When walking the APPA tradeshow floor, I can't help but wonder what someone from outside the industry would make of it. At first glance, to the untrained eye, it's hundreds of suppliers with either garments or promotional products that all look the same.
Of course, there are important differences, and these unique aspects are what sells one polo over another for specific requirements. It's why you go to APPA tradeshows; to broaden your sourcing options, so you can always match a client's request.
For a wholesale supplier, you need points of difference to stand out. As a distributor, you need to know what these unique points are so you can sell them.
Here's how to sell our polos using
four key points of difference:
1. Brand Names
It's a huge point of difference. You now have globally recognised brands to offer. Not just any 'brand', but the world's largest apparel brand in Nike, it's an outrageous advantage. It's a premium product that sells due to the powerful co-branding opportunity. Even if you only utilise the brand to capture attention in your marketing, it's an incredible lead magnet.
2. Unique Fabric
A cotton-rich polo
Word on the street, finding a polo in a cotton-rich fabric is hard to find.
As a uniform distributor I loved cotton-rich woven shirts, 'the perfect blend of breathability and easy-care.' It always frustrated me that I couldn't sing that mantra about polo shirts, which were typically 100% polyester, 100% cotton, polyester-rich, or cotton backed. But not a cotton-rich blend.
Enter Port Authority, with a 60% cotton, 40% polyester blend polo. It's an easy sell to everyone that isn't a fan of full polyester but isn't ready to commit to the ironing commitment of cotton.
Port Authority 60/40 Cotton Polo
PosiCharge Fabric Technology
Remember the time you printed white on those red shirts and the print came out pink?
We've all got that story in common, and if you haven't… heads up, if you print white on red, the colour of the shirt may bleed into the print; the result is average to say the least.
Sport-Tek has this common issue under control with innovative, bleed-resistant fabric technology called PosiCharge. Aside from a cool sounding name, this helps colours (such as red) from running, keeping your logos looking sharp (and white).
Recycled Polyester
Recycled polyester in the uniform industry is a trend set to explode.
Port & Company (Port Authority's younger sibling), offer a polo made from 5% recycled plastic bottles, a poignant point of difference to organisations wishing to align themselves with sustainability.
Not unique enough? Sport-Tek combined PosiCharge fabric with recycled coffee grounds. I have no idea how that works either; but talk about a unique selling point.
3. Good, Better, Best… Even Better & Better Still
You're likely familiar with 'Good, Better, Best', the pricing strategy of supplying a range of budget options to suit your client. The issue being, current industry options for 'best' doesn't cut it for many, and there's no answer.
You'll find Good and Better well represented, however, the meaning of 'best' takes new meaning, as 'best' is a $88 Nike polo that you, nor we, will ever sell (reward to the first person who does).
The fact being, with over 250 polo options, spanning from $10 - $88 and everything in-between, the range is so deep that you can drill into your client's needs with confidence. This also opens new market opportunities, in areas where money plays second fiddle to perceived value and brand affiliation.
4. Advanced Sizing Options
It's fair to say that one-size doesn't always fit all. Traditionally if you're very tall, your options are either a 5XL polo that fits you like a tent, or... that's your option.
There's a solid choice of tall polo options, sized from Large Tall (LT) to 4XL Tall 4XLT for your lofty clientele. Although unlikely to top your best-selling sizes, it's great to offer a company a range of sizing that covers the whole gang.