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Knowing how to sell yourself and not just your product will play a great deal in the success of your clothing line. Considering the fact that sometimes it is who you know and not what you know. In fact I have a great example. At the time nobody was familiar with the clothing line Palis (Also now a division of Wayne Trading) owned by Danny Mota and their head of sales Kareem Singleton. I first witnessed their brand at a trade show in the Atlanta area and their line was basically sold before any buyers arrived. Most of the buyers and designers were very familiar with Kareem Singleton?considering he?d already done previous work for other major clothing lines and was already well connected to people in the industry especially buyers.

If you have ever attended an Apparel Trade Show like Magic and Atlanta?s Americas mart you will know exactly what I?m speaking about. When buyers attend trade shows in search of new product for the season they first attend to the booths of which they have previously set appointments with. When your attending these clothing trade shows no one is checking for the independent clothing lines, notice I said independent, because new clothing lines by celebrities or branches of already successful lines don?t fit this equation. If you?re not a major clothing line, or well advertised ($$$) you will literally have to reel buyers into your booth. Since most don?t start off major or well financed being a familiar face and networking with the insiders will benefit you greatly. At the time Palis had no advertising neither were they celebrity endorsed, but their booth had just as much foot traffic as major clothing line or the likes of Timberland… being known and respected pays off! It is definitely not something that will happen overnight?I?m still working on it myself. Let?s talk about some ways to build up our reputation and help sell your self as a potentially successful clothing line entrepreneur:

Show respect where respect is due: If you know of any accomplishments or milestones they have reached in business compliment them on a job well done. If your meeting up with a potential retail account or store owner know things about them before they tell you. Show professional courtesy and talk with them not just treating them like they are just another sell and show genuine interest in what they have to say even if you aren?t that interested. Take their criticism and show them that you truly value their opinion. You should always be open to criticism and not take it as someone downplaying you, unless they really are

Don?t expect what you do not deserve: Meeting people and asking questions as if they owe it to you is not the way to go. Getting a chance to speak with someone and wanting information that is publicly available or already well known is a waste a time for both parties. Take the time to get to know them and educate your self on their background. Properly introduce yourself personally or invite them out to an event or show interest in something they may feel strongly about.

Acting like your sh^t don?t stink: Basically acting like you?re in a league of your own. Portraying an image that is not really you or misleading someone to think that you are larger than life, because if your brand was that major then you wouldn?t need their assistance or wouldn?t see the need to give them your own individual attention?just let them know were you stand and most people will be happy to show you the ropes as long as you take their advice with heed.

Don?t forget where you came from: You never know who knows who and where they stand in your industry. You have to remember no matter how far along you are in the industry or how successful your business is that you should never forget that you were once clueless about how to start a clothing company and run it successfully so share every bit of knowledge you have?don?t be afraid of a little competition. Make yourself easily accessible to anyone of your customers or colleagues. Think about all the companies that make it big and then lose interest in what got them to where they are and then suddenly start to sink to the bottom of the pool. The brand that they built was once part of their lifestyle, but now they are no longer a customer and don?t even understand the clothing that they are producing.

Take responsibility and do something with your leadership position: Give back when you can. Support positive causes by donating clothing. Talk to local classes about entrepreneurship.

Network- Network as much as possible and make sure to leave a positive impact on everyone you come in contact with?no matter what. Kill them with kindness. Attend business parties and join local business groups and business chambers. You can never have enough people knowing about you and your product so bring it up in conversation.

Most Important tip

Be prepared for any opportunity- I meet so many entrepreneurs that talk about what they have and if only they could meet this famous person or this investor or show their product to this company. Then you ask them for a business card or a picture of the product and they have every excuse in the book for why it is not with them. You should have some kind of proof to validate the business or website or product you speak of, no matter it is a business card, camera phone picture, sample, or Polaroid?you should have it on you at all times! People will already doubt you why give them another reason to?

Implement some of the tips above and you will be on your way to building your most important business asset YOU. I can only tell you, but it is up to you to take action and take the necessary steps to building your own image and becoming a familiar face. The best thing about all the ideas above is that they are free and the only thing that is required is time and patience.

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