Online Marketing-Social Networking Sources

Put it online and they will come and buy? If you've been using the internet to sell your artisan jewelry (e-commerce, E-Bay, Etsy, etc) ,you realize it is not just a simple task of putting on the www and customers immediately "buy"!

Content is the tool that drives online marketing
People are drowning in the volume of content, your job is to find and promote content that is relevant.

Content is the commerce of social media. But, relevant content, the stuff your customers and prospects actually want to know is the pure gold. Constantly cranking out this gold can sometimes present creative challenges.

So how do you know what to write about, how do you keep the ideas flowing, how do you keep the content relevant and popular?

There are a number of ways to address these important questions, not the least of which is simply paying attention to what your prospects and customers ask on the daily basis. There are also growing numbers of free tools that, not many small businesses know much about, but can provide a wealth of great content ideas.

Let me make one thing clear, however, I’m certainly not advocating using the sites below to copy and paste content. While some of the content you discover does come with permission to reprint with credit, I am talking about using these sites for inspiration and education for your own content creation.

Yahoo Answers – [answers.yahoo.com] Millions of people go to Yahoo Answers to get answers to questions on just about every topic known to man. Yahoo members are free to answer these questions. If a number of people are asking the same questions, and they are, then maybe the market is ripe for your blog post addressing the question.

Google Alerts – [google.com/news] By setting up custom searches on Google News you can receive daily emails, called alerts, on any subject, industry, company or name. This can be a great way to keep up with a topic on a daily basis

Digg – [digg.com] Members of Digg submit websites and other content and the most popular as voted by other members rises to the top. While this site is particularly heavy on tech, you can get a quick view of what’s popular and find sites that you may never discover otherwise.

StumbleUpon – [stumbleupon.com] When you create a free account and install the StumbleUpon Toolbar you can simply click on and button and be sent to sites that match your preferences. For example I surf to sites related to marketing. I usually hit 10 or so a day to see if I stumble upon any nuggets that I would never find on my own.

Delicious – [del.icio.us] delicious is a social bookmarking site. Members bookmark sites or content they visit and then tag or categorize it based on how them want to remember it. This is a great tool for doing your own research by bookmarking sites you want to revisit on a certain topic but it’s also a great way to see what sites others have bookmarked on the same subject. By paying attention the sites that make the front “popular” page you can also find rising trends almost immediately

DocStoc and [docstoc.com] Scribd [scribd.com] DocStoc and Scribd are online gold mines of forms and documents. Users upload templates, forms, contracts, presentations, white papers, you name it, and you can get some great ideas and shortcuts for creating just about document you might need to run your business.

Spend a little time getting familiar with the above tools and you will never want for great content ideas again.

Related article - Search Engines Explained

Reprinted with permission: John Jantsch is a marketing and digital technology coach, award winning social media publisher and author of Duct Tape Marketing. He is the creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small business marketing system. You can find more information by visiting www.ducttapemarketing.com

Open Studio or Jewelry Show Invitations

Have you ever entertained the though of an open studio or jewelry show but you keep putting it off for a variety of reasons? Target your invitations and the "people" will make the event not the setting!

Why Clients Don't Answer Open Invitations

As an Accidental Entrepreneur, you need clients and customers. And if you’re not 100% confident that folks are interested, you may feel that the best way to approach getting clients is with an open invitation.

After all, you wouldn’t want anyone to feel excluded, would you?

But being specific about which clients and customers are just-right isn’t about exclusion. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite.

How are your just-right clients supposed to know you are talking to them if you don’t tell them?

The Problem with Open Invitations
The problem with open invitations is that there’s no way for your just-right clients to know you’re aware of their existence, let alone that you actually care about their concerns.

From your point of view, the open invitation makes it ultra-easy for them to approach.

From their point of view, the open invitation disappears into the background noise of everyday life. To get their attention, you’re going to have to be more inviting.

