So, after all the hard work, finally, you have a collection of products to sell. You are confident enough to show your product line to potential buyers. Well, you deserve a pat on the back at this point.
Wait a minute!
How are you going to show your product line to the buyers? You might have heard lots and lots of talk about the line sheet. This is the time to create and use a line sheet to make a great first impression on potential buyers. If you wonder how to create a line sheet, we will help you to create an effective line sheet in this article. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
What is a line sheet?
The dream of many aspiring brands is to sell their products and earn profits, but not every brand succeeds. A business needs to work hard to reach the point where it could earn profits. Brand awareness is vital for securing public acclaim in the long run.
If you are in the wholesale business, then you need a line sheet. It is a valuable tool that contains information needed to make a buying decision. It helps brands present their product mix to the potential buyers in the best possible way. The information contained in a line sheet can often be confused with a look book or a catalog.
Bear in mind that a line sheet does not contain any long descriptions. It only includes the information required to make a buying decision. So, it is essential to make a line sheet as clear and precise as possible.
Importance of a line sheet:
Well, a line sheet is an important tool that helps brands generate sales. It helps them create a great first impression on potential buyers. The brands only get one chance to make an amazing first impression, and a line sheet helps them do that.
If you are planning to wholesale your products, you need to have all the information in one place. You cannot show each and everything you have to sell to the buyers. So, a line sheet makes things easier. You include all the product information in the sheet, and the buyer reviews it. Remember that nobody is interested in long descriptions and unnecessary details, so make sure that the line sheet you create contains the needed information only.
How to create a line sheet that helps to sell your products?
Creating a line sheet for wholesale business is important. It helps you bring more customers. But the line sheet must be effective enough to convince buyers to place an order. A line sheet is not a mere document only. It is an important sales tool that actually helps you present your product mix to the buyer in the best possible way.
Here is how you can create a line sheet that can help you boost sales:
General information:
A line sheet is a document that makes things easier for both the buyer and the seller. First of all, you should include genera information in the line sheet, including:
- Business name
- Business logo
- Contact name
- Contact number
- Email address
- Brand bio
Make sure your contact information is easily identifiable in the line sheet. You should not make the buyer search for the contact details. It is suggested to add the contact details at the top of the line sheet so that the buyer can easily find them. If your contact information is not clear, it can cost you sales. So, cross-check your contact details while creating a line sheet.
Product information:
This is another important section of your line sheet that contains information about each product that is available for wholesale.
Product image:
The first thing you have to include in this section is the product image. If you are in the retail or wholesale business, you understand that the buyer would be impressed only if you have quality pictures of the products. It does not mean you need to fancy here. You should add clear and straightforward images of all the products you have.
It would be better if you use pictures with a neutral background. Colorful backgrounds divert attention, and the buyer may get carried away. There is no need to include lifestyle images in a line sheet. Use lifestyle imagery in the catalog.
Product line information:
The purpose of making a line sheet is to make it easier for potential buyers to decide whether or not to place an order. Under the product images, you should provide information about the products. Write the item number and the style name. Include information about the material it is made of. What colors and sizes are available?
Set your wholesale price, and it can be a tricky business, especially if you are growing your business from retail. An easy way to set your wholesale price is to divide the retail price by half. You can also consider the absorption pricing method while deciding on your retail prices. Be careful while setting the wholesale prices as you do not want to bear losses in the end.
Wholesale information:
No matter you are creating a line sheet for the first time, or you have already made it a hundred times make sure it contains all the information a buyer needs. A disorganized line sheet can cost you sales.
In the next section of your line sheet include the wholesale information. In this section, you have to include information about the payment methods you accept. Do not forget to add details about the requirements upon orders such as payment upfront or deposits etc. Do you accept credit cards? Or do you accept payment through PayPal? Detail everything in the line sheet so that the buyer can understand everything easily.
