Here is a short summary of some of the discussion at the “Maximizing the Rep/Buyer
Relationship” panel at the Industry Boot Camp this week.
Mike Sheldon, buyer, Huntington Surf & Sport
– Reps need to know their lines before the showing. They need to know what pieces the company is backing with marketing, etc.
– They should also ask for sell through reports from retailers before the meeting so they know what was booked last year and what sold.
– Sometimes reps tell buyers that the company the reps represent don’t listen to them. That’s a big mistake, Mike said. If you aren’t listening to the reps, who are the face of your company, than you essentially aren’t listening to your retail customers.
(HSS’s Mike Sheldon with Aaron Pai and PT Townend.)
– His main expectations of reps is to be there – to be in the store a lot, to always be checking inventories and talking to kids on the floor, etc.
– A turnoff for Mike is the “constant peppering” for orders from some reps. Be patient, he said, and offer to help by writing a proposed order.
– Mike praised 6.0 for its easy, online ordering system. The catalog is online, so he can see the photos of what he is ordering and can fill out everything right there. “It’s a huge help,” he said.
– Mike also praised a town hall Quiksilver did with the HSS staff, where it brought in Quiksilver customer service expert George Kam to talk, and other executives discussed the brand, its roots, and what it stands for. The HSS staff left that meeting, “And all they wanted to do was sell Quiksilver,” Mike said. A lot of the kids that work on the floor don’t know that brand owners and top execs actually surf and snowboard, and were excited to learn that.
See Page 2 for more from the panel
Snowy Lonsway, National Sales Manager, O’Neill
– When Snowy was a rep, he learned the adage “Whoever shows up the most wins.” Just talking to buyers is not going to help your brand. You need to get to know kids on the shop floor, too.
– He also did everything he could to make the buyer’s life easier, to take the thought out of the process for the buyer.
(Bobby Abdel of Jack’s Surfboards and Snowy Lonsway.)
– It also bugs him when he sees reps not wearing the brands that they represent, it makes him think they aren’t with the program. When he was a rep, he would always wear the brand’s clothes even if they were dirty.
Christine Ceccarelli, Director of Retail Merchandising, La Jolla Group. Christine previously worked as a buyer at Chick’s Sporting Goods.
– One of Christine’s biggest turnoffs is reps that collect the paper, then don’t get in touch until the next season rolls around. “Don’t take the paper and run,” she said.
– While Mike from HSS praised 6.0’s online ordering, Christine said she still likes paper orders.
(Right: Christine Ceccarelli and Greg Osthus.)
Debby Martin, National Sales Manager, L*Space
– She is encouraging reps to walk into meetings with a plan for that retailer that includes what are the key pieces that season, marketing plans, and what pieces the company thinks will fit best for that account.
– Debby would like to see the industry evolve to be more like the snow world, to have clinics with retail staff to go over technical aspects of suits and learn more about the brand.
(Right: L*Space’s Monica Wise and Debby Martin.)
Tom Ruiz, EVP of Sales, Volcom
Tom moderated the discussion, and threw in some words of wisdom.
– He likes reps to go into a buyer meeting with a plan for that particular retailer, then again right before the product lands to hold a pizza night and go over the product with the staff.
– While there is debate about the role of technology and which technology is best, Tom said he still believes the human contact and strength of the relationship is always the most important factor.
(Left: Tom Ruiz, Volcom EVP of Sales.)
