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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Supplier News Fashion Biz Announces New Hire & New Territory Representation
Fashion Biz Canada is very pleased to announce that Daniel “Danny” Ruest has joined its sales team as the Sales Agent for Ottawa Valley, Eastern and Northern Ontario. Danny brings 24 years of outstanding service and professionalism while serving in a similar role with Trimark Sportswear.
is is a new sales territory that will include Ottawa City, Gatineau, Aylmer, Hull, Masson and Buckingham, Sudbury, North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie, Hearst, in addition to Port Hope.
For more information, Danny may be reached at danruest@outlook.com, or directly at Tel: (613) 277-0944.
NEWS
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WHY EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION MATTERS MORE NOW CONTʼDPG 10 EFFECTIVE NETWORKING IN A VIRTUAL WORLD CONTʼD PG 6 SUPPLIER NEWS / GLOBAL RETAIL NEWS MARKETING TRENDS FOR 2021 & BEYOND 11 WHERE DOES OUR INDUSTRY GO FROM HERE
GLOBAL RETAIL NEWS
Source: Fibre2Fashion.com
US apparel sales fall by 19% in 2020: NPD
Overall apparel sales in the United States declined by 19 per cent in 2020, according to a survey by The NPD Group, despite sales of basics, like sweatpants increased by 17 per cent; sleepwear rose by 6 per cent, and sports bras grew by 10 per cent during last year. Fashion footwear sales declined by 27 per cent during the year.
Due to the ‘work from home’ trend, tailored clothing, dresses and dress shoes - which were already losing share to more comfort-oriented attire pre-pandemic - were hit particularly hard in 2020, the survey found. 70 cent of consumers in the NPD survey reported that once they can return to work and resume other activities, they plan to dress just as or more casually than they did prior to the pandemic.
PVH Corp names Trish Donnelly as CEO of PVH Americas
PVH Corp., has announced that Trish Donnelly, former chief executive offi cer (CEO) of Urban Outfi tters Group, will join the company as CEO of PVH Americas. Donnelly will have responsibility for the Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfi ger and Heritage Brands businesses in the Americas and for the global Calvin Klein brand. This new regional approach is modelled on PVH’s proven structure in Europe. Donnelly will oversee the company’s North America-based brand leaders, including Calvin Klein CEO Cheryl Abel-Hodges. “Donnelly is one of the most experienced and successful leaders in our industry. Her proven track record in winning with the consumer, driving industry-leading e-commerce, and balancing that with very strong retail execution and best-in-class partnerships, makes her the ideal leader to drive the charge for sustainable, profi table market-share growth for PVH Americas,” Stefan Larsson, CEO of PVH, said in a press release.Emblemtek_Imprint_JanFeb-2021.pdf 1 12-22-2020 2:40 PM
NEW PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS
14 WEARABLES SHOWCASE 25 ADVERTISING SPECIALTY SHOWCASE 28 SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT SHOWCASE
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speaking softly and carrying a big message
We’re committed to delivering excellent service and quality products year after year. And we work hard to make the world a more beautiful and comfortable place, one garment at a time. From Gildan® Heavy Cotton™ to Gildan Softstyle®, fleece to performance-wear and polos, to colour consistency that lasts, we’ve got a style for every body.
Explore all our brands at mygildan.ca
Networking, continued from Page 1
Finding potential customers to connect with by searching the social media sites using keywords and company names is one way to identify new connections. An even better way is to take advantage of the various virtual meetings and events that you are already participating in and connect with those who are also participating in them.
If you have two monitors on your computer, use one monitor to participate in the meeting and your other monitor as your search engine. If you don’t have two monitors, use your smartphone or tablet. Pay attention to the people you are resonating with or those who are making thought-provoking comments in your virtual meetings.
On your other monitor or device, go to LinkedIn and see if you can nd this person while you can still see their face in the meeting. You might be surprised at how di cult that can be, especially if they have a common name or have changed their appearance. By doing it while you’re still participating in the virtual meeting, you can double check that you have the right person before you send them a LinkedIn invitation.
When you send the invitation, be sure to personalize the connection message. Say something like, “Joe, I enjoyed your comments in the XYZ meeting today. I’d love to connect with you on LinkedIn.” e goal here is to establish an initial connection, not to make a sale or have them do something for you. You have to earn that right. Do not immediately reach out and try to sell them something once they accept your connection.
Successful Approaches to Networking Virtually
Once you’ve established a connection with a potential customer, begin to explore the opportunities available to you to get to know that individual better. It is easier to do than you might think. e most e ective way to stand out to a new contact is to engage with them on the social media platform. Start to regularly post comments on their social media post and when appropriate, share their post on your own social media pro les. Don’t just “like” something that they’ve posted. Likes, hearts, thumbs up and other reaction acknowledgments don’t make you stand out. ese are just passive engagement reactions and do not get much notice.
Active engagement that gets your name in front of your connection will make you stand out and connect in deeper ways.
If your connection has shared something on social media that you nd interesting, do your own post and tag them in it. Take a picture of you holding their book with a testimonial. en post your testimonial on their book page on Amazon. e idea here is to stand out, especially if they are someone who has a very large social media following.
Engagement is vital to building relationships. It requires energy and e ort just as it does in the physical world. It is important to take this slowly. Nothing freaks someone out more on social media than the appearance of having a stalker or someone who is only connected to sell to them. Look for opportunities that are appropriate, but not every day, especially in the beginning.
Too many people today make an initial connection on social media or in a virtual meeting and then bombard their contact with too many asks. That is not building a relationship. That is pushing for a sale.
Those who are successful at networking virtually are looking to expand their connections with those with whom they share mutual interests. Those mutual interests turn into opportunities.
Take Your Networking to The Next Level
If the person you’re connecting with is someone that you would like to know better and the feeling is mutual, suggest setting up a telephone call or virtual meeting. at will allow for deeper communication beyond the written word.
Explore opportunities that might be mutually bene cial or ask them if there is something speci c that they need right now that you might be able to provide.
Leverage the combination of interacting with them on social media platforms, phone calls, virtual conversations and email as a way to stay connected. is needs to be organic and it cannot be forced. Too many people today make an initial connection on social media or in a virtual meeting and then begin to bombard their contact with too many emails or too many asks. at is not building a relationship. at is pushing for a sale. ose who are successful at networking virtually are looking to expand their connections with those with whom they share mutual interests. ose mutual interests turn into opportunities. In the best of all worlds those opportunities are mutual, not one-sided.
Final Thoughts
One thing is certain, virtual interactions are here to stay. ose who are most e ective at networking in this “new normal” will bridge the gap between connections and relationships by strategically looking for opportunities to connect. Remember, networking is about building relationships, not making sales.
It is vital to keep this key di erence in mind as you begin to take steps to use virtual opportunities to make new connections. Sales will eventually ow from these relationships, but the primary goal in networking is to make a casual connection and build it into to a deeper relationship. en, you take advantage of the virtual world to help you sustain and deepen that connection over a longer period of time.
About the Author:
Jill J. Johnson, MBA, is the President and Founder of Johnson Consulting Services, an award-winning management consultant, and author of the bestselling book Compounding Your Con dence. Jill helps her clients make critical business decisions and develop market-based strategic plans for turnarounds or growth. Her consulting work has impacted more than $4 billion worth of decisions. She has a proven track record of dealing with complex business issues and getting results. For more information on Jill J. Johnson, please visit www.jcs-usa.com.
