The Embroidery Transformation: Part 1 Embroidery Project

How many times have you used a sales pitch that goes something like this: “Hi I’m Jimmy from Cape Fear Embroidery Works and I offer caps, jackets, and shirts embroidered with your logo.” Don’t deny it. I’ll bet you’ve used this approach more than once. (Just taking a quick look at most embroidery websites confirms this.) Well, as a customer, my first response is “Sew what?” (Sorry, couldn’t resist the pun.)

As we all know, there are a lot of embroiderers out there plying the streets in search of business. Many potential customers know this too, so when you hit them with such a mundane statement, it doesn’t do anything to get them excited. You and everybody else can do caps, jackets, and shirts embroidered with his company logo (oh and by the way, there are half a dozen screen printers and a dozen ad specialty people who can embellish caps, jackets and shirts with his logo as well), so what’s the big deal?

The big deal is this: you have a lot more to offer than just a piece of clothing with decoration. But if you can’t convey that to the customer, you are probably going to struggle with making sales.

First of all, embroidery is unique. It adds a certain level of flair and sophistication that other types of embellishment can’t match. This of course adds extra value and increased appeal to the garment. Think about it. Embroidery is three-dimensional and it’s intertwined with the fabric rather than laid on top. Those factors set it apart from almost every other form of garment decoration. But its not just the physical stitches that make the difference, it’s the appeal created with those tiny lengths of thread that make embroidery what it is. This is what needs to be recognized and focused on by both you and the customer.

Each embroidery opportunity must be examined closely to determine what is really taking place. Take a monogrammed bath towel, for example. On the surface, you have a towel with some letters. Take away the letters and you have an ordinary household fixture. Add the monogram back onto the towel and you now have something more-- much more. Instead of an inconspicuous, simple piece of fabric, you have a personalized wall-hanging. The value of the towel, as well as the concept, has just changed dramatically. In fact, the perception of increased value affects or severely limits the functionality of the towel. Suddenly people feel uncomfortable using such a fine item to dry their hands and/or body. Instead of a utility item, the towel has now been transformed into a thing of beauty to be admired and appreciated. All of this from just a few pieces of thread laid in a specific pattern.

If your customer is buying the monogrammed towel for themselves, then you have sold them custom interior decorating. If it’s for a present, then you have just sold a unique, one-of-kind gift item.

Now think about a custom baby gift: maybe a receiving blanket or quilt embroidered with the infant’s name and birth date. Or perhaps a nursery rhyme complete with the child’s name embroidered on fabric, framed, and hung in the nursery. In both cases, you are starting with the ordinary and then turning it into the extraordinary by use of embroidery. In this case, the end result is not necessarily a personalized gift, but an heirloom-- something that may be handed down over several generations. Think strongly about its concept as an heirloom has immense sentimental value, which can be reflected in your pricing structure.