How Fashion Buyers Handle Difficult Conversations

Once you have a few years of buying behind you, the hardest part of the job is rarely the product or the numbers. It is getting your range decisions through the business when your merchandiser, supply chain, allocation team and senior managers all have a different view of what the range should be. In this episode, Elisabeth shares how experienced fashion buyers handle push-back, difficult people and tough conversations across the product development process, from concept to the shop floor.

In this episode:

• Why most "difficult" colleagues are working to a different number, and how to turn an intake cut into a conversation about phasing

• The three types of people who are hardest to work with in a buying office, and a different approach for each

• How to stay calm and commercial when your range is criticised in front of senior managers

•  How to build influence with supply chain, allocation, VM and technical teams when you have no direct authority over them

To see where your strengths sit as a buyer and which areas are worth working on next, take the free Buyer-Ready Assessment:

If you would like to develop your fashion buying knowledge from concept to customer, explore the Thrive in Fashion Buying and Merchandising course at designdirectiveme.com