Proper preparation
First thing’s first—what does your trunk show ‘look’ like? I always think it’s best to have a two- or three-day trunk show, with a celebratory party to kick things off or one held during the event itself. This not only gives your clients an opportunity to spend some social time with the brand representative or artist to form a more personal connection with him or her, but it also gives you more time to sell.
It’s a party, so plan accordingly. Are you serving champagne cocktails and hors d’oeuvres? Beer and pretzels? Cupcakes and coffee? Is this a daytime or evening event? Is it tied to a charitable organization that’s near and dear to your heart? The best way to determine how to proceed is to reflect on what’s worked (or not worked) in the past. What are your winning formulas? Is it easier for you to invite your clients as couples or to offer an event that caters to a ‘girls’ day’ or ‘ladies’ night?’ Do you get a lot of weekday traffic, or are your clients more inclined to come in over the weekend? Carefully thinking through how you want to form the event is your first step to success.
Whatever you decide, make sure all touch points of the plan and execution are in keeping with your brand and aligned as best as possible with the company’s or artist’s, as well. Also, make sure you give yourself enough time to properly plan and build buzz around the trunk show. While you can make things happen with a quicker turnaround time, I usually advise having something planned one to two months in advance.
