“Which industry will withstand the test of time?” was the question Jay Park had repeatedly asked himself. It has been 5 years since he entered the hair industry after working at a media company. Mr. Park now works as a Sales Manager at It’s a Wig! with its headquarter located in New Jersey. Park is familiar with both Korean and American culture as his family immigrated to the States when he was young, but his love for Korean food remains strong. Let’s hear more from a salesman who prefers a hearty, traditional Korean soup over a hamburger.

Early Sales Experience
“I nervously waited outside of the store that I was assigned to. The doors in front of me intimidated me. I was lucky enough to meet a compassionate supervisor who guided me throughout the learning process and have become determined that salesperson will be my permanent job.” Manager Park recalls his first sales experience when he went on a business trip and wanted to once again express gratitude to the senior salesmen who have taught him the fundamentals of beauty retail sales.

Manager Park notes that not everything has been easy when he first started out. Back when Google Map or car navigation was not available, he had to print out a map or ask around when he got lost. When things went wrong, he ended up wasting hours on the road trying to find the destination, or even worse, accidently stepped into a dangerous neighborhood.

Consumer Tendency, Designing Trendsetting Item
“It’s a Wig takes pride in their product development projects. Countless hours and effort are invested to launch a new item. Modeling after other company’s products is not enough to survive as the number of competitors continues to grow and the fashion trend rapidly evolves. By the time an imitated item finally becomes ready to be introduced, the market would’ve already moved on to the next trend. Customers also tend to remain loyal to brands that they’ve first encountered on social media when it comes to trend-based items. It’s a Wig tries stay ahead in leading the trend by understanding such consumer tendency and conducting market research.

A company that you can be proud of
Specialized wig designed for cancer patients minimize use of irritating material for cap. It’s a Wig also have participated in various wig donation opportunities both in Korean and US. Mr. Park is proud to be a part of the company’s charitable cause in giving generous donation and giving back to the community.

In addition, the company also stays a step ahead in technologies that support salesmen. A management system that allows the individual to monitor the order quantity and instantly look up the current stock and back orders will provide information necessary to better assist the customers. There were times when all orders were processed through a fax machine, but It’s a Wig was one of the first companies to distribute iPad to the sales team.

Factors to consider in the long run
“Wigs with brighter color requires more chemical processing than black or natural colors, which in return raises the overall production cost. Many retailers who chooses to stock only the cheapest items to compete with price end up regretting their decision to place an order for these more expensive items. However, limiting the inventory to inexpensive items is a loss in the long run since the amount of time employees spend with customers will be the same but the total amount customers spend will be smaller.”

It’s not much of a gain If a customer leaves only with a $20 wig after all the time clerk spent assisting the customer. It’s difficult for retailers to add higher-end products once the customers become too accustomed to use cheaper products. It’s given that the quality of an item will inevitably diminish as the price goes down. That is why Mr. Park supports how It’s a Wig does not compromise the product quality to lower the price. He can confidently recommend items from his company.

Providing Personalized Advice
“Every city has its own taste and reacts differently to the latest trend. Some care less about constantly evolving fashion trend. Every store management styles are different. That is why it is important to give advice based on the aforementioned circumstances. “Manager Park shares his business tip and also showed a number of items from his bag. It’s filled with ATT color wig with Swiss Lace Frontal, Swiss Lace Crown braid product that comes pre-styled with famous salon cut and in trendy colors, as well as Wet & Wavy products.

Relationship between Retail and Wholesale
“Respecting the boundaries of business partners and fair distribution of profit must be promised for the partnership to last. I believe that salesmen play an important role in fortifying the relationship between retailers and wholesale. Which is why I feel the weight of my responsibilities.”

Mr. Park also pays special attention to taking care of his health. “There is nothing worse than going on a week-long business trip when in bad condition, so I never skip working out. I spend at least 30 minutes after returning to hotel for light exercise. The drastic difference in weather between New Jersey where the headquarter is located and Southeast region that I’m in charge of as a manager, also easily wear you out especially during winter.” Mr. Park usually keeps himself busy even after returning from the trip, but since he is a newlywed, he tries to spend more time with his wife on the weekend, visiting art galleries and museums in New York.

Jay Park emphasized that he wishes the best for all business amidst intensified competition among beauty supply stores. His confidence in the company’s quality product and ceaseless thirst for knowledge will help him continue to grow as a salesperson.