# Creating T-Shirts "On Spec" to gain a printing customer?



## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

I was curious about something.

In the advertising industry, ad agencies or even individuals often create commercials for companies that they don't have an account with to try to hook them adn gain them as a new client. This is called doing it "On Spec", meaning, on speculation of getting a new account.

Does anyone do that in the t-shirt industry?

Our main focus will be logos and brand identities, but we will also do shirts. An idea that we had was to create logos and shirts with that logo on it for companies that we think we'd like to have as clients and present them to those companies.

Is it worth it?


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

Yes, I think this is done in in the printing services world.

Sometimes you'll want to sell a client on more products so you could digitize their logo and sew it on a cap and mail to them to get them interested in embroidered products.

Or you could print up a few samples and send it to the local school athletics director to see if you can gain the schools printing business.


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## jimiyo (Jul 23, 2006)

i work for an apparel company. we do it all the time. as an artist, i hate it. ive even talked with a freelancer who does spec work. its a necessary evil.
at least any assets you create can be re-used if they were good enough. 

we have this one salesperson who gets us to spec out EVERYTHING. never sells much. i think its more important to talk to the customer, really ask needs questions, build a relationship, etc then pitch them on something they might buy based on the conversation you might have had with them.


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

tough call. Possible the companies already have a good relationship with a printer so trying to get their business might be tough. 



> Sometimes you'll want to sell a client on more products so you could digitize their logo and sew it on a cap and mail to them to get them interested in embroidered products.


We do this quite a bit. Embroider a polo or hat and just include with their t-shirt order, print a koozie and add to their existing order. When they open a box ohhh la la.

I have only worked up designs in hopes of getting business. Printing samples in hopes just costs too much. Even when we do it all in shop.


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## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

Thanks to both of you!

Just to let you know, I'd NEVER do solicited work for free. If a company comes to us, they're paying.

What I mean is to essentially create a product for a company you've never talked to before and walk in their front door and try to sell them on it.

That would obviously work better with small and startup businesses rather than large ones. 

Rodney, Mark had that very same idea about contacting our local school and pitching a new logo for their hockey team!


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## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

Oops, we were posting at the same time, Richard!

Thanks!


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## Kreestahl (Jul 29, 2007)

Chani,
I have not done anything on speculation. In the promotional products business manufacturers do it sometimes to land a distributor but not often to small companies. If you want to land a chain of restaurants tho, I would do it. I guess it depends on the volume you hope to get.


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