5 Things That You Say That Makes People Not Want To Work With Your Fashion Brand.

This image of a DESIGNER made me laugh recently.

In this industry, believe it or not, I come across people who think that this image represents an apparel designer.

It seems like she is working hard...??

Meanwhile, the people who really make your clothes happen are often the most undervalued.  

Yep, no question... the production lady is working hard.

Isn't it interesting that almost ALL sewing contract people make minimum wage- yet nobody seems to be able to afford the cost of their product?

If you can not sell your products that are made on just slightly better than slave wages- I think maybe there is more wrong with your business than the cost of production.

When designers come to me with no understanding or care for their business, their fit, their processes or the people/work involved in their product, I usually pass on the job. I will tell them we are not a good fit or ask them to come back when they are ready.

Sometimes it's hard to say no, it's for sure more work to weed people out, but at the end of the day, we all have a business to run and we all only have so much time on this earth to do so... let's make it pleasant shall we?

IF you do any of these 5 things you might as well put on that pink peplum top and start waving a giant red flag:

1. Ask for pricing before you have even shown the service provider/vendor what you are making.

We get it- the price matters. But there is no way that a vendor or service provider can quote you on a specific item- without seeing the item first. IF you ask this, a polite and understanding person will tell you they need to see it first. IF you press on this point- you are not creating a win-win situation for them, you are trying to bully them into a price that you can hold over them later down the road. No one wants to do business with a bully.

2. Argue on pricing, on the cost for materials or "change" the terms of the quote after it has been given.

While I am not saying that you should not negotiate your business... you do need to understand that pricing, if it is put forward upfront or if it is set up in a quote has been set for a reason. Keep in mind- arguing on a price is a signal that you do not have money.

Why would a person whose main motivation is to get paid by you for providing a service, want to work with you if you have no money?

IF you get too aggressive in negotiations, if you ask for too many quotes and then only choose the cheapest and lowest minimum option, or if you change the quote terms once the person has spent the time to quote you- its clear you only want it to be good for you... your vendor or service provider will drop interest in working with you in a second.

You have to care about the people behind you, and you have to understand why the costs are what they are. IF you want a discount you should consider GIVING MORE (as in more work) to the service provider to offset the ask. Otherwise what is their motivation to keep working with you for cheaper than normal rates?

3. Tell the service provider or vendor how "bad" it has been working with other contractors.

Yes, we know that there are millions of service or production stories from hell and that not ALL providers are always on the up & up. These stories are out there, and they are very, very real. But you know what- 90% of the time when people tell me about their "awful factory" or that "horrible tech designer" its usually a miscommunication, a mis-match of services, the provider made a mistake or had a bad day (or month) and sometimes...

it's just you.

I'm not trying to be a &$%#*(#). People who rely on service revenue are people who actually do care about serving you... they HAVE TO CARE... it's their job. It's the same if you go to a restaurant and are rude to the waiter, or if you are nasty to the Uber driver. We do not all always get along or "fit" with each other, but it is important to recognize when this is the case and move on gracefully... causing a scene means it's you.

4. Tell the service provider or vendor that you do not know what to do to fix your problem or make your item.

I get it- you just need someone to do "that" for you. This is a common business trap you can get into not just with making a product- Hell I did it once with an accountant. If you do not know what size you want, what the problem is, how to assess the problem or care about how to solve the problem- then why would anyone else?

Read- if you don't understand what a spec sheet is , or how to use it... then learn

There is so much to do when running a business that it can be tempting to hire a person to "take care of that for you". While it's a nice sentiment- YOU have to care. YOU have to hold that person accountable and YOU need to understand and not be disconnected from your processes.... because at the end of the day it is your business and the people you hire will care as much about your product as you do about them. Get involved and understand what makes all of this work... the benefits will astound you.

5. Tell the person that you have decided to work with them despite ALL of the other options you had.

First of all, no one is putting a gun to your head. Second of all- Lucky them????

It really makes no sense to say this to your service provider or vendor. They make their living serving people. There were people before you, there will also be people after. If they act interested in your project or in you that is a good thing! It means that you have hit it off and if you both maintain respect and loyalty you will have a beautiful- mutually beneficial relationship.

Saying this is like hopping on tinder- swiping right- going on a date- and then saying to them at dinner "You know I CHOSE YOU to pay for my lobster."

Ha ha... while that sounds like fun- it does not seem like its going to go very far. Do yourself a favor and do not say this- it's condescending and kind of like a backhand compliment.

You chose them because you made a business decision. They chose to work with you for the same reason. Both of you will stop the relationship when it is no longer working for the business. It's soooo easy to find vendors these days- just hop online and there are a million and one ways to hire someone. They also have their pick of customers... you both have to choose wisely.

I hope this is helpful. It certainly let me get a few things off my chest... ha ha.

I realize why all of these things are done, so my next post will be how to do them in a way that does not piss everyone off... and that helps you get your business going in the right direction. But for now- maybe look back on some of your experience and think about how you can learn from them to better your business and the businesses that support you.