How to make appointments with buyers

I was lucky; when I started my own label I already had contacts in the trade to start selling to and I knew the lingo because my last position was a senior buyer for Principles for Women. If you have contacts please use them. Some designers we work with do have some friends of friends who work as buyers or assistants or even contacts in unrelated areas. This is business and you have to use the contacts you have. You can be incredibly professional and ask for advice from the contact but don’t be afraid to network.

I could write a thesis about how to contact buyers but as you are all busy people I am going to do bullet points for you. These are my pearls of wisdom!

What happens when you can’t even get the name of the buyer you want to approach?

You have got to think outside of your box. Below are some of the tactics I incorporated in the past when I wanted to contact the right buyer for my label “Retro”; not all worked but all have be adopted and adapted to varying degrees in the past. My heart would be thumping and my throat dry but it gets easier and easier the more you become experienced. Be organised before the call and rehearse what you are going to say to the buyer in case you do get put through. Don’t gabble on, be friendly, and try to get, at the very least, an email address. Stay calm!

– ring up the head office after hours and speak to be security! Security tend to be far more relaxed and even if they say that the “Company Policy is not to give out buyers names” if you are a little persistent some will give out the names and the extension number but it didn’t come from them!

– ring up one of the stores, a smaller store is better that is regionally based, and ask the manager of the section…they tend to be friendlier than the receptionist at the head office.

– ring up the head office but ring EARLY – say 8.30ish. Receptionists will put you through to the section but it’s “embarrassing” to talk to someone without knowing how you are addressing. Most good buyers will come in early and get prepared for the day ahead; emails, planning the day, prepare for meetings et al. They also tend to be less under pressure too with meetings and deadlines. Call then and you may get the buyer themselves, if you do then be prepared to introduce yourself and your product. The chances are they will ask you to send in an email so get organised with pen and paper too.

– visit your local store and come clean to the manager of the section. New designer looking for a break etc.

– visit your local store and speak to assistants on section and explain that you have seen a product in the store some time ago and it’s a perfect gift for your sisters birthday – you can’t see the garment in store now so can you have the head office number and buyers information so you can contact them again! This works with the smaller boutiques but not necessarily with the big retailers.

– Ring up head office receptionists and ask to speak to Jane Millers, buyer on ladies knitwear. The name is fictitious as is the department and the receptionist will say

“I am sorry we don’t have a Jane Miller on Knitwear”.

“Are you sure” you reply alarmed…”That’s the name I have got here. Do you have a buyer called Jane or a surname with Miller in?”

“No,” replies the receptionist “we have a Mary Long or a Jo Hamilton but not a Jane Miller” Bingo…you have the names! Trust me this works! At this point I just say I must have got confused and thank her for the time. Leave it a few hours and then call to speak to the buyer with the right name!

– If you do have the buyers contact name but you can’t get an appointment I know one enterprising woman how waited until after the Christmas festivities and rang up in early January. She informed the buyer that she was told by the buyer to call back early January for an appointment. The buyer was put off guard to such an extent that she made the appointment. The assumption of the designer was that the buyers must be wined and dined during this period by existing suppliers, perhaps get a bit squiffy and not remember what she did actually say!! This certainly works for Press and PR too with main journalists on fashion periodicals and newspapers.

– Other conventional ways is via the web and newspaper articles. Normally it’s easier to derive the names of senior personnel such as Philip Green (Chief Exec of Arcadia Group – as was), Caren Downie (head of buying for Topshop) etc but not so easy to find the name of the exact buyer. So if all else fails start at the top; send in your letter of introduction, a few pictures but just make sure they are beautifully presented without a single spelling mistake. Hand deliver the package too if you can and write delivered by hand on the right top hand corner. One girl I know who makes bespoke pyjamas actually has a wax stamp with a “P” engraved on. All her correspondence has a wax seal on to make the recipient feel special! Great marketing technique.

– Ring up the head office and ask to be put through to the marketing department. Again you will not be given a name so when you start talking introduce yourself and talk as if you are actually talking to the buyer on the section. You will get interrupted and the marketing bod will explain that this is marketing and not buying. Apologise straight away and either

– ask who the buyer is and is it possible to be put through.

– explain that you think reception must have made a mistake and then ask who the buyer is and can you be put through

Long shot but it has worked for me in the past – really depends on how friendly the employees are!

So there you go! Hook or by crook you need to find out the right buyer name and contact details for your collection. Then when you have the name you need to say the right buzz words to get them hooked on to confirming an appointment with you. Now that’s another article!



Jenny Holloway