If your business model includes retail, you have to present your collection to buyers. But it is not that easy as you cannot showcase your products one by one to potential buyers. You need a document that contains all the information about your product line.
Yes, a line sheet! A line sheet is a tool used by businesses to present their product line to potential buyers. It contains all the information the buyer needs to place an order. Line sheets are not only for those in fashion. Every product-based business can hugely benefit from line sheets. Line sheet example fashion can help you make an effective line sheet pretty fast.
What is a line sheet, and why your brand needs it?
A line sheet is not a full-blown catalogue. In fact, it is a catalogue in miniature. It is a more straightforward and clearly worded document. It contains relevant information only. There will be the product description under the product image in a line sheet, but you will not find any flowery language or long paragraphs.
Your goal is to generate more wholesale orders from retailers, and a line sheet actually helps you do that. It provides all the necessary product information to the buyer that he needs in order to make a decision quickly.
Since they give interested retailers all the necessary information, they are looking for at a glance; they are great sales-boosting tools. They have become an integral part of wholesale business as they enable them to make a great first impression on potential clients.
Creating a well-organized line sheet is essential for brands if they want to stand out from the crowd. You are in the wholesale business, and you might have heard the term “line sheet” many times. But do you know how to make an effective line sheet, and what information should it contain? Today, in this article, we will discuss these topics to make it easy for you to create a line sheet by yourself.
What information to include in a line sheet?
A line sheet is a sales tool that helps brands get recognition and boost sales. It contains all the information about a brand’s products mix to help buyers make a quick decision. But a well-organized and beautifully crafted line sheet can bring more and more customers. You cannot make an effective line sheet if you do not know what information you should include in the line sheets.
A line sheet normally consists of the following information:
- Simple, professional, and clear images of the products you want to sell with a white background.
- Color options in which the product would be available
- A simple list of sizes such as small, medium, large and extra-large
- Wholesale prices in the buyer’s currency
- Suggested retail prices in the buyer’s currency
- Shipping details and preferred shipping company
- Payment details and methods in which the company accepts payments
Making a line sheet with software may seem easy to many. But the problem is it takes a lot of time to drag and drop images and information in the templates. There can be typos and bear in mind there is no room for errors in a line sheet as it can cost you sales. So, make sure that you know how to use a line sheet template. Make sure that the software you choose is easy to use.
Tips for creating effective line sheet:
Both the brand and the buyer can get benefits from an effective line sheet. It makes the whole buying process easy, for all the product information is available in one place. The buyer does not need to make calls again and again to ask queries.
So, let’s have a quick look at some tips that can be helpful in making a great line sheet:
- Visual appeal:
Visual appeal matters a lot. You are making a line sheet to create a great first impression, and if the document is not visually appealing, the buyer will not take it seriously despite the fact that you have top sellers in the sheet. There is a lot of information to sort through while making a line sheet, and if you do not focus your line sheet can turn into a cluttered mess. The format of the line sheet must be clean and visually appealing.
Choose a layout that suits your brand. You can include three items in a row on a horizontal page. The items you can have on a page depend on the size of the product image. Since every product has unique circumstances, try to create a few options to determine what looks good on your line sheet. Make sure that font color and size looks great with the product images.
You are creating a line sheet for your potential clients, so make sure that the sheet is visually appealing. If the buyer would like it at a glance, he would go through the information you have provided in the line sheet.
- Product details:
The visual appearance of the line sheet matters a lot. But there is no point making an aesthetically pleasant line sheet if it does not contain certain details. Product details matter, and without effective details, the visual layout of the sheet means nothing. A line sheet contains information about the products. What sizes are the products available in? Are there any color options available? How long it takes to pack goods and how you pack them? What material is used in making the products? What is your preferred shipping company, and who will pay the shipping cost? Do you accept payments through PayPal/credit card, etc.? Do you accept returns? You have to answer all these questions in a line sheet.
