain otherwise.

Remember that being a “boutique” business lets you stand apart from the competition – so don’t be afraid to do just that. Add special extras, offer thank you incentives (20% your next purchase is always welcomed by customers) and be bold in your total boutique branding. This sets you apart from the big-boxes and even other indies out there. And ultimately, this sets you apart in your success, as well!

The funny thing about increasing sales is that it doesn’t always take a huge change in your store to do this. Often you have the inventory, the people and the opportunity to do this… but aren’t. Then again, change is sometimes exactly what you need to do to increase sales.  Which category do you fall into?

Below are five tips to help you boost sales and increase store revenue.

1. Always have extra products available for quick add on sales. Whether it’s bottled water (even if it makes no sense to the rest of your store assortment), fun accessories or random knick-knacks, the ideas is to give customers something to touch while they are getting ready to check out. Their lingering of additional merchandise should lead to add on sales – and more money in your register.

2. Use smart sales strategies. If a customer is checking out, let her linger over your great add on products near the cash wrap. But also engage in conversation to help her understand why she needs something else. When customers are shopping, react to their body language, questions, overall engagement and more. Basically, offer customized customer support per each unique customer. And don’t forget… standing behind the cash wrap area (or your desk!) is a very hard way to create sales in your store.

3. Pay attention to your best sellers – and react to them. Do you have two left in a top performing item? Buy more NOW! If you let best sellers sell-thru without re-ordering them, you lose money. Plain  and simple. Give yourself enough time to order things that need to be ordered… which leads us to our next point…

4. Markdown slow moving items. If inventory isn’t moving, mark it down and get them sold at a reduced price. Keeping old inventory in your store that isn’t selling not only makes your overall store assortment look stale, it hurts your bottom line. Mark these items down, sell them and move on.

5. Train your team on products, selling techniques and your store “brand”. If it’s just you working in your store, then you know what you are doing – or not doing. But if you have a team of 1 or 10 or 100, you need to train everyone to be on the same page. Set selling standards. Introduce product knowledge workshops. Identify your store mission, values and how you want customers to perceive your store – and the people that work there. Remember to follow up with reviews to make sure things are getting done. Without a strong team, you will miss sales. It’s very simple, really.

Finally, wear cozy shoes so you don’t mind being on your feet all day. Eat healthy so you have energy. Rest your body – and feet in particular – when you aren’t working so you have the energy to work retail hours. And of course, have some fun. Enjoy your work, and your time off. This will all lead to more sales since it will lead to a healthier you!

1. Prioritize Your Time. If you know you have to let go of one idea in order to successfully complete a project at hand, then do so. A good idea is to have a “thought book” that you can quickly write down any thoughts you have, allowing you to reference them when the time is right.

2. Stay True To Your Brand. Your brand can be your store image, a product or even yourself – or all three. Whatever your brand is, though, make sure to stay loyal to. Sure, it can grow and expand, but if you stray too far from your brand feeling, customers can get lost and confused and even worse, become distant. One example of this is when a retailer lets a friend sell their product on consignment… even though it makes no sense for their store. Remember to always think about the big picture and if your brand tells a consistent story.

3. Add Value to Every Move. You can promote a product, process a sale and call it a day. Or you can sell something, enjoy the process of the sale, create a memorable customer experience and look forward to seeing a repeat customer again one day. The idea is to add more value to every move you make as an entrepreneur. These moments create memories and the memories you make should be valuable. It’s a domino effect for your business… the dominoes keep falling and creating opportunities or they can crash and fall without an continuation.

4. Lead by Example. A smile goes a long way, but true passion in what you sell, how you manage, the way you talk and the overall communication you offer can help – or hurt – your business. Your best bet? Be someone you would want to work for, with or as a partner to.

5. Be Open to Change. Sometimes change can come in the form of learning something new. Other times it may mean implementing a popular social trend into your business practices. Often it simply means letting go of a vendor you love after accepting their product isn’t selling. What does change mean to you? Be open to it, and your business will be more open to thriving.

Finally, enjoy the entrepreneurial ride. It’s a busy one, but a worth-wild one.

Want more support of your indie business? Check out Retail Minded Magazine – the only retail lifestyle magazine that supports retailers both in and out of their stores!

