What is more likely to influence your purchase decision at the grocery store? A picture of a bread loaf or the actual loaf? As a savvy consumer, you will want to examine your potential purchase for quality before committing any of your hard-earned money.
The same holds true when you’re trying to sell your sublimated goods. The allure of sublimation is in the outstanding print quality it produces. That can’t be captured in a catalog or Web image. Potential customers need to see and feel the product to determine whether it’s right for them – and that you’re the right one to make it.
This is where spec samples come into play. A spec sample is a pre-made version of a particular product that you use to show a customer, client or prospect what that product could look like with their customization added. They can touch the item, test its quality and see just how amazing sublimation looks on a finished product.
Providing spec samples helps you to drive excitement in both existing and potential customers, which you can then turn into sublimation sales. It just takes some creativity and good sales strategy.
Determine Your Demand. Who are you selling to and what do they need? Use the answers to these questions to guide your decisions. Create samples of the products you are asked about most, and use them to demonstrate the quality you can deliver.
This is especially important in apparel sales, as sublimation only works with polyester. Most people look for cotton apparel, and simply telling them that you have a polyester shirt that feels like cotton is not enough to convince many. Letting them touch and see for themselves how much your spun polyester shirts feel like cotton will make a believer out of anyone.
Get Creative. Using eye-catching, interesting graphics that really show the vibrancy and definition that sublimation can produce will excite your customers. It will also show the creativity that you can offer for their custom projects.
If you cater to different types of clientele, create a few different types of samples reflecting these styles. For example, you might want to have an upscale, conservative signage design to show corporate buyers and hoteliers, and a colorful team-centered design for schools and local sports organizations. Be careful not to use copyrighted logos and graphics for distribution without the owners’ permission.
Upsell, Upsell, Upsell. Creating sample kits that show a whole line of products that reflect a specific theme can show your customer that you can fulfill their current need, plus many more they may not even be aware of. Say you make a sales call on a new prospect whom you believe is in need of promotional products. Start by creating a spec sample that you can leave behind, one that will provide some value to the prospect and have their own label or name on it. This will ensure you make a lasting impression.
Once you get them excited about what you can do for them with sublimation, introduce them to your sample kit and see what draws their interest most. Show them an array of products that can help them promote their business and how good they look when created with sublimation. You’ll get their own creative gears turning, while getting that much closer to your sale.