Is this really worth what Im paying? This question is fundamental to any relationship between sellers and customers. Clients are only willing to pay for items that they believe offer real value above what they cost. Thus as a uniform marketer, it is essential that you convey the benefits of your uniforms in terms of the tangible value they create. The better you are at helping clients visualize exactly what theyre getting with your gear, the easier it is to convince them to keep buying from you for the long haul.
Assessing the Advantages
Showing clients the tangible value of your uniforms begins with assessing what those uniforms can do. The specific benefits of uniforms and gear vary based on who uses them and where theyre used. But in general, clients purchase uniforms to achieve one or more of the following goals:
- Improved Safety– Uniforms can reduce workplace hazards in a number of different ways. Shoes with ample traction make slip and fall accidents less likely, as do clothes that are flexible and unlikely to get caught. Likewise, protective eyewear and clothing make burns less likely. And uniforms that are reflective make workers easier to see, an essential benefit for construction sites and other hazardous work areas.
- Easy Identification– The right uniforms allow customers to tell who is a member of your staff and who is a fellow customer without issue. This makes it easier for customers to get answers to their questions and obtain the support they need for an easy purchase.
- Company Branding– Uniforms and gear can sport trademarked images, signature colors, and other elements of your companys brand. This makes customers more likely to remember your company the next time that they need to buy something you sell.
Once youve made it clear to clients that your uniforms offer these benefits, you need to illustrate just how valuable they are. You can do this by demonstrating the relationship between these benefits and various sources of costs and revenues. Take uniform safety. Your clients likely spend a certain amount of money each year on workers compensation and business interruption insurance. And when accidents happen, they likely have to pay some additional costs that arent covered by insurance. Demonstrate to clients that by adopting safe uniforms, they can reduce the rate of accidents, eliminating these uncovered costs in the short run and lowering insurance premiums in the long run.
To show the benefit of easy identification, ask clients to think about how many customers theyve likely lost because they found their service unsatisfactory or confusing. Likewise, to show why better branding is valuable, ask them how much they spend on marketing and how many new customers they get as a result. In this way, you can show that by helping to attract and retain customers, uniforms lead to higher revenues, making your clients businesses more profitable.