Anatomy of a Buyer
Finding and training your buyer for a winning bottom line
By Martine Rothstein
Illustrations by Leonardo Da Vinci

Therefore, a critical question becomes: How do you find a buyer who will make sure you appropriately represent your customer base and purchase the right product? And how do you train that person to make sure your business really gives customers what they want and need, at prices they will accept? What mix of product style, inventory, and pricing you carry will be largely determined by that individual. The end results of having a properly trained and educated buyer will be better relations with your staff, an increase in store traffic, and an improved bottom line.

So, who is this person? Different operations look for different types of employees to fill the purchasing shoes. Only you know which option is right for you, but the choices include:

• A buying consultant
• A job-specific buyer, who is either full time or part time
• A multi-task employee whose function includes buying
• Owner as buyer

FINDING A BUYER

Word-of-mouth is an effective tool for attracting potential employees, but placing a classified ad is a good place to start.

Newspaper ad. Check out your local paper. Does it have a circulation that includes your town and nearby towns? What readers does it attract?

This information can be gained easily by calling the paper and asking for circulation and readership information. Though unemployment is up, ad response is still sporadic and slow overall, so your ad needs to be attractive and have character.

Additionally, placing an ad isn't cheap; know what you want to say in as few words as possible. The general cost of classified ads ranges $10 to $15 per line Monday through Saturday (a line is approximately 30 characters, including spaces) and $15 to $20 for the Sunday edition.

Experience level. When hiring for the position of buyer, you have the flexibility of dictating your level of experience. Certainly, the more rigorous your criteria, the higher salary you will pay. According to several job placement services, the median salary range for a retail buyer with some experience is $30,000 to $58,000. This cost factor is one reason many businesses choose to combine buying skills with other job functions.

Fashion background. In the retail fashion arena, which in many ways is parallel to the optical business, buyers have a fashion degree or fashion/ design background. A formal background in fashion can bring your operation a knowledge base of style and design--something that your business may otherwise not have. As a result, many optical owners say it is easier to teach a buyer about the optical business than it is to teach them about fashion.

Previous job titles. People who have had job titles such as "assistant buyer" or "fashion assistant" have had good training, but still aren't too pricey. Another resource is shopping the other side of the optical fence and looking for someone with experience as a frame salesperson. And, of course, an optician with exposure to fashion is often the right person. While someone with prior experience as an optical buyer is a great option, you need to have the budget available to support this position.

Personal skills and qualities. It's essential to find a buyer who not only works well with your staff, but also maintains open and productive communications with them. Like philosophies are important and lend themselves to smooth operations and good morale.

Communications skills are critical, as the buyer will need to play an active role in communicating the selling points and significant features of the frames to the sales staff.

Certainly personal appearance is an important consideration--but not just for the benefit of customers and patients. A self-possessed and confident employee will exude that to sales reps. Professional dress and stature will ensure that your practice is taken seriously and treated with respect.

OTHER OPTIONS

Many businesses cannot afford to hire someone whose only job description is buying. Here are other options.

Buying consultants. In the current economic situation, many businesses no longer have the luxury of hiring full- or even part-time employees for a responsibility that may amount to part-time hours, and so enters the buying consultant. Additionally, as you and your employees may already be wearing more than a few hats, it might be too much to take on yet one more task--even if someone on staff is qualified.

Though the word "consultant" often connotes high pay and minimum output, the buying consultant can be a good option. Many retail buying consultants are former optical professionals, coming from the retail or manufacturing environment. Their industry and product knowledge combined with your demographic input--or they can be contracted to evaluate your demographics--can create the perfect buyer. Their work can include quarterly or more frequent meetings with your sales representatives.

Optical consultant Jim Simon talks about his own experience: "My knowledge, with that of the client, ensures that every 10 weeks I can assist them in purchasing only what works for them." The results are decreased returns and increased sell-through.