Not All Invitations Are Inviting
When we moved to Suquamish a few years ago, we had an open house. We invited friends and neighbors. Our friends came; our neighbors didn’t.

After a bit of pondering, I realized that our friends felt invited. Our neighbors felt notified. And you know something? They were right.

Since we were going to have the party anyway, I figured we might as well invite our new neighbors (and I wanted them to know what the commotion was). But the point of the party was to share our new home with friends, and somehow that came through.

The moral of the story? If you truly want to reach your just-right clients, you need to send an invitation, not an announcement.

What Makes an Invitation Inviting?
If you consider the invitations you receive, including advertisements and marketing materials, you’ll notice that the ones that draw you in have four ingredients. I call them focus, fit, comfort, and response.

• A focused invitation speaks directly to a specific recipient, not a generic audience.
• An invitation that fits is appropriate to the relationship and situation.
• Invitations that tell us what to expect recognize our comfort zones.
• Invitations get answered when they request a specific response.

Invitations in Action
Like me, you probably get invitations to charity fundraisers fairly regularly. What distinguishes those consigned directly to the recycling bin from those that get at least preliminary consideration?

Of those we consider, what determines whether we buy pricey tickets and attend, make a modest contribution but don’t attend, or decide to recycle the invitation after all?

The first cut depends on the focus. It’s easy to tell whether you were invited as an individual or as part of a target group. In the first case, you’ve got some prior connection. In the second, they got your name off a list, in which case, unless you just happened to have a yen for involvement in the annual tiddlywinks playoffs, you’re not interested.

The next consideration is fit. If you’ve been sending the Human Society $25 every December for ten years and suddenly get invited to a $500 per plate dinner and auction, odds are that you’re going to stay home. But you just might pony up (no pun intended) $50 to attend a fundraising barbecue.

Assuming the occasion is a fit, you want to know what to expect. Should you bring a gift? How will people be dressed? It’s no fun to arrive at an event in your work clothes, hungry and looking forward to dinner, only to discover that you’ve walked into a formal cocktail party. No amount of olives and maraschino cherries is likely to make a hungry guest comfortable.

Finally, there’s the response form. A good one gives you options to participate in spirit (send a check), in body (volunteer), or by attending. It will be self-addressed and stamped so all you have to do is put it in the mail. The clear request for an RSVP and/or a donation completes the invitation.

Don’t Wait Until You Renovate to Have a Party
If you think you need more experience or your business needs a Web site or you have to have new business cards before you start inviting just-right clients to work with you, stop. When the fit is right, the setting isn’t nearly as important as we think.

I used to think we needed a bigger house and more than six glasses (unmatched) before we had people over. Then our friends Steve and Michelle invited us for dinner and to watch an opera on video. (I know. Different strokes for different folks.)

Like many Bainbridge Island homes in those days, Steve’s and Michelle’s was an imaginative and functional space that wasn’t quite finished. In addition, it was crammed with interesting furniture, objects d’art, record albums (remember when?), and books.

Oh, and they had two mature Great Danes. One slept on the overstuffed couch. The other sat sentinel next to a huge purple armchair and dribbled into the lap of its occupant.

All ten guests in that crowded room had a grand time, and I learned that the secret to a good party is not the setting but the people.

What applies among friends applies with your just-right clients. The quality of the relationship is a lot more important than the state of your Web site or stationery. Just apply the four ingredients of an inviting invitation to your communications. Whether it’s an email or an elevator speech, check for focus, fit, comfort, and response.

Invite Them and They Will Come
The worst thing about open invitations in business is that they are a self-fulfilling prophecy. We use them to avoid appearing pushy and to protect ourselves from rejection.

But because open invitations aren’t addressed to anyone in particular, no one in particular responds. We wonder if even the open invitation was too pushy. We worry that people really aren’t interested.

Sometimes, we increase the scope of our invitation while getting quieter. It doesn’t work. (How could it?)

