05 Dec HARSEST – Overseas Fair Entry Guide
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Prepare for the Fair
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At the Fair
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Follow up after the Fair
This report emphasizes the importance and the necessity of fashion trade shows where major brands and buyers from around the world gather together. Even though localization in the form of online platforms is currently on the rise, it is still the easiest way to meet global buyers and an effective way to raise brand value and recognition! Learn more about actual cases in this report.
- Prepare for the Fair
The key part of the pre-fair preparation process is about deciding which season and what fair a brand should participate in, as well as on how and to whom they display to in order to execute the result that they want.
WHEN: The fair is normally held twice a year in January or February (AW Collection) and from late June to early August (SS Collection), with a minimum of 2 months to 3 months in advance of registration, and Application. The floor map which indicates booth location and number will be opened a few weeks before the fair. A timeline should be established and followed for four months prior to the fair.
For instance, ideally, May is when the designs and samples are available for the SS season. When the sample is released, shoot a look book and line sheet which contains information of product images, fiber mixture rates, size, color, etc. One month before the fair is the time to work on the order form and price list and a press release to introduce the brand season theme and main items. Set up a meeting that will take place during the fair two weeks prior to the opening. In addition, prepare a large box with a pen, tape, stapler, highlighter, steamer, and etc. one week before the fair as to not be missing anything on the big day.
WHERE: When the decision is made on the target seasons, it is time to consider which fair to participate in according to the purpose of the brand. Find a fair that suits the identity of the brand; choose sales targets on whether your brand is looking for actual buyers or just for public exposure.
The fair is usually held in the following locations: NY, LA, Las Vegas, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Firenze (Florance), Tokyo, etc. Jacket Required and Pitti from London and Firenze suit better for heritage brands while as Agenda show suits better for street brands. Seek in Berlin is suitable for a new brand’s debut stage that would allow traffic simultaneously to target sales and exposure.
For fair-related information, look up the modem online website, and prepare a Look Book with a brief introduction before sending an email to participate in a fair. It may be advantageous to get approval to participate in a fair and this may also result in receiving a better location for a booth if a brand is considered to be ready. In the case of a famous fair, it is recommended to start contacting the fair at least three months prior to the opening day.
HOW: This report will discuss in detail through the different sections about how to display a collection to buyers, press, and media representatives at the fair. Prepare eye-catching items as well as items for sale. Also, an impressive elevator speech that will be memorable to the audience is recommended.
Prepare a printed brochure as well as the documents to display it on an iPad or tablet. Prepare a suitable amount of price lists and order forms for widespread distribution at the fair. Postcard size brochures and pamphlets are also helpful. Shopping bags or goodie bags with brand names on them can be used in order to help imprint the name of the brand by allowing recipients to carry it around in a fair venue.
WHO: Sales does not always happen in a fair; therefore, no matter how perfect the preparations are, the amount of time and expense a brand puts in could go to waste if the venue does not have suitable targets. In fact, especially with new brands, many buyers ask the question of how old the brand is. This indicates the stability of the brand. From the buyers’ perspective, payment, delivery, trade process and the financial status of a brand is important. It is better for buyers to purchase from a brand with experience in those processes; therefore, it is difficult for a new brand to receive orders in the debut stage. To narrow the gap and keep the booth busy, it is essential to set up an appointment with the concerned parties, press, and former buyers. At the very minimum, let the brand and collection be known in advance. In addition, make sure many people visit the booth to make your brand more appealing. To find the targeted buyer, find similar brands through the website, and then use stockist, and point of sale. Find contact information of those retailers and send look book and booth number of a new season. This is an opportunity to expose a brand even if there is no reply. The retailer could be a potential buyer as the brand shows improvement. Use Mailchimp, an e-mail marketing provider, when the list of retailers reaches a few hundred or more.
After this preparation, the following are some practical tips for a fair venue.
