Success has a direct link to your networking skills.
Yes…
Have you wondered why most connected individuals end up as the most successful?
Networking, Networking & Networking ! – Asserts Hirav Shah, Leading Fashion Adviser & Astro-Strategist.
Hirav Shah Adds- One of the undeniable benefits of networking is the impact on your profession. Investing in both personal and professional relationships pays back throughout your career course. Through interacting with people, you will keep a pulse on the job market, stay in touch with current trends, and meet prospective clients, partners, and mentors. Besides developing and improving your skillset, networking gives you access to the resources necessary to foster your career development.
In fact, a positive word about you from a relevant source to your potential client works like magic. If networking is important for getting ahead in most industries, it is life and death when it comes to fashion, Says Hirav Shah.
Meanwhile, Hirav Shah outlines effective ways of Networking in the fashion industry.
Table of Contents
Networking In The Fashion Industry
1. Instagram
Instagram no doubt has transformed the fashion industry a lot and many brands are seen leveraging platforms, like Instagram and Pinterest for making stronger online brand presence and increasing awareness. There is no exact definition of good fashion sense or bad fashion, But Instagram has definitely played a vital role in describing a poor fashion sense and ways to fix it
Here are some transformations Instagram has filled the fashion industry with.
a) Fashion brands are now teaming up with fashion influencers online for gaining vast exposure and building authenticity of their brand.
b) Brands are interacting more with their online fans while on the other hand people are updated with recent coupons and sale discounts on their favourite brands.
c) Communication has gotten real time and customer queries are now solved more quickly than ever.
d) Brands have now started educating their audiences to show them why the brand provides the best value for their buck.
e) For showing corporate citizenship, brands are serving the causes as well as supporting local designers to make garments, using recyclable fabrics and setting up top-notch factories to reduce wastage.
f) Big brands have also started collaborating with smaller brands in the same niche to increase their following.
2. Create Your ‘Concise Presentation Pitch’
In a short amount of time, you need to prove yourself as an invaluable asset and convince business professionals to take a look at your design portfolio – this is why this is called an elevator pitch. Most of them don’t have a ton of time to listen to proposals from people they don’t know. Hence, it is critical to be clear, concise, and quick.
If you are speaking to professionals in person, edit your pitch to between 30 to 60 seconds. During this time, make sure to introduce yourself, state your intentions, what you can offer, and what is unique about your designs. It should not be a reading of your resume but rather an engaging summary of your professional work and more importantly, its value. If they seem interested, casually offer to email them your portfolio or set up a time to look at it together. Don’t be afraid to share your accomplishments – be confident and make a lasting impression.
3.Networking-by-email
If you are emailing, make sure that your message is no more than around five sentences in length. Be brief and to the point. Whether you are delivering your pitch via email or in person, professionals will not invest a lot of time in-taking your message, which is why it is important to be concise.
4. Take Advantage of Your Area
Regardless of your location, look around! If you’re not near a big city where opportunities are always appearing, look for little boutiques nearby, photography jobs, or even begin designing on your own!
5. Attend Events
There’s always small fashion shows and pop up shops happening somewhere close to where you are, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM! Dress well, come prepared to show yourself off, and just get to know others in the industry! Connections are key!
6. Business Card
Create your own “business card” for networking events. Put your name, contact information, degree and anticipated date of graduation (or career objective), tagline and
other relevant information on it. Give someone more than one business card when
networking and ask them to pass it along to others who they think can help you.
7. Do Well by Doing Good
Who else should you target for networking? If you’re already a fashion business owner, reach potential clients through networking events that will attract them—not necessarily fashion-related events. Seek out business and community associations, as well as non-profit or charitable groups where you can contribute time and skills. You’ll accomplish something positive to help others, and you will build relationships that, in turn, will help grow your business. This is also a great way to find potential employees as your need for staff increases.
Strategically, it is not always a good idea to directly ask for your designs to be featured, so you should communicate in a manner that establishes the idea of connecting in the future. This could include asking to learn more about the fashion company or about how this specific individual got started in the fashion industry. Through these conversations, find a common connection and build on that to eventually ask about opportunities to feature your designs in their company’s inventory or store.
While this may seem like an inauthentic or fake friendship, networking is a necessity. It doesn’t need to be looked at as an uncomfortable activity – look at it as a learning opportunity to meet and connect with people in the fashion industry. When networking is driven by these reasons and finding similar connections, it will feel more authentic. And Success for sure will have a direct link to your networking skills, Reiterates Hirav Shah.
Why Ask
We all know that Hirav Shah is a pro at providing unique strategies for uplifting struggling businesses.
And by business we mean, the business of fashion or any other business.
Hirav Shah’s unique consultation, advice, and plan of action have proven to be game changers every time , also in the most difficult time.
Hence,
Hirav Shah can be called a “one man army” who gives Astrological, Strategical, Logical and Visionary consultation, opinion, advice, and direction.
Now you know who to ask, to get the road-map of your Business’s Future and Prosperity.