From creating impressionable window displays to offering festive gift wrap to planning for extra staff, the list is long. Let’s not forget stocking your store with this season’s must have gifts! Trusting your orders are already placed (we hope), here’s a look at some operational musts to ensure your holiday season is a success.

1. Create and start promoting extended hours to support the holiday season. If you are in a zoned area or shopping mall, these hours may already be determined for you. Either way, start marketing these hours so that your customers know you are there for them beyond your normal hours.

2. Plan for special marketing initiatives. These will vary based on your store and customer, but are likely to include (but not limited to) email marketing, a holiday open house, special shopping deals, customer appreciation days, a visit from Santa in your store, a shopping guide for customers, e-commerce only specials and more.

3. Identify your return and exchange policies on all receipts and near your cash wrap. If you are planning for altered policies specifically for the holiday season, make sure you also identify time frames they are specific to. It’s always a good idea to have customers initial receipts after you have explained your policy, as well.

4. Use social media as a marketing tool to post daily deals, special event details and more. If you aren’t already using social media, it’s not too late to get started. If you already are, you are a million steps ahead already! Identify how you can leverage your social media audience to not just hear you, but buy from you this holiday season.

5. Cross promote with like minded businesses. Create packages that overlap your products or services with other businesses in a “bundle package”, allowing you to gain new customers from their mailing list and customer outreach – and vice versa. Addiitonally, it’s a fun way to introduce new gifts to your local marketplace.

6. Get the media involved in your holiday plans. Radio stations, newspapers, local television stations, magazines and other local media outlets are crave great information to share with their readers. Let your store holiday plans be among what they share! Get on the ball now, though… The holidays are only ten weeks away.

7. Plan for additional staff. Possibly this means additional hours for current employees. Maybe this means holiday only help. Whatever works for you, it’s time to get it all identified so when the rush of customers keeps you busy, you won’t be stressing about extra help supporting you. Remember to train new hires, as well, on all your store policies!

8. Plan for Plan B. Extra help means extra people to worry about. If someone calls in sick, do you have a back up plan? Life happens – so you may as well have a plan of attack for when it does.

9. Have your holiday window and store displays ready to go. This means knowing what products and extra display accessories you need to support a dynamic display are ready to go for you to simply install. Don’t wait till the last minute to buy your own display extras at the store, either… Just like your store, they are likely busy and maybe sold out. Plus, you want your displays to be impactful and memorable, so don’t wait till the last minute to plan for them.

10. Offer above the top gift wrapping. Sure, everyone offers free gift wrapping this time of year. But does everyone offer beautifully wrapped presents that make a statement all on their own? While we can’t all get the same response a Tiffany blue box does, we can certainly try! The real challenge is to simply go above and beyond the expected.

Bonus Tip: Stay cheerful. The holidays are suppose to be a happy, beautiful time of year. Unfortunately, this isn’t only the case. If it happens to be stressful at home or in your store or both (hey, it happens to the best of us), try not to let your customers see this stress. By acting… dare we say… Christmas”y”, you help set the mood that then impacts your customers.

Finally, try to enjoy the season! From Cyber Monday to Black Friday to Christmas Eve, there is a lot to get ready… and to get excited… for. Have more tips to share? Let us know!

For some, the idea of e-receipts can be intimidating. It’s just one more thing to depend on technology for. Many small retailers and independent retailers already feel behind in the technology trends for retailers. Here’s the catch, though…. E-receipts don’t have to be difficult. In fact, they are meant to make your life easier.

Depending on your POS provider or your own personal operations set up, e-receipts offer the chance for you to to the following:

1. Quickly provide customers with proof of transaction without having to print anything – saving paper (and your overhead expenses) while also being green. An added bonus? No more paper receipt packed wallets for your customers!

2. Collecting an email address to mail an e-receipt allows you to gain their email for other marketing purposes. This reason alone is enough of a reason to want to get on board with the e-receipt band wagon. Make sure at the bottom of your receipt you offer an “out” button for people who may want to unsubscribe  to your email marketing. It’s likely most will not opt out, so you will gain a lot of eyes here.

3. Return procedures can be better managed with e-receipts since you will have a history of receipts sent, as well as customers can’t “lose” them as easily. As we all know, what’s on the internet stays around forever. There are perks to that, after all!

Now the reality is not all customers will be in favor of an e-receipt. And that’s okay. The option for a printed version or an emailed version should be your first goal. Where the future will take us only the future can tell in regards to retail receipts. But to get familiar with this new trend can’t hurt. In fact, it will likely help you in many ways.