Sometimes we try a noisier strategy out of desperation, following the lead of a get-rich-quick guru. It feels icky, looks inauthentic, and doesn’t work. (How could it?)

Fortunately, there’s a remedy: directly and thoughtfully addressing your just-right clients. It’s slow (aren’t most good things). It’s sure. It works.

Publication and Reprint Info

U.S. Library of Congress ISSN: 1530-311X
Unless otherwise attributed, all material is written and edited by Molly Gordon, MCC. Copyright (c) Shaboom Inc.(r) 2008. All rights reserved. Visit our extensive archives at www.mollygordon.com .

Reprinted with permsiion from http://www.authenticpromotion.com.

Save 20% on Any of David Weiman's Products through the end of May

Just enter ANN20 in the Coupon Code section of the order form and click "Apply" to receive 20% off any of David Weiman's jewelry marketing products!

This offer expires May 31st so don't miss out!

I am a huge fan of David Weiman's jewelry marketing products. The 5 keys DVD will have your brain popping with ideas on how to talk to customers , making the most of shows and so much more.

He has a jewelry e-newsletter that will keep your marketing skills razor sharp throughout the whole year. Don't you want consistent sales vs peak holiday money?

The place it all started is with the Jewelry Selling Answer Book which is now available in print. David guarantees all his products so you don't have to take my word for it!

Here's to you creating a profitable jewelry business! :)

Randi

Why You Should NOT Price your Jewelry too Low

Whether you are a new jewelry artist/designer just starting your business or a seasoned artistic entrepreneur, you may be struggling with your pricing. I confess that when I first started my prices were way too low that I was practically giving away my efforts because I didn't feel I could "ask" for more. I'm often asked how do you price your work and that is a $1k question.....it is not so much a formula but a guideline that incorporates cost of materials, time involved creating, packaging, shipping, marketing and " hidden costs" for wholesale and retail customers.

My passion is in creating one of a kind designs which do command more because of the time spent creating the vision in my head but having lower price points with limited editions and collections helps me have a steady flow of business. Having a loyal customer base helps me market those more expensive pieces quickly and with relatively little effort on my part.

Here is a fabulous article on why you should not price your product/service too low....Enjoy!
Randi

Why Low Prices Don't Attract Clients

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Goldilocks, who went for a walk in the forest. She came upon a neon sign flashing the words: Cheap Eats. And so she followed the sign to a little cabin where she discovered that no one was home…

Say what? You know that Goldilocks didn’t need the promise of low prices to find the home of the three bears, and your customers don’t need one to find you.

There are all kinds of reasons why accidental entrepreneurs tend to offer low prices. One of the most common is to attract business.

The thinking goes something like this.

I don’t want to shout from the rooftops, i.e., I’m not the flashing sign type. I don’t believe in making extravagant claims. I just want to do good work for people who will appreciate it.

So I keep my prices low so that people can afford it. I need to make sure that my prices don’t keep anyone away.

But what actually happens? Are low prices bringing people in?

How Low Prices Work (or Don’t) to Bring in Business
From the Internet to the daily newspaper, we are bombarded with ads offering low, low prices. It’s natural to conclude that one way to attract business is to keep your prices low.

But what we’re overlooking is that, most of the time, low prices get our attention because of the flashing neon sign. Without the neon sign, how can we know that Mary’s prices are better than Joe’s?

Think about the last time you bought something because the price was low. How did you know?

Was it a newspaper ad? Something you heard on the radio? A special offer? Perhaps a friend passed the word. Most of the time we react to low prices because some company paid big bucks to get the word out.

But if you price your work low precisely because you can’t pay big bucks (or wouldn’t make so much noise even if you could), how is anyone to know that your work is such a bargain?

Low Prices and a Low Profile Don’t Work
If you are counting on low prices to bring in clients (or to remove the obstacles that keep people from hiring you), you need to have a pretty high profile.

