A line sheet is an important document, and in wholesale retail, you might have heard the term. It is a document apparel companies use to present their mix to their product mix to the potential buyers. A line sheet is a very important part of a wholesale business, so you should create a line sheet that is effective enough to bring more clients.
A line sheet must be well-organized because businesses use it every day to showcase their product line to retailers. It is something that helps brands make a great first impression. Since it is an important selling tool, you want to put effort into using the best practices to create an effective line sheet.
What exactly a line sheet is?
You are in the wholesale business, and you have heard the term “line sheet” a hundred times. But what exactly is it and how it helps brands increase sales.
Line sheets are a brilliant way to showcase your product line. It is a sales tool that is presented to the buyers and contains all the necessary information that a buyer needs to place an order.
As a matter of fact, line sheets come in handy when you are heading to trade shows. They are useful when you are reaching out to interested retailers. Bear in mind that you cannot use the same line sheet for every client.
Do not get confused with a designer’s look book. A line sheet is something that contains basic and to-the-point information. In simple words, you can say that a line sheet is a document that answers the buyer’s questions at a glance.
Line sheet- a valuable tool
A line sheet is a valuable tool when you are considering selling wholesale products. It helps the fashion buyers make choices place orders. So, it is necessary to make it as clear and concise as possible. It will make it easy for the buyer to find the needed information at a glance and decide whether or not to place an order.
Essential elements of a line sheet:
Now you understand that a line sheet plays a vital role in growing your wholesale business. But you need to learn strategies and use practices to create an effective line sheet that could actually win sales.
Here are a few essential elements of a line sheet:
- Brand logo:
Some people think that their businesses do not need a logo. If you are one of them, change your mind immediately. Having a logo is an integral part of making your brand successful. It helps you get brand recognition. It grabs attention and makes a strong first impression. As a matter of fact, your logo is the foundation of your brand identity.
So, your brand logo must be clearly placed at the top of the line sheet for easy brand recognition. Use a colored brand logo as it grans the attention immediately. Also, you should use a clear and easy to understand version of your logo. Place it right at the top of the line sheet so that the buyer can easily see it.
- Contact details:
The buyer wants to place an order, how he would contact you. You should add your contact details to the line sheet. Place them either next to the logo or below it. You should include the following contact details in your sheet:
- Name of the contact person
- Phone number
- Email address
- Street address
- Website address
The last thing you want to hear is that you have sent a line sheet to the clients with wrong addresses. So, make sure that the information you included in the line sheet is correct. It is always better to double-check before sending the document to the potential clients.
- Colored images:
The product images are an important part of the line sheet. They will create a great first impression, so make sure that you choose the quality images. Make sure you choose colored images to showcase your products in the best possible way.
Use pictures with a neutral or white background. The images you should use must be professionally edited. If the products are blurry or look unprofessional, the buyer would not be impressed. Make sure that the product images are of the same size. The font you use in the text under images must look good.
- Product details:
It is also an important part of the line sheet where you tell the buyer everything about your products. In this section, you write the following information:
- Product name
- The item number or SKU
- Wholesale price
- Recommended retail price
- Order minimums
- Colors and sizes available (if any)
Include all the details in an organized manner. Everything in the line sheet should be laid out accurately. Bear in mind that a disorganized line sheet does not leave a great impact on the buyer.
- Payment terms:
In the next section of the line sheet, you have to write about the payment methods you accept. Write if you accept payments through PayPal or credit cards. Also, include information about when the buyer has to make payments on delivery, or they have to pay some cash in advance. Do you have a 30days payment window? In this section, you have to describe payment terms clearly.
- Refund policy:
When do you offer refunds? What you do if the package gets damaged during transit? What is your cancellation policy? You have to state your refund policy clearly in the line sheet so that the buyer can decide whether it is worth placing an order or not.
- Shipping details:
In this section, you tell the buyer the shipping details. Who is your preferred shipping partner? How much time does the shipment take to reach the destination? Who will cover the shipping cost? Would the buyer pay the shipping cost, or would you cover it? Tell the buyer about shipping details in your line sheet.
