Hello all, I have a completed collection for SS08 and I am about to send out a look book via email to buyers and press. My question is: What is the best approach? Is there an industry standard of how you should make contact with buyers or can I be informal?

Also, what information will I need at hand and what am I likely to get quizzed about?

Many thanks!

Hello - you should check out this article on the very subject:

http://www.fashioncapital.co.uk/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=8118

'Your Order Please!' By Renato Grant
An essential guide to dealing with buyers and gaining those all important orders…

He also has an information pack available as mentioned at the end of the article.

Thanks for your response, unfortunately I'm not "authorized to view this resource"

What a pain will tell the tech guy. If you put Renato Grant into the search box above the piece will come up I promise! Any problems let me know.

Hi, I was a buyer for Littlewoods, M&S and Prinicples for Women. The best approach.is an individual approach and to do your research properly.

There is an _expression_ in retail called Spray and Pray...this is when you buy too many options and hope that some of them will sell. Marketing is the same. Be focused and direct. If you earmark some indpendent retailers then do your research first. Do a comparative shop and a driectional shop. Go into the targetted retailer and look and review. What has prime footage, what is secondary location, look at the selling mats and see where your produt would work. What are the gaps in store - does your colleciton fit that gap? If it doesn't then its not worth even sending in the flyer.

Do a flyer by all means but that accompanying letter is actually equally as important. You address the letter to the right person (buyer and the decisoin makers) add in information regarding the store to show that you have been in there and reviewed the merchanise et al then its difficult to ignore you. A flyer...well the buyeyrs can have literall 100s and some they bin some they skim read...it depends on how busy they are that day at that very mment when the post comes in. Sometimes its a BA (Buyers Assistant) that does the post too so often buyers never even get to see the post. I know one desginer who used to get a wax seal on her work so the letter looked important. She put on 'addressee only' so the BA wouldn't open it in case it was an important invitation. It worked!!

Armed with this info you can then call the buyer..be prepared to expect the line - 'sorry I can't remember your flyer' or' no we have not recieved it'. They are just busy people so don't be put off. You have to then send it in again sometimes by email too so be prepared with a PDF.

When approaching bueyrs its quality of work not quantity - that's what PR does for you - there is selling and marketing so don't confuse the two together.

Best of luck

Jenny