And if you’re not the type to put up a neon sign, that’s a problem.

When you prefer a naturally low profile, low prices are more likely to keep people away than bring them in.

How Low Prices Affect You, Really
In the marketplace, there is a strong association between price and value. We naturally assume that more expensive things are worth more and less expensive things are worth less.

And when you or I offer our work at low prices and still don’t get work, how do we feel?

Like we’re not very valuable. Like no one is interested. (If they were, wouldn’t they be flocking to our door to take advantage of the great deal we offer?)

And the less valuable we feel, the less we are inclined to show up or to take up space when we do.

The result? When we rely on low prices to attract business, a low profile becomes no profile at all.

You can get clients without shouting from the rooftops, but not if your strategy leaves you feeling like road kill.

Finding Your Just-Right Price
Believe it or not, there is a price that will work for you, one that will help you attract business without neon signs and that will foster the kinds of relationships you want to have with your customers and clients.

Here’s how.

Three components of right-pricing:

1. The right price begins with the body.
   
   Our bodies are faithful recorders of our thoughts and emotions. The worries, dreams, and beliefs that have, until now, controlled your experience of setting prices are encoded in your body.
   
   So step one is to create a safe, peaceful, resourceful state so that you can take a fresh look at this matter of prices.
   
   The point is not to get artificially hyped up. What we’re after is peace, not frenzy or fakery. When you’re at peace, it’s easy to recognize what a right price feels like.
   
   
2. The right price builds reciprocity.
   
   When your prices fit just-right, you are able to care for your clients and customers in a healthy way. There’s a reciprocity that goes beyond keeping score. Unlike a taxi ride where the meter is always running, the right price frees you and your clients or customers to concentrate on the value rather than the cost.
   
   
3. The right price fuels creativity.
   
   Pricing to break even is not natural. You can prove this to yourself by looking at Nature herself. What plant produces only enough seed to replace itself?
   
   In nature and in business, the creative process requires what looks like excess but is actually the juice that fuels birth, rebirth, and change. When your prices are too low, you don’t have the necessary luxury of time to reflect, renew, and discover new things that will bless your clients and yourself.
   

Like Goldilocks, but Different
Goldilocks was a master of what fit just-right. But Goldilocks was a self-absorbed girl in a fairy tale. It’s all very well for her that she got her way, but you’re a grown up and this is not a fairy tale. Can a Goldilocks Strategy work for you?

Yes and no.

Goldilocks can teach us the value of trying this, that, and the other thing until we find what fits just-right. But we have an advantage Goldilocks did not: We get to cook the porridge, build the chair, make the bed.

It’s more work, but it’s our work. Right-pricing, like everything else in business, is both a process of self-development and a skill we need to make a living.

So a Goldilocks Strategy can work and work well, provided we remember that we’re writing the story ourselves.

How about it? Does your business need a flashing sign or a new pricing strategy? If charging the just-right price sounds better than investing in neon, read on.

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How to Get Clients that Fit Just Right

The first step to getting clients that fit just-right is to get and read The Way of the Accidental Entrepreneur.

It’s a book for people who work to have something to give but are stuck when it comes to finding the customers and clients to give it to. You can learn all about it here.

The second step is to sign up for the free preview tele-class of The Goldilocks Strategy for Getting Clients that Fit Just Right. (If you don’t have the book and don’t know yet if you are going to by it, you are are welcome to sign up for the preview. But you’ll need to get the book to register for the actual tele-class.)

The Goldilocks Strategy for Getting Clients that Fit Just Right will show you how to use what you already have to get clients that fit just-right. It shows you how to build that holy grail of entrepreneuring -- multiple streams of income -- around your just-right customers. And to do it in a way that respects and delights everyone involved.

Free one hour preview teleconference: Introduction to The Goldilocks Principle
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Noon EDT, 9:00 AM PDT
Sign up here.

