Do Your Potential Customers Really Know Who You Are?
Hi everyone! I was just thinking about the importance of letting your potential customers know how your handmade jewelry is different from that which is mass produced. After all, that's the big advantage you have over the department stores of the world. The department stores can certainly undersell you by selling handmade jewelry at rock bottom prices, but what are they actually selling and how does it differ from what you're selling?
Most likely your local department store is selling a piece of jewelry that was mass produced in a factory overseas with low quality materials in an impersonal environment where the primary focus was on keeping costs down and fulfilling orders as quickly as possible.
In contrast, your line of jewelry was designed and planned in all of it's intricate detail by you, the artisan. You dreamed and planned until you came up with a unique design that expressed your inner vision while still keeping with the needs of the marketplace. You sought out the highest quality materials to create your vision and then lovingly handcrafted it to the highest standards. Now shouldn't your potential customer know this? Would this not play at least some role in their decision to buy from you over the department store down the street?
Your customer may not realize the above unless YOU tell them. So how do you convey this message:
1. Have a 6 second marketing message that you convey to your potential buyer when she
enters your booth. Suppose you create a line of vintage jewelry using vintage components. When a customer enters your booth, instead of saying simply "Hello", you might say, "Hello, I'm ______ and I recreate the past in metal. If I can show you a special piece of jewelry, please let me know". Your potential customer now knows that you're the artisan and she knows exactly what you do. You only have a few seconds to capture a customer's attention. Make sure you use that time.
2. Spend some time developing a portfolio of photos of you, the artisan, making your unique line of jewelry. You can place this photos in a pretty photo album and take it with you to craft shows for customers to peruse. I would have text below the photos describing each step that goes into creating your handmade jewelry. This personalizes your jewelry for the customer and further distinguishes your line from those which are mass produced. You could even have a poster produced by your local copy shop showing the steps you take in creating your jewelry line which you could display at craft shows.
3. Display any publicity you've received such as newspaper articles and magazine articles that describe you as an artist. This further connects the customer with you and also increases the value of your jewelry in their eyes.
4. Have a sheet available in your craft booth that describes what handmade jewelry is and how it differs from mass produced jewelry. I'm in the process of designing a sheet like this along with a variety of other sheets and forms that are useful to jewelry designers. I'll most likely be making these forms available for a very low fee if there is a demand for them. You would be able to use the forms to meet you needs and also alter them as you see fit. You could use them online as articles as well as distribute them in your craft booth. If you'd be interested in a service like this, let me know.
5. Ask your customer's opinion. Ask her what she likes about the design element you used to create that distinctive necklace your customer keeps admiring. Not only will you learn something about what your customer is thinking, but you'll further reinforce your role as the artisan who handcrafted the piece she admires.
6. If you sell at craft and jewelry shows, make sure you attend the event and directly sell your handmade jewelry. Don't hire a salesperson to fill in for you. The customer wants to know that their purchase came from your hands. Who better to represent your line than yourself?
7. Consider signing your handmade jewelry pieces if at all possible. This further differentiates your work from mass produced items and gives your item more value in the eyes of the consumer.
If you do at least some of the above, you will give your customer more reason to purchase from you rather than your department store competitor down the street. There's no need to fear your lower priced competitor as long as you educate your customer.
There's an interesting newsletter I came upon recently on how to successfully sell jewelry. You may want to check it out here.
I hope you have a happy and productive day. :-)
Kristie
Hi everyone! I was just thinking about the importance of letting your potential customers know how your handmade jewelry is different from that which is mass produced. After all, that's the big advantage you have over the department stores of the world. The department stores can certainly undersell you by selling handmade jewelry at rock bottom prices, but what are they actually selling and how does it differ from what you're selling?
Most likely your local department store is selling a piece of jewelry that was mass produced in a factory overseas with low quality materials in an impersonal environment where the primary focus was on keeping costs down and fulfilling orders as quickly as possible.
In contrast, your line of jewelry was designed and planned in all of it's intricate detail by you, the artisan. You dreamed and planned until you came up with a unique design that expressed your inner vision while still keeping with the needs of the marketplace. You sought out the highest quality materials to create your vision and then lovingly handcrafted it to the highest standards. Now shouldn't your potential customer know this? Would this not play at least some role in their decision to buy from you over the department store down the street?
Your customer may not realize the above unless YOU tell them. So how do you convey this message:
1. Have a 6 second marketing message that you convey to your potential buyer when she
enters your booth. Suppose you create a line of vintage jewelry using vintage components. When a customer enters your booth, instead of saying simply "Hello", you might say, "Hello, I'm ______ and I recreate the past in metal. If I can show you a special piece of jewelry, please let me know". Your potential customer now knows that you're the artisan and she knows exactly what you do. You only have a few seconds to capture a customer's attention. Make sure you use that time.
2. Spend some time developing a portfolio of photos of you, the artisan, making your unique line of jewelry. You can place this photos in a pretty photo album and take it with you to craft shows for customers to peruse. I would have text below the photos describing each step that goes into creating your handmade jewelry. This personalizes your jewelry for the customer and further distinguishes your line from those which are mass produced. You could even have a poster produced by your local copy shop showing the steps you take in creating your jewelry line which you could display at craft shows.
3. Display any publicity you've received such as newspaper articles and magazine articles that describe you as an artist. This further connects the customer with you and also increases the value of your jewelry in their eyes.
4. Have a sheet available in your craft booth that describes what handmade jewelry is and how it differs from mass produced jewelry. I'm in the process of designing a sheet like this along with a variety of other sheets and forms that are useful to jewelry designers. I'll most likely be making these forms available for a very low fee if there is a demand for them. You would be able to use the forms to meet you needs and also alter them as you see fit. You could use them online as articles as well as distribute them in your craft booth. If you'd be interested in a service like this, let me know.
5. Ask your customer's opinion. Ask her what she likes about the design element you used to create that distinctive necklace your customer keeps admiring. Not only will you learn something about what your customer is thinking, but you'll further reinforce your role as the artisan who handcrafted the piece she admires.
6. If you sell at craft and jewelry shows, make sure you attend the event and directly sell your handmade jewelry. Don't hire a salesperson to fill in for you. The customer wants to know that their purchase came from your hands. Who better to represent your line than yourself?
7. Consider signing your handmade jewelry pieces if at all possible. This further differentiates your work from mass produced items and gives your item more value in the eyes of the consumer.
If you do at least some of the above, you will give your customer more reason to purchase from you rather than your department store competitor down the street. There's no need to fear your lower priced competitor as long as you educate your customer.
There's an interesting newsletter I came upon recently on how to successfully sell jewelry. You may want to check it out here.
I hope you have a happy and productive day. :-)
Kristie
posted by Your friends at Beads Indeed | 5:21 AM
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