Death of a Salesman ---- is he really dead?

You may have read my previous blog wherein I mentioned that I was seeking a killer salesman to join my company.  Well, the search is still ongoing.  What I can’t understand is how in the fashion industry, people don’t seem to fathom the true concept of selling. 

What makes a great salesperson?  Showing a collection to a potential buyer and hoping that the buyer will place an order?  That’s an order-taker, not a salesperson.  Selling requires talent; an order-taker is merely a clerk.  A talented salesperson creates business through 1) his/her knowledge of the product and knowing superiority of the product in terms of quality vs price, 2) his/her ability to instill a demand, a desire for the product where none existed previously…this is what I call selling. 

….and you’ll never have to work again.

Maybe it’s due to recent TV reality shows or general public interest, but can you believe it, fashion has become a topic of conversation among the general populace.  Specifically many of the college-aged have become interested in the fashion industry more then ever.  I say this out of personal experience.  I’m hearing directly from this group, kids seeking advice and guidance about fashion as a career.

Despite my hectic schedule, I believe it is important to help young hopefuls seeking direction.  If I can help, I’m happy to oblige.  My most important lesson to them is to take the honest approach.

Give me a reason and I will come out to play

Last weekend I took time off to have fun and catch up with some people who are very important to me. My good friend from Italy, Barbara, came to town.  We had spent many enjoyable years together, back when I started my fashion career in Milan...it seems like that was decades ago, but the time has just flown by.  Seeing her again after such a long time was a real treat, even if for only a weekend.  We packed the weekend with shopping, dining, and, best of all, reminiscing about our time in Milan, which bought back many fond memories.  She reminded me of escapades long forgotten but quickly revived, and for her to see how my business has grown from an idle dream into an actual brand was, as you might imagine, mutually rewarding. 

Our good times started on the right note.  Barbara arrived Friday morning, along with another girlfriend, Elena, at 10 AM sharp to my showroom...to shop, what else?  I was really happy she liked my dresses…actually, she bought four in the space of half an hour – she insisted on paying for them, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Oh, did I tell you that Barbara works for Christian Dior in Italy? So her buying the Aysha Saeed label was a huge compliment for me. 

Signette on Sale at BeyondtheRack.com

I'm excited to announce that tomorrow, March 5th, at 11:00 AM, a number of pieces from Signette, my label before I renamed it Aysha Saeed, will be on sale at BeyondTheRack.com!The sale will run from March 5th through March 8th, and will feature my pieces at up to 60% off - so check it out, and tell your friends!

http://www.beyondtherack.com/member/invite/aysha