This will take you to a “billing information” page, however you will not be asked for your credit card number and you will not be charged for this class. And while it should go without saying, I will never sell your contact information or rent it or give it to anyone without your express permission. You can opt out of this or any other mailing in an instant with the unsubscribe link at the bottom or by phoning 360-421-1985.

If You Can’t Attend
This teleconference will be recorded. If you want to hear it but cannot attend, just register. You’ll receive all the information other participants receive along with a link to the recording. So sign up now if you want the recording.

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Publication and Reprint Info

U.S. Library of Congress ISSN: 1530-311X
Unless otherwise attributed, all material is written and edited by Molly Gordon, MCC. Copyright (c) Shaboom Inc.(r) 2008. All rights reserved. Visit our extensive archives at www.mollygordon.com .

Reprinted with permission from Authentic Promotion: http://www.authenticpromotion.com

How Often Should You E-mail Your Newsletter Subscriber List

Phew, I just finished up my 3rd jewelry trunk show in less than 2 weeks......and now I have added even more customers to my mailing list. I usually send out a quick welcome and remind my new customers where we met and thanks for signing up to be in the know about new designs, trunk shows and sales. My regular schedule is monthly unless it is a holiday or I want to send out a quick reminder. I came across a great article on how often you should communicate with your customers and thought I would share!
Enjoy!
---Randi

How Often Should You Communicate With Your Prospects?

With the many ways to reach people today: email, post cards, phone calls, printed newsletters, direct mail letters, and so on, it's easy to be overwhelmed with trying to decide the best way to reach people. And of course then the question of how often arises.

The answer for both questions is: it depends on your business. For me, because I run my business mostly via the Internet, email works best. Email is inexpensive, quick, and easy to track. And given the fact that when visitors land on your website they don't usually know you, they are wary about giving too much personal information. Email and a first name are safe.

Once you have the email address of someone who is interested in what you can do for them, then what? I have heard of some coaches who have been collecting names for a year but have NEVER sent any messages. And I see plenty of other home-based business owners send out only sporadic notes that don't fit into any kind of communication plan at all.

The answer about how often to contact your prospects again is: it depends.

Here are a few options I have seen used successfully and the merits and drawbacks of each.

1. Every day: There are some solo professionals who email their subscribers at least once a day every day. The idea is that you stay in front of people and top of mind. If you choose this option, you must make absolutely certain you are not selling constantly in every message. People will unsubscribe in droves because you are doing nothing to communicate your value to them. It is ok to communicate everyday, but you must provide excellent value-- like free teleseminars and reminders, free articles, or free instructional videos-- have a plan in place and follow it to the letter.

2. Three or more times per week: My mentor Jeff Herring, The Internet Article Guy, uses this method. As one of his regular clients, I often hear from him more than once a day, but Jeff still communicates regularly with those who have not yet become a client or customer. He uses the strategies above along with promoting related affiliate-type products and links to his blog posts featuring more useful "stuff" for his subscribers. I know this strategy works well for Jeff and many others.

3. At least twice per week: Some of the gurus say this is the least frequently you should contact your subscribers or they may "forget" about you. The idea is in order to stay top of mind you must communicate regularly with your subscribers. Many use this strategy successfully.

4. Once per week: By far, the most frequent use of email communication comes once per week in the form of a weekly ezine, newsletter, or other announcement. A weekly ezine is an excellent way to stay in touch with your clients and keep them posted with what's happening in your business and what you have coming up for them. Keeping a regular schedule will allow your readers to look forward to the day they hear from you.

5. Once a month: If you are not currently sending out any email communication with your subscribers at all, start sending something at least once per month. It can be a simple text-only newsletter with one article and a paragraph about your business. This option is not the most effective because it only will build your credibility s-l-o-w-l-y.