Then you have to include information about the lead time. How quickly can you fulfill the orders? You need to be realistic here, as it will affect your future orders. Do not provide any wrong information in the line sheet as it will leave a bad impact, and the buyer would not like to work with you ever again.
Shipping information:
It is highly important to include details about the shipment of products. Who would pay the shipping cost? Would you cover the cost? Detail the shipping charges and make everything clear to avoid future troubles. Would the buyer make the payment on delivery, or he has to pay some cash in advance. Make everything crystal clear in the line sheet as it protects you from legal problems that may arise in the future.
Return policies:
What if the products you deliver get damaged during transit? The buyers do not accept the damaged items. So, you should write everything clearly about the return of the products. Include information if you accept returns for the reason other than damage during transit. Add conditions for returns clearly to avoid troubles in the future.
Expiry date:
You should also add the expiry date of the information on your line sheet. The product availability and the prices change frequently, and if you do not add an expiry date of information, problems may arise between you and the buyer. So, state everything clearly to avoid miscommunication.
Create a line sheet to impress the buyers:
Every business aims to earn profits, and it is only possible when it succeeds in impressing clients. A line sheet is a document that helps businesses creating a great first impression on the buyers. All the product information is in one place in the line sheet, so it becomes easy for buyers to place orders.
But it is essential to know how you can create an effective line sheet. You should not make the buyer search for the information he needs. The line sheet must be well-organized so that the client can easily find the information he needs.
So, what are you waiting for! Create an effective line sheet today to boost your sales.
Should I make it by myself?
Now you understand what a line sheet is and how it can help you increase sales. But creating an effective line sheet is not that simple. You have to be precise and tell everything using minimum words. So, if you are making it for the first time, then you should hire a graphic designer. But it can be costly, and not every business can afford to employ a graphic designer.
There is another solution to the problem. You can make it by yourself using templates available online. They give you the idea of what information you need to include in the line sheet.
It is quite easy to create a line sheet using these templates. Just select your package and download the template. Add information in the required fields, and here you go.
Is a line sheet different from a catalog?
Many people get confused and think that a catalog and a line sheet both are the same. But the fact is both are different from each other. A line sheet is a document that contains precise information about the products a brand wants to sell. It includes product images, but there is no place for lifestyle imagery in a line sheet. On the other hand, a catalog is a document that contains long descriptions and lifestyle images.
So, it is necessary for a brand to understand the difference.
How many pages should a line sheet consist of?
Again, a line sheet is an important tool for your business that can help you win customers and increase sales. So, make it carefully. A line sheet must contain all the needed information. As far as the length of the document is concerned, the less is more. There is no point in making a line sheet that consists of more than 2 pages. It is a one-page document that contains all the information a buyer requires.
Things you should never include in a line sheet:
After reading the article now, you know what information you should include in a line sheet. But there are a few things you should never include in the line sheets. For example, you cannot include the “about us” section in the line sheet. It is a selling tool that is not meant to describe the whole story of your business.
The buyer does not need background information about how your brand started. He needs your contact information, product images, and wholesale information to decide whether or not to place an order. In simple words, he is only interested in your product line and needs contact information to place an order. He is not all interested in reading long paragraphs.
Your goal is to make it super easy to place an order. So, avoid providing unnecessary details.
There is no denying that it has become quite difficult for the brands to survive in today’s fierce competition. If you are in the initial stages of your brand growth, then it is highly important to come up with excellent ideas to get a competitive advantage.
A line sheet helps you impress clients and increase sales. It helps you gather all the product information in one place to make the buying process easy for both you and the buyer. But the key is to create an effective line sheet that convinces the potential buyers to place an order.
Conclusion:
Creating a line sheet becomes easy when you know what information you should include in it. Do not consider it a mere document. It is, in fact, a sales tool that can help you bring more and more customers.
If you think that one line sheet is enough for all the clients, then you need to change your mind. It would be better if you create a customized line sheet for your clients. Avoid including any unnecessary details in the line sheet. Do not make the buyer read long paragraphs. Make it super easy for him to make purchases.