If you are standing in the shoes of someone who has to decide what makes sense to support your friends and family as customers, you know it can be tough. From everyday discounts to special holiday incentives to freebies and more, business owners are challenged with the drama – yes, drama – of making sure their friends and family feel special when shopping with them. As small business owners, it’s drama  enough just to handle your ever expanding to-do-list, so adding “keep friends and family shopping and happy” often becomes just another chore to check off. Luckily, with a little planning and a lot of heart, keeping your favorite people (or your not so favorite people but blood makes them count) happy can be  as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Set Limits.

Limits, boundaries, deadlines… call it what you want, but the key is to identify what you offer your friends and family in discounts and shopping incentives so that there is no confusion. If it’s written out and identified clearly, it’s easy to blame the “policy” versus having to take the blame yourself. If you still get heat for it, remind them you are running a business and policies are part of your business model. Still getting heat? Maybe you need to find new friends… Or at least accept that they may not be the right customer for your business.

2. Offer Exceptions

If your mom makes the cut, give her a special deal that exceeds your typical discount. On that same note, break rules whenever you want for whomever you want should you feel the urge, need, desire. But only you have this control, so use it wisely. Don’t throw this around whenever… save this for truly special occasions – if at all. Remember, you’re in business to make money – right? Plus, if you throw these types of exceptions around too often, they will become expected. This should definitely not be your goal.

3. Make Them Feel Happy

Sometimes just the feeling of “being special” or “standing out” is all your friends and family may need. Host a special evening just for your fav peeps to shop, offering great deals, discounts and some light appetizers and beverages. Take it up a notch with music, local designers or any other extra effort that shows you really went out of your way to make this special event worth attending. While shopping is the goal, sometimes it’s just nice to show them how much you appreciate that they support you and your business. Of course, this is assuming they are referring people your way, right?!?!

Extra, Extra

To round out these special incentives, discounts and more, make sure to always be thankful of any business you receive – plain and simple. The competition is tough, so friends, family or just some stranger on the street all equally deserve your appreciation as a business owner. Going the extra mile for those you care about is a perk you should enjoy… not dread due to the constant abuse of your generosity. So remember -  create boundaries, write out your policy and invite friends and family to shop away! But please… promise yourself, your friends, your family and me that you won’t become that business owner who depends on them for all your business. All the perks in the world don’t equal up to that making a successful business strategy.

Social media, networking groups, special events, business to business marketing and traditional sales all open the door to connecting with your customer. But once that door is open, what do you do to actually connect? The tips below can help you in engaging customers, captivating their attention and increasing your sales.

[tweetmeme]1. Improve on your current customer service methods. Think beyond the simple “Hello, how may we help you?” and instead become someone who listens, cares and responds to each individual customer and their specific needs. Are their hands filled with heavy shopping bags from other stores? Offer a place for them to  set their bags down so they can shop your store more comfortably. Is it a hot day outside? Provide small bottles of water to customers -  complimentary, of course. Did you just learn they are shopping for an unexpected loss, such as a funeral? Provide them a discount to help ease the burdens of their pain. 10, 15, or 20% isn’t a ton, but actions speak louder than words. It’s the gesture that counts here! Whatever your current customer service standards are, take them up a few notches. And make sure ALL your employees are trained to accommodate these new expectations.

2. Revamp your shopping environment. Consider if your store screams “easy to move in” or “too tight to walk around”. Are your fixtures intimidating or do customers comfortably reach and touch items in your store? Your goal should be to offer a place consumers want to experience, feel comfortable being in and ultimately feel connected to. Combined with other customer service strategies, sales are near certain to increase.

3. Say “thanks” the good, old fashioned way. Every one loves a handwritten thank you, so offer one. If your store collects contact details from customers, this is a great way to follow up after a sale is made and connect again with your customer. A simple thank you note, even in the form of postcard, offers a nice touch of personal connection between you and your customer. While an incentive to come back again is always nice – such as 20% off your next purchase coupon – the act of saying thanks alone is what really counts here. Be sincere, though. After all, you are thankful, aren’t you?

At the end of the day, your actions speak just as loud as the products in your store. Together, they greatly enhance customer experiences and customer retention. It’s time to connect them both so that together they can connect with customers.