Build Your Business: Management

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October 31, 2016

What are the benefits of putting together a team package when selling to the team market? I get asked this question — a lot — and there are many parts to consider. Is there a list of products that should be included in the package? What materials should the products be printed with? How do you price the package? Should it include apparel for parents and fans, too?

Tackling these questions is simple. Encouraging your customers to order products in packages gives you the ability to sell more products and make more money on every sale. That’s something I believe we can all live with (especially the higher profits part). More importantly, selling team packages allows you to become more of a one-stop shop for your customers, which makes it even easier for them to buy from you.

Showing multiple products also increases awareness for your company’s vast offerings, communicating to your customers, “We sell more than just team jerseys.”

Following is your guide to promoting and selling team packages:

What to Include
At the minimum, your package should include jersey and pants/shorts packaged together, even if the bottoms aren’t custom. This makes it easier for the items to be purchased by teams, and saves them from having to go to additional suppliers.
Also, you can drive the package value up (think profits) by adding items such as socks, hats, bags, compression garments, warm-ups and pullovers.

Try offering three price-point ranges, like this tiered system example:
1.    Basic: Jersey and pants/shorts
2.    Pro: Include a hat and socks
3.    Elite: Include a warm-up set, hat, socks and bag

Another approach is to package team and away jerseys together.

Once you have the team packages set up, you can focus on fan wear and warm-up packages, as well as additional items you can offer to the team, such as duffle/equipment bags, helmets, cleats/shoes, gloves, etc.

Personalize your Package
Most importantly, make sure you understand the market/team and sport you’re working with. Each package should be sport-specific.

For example, a baseball package should include a hat, but a football team package shouldn’t. It’s also important to know whom you’re selling to — be it a recreational or high school team, or a travel team. These may seem like simple points, but you’d be surprised how often they are overlooked.

From my experience, recreational and high school teams are more cost conscious, so your packages should focus on value. Travel leagues, on the other hand, are more about “the look,” so high-end garments and products will sell better.

Many decorators think only in terms of brands when it comes to  putting together team uniform packages, but a better approach is to organize products in value tiers — think Bronze, Silver and Gold, or “good,” “better” and “best” offerings.

Incorporate Fundraising
Remember this: For every player on the team, there are at least four people in the stands who will want spiritwear. This is where the big opportunities are when it comes to team packages.

Fundraising enables the group or team to make a profit off what they sell and encourages them to sell for you. Every parent, brother and sister, aunt and uncle, and grandparent wants to support the team. That’s why it is imperative for you to offer these items as a separate package consisting of spiritwear and fan wear.
The package should include items such as T-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, hats, etc. Also, break up the products up by groups (i.e., ladies, men’s and youth).

If you can leverage the same blank style with different finishes, it will give you the ability to order garments in bulk and cut your garment costs. Here, the finish determines the “good,” “better” and “best” option. For example, offer three options for the same logo on the same T-shirt: a simple matte finish, a foil print and a glitter print.

Presentation Is Key
The most efficient way to present package information is on your website, or through straightforward fliers and emails. Keeping the choices simple will make it easier for teams to buy.

It also is important to have a flier, handout or sample to leave behind with potential customers. I recommend leaving fliers for the team and spiritwear/fundraising packages. Customizing fliers to teams (for example, using their colors, name and logos) can be a more cost-effective alternative to leaving samples.

To create custom sell sheets and fliers, use virtual images of the garment/design mock-up in the flier.

When it comes to live presentations, make sure you customize the items to the school. Take in any virtual or physical samples to show quality of the merchandise and print that you have to offer.

On the website side, advancements in technology and availability are enabling a lot of decorators to offer team stores. This gives the customers and teams the ability to easily order all of their uniforms, a fast way to process and ensure payments, and increase spiritwear and fan  wear sales.

Set up your team store to take team fan wear orders all year long, enabling you to make sales beyond the season. Try offering incentives to the team for any sales made online. Essentially, team members become yours sales reps.

Set the Right Price
One of the best ways to price your team packages is to offer a discount, rewarding teams with savings when they buy more.

It also is important to price the package as one piece that includes decorating services. If you don’t, you could run into customers who want to tie up time cutting the package cost by removing  personalization or trying to source their own blanks. Always bundle the packages together.

For example, most decorators have success with at least packaging the pants,  jersey and socks together. Adding compression garments and warm-ups will help to drive additional business.

Marketing Packages
There are myriad ways to market your team packages within your marketplace, including fliers, emails, sales calls, catalogs and websites. It is important to make sure your services appear at the top of Google searches (regional ads). In addition, stay actively involved with the leagues and parks in your area.

Traditionally, making calls to teams and having a catalog, flier and sales presentation was all that was required to reach clients. Today, because the internet is an important search tool for leagues and teams, it is critical that you have a web presence.  

In the end, the success of your business, especially when  it comes to selling team packages, depends on your ability to stay in front of your customers. Offering packages to both teams and their fans will help keep you appealing to a consumer group that is passionate about the products you have to offer.

Courtney Kubitza is an educational content manager for Stahls’ TV. She has been educating customers on growing their business with heat printing since 2010. For more information, visit stahlstv.com or contact Courtney at courtney.kubitza@stahls.com.