What works for me? My subscribers (that's you!) have told me once or twice a week is about how often you'd like to hear from me. Any less and I get emails asking me if I'm ok. Any more and people begin to unsubscribe. So I send my ezine every other week and then on the in-between weeks I'll send some other kind of announcement. I have found when people have just one subject to read about in a special announcement email they are more likely to take action and be less overwhelmed by all the other bits of information that are usually in an ezine.

Whatever your frequency, make a communication plan and stick to it. You'll soon see greater success as a result!

This article was reprinted with permission: copyright 2008 Felicia J. Slattery.

Lessons I Learned at My Last Jewelry Trunk Show

The Shecky's Girls Night Out event in Dallas was fabulous. I loved the new location -Fashion Institute Gallery (F.I.G.) building in downtown Dallas.

I had the preshow jitters because about 70% of my jewelry inventory was the new Glass Rock Candy Collection that I was revealing to the general public and press!

With ~60% of the show being assorted jewelry vendors (not all handcrafted some was also imported), I had a leg up on the competition because folks are buying directly from the designer/artist which always resonates with folks. It is so fun to engage people and share the inspiration behind my signature ring the Three Pebbles, Three Wishes (not a dry eye in the house I may add) and every other piece of jewelry I create. Having said that, I should have had a larger sign stating buy directly from the artist ( I think my sign was too small)....because people are more apt to ask questions and linger when they know you are the artist. So, that is lesson #1 since NOT all vendors were the designers themselves (some design and contract wholesalers in India, etc to manufacture their designs).

Last year, I had a helper my dear friend, Mrs E, but being a school night a lot of my gal pals have soccer, dance, etc...and it was hard for them to get away. I really missed having someone help bag, run the credit card machine so I could focus on doing what I do best-engaging the customers who are browsing! :) For 3 hours, it was utter mayhem in a fabulous way but I'm sure I lost a sale or two because I was stretched so thin! Lesson #2, get a helper at all costs!

I had a Shecky's show special and the sign I had needed to be more prominent.....so, I did NOT need to repeat it like a gazillion times!!! Lesson #3 cost me a rough voice by the following morning! hee hee





I am really excited to be doing the event in Houston tomorrow because it is a SOLD OUT show. Yeahoo. I was a little nervous because it was the first time for Shecky's in Houston but all those ladies stepped up and are ready to shop!

I'll be road tripping just for the day and I can't wait to have gauge Houston's reaction to the new collection. And I'm sure, I will learn a few more lessons a long the way! The more shows I do the more experience I have including being prepared. The gals next to me forgot extra tape for their credit card machine. OUCH....but since I'm such a nice neighbor I shared my extra roll! ;)

The collection, Glass Rock Candy, will be available to the general public by the end of May.

If you would like a chance to snag some Glass Rock Candy at an unbelievable price make sure you sign up for the Diva newsletter because next week I will have two specials that includes the exclusive Shecky's goodie bag at a price that will think you are dreaming!

Use Pay-Per-Click Advertising to get Targeted Traffic to your Jewelry Website

Since I started my e-commerce handcrafted jewelry & art glass decor business, I have used Pay-Per-Click Google ads to get targeted traffic to my website immediately. I like to use very "descriptive terms" to make sure I'm getting customers who are looking to buy (3 word search terms). My monthly marketing budget always includes this type of advertising.

Check out this article by Alicia M Forest to see why you should be using PPC advertising in your jewelry business!

Why You Should Consider Pay-Per-Click Advertising for Your Business
by Alicia M Forest, MBA
Multiple Streams Queen & Coach

Would you like to bring targeted traffic to your website in as little as 15 minutes? Then you should learn about pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, especially if you are starting to optimize your website for the search engines.

There are four advantages to pay-per-click advertising.

1. You only pay for the advertising that works...

... because you only pay for your ad when someone actually clicks on it to visit your website.

2. You can get your website in the search results within just a few minutes.

With search engine optimization, it can take several weeks to get listed in the search engines, but with PPC, you can literally jump to the front of the line.

