Sales can be a lucrative and interesting profession. A career in apparel sales will give you the opportunity to interact with a variety of people while often earning a commission for every sale you are able to make.
Wholesale apparel is a sales niche with some benefits and perks that you may not have considered. Here are 5 benefits that may make apparel sales the next stop on your career path!
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1. Large Orders
Wholesale apparel orders aren’t placed in quantities of 5 or 10. Wholesale shoppers are buying hundreds and possibly even thousands of pieces for each sale. Since wholesalers know that buying in bulk gets them a better price per unit, they have an incentive to buy more in each sale.
This makes wholesale apparel sales a more lucrative proposition than most other sales jobs. While there may be fewer orders coming in, the orders are so large that, for a salesperson earning commission, one or two big sales can make the whole month.
2. Long-Term Relationships and Repeat Sales
Wholesale apparel sales require trust. Remember those large orders? Who are you going to buy 5,000 sets of scrubs from — someone you’ve just met, or someone who you’ve worked with in the past?
Once you’ve established relationships with buyers, you’ll receive repeat sales without too much effort. Consider work uniforms, for example. If I’m an employer who wants my 500 employees to match, I’m going to get my uniforms from one supplier every time. That’s how I can trust that the colors and fabrics are a perfect match.
Once you’ve done the initial legwork to onboard a new client, you can expect them to return for sales at regular intervals. However, salespeople need to be careful not to go on autopilot. A strong business relationship can fall apart just as quickly if there is an unexpected issue with quality, shipping or price.
3. Independent Work
As a wholesale apparel salesperson, your sales manager will likely present you with monthly, quarterly, or annual sales goals, and it’s up to you to figure out how to reach those goals. Some salespeople prefer to work over the phone, through emails, or by getting on the road and traveling. Most wholesale sales jobs will require a combination of all three.
As long as you’re reaching your sales goals, it’s up to you exactly how you make that happen. Some employers may even allow you to work from home or work flexible hours — again, as long as you’re hitting your goals!
4. Stability
Some sales jobs will come and go with technology and market changes. Do you know anyone who sells rotary phones anymore? Probably not.
While styles change frequently, wholesale apparel is not going anywhere. People will always need clothes, which means retailers and businesses will always need wholesale suppliers. Whether you’re selling wholesale to department stores or providing uniforms to a restaurant chain, the need for wholesale apparel means that strong business relationships between suppliers and buyers can last for years, or more.
5. Buyers Understand the Product
How much easier is it to sell a product when the customer understands the product? Think again about technology sales. It may sound fun to sell the hot new piece of software, but if your lead doesn’t understand the software or why they need it, they won’t be jumping up and down to buy.
An informed buyer means less time explaining the details. Educating a potential buyer is a huge time commitment — and that takes away from the time you could spend closing sales and making commissions.
Selling a product that the buyer is already familiar with is a way to make a sales job both lucrative and enjoyable!
Wholesale Apparel Sales Jobs
There’s a vibrant market for wholesale apparel right now, which means it’s a great time to transition into this industry.
For example, you could apply for wholesale fashion sales jobs in Fort Lauderdale, FL at the headquarters of UA Brands, a uniform company that can offer opportunities to make big wholesale sales.
If you’re just starting out, you could look for an entry-level sales position where you can learn the ropes. Make sure to develop relationships with the senior salespeople so you can improve your skills, make connections, and start making more in commissions.
And if you have some sales and fashion/textile experience, you could take the next step in your career as a Sales Manager. You’d perform your own sales, and lead a team of salespeople to make their monthly goals.
Happy selling!
