Craft Focus - April/May 2021 (Issue 84)

50 Getting into the mindset of a US buyer Retail expert, Tim Bush, shared his expert insights into the mind of a US buyer at Spring Fair @Home. Discover his top tips for taking your brand across the pond Any buyer will know that the process of purchasing holds more than meets the eye. Equally, any salesperson will know that your pitch should be perfectly tailored to your audience. But what about when that audience is from overseas? The cultural differences in US and UK retail buying are more numerous than you might think. So, what can we learn from purchasing across the pond? WHAT ARE US BUYERS LOOKING FOR? First things first, they’re not going to tell you what they want up front. But ultimately, they want the same thing the brand wants – to stock a genuinely original and quality product that will boost their sector sales. MAKE SURE YOU HIT THEM WITH THE FOLLOWING THINGS: A great sales story that charts the sales progress of your product from conception to the here and now. Make sure you’re armed with tangible growth, and present it in terms of percentages, not monetary value. Verifiable uniqueness or tangible ways your product is different from the things they already stock. Flexibility in the way you work and the way you fit into the retailer’s existing operations. Know how you will affect their margin. This is true anywhere in the world, but the retailer has to make a certain amount of money on the sale of your product; you’re either going to help them

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