How to Add Value to Your Handmade Jewelry Designs
We all know how competitive it is in the world of jewelry design! When I attend craft shows these days it seems like every other booth is filled with jewelry. Now, more than ever it's important to add value to your handmade jewelry designs. When you add value to a piece, you decrease the need to compete on the basis of price and you give your jewelry special features that help it to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
So, just how do you go about adding value to your jewelry designs? Here are some ideas:
1. Tell your customer how you make your jewelry designs. You can do this by having a sequence of photos taken while working on your designs along with captions explaining the design process. This should be displayed in your portfolio or prominently displayed in your booth. One of our customers had a beautiful poster made showing how her jewelry is made step-by-step. She placed it in her booth and swears that her sales have increased by 20%.
2. Sign each handmade jewelry piece that you make. This adds value to your pieces in the customers eye and makes them seem truly one-of-a-kind. Plus, it reinforces your name and brand in the marketplace. Think of all of those pieces of jewelry out in the marketplace with your name on them. Great publicity. :-)
3. Use your hangtags to further reinforce the value of your jewelry designs. Make sure your hangtag has a brief blurb about what makes your jewelry special. Mention any special techniques or materials you use in your work. If you use a kiln or a torch or if your designs use all natural materials or found objects, be sure this is emphasized on your hang tag. Customers very much want to know the origins and meaning of the jewelry they buy.
4. Speaking of meaning, you can add even more of it to your handmade jewelry designs by giving each piece a name. With this simple act, you take your piece out of the realm of mass produced jewelry and into the world of art. If this is not practical for you, consider grouping your handmade jewelry items into groups based on similarity and calling them a collection. For example, "The Spirit Collection".
5. Always include copies of any press releases or publicity you've received in the past relating to your jewelry. Make sure these are posted prominently in your booth. It also doesn't hurt to list your past education as well as any special workshops you've attended where you learned new techniques. Customers like to think they're purchasing from an expert artisan.
6. Only produce a certain number of copies of each handmade jewelry piece you create and let that be known to your customer. Give your pieces the designation of "limited edition". Not only does this make the piece more special, it also encourages the customer to purchase now as there are only a certain number available.
7. Did you know you can project value by how you handle your pieces in front of a customer? When you show a piece to a customer, treat the item with the reverence it deserves. Lay it out on a velvet board with good lighting and use hand mannerisms that suggest the piece is of great value. Body and hand language say alot when presenting jewelry to a customer.
8. Do you give any of the proceeds of your jewelry line to a particular charity? Be sure to add that to your hangtag and your literature if you do. If not, you should consider it It's a great way to do well for yourself while doing good things for others. Have you ever noticed how those charity auctions on Ebay always get bid way up? People love to support a cause while pleasing themselves at the same time.
9. Give a memorable guarantee on each handmade jewelry piece that you sell. One of our customers gives what she calls a "hundred year guarantee". She promises that she'll repair any problems that occur with the jewelry she sells over the next hundred years. Customers love it!
10. Display your items in the very best light and setting possible. Never, clutter your booth up with too much jewelry. This makes your handmade jewelry designs look mass produced and decreases their perceived value.Make sure your display is elegant, simple, and consistent with your theme.
11. Add value with your packaging. Look for elegant boxes and wrapping paper that won't break the bank. If a customer purchases alot, you may want to have some gold embossed thank you cards prewritten by hand thanking them for the business. This is a touch that won't be soon forgotten.
12. Dress elegantly and wear one of your most beautiful pieces of jewelry. I always recommend wearing a solid color to a jewelry show. You need a simple background to show off your jewelry designs. I usually wear a solid black top and pants along with a showstopping necklace. Bring along an extra showstopper as sometimes customers will want to buy the piece you're wearing right off your neck!
These are just a few of the many techniques you can use to add value to your pieces. If your jewelry isn't selling as well as you think it should, don't automatically lower your prices. Why not add value instead?
Need ideas and new insights into selling handmade jewelry at craft shows? The author of this ebook tested a variety of techniques and documented EXACTLY what worked and didn't work. If you read this book and practice the techniques she describes, you will see results. You get 176 pages of rock solid, hard hitting information and ideas as well as 3 bonuses for a VERY reasonable price. Check out her ebook. CLICK HERE You'll be glad you did!