The multi-task employee. A well-seasoned employee is often the best, and seems to be the most popular, preference for buyer. This person may need to be trained in fashion, but will likely know your business--your clientele, your staff, your milieu. This person will possess knowledge of the pulse of your business. Also, a buyer who is familiar with and works in your practice will make for an easy transition.

John Belotti of Vision Groups in Wisconsin has four stores and one hand-picked buyer. He says he chose Don Rau as buyer because of Rau's style-savvy personality and innate ability to spot trends. They work together to buy products for all four stores, tapping into the needs of each location through ongoing communications with the store managers. "Having the comfort of one buyer working with me for all four locations is a blessing," Belotti says. "Don is in constant contact with the store managers, so we are assured that we buy according to the needs of each geographic location."

Owner as buyer. Glen Levin, owner of two Cohen's Optical locations in Long Island, N.Y., prefers to do the buying himself. "Ninety percent of all the independent owners I know handle their own buying," he says.

Constantly reviewing his inventory is only part of his formula. Listening to the requests of his customers and the advice of his most trusted manufacturers' reps helps to round out his ability to purchase well. "Sometimes, I have to fight my own instincts regarding design preferences," he adds. "My staff acts as a good gauge in the decision-making process."

TRAINING TEMPLATES

Even before a buyer is hired, make sure you have a training plan ready to be set in motion. Without solid training, just hiring well won't get the job done. Training should touch on such topics as company culture and effective time management, as well as the more obvious areas of purchasing, pricing, and inventory management.

Starting with a good training template is vital. It needs to include:

Identity. Coming up with your practice's identity will establish a good foundation and training template for buying. This is an opportunity to bring the entire staff together to make sure you're all on the same page when it comes to answering such questions as: What are your demographics, who is your desired customer, and how do you want to be perceived by that customer?

Economics. The owner or location manager should also inform the new buyer how your business is positioned economically, including profitability expectations. The goal is to merchandise your selections to maximize purchases and minimize vendor returns.

Duration. Although training periods vary in length, most basic training can be established in four months or two buying cycles. In non-optical retail establishments, most trainees begin by selling merchandise, supervising sales workers, checking invoices on material received, and keeping track of stock.

Scheduling. In optical, having the new buyer spend time with the sales reps from various companies can help create a good knowledge base. If your business is big enough, have an internal mentor for the new buyer--someone specific he or she can consult. And, formalize the process, establishing set times for everything from initial training to purchasing cycles.

Demographics. For product identification, make sure you clearly communicate to the new buyer an accurate demographic breakdown of your clientele. Where are you located--mall, professional office, shopping center? How much foot traffic is there for impulse buying? Who frequents your practice? For instance, a larger percentage of senior clientele will affect the need for deeper fronts. Is your business rural, urban, or suburban, and does that describe your customer base as well?

Inventory. Over-buying is an unfortunate reality for many practices. Some back-up stock is necessary, but your boards and displays should reflect the bulk of your styles.

Returns. Establish a timeline regarding non-sales. For instance, if a frame does not turn over in a period of six weeks, what should happen. Do you mark it "return to vendor" and replace it with a more salient style? This should be determined before buying begins.

Pricing. The average mark-up is between 150 to 300 percent. Train your buyer to consider the variants that will yield effective profit margins without over- or under-charging.

Training is an on-going cycle--it is never over. Even the most seasoned buyers say that there is always more to learn. Make sure trade magazines and fashion magazines that apply to your demographics are always on hand. Keeping the pulse of apparel and optical fashions requires ongoing attention.

Julie Lubertazza, a licensed optician with Mainieri Opticians, is the sole employee of the busy practice in Montclair, N.J. For more than 30 years, her responsibilities have included buying. She started out with no formal fashion education, and she grew into the position of buyer. "Even with a formal education, truly successful buyers take years to hone their skills. In fact, the process is never complete," she says.

The key is to watch and learn. Listen to your clients and make mental note of their requests. Look at fashion magazines. And, watch what your customers are wearing.