3. You can be listed in prime advertising space...

...by simply outbidding the other advertisers. There's a bit of science + art to this, but it's still a much more simple process than trying to figure out the secret formula to the organic (free) search engine rankings.

4. You can have a very small budget and still make pay-per-click advertising work for your business.

In fact, my own ads are in the best positions on the first pages for several of my targeted keywords, and I've only spent about $50 to get there.

And it's not hard to do what I've done!

Just open a free account with Google Adwords, follow the easy steps to setting up your own advertising campaign, decide on a handful of keywords you want to bid on (the words that people in your market are searching for online), put in a few dollars as a daily budget, choose the amount you're willing to pay-per-click, and then watch what happens.

Some people are skittish to do a PPC campaign because they are afraid that it will run away with their money. But you can eliminate that fear because you have total control over how much you spend. Once you reach whatever limit you've decided upon for the day, your ads are no longer shown until the next day, so you'll never spend any more money on your PPC than you decide. You can also pause or delete your campaign if you need to at anytime as well.

If you choose good keywords, write an effective ad, and track your results, PPC advertising can be an excellent way to drive targeted traffic to your website, which ultimately will lead to more sales for you, in the form of new clients and customers.

Just remember that PPCs should be just one part of your overall marketing strategy. In fact, a balance of search engine optimization as well as running a PPC campaign is usually the most effective strategy for bringing your website the most targeted traffic overall.

Want to know more about PPC and how to find the right keywords for your market? Join us in the Coaching Cafe as we cover this topic in this month's members-only teleseminar. Go here for more...

© 2008 Alicia M Forest and ClientAbundance.com

Reprinted with permission: Alicia M Forest, MBA, Multiple Streams Queen & Coach^(TM) teaches self-employed professionals how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create wild abundance in your business, visit www.ClientAbundance.com

Promote! Promote! Promote!

Plain and simple promote your jewelry and your business every chance you get. I've stated this before but I thought it was well worth mentioning AGAIN because I just got a web sale as a result of standing in line at the movie theater wearing a Designing-Diva original! :)

The easiest way to is to wear your pieces whenever you leave the house. Every time, I volunteer at my children's school the office staff want to see what new design I have on and how much will it cost them. :) Nine times out of 10 when I'm standing in line at the grocery store or post office, I get comments on the jewelry I'm wearing. I NEVER just say thank you. Rude manners? I think NOT. I want to engage them and so will ask what they were drawn to/what they like about the design, etc...this helps me establish a relationship albeit a short one! I always whip out a trusty business card with contact information and share a one quick blurb about my story /jewelry/background).

I know some of you are just cringing at the thought of having to engage a potential customer because you think you are too shy, you can't sell, etc.....The whole point is NOT to sell but to engage the customer, get them emotionally attached and start building rapport for a life time relationship. Does that mean they'll buy today or even tomorrow? NO it doesn't but it certainly increases the chances of them not only buying from you but referring others to you!

Have you heard of the 80/20 principle? 80 % of your business comes from 20% of your customers! Think about that HARD! Do you know who your 20% is? For me, I have customers who consistently purchase and give me referrals and I make sure they are appreciated with excellent customer service, being thoughtful (reminding them about upcoming anniversaries , birthdays, etc), and making sure I engage them by TELLING not SELLING. These are the people who love to hear my "inspiration" behind the designs and enjoy the "painted picture" my words and talents create!

Having said all this I would be remiss in not inviting y'all to view my latest fused glass jewelry collection, Glass Rock Candy, that will be unveiled for the general public next week at the Shecky's Girls Night Out event in Dallas & Houston. If you live in the Dallas & Houston area, I have a few general admission tickets left (reg $10) that do not include the deluxe goodie bag. Just e-mail me at artist AT designing-diva DOT com if you would like to attend so I can add you to the guest list (you must be 21 years or older because alcohol is served). Even if you can't make it, drop me an e-mail to get a link to a sneak preview of the collection.