2. At the Fair
A. Setting up a booth
The venue provides a wristband (categorized by retailer, press, student, and brand) and information on wifi, delivery, pick up, etc. Be sure to check everything. Corner booths are strongly recommended for booth location, especially for new brands. It usually charges 10% more than other locations. With more brand exposure, the additional 10 percent of spending could be effective. Consider the arrangement of the racks and shelves. Accessories and items intended for eye-catching should be placed in a location visible from any angle. There are many ways to display collections; according to colors, sets, segments (such as the top and bottom), etc. Choose in a way a brand can best introduce the collection to booth visitors. An owner of a brand in New York has a certain sequence of placing a lead item in the front considering the traffic.
B. Appearance of the people in the booth
Speaking from dozens of sales and visiting experience to the fair in Europe, the United States, and Asia, the representatives in the booths should at least look fashionable. There are actually sales managers who are dressed in clothing unrelated to their brand for three consequitive days. Brand image shown in the booth is as important as the general brand image itself. Dress appropriately and fashionable. For buyers, items described by a stylish salesperson may be more convincing. Appearance is as important as the language and action it carries out.
C. Number of people in the booth
With a booth size of 3 x 3 meters or larger, at least two people in the booth are recommended. It is impossible to explain items to more than two teams with a single person in the booth. A brand might lose an opportunity if no one is available. If only one person can be participating from their homeland, it is best to work with an agent from the region to look more professional. Otherwise, hire a staff or an interpreter from the region. European agencies often speak one or two languages, primarily English, and their native language. Although language is not an integral part of sales, being able to deal with buyers from different countries could be advantageous.
D. Understand cultural differences
It could be difficult to figure out what country the visitors are from. Ask them and talk about their city or country as a conversation starter. It is common to see people from different countries at Korean fairs and Korean from the overseas fair. Introduce the collection by opening with a conversation about countries. There are cultural differences and some actions that are considered to be offensive.
For example, for Koreans, being asked whether they came from South or North Korea could hurt their feelings. Muslim and Jewish women may refuse handshakes due to religious reasons. It could be disrespectful to consider every buyer from Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar, etc. as Arabic. There are differences in feedback according to the cultural aspects. The 2015 Harvard Business Review suggested that people from Russia, France, Germany, Israel, and Denmark have a specific preference and are more straightforward, while people from Sweden, Mexico, Japan and Korea tend to say ‘maybe’ instead of saying ‘no’. Therefore, a better understanding about countries can be advantageous for sales.
E. Answering questions
Typical questions that buyers frequently ask are as follows.
= Brief brand introduction
= A country where the brand produces products
= Current retailers in Europe and America
= Markup price
= Delivery and payment
Questions on delivery, payment, and countries where the brand produces products can be answered using the information the brand already has. However, the brief brand introduction and current retailers are the questions that need preparation in order to give answers. A brief introduction of the brand should include information about the season, the description of the brand’s name, the direction in which the brand was introduced, this season’s theme, current items of interest, etc.
The following quotes are from our current clients, DRINK BEER SAVE WATER and Dooboo.
“This is the 11th season since 2009. Our season theme is Match; therefore, it composes of fire and matches. As our brand name suggests, we pursue a unique and fun item with close interactions with people. We also collaborated with pop artists as Daft Punk, EXO, etc.”
“The brand name Dooboo came from the Korean word for Tofu. In 2008, a designer from RISD launched an organic brand tagline named Little Green Closet. Little Kid and Green represent eco-friendly aspects of Dooboo. Closet represents the place where our brand value is passed on. So far, we have grown up with markets in Korea, and we have a shop in Garosu road and Icheon-dong. We are participating in this fair to enter the international market. The season theme is Galactic Road Trip, indicating the travel to space which children are interested in.”
Long answers may appear to show a lack in confidence. It is likely for buyers to lose interest when a brand fails to introduce their brand smoothly. The best way to appeal to buyers is to talk naturally while emphasizing key points.
