What’s in a Buyer’s Packet?

Many small business wholesalers unintentionally communicate with potential buyers before they are prepared to. Although their product may be ready for stores, the delivery of their product to buyers may not be ready. For many small business wholesalers, such as jewelry designers and stationary designers, the steps to professionally communicate with retail accounts and the buyers that work for them are not something they are familiar with.

[tweetmeme]In order to effectively and professionally present your product, a wholesaler should have a Buyer’s Packet created that will allow for potential buyers to fully understand their product, their purpose, the price points, delivery dates, and more. While the contents of a Buyer’s Packet may vary, most include the following:

1. Line sheet
2. Price sheet
3. Order Form and/or Order Details
4. Terms of Payment
5. Delivery information
6. Designer / Company Overview
7. Letter of Introduction

In addition, some Buyer’s Packets include Look Books.  Look Books are traditionally used for higher priced products that fall into the luxury category, however more and more small business wholesalers are using Look Books to help make their product stand out. Because of the creative flexibility in Look Books, it is a great way to showcase your product without limitations.

A line sheet is an organized outline that details each product in the line, or collection, of products being represented. Details that may be included include the cost, colors, sizes, and availability of the product. Pictures are always included in a line sheet in order to visually showcase each particular product you have available for purchase. Although the cost, both wholesale and retail, is typically included in the line sheet, a price sheet is a quick reference sheet that is almost always included in a Buyer’s Packet, as well. The cost and availability of the product is usually highlighted here, also. If case packs are necessary for purchasing the product, this would be identified on the price sheet, as well as any minimums there are in order to purchase the product. In addition, an order form is included to make purchasing the product as convenient as possible for the buyer. Manual order forms are still used for many small business owners and are a great, easy way to maintain an organized ordering system. You can, however, link the buyer to your website to order your product if you prefer to do it this way. Make sure to include the terms of payment on your order form so that buyers are aware of what the terms are up front, as well as include all delivery information. Some small wholesale companies charge the retailer for delivery of the product, while others do not. These are things you will need to decide based on your product, business plan, customer service expectations, and more.

Finally, make sure to include an overview of your company and/or designer as well as a letter introducing your product to potential retail accounts. Prepare everything in a clean, professional fashion that looks polished while still highlighting your business in the details of design and color. You want to provide a reflective of your product through the overall look of your Buyer’s Packet, however don’t go crazy in design. Buyers want to easily read through your line sheets and all other details without getting lost in the design of it.

Many retail consultants are available to help create your Buyer’s Packet, allowing you to ensure you have included all the necessary details for your specific product in the Buyer’s Packet. Each segment of retail is different and each category of product is different, so make sure to find out what buyers who buy your type of product expect to see when reviewing Buyer’s Packets. For example, if you are a jewelry designer, you should probably include care instructions in your packet so that the buyer is aware of this. If you are selling handmade hats that are knitted out of wool, you want to make sure that washing instructions are provided. Not providing these essential details will allow for questions to be asked that should already be answered through your Buyer’s Packet. Boutiques receive a lot of Buyer’s Packets to review so you want to make sure yours stands out in both purpose and design.