BY KENNETH EZE
Clothing is a basic need of man. But those who desire to make a living out of clothing others, particularly, selling ready-made clothes, will have to be innovative to make a success of it.
Here are a few tips on how to achieve that:
1. Décor: Each entrepreneur in selling ready-made clothing, must know that the essence of clothing, for those who desire ready-made clothes, is beauty, not just to cover the body. Therefore, the environment of the shop or business must be well decorated to attract attention of patrons and would be customers. Class is very important in this segment of business, as those who aspire to ready-made clothes should have some taste. Decorate your shop in a way to attract discerning people.
2. Lighting: One of the easy ways of catching human attention, particularly, passers-by, is beautiful lighting. People are attracted to colours, and clothing is one area where colours play a significant part in human decision. Colourful lighting would let people notice and be attracted to clothing items, that they ordinarily would not have paid attention to. This helps attract footfalls into the shop, which can translate to patronage. Colourful lighting should be used to bring out the quality of clothing items on display. You must keep your shop beautifully lit, at all times.
3. Offer Tailoring Services: Someone can be attracted to a clothing item, only to discover that it doesn’t fit as perfectly as he/she wants. The way out is to have an in-house tailor who can adjust such ready-made clothing item to fit the buyer. Aside being a means of extra income, as the customer would have to pay for such services, it keeps customers loyal to the business. Simple tailoring services such as hemming, trimming or fitting can go a long in influencing buyer-decisions and encouraging patronage. Discerning people know what a difference a change of buttons can make in the style of an outfit. Let your customers benefit from this and you will be glad you did.
4. Create Dressing Rooms: Customers should have a chance of testing what they are buying. Some sizes are not as regular as the public would want, neither is the human body totally subject to what the designers of clothing items pre-conceived. The shape of the human body can be irregular, that is, someone can be more endowed at the front, backside, or any other part of the body, depending on a whole of factors. Designers make clothes on regular basis, but when someone is attracted and wants to make a purchase, the person should have a chance to test it before making his or her final decision. This offers you a chance of using your in-house tailor to fit it or avert a situation where the customer is compelled to return the item, after you already thought that you have made a sale. Fit your dressing room with quality lighting and life-size mirror to enable customers see themselves with their own eyes before making final purchase decision.
5. Stock variety: Business thrives through volumes and volume is variety-driven. While stocking quality items, they must come in variants that can help customers make their choices. Stock your shop in such a way that people can see what they’ll be pleasantly surprise to, not what they are used to. People want to express their personalities through styles and colours, and unique dressing helps each person achieve this. Offer them the chance of picking what fits their imagination from your shop, and see yourself smiling to the bank.
6. Employ right: Service rendition is subject to the attitude of the people attending to customers. Make a careful choice of hiring people with pleasant disposition. No one wants to be insulted while trying to make a purchase. Smart looking and pleasantly disposed shop attendants would make the environment warm and welcoming to customers, while trying to reach buying decision. Friendship is an important tonic in micro and small scale business segment, particularly, when it has to do with helping people dress the way they want. Shop attendants must be groomed to respect the personal choices of each customer, while helping the customer with his or her preferences.
