The holidays are coming.
Are you prepared?
Dun, dun, dun…..
Corny, yes, but true. This time of year, I always hear designers talking about how they hope to get more sales in the next few months since people will be shopping. Or they’re “anticipating an uptick in sales.”
When I hear this, I always wonder whether they’re actually doing anything to ensure that or if it’s simply that they figure it will just sort of happen because, well, Christmas presents, right?
Just because the holidays are a time when people are buying, doesn’t mean it’s a time when they are buying your stuff. You have to have a strategy for getting those sales.
You have to have an aggressive plan, a course of action, and specific ideas on what you’re going to do. If you’re famous for being vague, you better nip that now.
Your holiday sales plan should include:
- What specific avenues you plan to focus on- restocking your wholesale accounts, doing trunk shows, increasing your web sales, participating in holiday markets, all of the above? You don’t have to do them all but you do have to be clear on where to put your energy. Otherwise, you’re going to half-ass it all and nothing will be effective.
- A strategy list under each revenue stream. Meaning, if eCommerce is your holiday focus you need to make a list of things like updating to holiday graphics, creating promos, doing some paid advertising or Facebook ads, guest posting on shopping blogs, etc.
- A list of tasks under each strategy. What is everything you need to do for promos? Choose which promos you want to run, create codes, test codes, make social media graphics for promoting the codes, etc.
- Targets and goals. Look at your financials, what do you want to see in your numbers? Write those targets down so you have something to work towards.
And that’s just step one, guys. Once you have your plan, you have to actually do it. And do it well. This is not the time to “feel weird” about trying to sell, or “not be pushy”. This is the time to push yourself out of your comfy little bubble, kick self-doubt in the teeth, and sell your little heart out.
Here are 7 tips for improving your holiday sales for your fashion business:
- Use Instagram. Create a holiday strategy specifically for Instagram and don’t get lazy with it. 12 Days of Christmas promo? Share it on Instagram. Free shipping and returns, post it.
- Do a website review and update your website for the holidays. Get people in the shopping mood the same way that brick and mortar stores do.
- Remember self-gifting. It’s not always about buying for others. A lot of people take advantage of the holidays sales and promos to buy for themselves. Create language to speak to them too.
- Party time. People are hopping from one event to the next this time of year, tap into that.
- Contact your retail accounts and ask them if they’d like to restock for the holidays.
- Plan a trunk show with one or two of your retailers if they’re close by.
- Organize in-home shopping salons and holiday get-togethers with your community.
Listen, it’s the holiday season you have to push hard to get noticed. It’s about getting those dollar signs stacked up. This is when people are buying and it’s not OK to just sit there and cross your fingers. You have to push, try new things, and not be afraid to put yourself out there.