Providing necessary details in the line sheet means you have communicated effectively. It shows your professionalism, and buyers would love to work with you. You should also include the contact information in the line sheet so that the buyer does not find any difficulty in placing the order.
- Image impressions:
You want to create a great first impression on potential buyers through a line sheet then make sure that you choose images carefully. The first time a buyer will see your products in your line sheet, and when you use low-quality images, you ruin everything.
Well, it’s true that line sheet images are not always that great, but they should be. You know that the first impression is the last impression, and you do not want to mess things up by using blurry, unclear, or low-quality images.
You can use floating images as they are the best to include in a line sheet. In floating images, there is the product only without any background to blend with it. The colored background diverts attention, and it is very easy to get carried away with such a background. So, use images with a neutral background to allow the buyer to see the images without other things getting in the way.
Lifestyle images do wonders in creating an overall image of your brand. But they are not for the lien sheet. You can use lifestyle imagery in your catalog or look book. A line sheet is not something related to marketing, so you need to be as precise and possible.
Do not include irrelevant or unnecessary details in the line sheet as it would just be a waste of time. The buyers do not have time to go through these long paragraphs. So, keep things as simple as possible and only add details necessary to place an order.
Is my line sheet boring?
This is an important question that arises in mind while making a line sheet. But the answer to the question is quite simple. It’s okay to make a boring line sheet as boring usually means simple. You cannot add long details in the line sheet, which means you have to use minimum text to describe products. There is no need to tell stories in the line sheet, so automatically, your line sheet becomes boring. But again, it is fine to make a boring line sheet.
Retailers and potential customers receive many line sheets a day. And they do not have time to read lengthy text. If your line sheet consists of more than two pages, then forget about working with them as they would not even read it, let alone placing an order.
A line sheet is not the right place to get creative. You are not supposed to include details to express the brand or make the retail laugh. So, include the needed information only.
How long my line sheet should be?
Your line sheet has to be horribly simple. You do not want to wait long to get a response from the buyer then try to make it as short as possible. If you send him a line sheet that consists of more than 2 pages, then forget a response from him.
A delay in the response means that the retailer’s attention has diverted. So, make sure that you make a line sheet as precise as possible. But it does not mean that you can skip the important details just to make sure that your line sheet does not exceed one page. If you have a larger collection, then it is fine to make a line sheet of two pages.
Difference between a line sheet and a catalogue:
A line sheet and a catalogue both are an important part of a wholesale business, but they are not the same. Some people use both terms interchangeably, but the fact is both are different from each other.
To sell your products, you do two things. First, you tell the customers why they should invest in your brand and purchase your products. Second, how they can buy your top sellers. A catalog contains long details and information that convinces buyers to buy your products. In a catalogue, you tell them why they should buy your products and how it will benefit them.
However, in a line sheet, you cannot use long details. You have to explain everything in a few words. In a line sheet, you tell the interested buyers how they can buy your stuff. You cannot use lifestyle imagery in a line sheet, so use it in the catalog.
You include details about shipping, minimum orders, payment, and return policy, etc. in a line sheet. Do not forget a call to action. In a line sheet, you have to direct buyers to what they need to do next if you want them to make a quick decision. Keep your best selling products at the top in the line sheets? Use words that highlight your best products and give them a center stage. We do hope that now you understand the difference between a catalog and a line sheet.
Using templates vs. making it from scratch:
Now you understand that without creating an effective line sheet, you cannot become successful as a wholesale business. But making a line sheet is not that easy, especially when you are making it for the first time. If you know the basics of a line sheet and how you can create a great line sheet, then you are good to go.
But if you are new to the document, you should use templates that are available online. You have to select your package and download the template. Include all the needed information, and you are ready to present your mix to the potential buyers. Do not forget to review and make changes if necessary. If there is any wrong information or typos in the line sheet, correct them before sending it to the clients.
If you can afford, then hire a graphic designer to make a killer line sheet. But remember it can be costly and you have to pay him every time you need to make some changes in the line sheet. Now, it is entirely your decision to hire a graphic designer or make a line sheet using samples.
