Marketing Your T-Shirt Business
I was just reading an article that quoted a 1993 Ted Stahl booklet that still holds true today about marketing your t-shirt business. None of the items cost anything to do, and can make a huge difference in profits for your business. Some seem like common sense, but sometimes we all need to be reminded about the obvious.
- Tell People What You Do – Have a sign in your window, or a window decal in your car if you are a home business. Let them know what you can do for them.
- Have Your Staff Wear Decorated Shirts – This shows what you can do and how it can be used.
- Ask for the Sale – You would be surprised how often this is not done – if you sell them a shirt ask if they want matching shorts or a bag. Or add a personalized name.
- Add Dates to Custom Shirts – Incorporate the date and a new shirt will be needed the next year.
- Add Your Business Logo to Shirts – This lets your customer know who to come back for reorders and future orders. Use your business card as a hang tag.
- Sell two color prints – Another version of asking for the sale. Let the customer see two colors (Next week we will be offering multi-color Easy View™ to let you show your customer the improved look of a 2 color. ) If your customer needs numbers, remind them all the pro teams wear 2 color numbers. Make more money from the same customer.
- Create a sign up sheet – Make it easy for the customer to take orders. Include the Easy View™ design. Leave a space for personalization with the added price; include a column for size and color.
- Be Your Own Walking Billboard – Wear different prints you have done wherever you go! Carry business cards.
- Take the Show on the Road – Take your heat press to an event, bring a rack of apparel so they can choose the shirt and apply the print as they wait
- Print Your Own Money – Print up coupons for add on items that will cost you nothing. For example, for every team order of 12 or more, free tote bag. These bags cost about $1 and you can use an over run to print it.