The second difficult question to answer is about current retailers. Especially when the brand does not have any overseas retailers, avoid answering this question directly. Instead of saying, ‘we do not have any retailers in Europe at this moment’ may appear’; explain about the previous retailers and the reason why they are not buying any more. Make sure the reason is not because of a fault in the brand itself, but due to payment reasons, etc. It is better to show that the brand has experience in the overseas market. As for new brands in the overseas market, state the success in the domestic market as well as any appointments with other buyers in the current season to attract more buyers.
F. Arranging business cards
Sales and follow-up after the fair begin with arranging business cards. Make sure to receive a business card from those who show interest in collections. Send important sales and materials for the next season. When the contact information is handwritten, always double-check the spelling.
The following is a simplified version of the business card arrangement method. For many reasons, it is better to have a computer or laptop at the fair. Organize the business card in Excel to save time.
The essential requirements for the method of arrangement are as follows.
Company name, buyer name, e-mail address, classification, country, description, appearance, post- fair action.
Examples of business card clarifications: including the name of the fair, date and time of the meeting when participating in two or more fairs in the same season are also helpful to recall memories.
The classification section in the chart categorizes the people who visited a booth. It consists of a potential retailer (Lead), the partners who are currently purchasing from a brand (retailer), magazines and Bloggers (press), agents and distributors (agent / DT), fair organizers (fair), producers (producer). Appearance section is to recall memories from previous fairs when meeting them again in the next season. It is also helpful when browsing customer relationship management (CRM). Remembering their name can leave a positive impression. The post-fair action is to send season documents or etc., to those people so that it can be complete shortly after the fair.
G. Receiving orders
There are not so many buyers that place an orders right at the fair. The following tips are for when a brand is receiving orders. If the order form was taken, it is possible for the buyer to fill out the order form directly. However, it may take longer to place an actual order. If a brand can get the buyer’s signature on the first page of the price list, it reduces the chance of a cancellation of the first order. Take a picture of the signed price and keep it separately for any possible misunderstanding. Inform the basic status and delivery date of an order. Especially for domestic brands in Korea, if the buyer is from one of the 28 EU countries and America with FTA, notify them about the low or no tariffs, the approximate date and cost of shipping.
All the considerable information was obtained from the business cards of those who visited fair. Subsequent actions are organized and ordered. The post-fair can be successful by following up the section below.
Case Study:
The chart indicates order patterns of the clients. There were 11 retailers who placed an order in 3 fairs.
In most cases, about 10% of orders are placed at the fair, and most orders are made through e-mail after the fair. There are few people who visit the booths for the first time and place an order immediately. Although there are some, it is likely to be canceled in the future, which is not reliable. On the other hand, there were 4 retailers who saw the collection on the first and second day of the fair, came back before the fair was over and placed an order. Those four teams were from Belgium, Italy, and China.
The tendencies of Italian and Chinese retailers are determined by their mood. For the small-sized retailer, the orders may be canceled, however, the order from middle and large-sized retailers are reliable. It is highly unlikely for German and Belgium retailers to cancel their order. They make decisions very carefully and do not break contracts easily. In particular, Chinese retailers share their personal relationships with their businesses; approach them in a close and friendly manner for a better chance at successful sales.
In contrast to China, Americans tend to distinguish between personal acquaintance and business. Japanese retailers prefer not to be interrupted, so when a retailer from Japan comes into the booth, induce them into initiating a conversation about their questions rather than starting with an aggressive sales pitch. There are retailers who already have information about the brand’s collection through an email received prior to the fair. Focus on introducing a faster delivery and better payment term to receive an order.
Two of the three orders received were from New York (a Jewish community, Manhattan). I was able to close the deal successfully by following-up after the fair. Jewish merchants who make up a large portion of the New York diamond market are known to be reliable and credible.
Last but not least, the most important retailers are new buyers who have been checking the brand out from the previous season. Even though they did not place an order in the previous season, they recognize the brand and are aware of the brand’s improvements. It is very accomplishing to close a deal with them. These four retailers were buyers from Belgium, Luxembourg, France and the United Kingdom with a tendency to order after careful consideration; it was not difficult to follow-up and close the deal.