We all know how competitive it is in the world of jewelry design! When I attend craft shows these days it seems like every other booth is filled with jewelry. Now, more than ever it's important to add value to your handmade jewelry designs. When you add value to a piece, you decrease the need to compete on the basis of price and you give your jewelry special features that help it to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
So, just how do you go about adding value to your jewelry designs? Here are some ideas:
1. Tell your customer how you make your jewelry designs. You can do this by having a sequence of photos taken while working on your designs along with captions explaining the design process. This should be displayed in your portfolio or prominently displayed in your booth. One of our customers had a beautiful poster made showing how her jewelry is made step-by-step. She placed it in her booth and swears that her sales have increased by 20%.
2. Sign each handmade jewelry piece that you make. This adds value to your pieces in the customers eye and makes them seem truly one-of-a-kind. Plus, it reinforces your name and brand in the marketplace. Think of all of those pieces of jewelry out in the marketplace with your name on them. Great publicity. :-)
3. Use your hangtags to further reinforce the value of your jewelry designs. Make sure your hangtag has a brief blurb about what makes your jewelry special. Mention any special techniques or materials you use in your work. If you use a kiln or a torch or if your designs use all natural materials or found objects, be sure this is emphasized on your hang tag. Customers very much want to know the origins and meaning of the jewelry they buy.
4. Speaking of meaning, you can add even more of it to your handmade jewelry designs by giving each piece a name. With this simple act, you take your piece out of the realm of mass produced jewelry and into the world of art. If this is not practical for you, consider grouping your handmade jewelry items into groups based on similarity and calling them a collection. For example, "The Spirit Collection".
5. Always include copies of any press releases or publicity you've received in the past relating to your jewelry. Make sure these are posted prominently in your booth. It also doesn't hurt to list your past education as well as any special workshops you've attended where you learned new techniques. Customers like to think they're purchasing from an expert artisan.
6. Only produce a certain number of copies of each handmade jewelry piece you create and let that be known to your customer. Give your pieces the designation of "limited edition". Not only does this make the piece more special, it also encourages the customer to purchase now as there are only a certain number available.
7. Did you know you can project value by how you handle your pieces in front of a customer? When you show a piece to a customer, treat the item with the reverence it deserves. Lay it out on a velvet board with good lighting and use hand mannerisms that suggest the piece is of great value. Body and hand language say alot when presenting jewelry to a customer.
8. Do you give any of the proceeds of your jewelry line to a particular charity? Be sure to add that to your hangtag and your literature if you do. If not, you should consider it It's a great way to do well for yourself while doing good things for others. Have you ever noticed how those charity auctions on Ebay always get bid way up? People love to support a cause while pleasing themselves at the same time.
9. Give a memorable guarantee on each handmade jewelry piece that you sell. One of our customers gives what she calls a "hundred year guarantee". She promises that she'll repair any problems that occur with the jewelry she sells over the next hundred years. Customers love it!
10. Display your items in the very best light and setting possible. Never, clutter your booth up with too much jewelry. This makes your handmade jewelry designs look mass produced and decreases their perceived value.Make sure your display is elegant, simple, and consistent with your theme.
11. Add value with your packaging. Look for elegant boxes and wrapping paper that won't break the bank. If a customer purchases alot, you may want to have some gold embossed thank you cards prewritten by hand thanking them for the business. This is a touch that won't be soon forgotten.
12. Dress elegantly and wear one of your most beautiful pieces of jewelry. I always recommend wearing a solid color to a jewelry show. You need a simple background to show off your jewelry designs. I usually wear a solid black top and pants along with a showstopping necklace. Bring along an extra showstopper as sometimes customers will want to buy the piece you're wearing right off your neck!
These are just a few of the many techniques you can use to add value to your pieces. If your jewelry isn't selling as well as you think it should, don't automatically lower your prices. Why not add value instead?
Need ideas and new insights into selling handmade jewelry at craft shows? The author of this ebook tested a variety of techniques and documented EXACTLY what worked and didn't work. If you read this book and practice the techniques she describes, you will see results. You get 176 pages of rock solid, hard hitting information and ideas as well as 3 bonuses for a VERY reasonable price. Check out her ebook. CLICK HERE You'll be glad you did!
posted by Your friends at Beads Indeed | 2:38 AM
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