The number of youth athletes participating in organized swim clubs is rising rapidly, creating exciting opportunities for sales of branded swimming team wear and accessories.

Market: SWIM CLUBS

SWIMMING IN SALES

The five-figure order started with a cold call.

Todd Frascarelli contacted the swim club to share how the branded high-quality swimming apparel and accessories he could provide would empower the club to promote itself better, stand out from the competition and create camaraderie among swimmers.

The buyer was intrigued.

Her initial inclination was to just buy swim goggles, but Frascarelli sparked her interest in other products by presenting a variety of additional items. By the time the consultation was complete, Frascarelli had a $10,000 order for swimsuits, swim caps, goggles, rash guards, backstroke flags, rescue tubes and more – all of which he smartly sourced from trusted vendor Gulbenkian Swim (asi/58650). “The sale happened because we showed what we could do for them and how having their logo on these products can really make them stand out,” says Frascarelli, owner of Danbury, CT-based Swimsuit Specialists.

Frascarelli initially broke into the swim club market through family connections. He built the business from there through cold calling, attending trade shows, email marketing and, most of all, by networking his way to valuable business relationships at swim meets and related events. To maintain a steady pipeline of business, it's essential to stay firmly connected with parents at the clubs, he says. They typically serve as the buyers, and the point person on purchasing tends to change frequently, so having strong ties better positions you to be the vendor to whom the next buyer turns. “It's a matter of getting to the next parent and continuing the relationship,” he says.

While the sales pro admits client turnover can sometimes be high, the swim club market is nonetheless a strengthening niche where the potential to stir new business and ratchet-up revenue abounds. “It's a market with a lot of opportunity,” says Frascarelli. “We're gaining new clients every day.”

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