External Involvement
To be self-sufficient and gain work experience throughout my tertiary and university education, I had to pick an industry where I could constantly interact with people from all walks of life. The opportunity to join Ermenegildo Zegna, an Italian luxury fashion house specializing in tailored-menswear, was an incredibly fortunate one for me. What sets us apart was the provision of a specialized service known as Su Misura”. This translates to “Created for you, Specially for you”. The final product is completely hand-stitched by Italian artisans according to the clientele’s preferences.
My role as a permanent part-time associate was to ensure the efficiency of my fellow full-time staff as well as establish close relations with my clients by building a portfolio based on their demographics. This ensures repeated business and future patronage by prospective clients through word-of-mouth.
Throughout my 6 years with the company, I’ve been involved in several major changes to the Singapore market such as Visual Merchandising Revamp, VIP Trunk shows, Store Relocation Projects. Perhaps the most enlightening experience one can expect to get was notably the VIP trunk show held during the F1 Races in 2019.
The first major event i was involved in was the VIP Trunk Show, held at the Marina Bay Sands Store in 2015. As a staff, i was charged with ensuring that the displays were arranged in a way which adhered to the visual merchandising guidelines set by our internation headquarters.
Selected few VIP’s were invited to preview the newest collections for the season. This gave me a glimpse into the lives of the top-tier socioeconomic individuals. The first experience can be daunting as these affluent individuals come from all different backgrounds.
Throughout the entire event, it taught me the importance of adaptation. Each individual has their idiosyncracies when it comes to communication. It could be language difference, body language as well as colloquialisms. Adapting to their verbal as well as non-verbal behaviors down to the smallest detail was of paramount importance when it came to building relationships.
The second major event in which i was part of was the relocation of the Marina Bay Sands Store. My responsibility was to conduct logistics to ensure all stock-keeping units are properly stored as well as making sure that all visual merchandising artifacts were kept for future usage. The communications taking place between the staff of the shops, offices as well as logistical companies were extensive and complicated.
It has also shown me the importance of communication especially when there is a liason involved. Ensuring proper channels of communication as well as adhering to the hierarchical chain would prevent any miscommunication from happening which could be detrimental towards meeting deadlines
In addition, it also taught me the importance of being able to strategically plan and manage my time. This way, it gives one enough room to execute the relevant contigencies without much struggle
November 2018 marked the opening of the newly furbished Ermenegildo Zegna Store at the Marina Bay Sands. The entire store was filled with laughter and enjoyment as clients mingle to the tunes of the DJ and Saxophonist whilst enjoying refreshments of spirits as well as liquor. This experience was one to remember, as i got to know different clients from all different industries such as Aviation, Construction as well as Private Equity Management.
This experience has taught me 2 important aspects of communication.
Firstly, people from all walks of life no matter the demeanor or background all seek to be heard and understood. Empathy and Confidence are two elements that lay the foundation for communication bringing people closer to a common ground of understanding. By incorporating the two elements into dyadic communications that we engage in daily has proven to be useful. It gives the other party a sense of welcome and hospitality, which increases substantial relationships built. Especially in the field of communications, the foundation that is laid should be nothing short of strong for it to propel to greater heights.
Secondly, establishing relationships takes into account not only internal factors but environmental factors as well. This relates closely to what we learn in Communication 101: Principles in Communication. Music, Context Setting as well as Illumination are concepts that affect the degree of relationship establishment. Environmental cues affect the emotional well-being of individuals. This all ties in with impression management. The stronger the impression made
The Singapore F1 Race is held every year within the bustling cosmopolitan of Marina Bay. This time, we incorporated the prestigiousness of the event with the luxuriance of Made-To-Measure. Only the top 10 percentile of spenders within the Singapore market were invited to experience 1–1 personal shopping services as well as to bask in the magnificence that is High-End Luxury Living.
Clients would have their suits professionally measured by Made-To-Measure specialist and have their orders sent to Italy where they will be hand-stiched by renown fabric artisans. After which they would step out to enjoy the night under the glistening skyscrapers that surround the Singapore river accompanied by the roaring engines of F1 supercars as well as gourmet refreshments
This event silverlines an important aspect in relationship management which I’ve come to learn and that is the gap between the professional as well as the private side of an individual. The ability to switch between both is extremely important in establishing and maintaining relationships. In an environment such as this, where work and play intertwine so closely with one another, finding a balance between both prevents onself from falling to far towards one end of the spectrum.
Nothing brings me as much joy as seeing my work come to fruition, Mr Chris was my first ever client which whom I’ve worked with to help make his dream wedding come true. However, this process was not as easy as it seems.
Mr Chris first came to me for a suit that he required for an important business meeting. He was extremely impressed with the service and based on past experiences with us, he entrusted me with the most significant in a man’s life, His Wedding.
The reason I chose to use Mr. Chris as an example was to exemplify a case of a successful professional working relationship. A successful professional relationship comprises of Trust, Commitment to performance, and Impression Retention, amongst many others.
To us, he is just another client; however, to him, we are ones who are going to envision and materialize the most important day of his life. His Wedding. Being entrusted with bringing the garment he envisions himself in, to life was by no means an easy feat. Extreme precision in detailing, combining different fabrics to suit the wedding theme as well as rushing to meet alteration deadlines are just to name a few. Through it all, I had my mentor and close friend Iskandar to guide and groom me into who I am today!
In the end, I managed to get everything done and as this video shall illustrate; the impact of impression retention.
References
Newly Furbished Ermenegildo Zegna Store, Marina Bay Sands 2018 Ho, J. (2018). Ermenegildo Zegna’s new Marina Bay Sands boutique hosts launch of XXX collection | The Peak Singapore — Your Guide to The Finer Things in Life. Retrieved 5 June 2020, from https://thepeakmagazine.com.sg/events/ermenegildo-zegnas-new-marina-bay-sands-boutique-hosts-launch-of-xxx-collection/