Receiving orders from the fair does not guarantee a payment. Increase the possibility by analyzing the characteristics of retails with suitable follow-up. New brands expanding to overseas markets must consider receiving orders from emotional retailers from Southern Europe, South America, China, etc. For retailers from North and Western Europe, America, Japan, etc., make a good impression so that they may consider buying in future seasons and to visit your booth again at other fairs.
3. Follow up after the fair
Using the list organized in an Excel file as a main list, contact and follow-up with people who visited the booth in the fair. It is better to contact them a week after the fair. Retailers who participated in the fair are unable to check emails right away. Send an email on Tuesday or Thursday afternoon when the email open rate is higher. The most important ones are the potential buyers. Send a customized email instead of a group mail. Creating a template or using an application such as TextExpander can save some time. The message must include the following sections.
– Paragraph 1: Brief greetings and show gratefulness for the visit.
– Paragraph 2: A brief introduction of the brand (In the case for unknown brands).
– Paragraph 3: An introduction to the seasonal results and key items.
– Paragraph 4: Attached file, deadline information, delivery information, and a brief description about payment term.
– Paragraph 5: Comment so that they feel free to contact the brand at anytime.
Examples of practical emails are shown below.
Even though there are differences in format, this content covers basic entries so that the retailer does not have to ask for more details in a reply. It is also important to send email in a brief manner while still having a big impact. Include links to websites and social media in the signature section.
After writing an email with the above form, use tools such as WeTransfer or attach the ZIP file including Look Book, Order Form, Price List, Line Sheet, Conditions and Terms, and Press Release.
For current retailers, select only the necessary information to make the order process more convenient. For the press, send information regarding the current season items instead of next season items shown in the fair to release on media.
For agencies and distributors, the focus is on brand and season introduction. If the contract is ready, attach it to proceed and accomplish a contract to prepare for the next season. Send an email at least twice during the season’s sale period; update the information with Excel file and organize their feedback. Send a reminder to companies that have not replied once a week to follow-up. Use an application such as MailChimp, to send a group email during the season.
It is also important for companies that have met in fairs to receive e-mails in the future. In case of a brand with an online B2B system, such as OpenERP, NuOrder, SILK, etc., generate and deliver an ID, password, or access page to place an order. Use email tracking applications to see if email and shared links are opened and create sales through a detailed follow-up.
To receive an order confirmation from retailers, create a proforma invoice or fill out the brand ordering form for them. Send out a file for order placement, along with the season Look Book and line sheet to help make modifications to an order when needed. Send an invoice for advance payment within 2 weeks to 1 month after the order confirmation. Include bank account information with the invoice. For retailers who want to pay by credit card or PayPal, the payment can be made through PayPal or a billing service such as Stripe. A way to get credit card payments along with the invoice is through an accounting company such as Freshbooks.
After the sales period, send a thank-you mail to buyers and link brand social media to others to retain their interest until the next season fair.
Send a survey to the retailers two months after the shipping of each season (March and September). The survey includes sell-through, best sellers, their concerns, etc. It leaves a positive impression on retailers by showing them that you listen to their feedback. As it can be used as a database, it can also provide a more thorough preparation for the next season through a detailed approach. Question forms can be easily created using Wufoo, Typeform, Google, etc.
Closing sentence:
A fair is a showcase of a brand, an important place to meet potential partners and to get inspiration from other brands. A fair is a necessity for those brands considering and preparing for an overseas market. Preparation for the fair and follow-up after the fair can be more important than the fair itself. It needs long-term and detailed consideration. By gaining experiences from fairs, create your own system to lead your brand to success. Show remarkable collections every season and retailers will grow as well as getting attention from the press. This will be helpful in expanding to the overseas markets.
As Eddie Cantor, American comedian and composer in the early 1900s said, “It takes only 20 years to make an overnight success”, success is only achieved through an endless effort.
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