You can also tell the buyer about special offers and discounts if you are offering any.
How to create a line sheet:
A line sheet must be simple and precise. It must contain key information related to the products you want to sell. Try not to make a line sheet for more than one or two pages. The buyer does not have time to go through a line sheet that consists of more than one or two pages. So use fewer words and be precise.
Another important thing you should keep in mind is that there is no place for lifestyle imagery in a line sheet. You can only add a few lines of product details. You can save the lifestyle imagery for your catalog.
The buyer is only interested in the products, so there is no point in telling your brand story.
You can use the tools available online to create a line sheet. You can create line sheets using Excel or Words too. But the benefit of using the line sheet software is that they are specifically designed and guide you through the information you need. It saves you time and allows you to spend more time on new products.
Here is how you can create a line sheet using an online template:
Choose a template:
The first thing you need to do is to choose a template. Different businesses have different needs, so you should choose a template that better suits your business needs. Pick your plan, pay the money, and download your template. Make sure the layout of your line sheet feels the most “on brand.”
Add details:
Now add all the details in the given fields. Be careful while writing information as including wrong information can cost you a sale. Think carefully about how you want to group products. Bear in mind that your best sellers must take center stage. In addition, if you have some newest products in the line, they should be in the spotlight.
Review and edit:
Do not be reckless while creating a line sheet as it can cost you sales. It is highly important to take another look at your line sheet before sending it to potential customers. Review the line sheet and make changes if you find something wrong in it.
Benefits of a line sheet:
Of course, only creating a line sheet would not help your business stand out from the crowd. There are other factors too that play an important role in making a brand successful. But an effective line sheet can leave a great impression on potential buyers, and they might consider buying your products.
To create a killer line sheet, you have to include all the key information that a buyer needs to place an order. Showcase your products to the customers in the best possible manner. Show how the features of your products benefit the target customers.
The buyer does not want to read lengthy paragraphs. He wants to get the answers to his questions at a glance, and a line sheet helps you do that. So put yourself into the buyer’s shoes and create an effective line sheet that could convince buyers to make purchases.
Hire a graphic designer:
Since the line sheet helps you increase sales, it is important to make an effective line sheet. If you don’t know anything about the document, then you should hire a graphic designer to do the job. He will create a line sheet that would make a great first impression on the clients. It saves your time, and you become better able to focus on other things, but hiring a graphic designer can be costly.
If you want to save your money, then make a line sheet by yourself. It would take time. There is another solution too. You can download the templates available online that will guide you about what information you need to include in the line sheet.
Mistakes you should avoid:
You should keep in mind that you cannot use the same line sheet for every wholesale strategy. If you are reaching out directly to stores, your line sheet will represent your business. But when you are going to a trade show, it would not bear the responsibility for selling the line as the client would only visit your booth.
You should not ignore the fact that the layout of a document matters a lot. If the information you include in the sheet is not organized well, the buyer will not get impressed. Do not overlook the design of the line sheet.
You should be careful while choosing the product images. You do not need to get fancy here. But use quality images in a line sheet. Unclear and aesthetically unpleasant pictures can ruin the entire work and cost you a sale.
Information you include in a line sheet must be clear, and there should be no ambiguity whatsoever. If you are still confused about how to make a line sheet, then put yourself into the buyer’s shoes. In this way, you would better able to understand what information exactly a buyer needs to place an order.
Though you can tell your story in the line sheets, it is better to be precise. You cannot include the “about us” page in the document. The buyer does not want to do into the details of how you started a brand. All he is interested in is your product mix. So, include relevant information only.
Try to use fewer words to tell everything. Do not make him search for anything. Create your line sheet in a way that the buyer could easily find the information he needs. Just remember that the sole purpose of creating a line sheet is to make the buying process easy, simple, and straightforward.
Final verdict:
Creating a line sheet is actually a serious business as it helps you increase sales. Since every business wants to earn profits, and this is possible only when it succeeds in bringing more and more customers. A line sheet helps brands get recognition. It helps them provide all the product information in one place, which makes the buying process super easy.
