Celebrate and Have a Jewelry Sale

Celebrating an event and having a sale on your jewelry is a great way to bring customers back for repeat business and an opportunity to acquire new customers.

August is a great month to celebrate with these 3 holidays:

1. August 1st is National Bestfriend's Day
2. August 3rd is Sister's Day
3. August 15th is Best Friends' Day

Offer a limited edition jewelry design to help customer's celebrate and honor the special people in their lives. Why not include a quote in your packaging to make it an even more meaningful gift?

"But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life; and thanks to a benevolent arrangement of things, the greater part of life is sunshine."
- Thomas Jefferson

To your jewelry marketing success,

Randi

Get Mark Joyner's New Book for FREE

I have devoured a huge amount of marketing and pr "how to's" since I started my jewelry business. I'm a huge proponent of investing and growing my marketing expertise to assist in the growth of Designing-Diva.

I'm excited to announce that Mark Joyner who is a well known and respected internet marketer has a new book, Integration Marketing, that will help you grow your business.
He is an #1 best selling author and Dearl Miller has called him " the greatest marketing mind of our generation". This new book is NOT yet available in book stores but for a limited time you can download it for FREE! If you want to learn how to grow your business, this is an absolute must-read ( and yes, I've already read my free copy!)

To your marketing success,

Randi
P.S. You might also want to check out the great resource Integration Marketing Deal Board
too!

Two Tips to Make Buying Jewelry into a Necessity

Let's face it.....purchasing jewelry is a want NOT a need and is often perceived as a "luxury" item.

How many times have you been "close" to making a sale at your booth and all of a sudden the customer goes "cold" ? What stopped that customer from purchasing your artisan jewelry?

The psychology of the sale is important. It is important that you turn a perceived luxury item, like jewelry, into a necessity in the customer's mind.

But how???

• Involved the customer in the sale-When a potential customer comes into the booth, they will tell you what "drew" them if you ask the right questions by establishing a relationship and getting them involved with the story behing jewelry design/concept. Always ask open ended questions that require MORE than a simple yes or no. For example, "What drew you to that design? color? stone? style?"
• Try it on-Once someone tries on a piece of jewelry and can see how it looks on them, it often goes from a luxury sample to a necessity. Encourage your customers to handle and wear the jewelry you have designed. Plus, make sure you have a mirror so they can see themselves and imagine it's already theirs.

Try these techniques out in a way that is authentic and you will see a difference in your sales because your customer's can't live without your "jewelry " now....it's not a luxury but a necessity!

Non-Profit Events are a Great Opportunity to Raise Brand Awareness in the Local Community

As my jewelry business has grown, I've had the pleasure of partnering with a variety of non-profit organizations from local to nationally recognized. I consider these partnerships to be WIN - WIN relationships; I get the opportunity to support the community and causes that I'm passionate about and also get the bonus of having the opportunity to raise brand awareness for my artistic entrepreneurial passion, Designing-Diva.

A few months ago, I participated in an Earth Day event in Oak Cliff where I had the opportunity to meet Fran Anderson. Fran works in development for the non-profit organization, Texas Discovery Gardens. This led to opportunities to be involved in events held at the gardens.

I've been invited to host a table at the Organic Fashion Show hosted by Texas Discovery Gardens on Tuesday, August 5th. I will be showcasing jewelry designs made from renewable and recyclable resources. 15% of the jewelry sales proceeds will be donated to the Texas Discovery Gardens. I and other participants have also donated items for a Silent Auction.

You can purchase a ticket and help support this non-profit organization here. I do hope you can join me to support this amazing facility in the heart of Fair Park, Dallas!

Hope to see you there!
~Randi
P.S. You never know who you may meet and what connection or opportunity may arise. Always be open and have your smile on so you don't miss out on wonderful opportunities!!

Call for Entries-2009 Beading Contest at Fire Mountain Gems

Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye....calling all jewelry artists....Fire Mountain Gems is now accepting applications for the 2009 Beading Contest. Not only could you win a $1000 gift certificate from Fire Mountain Gems....just imagine the PR you would get from having your jewelry creation photographed and "included" on their website and catalogs!

This is a fantastic contest to enter because of the variety of mediums you can enter in....from "findings" to "Kato-polyclay" and everything in between.

An no excuses because you have plenty of time to experiment and design as the contest deadline is April 15th, 2009.

Just remember, you will never know if you do NOT create and enter! Imagine the possibilities and create with passion!

Okay, I'm off to sketch away (yep, I'm a sketcher) and see where my imagination takes me in my designs!

~Randi

Social Networking-Face to Face

Social networking is a great way to market your handcrafted jewelry/art whilst meeting like minded people.
On the web, there are a huge amount of social networking sites (like Facebook and MySpace) but this post isn't about what you can do online but "off"!

So, where you can you network offline? Here are 3 places to get started....

1. Call your local chamber of commerce for meetings and events.
   
2. Contact your local SBA.
   
3. Find a beading or artist society and be an active member. Ask where you buy your supplies.

Can't find anything in your area? Start a group up yourself.....meet for coffee, share resources like shows and suppliers, spotlight a member monthly , etc....

Don't Let Fear Stop You From Marketing

I recently networked with other new and seasoned artisans and as we were "chatting" about marketing and PR I had a "light bulb" moment. I heard several artists discussing what they "would like to try/do" and "why they had not"........for most, it was a case of "fear" preventing them from doing anything!

Does that sound familiar to you? If it does, hear is your wake up call. Do NOT let fear prevent you from pursuing your passion designing your jewelry and having a market to sell it to!

Whether you want to create a press release, submit or pitch a product to an editor or partner with another business, do NOT let fear prevent you from getting started. There is a wealth of information on "how to's " on the internet, book store, and do not forget any mentors you may have.

Still need a little inspiration? Check out this wonderful blog post on Getting Press for Your Jewelry by Peggy Li. If your still wondering where to start, do not forget to check out the forums at The Switchboards (this is a HUGE resource...be careful you can lose hours reading posts! ^-^)

If you are serious about growing your jewelry business, you must market and get as much PR as possible so that your brand is recognized locally /nationally/internationally (whatever your goal may be). Getting in front of the public and your "niche market" is the key to not only sustaining but growing your business.

Marketing will take a "chunk of your time" if it is to effective and must be conducted on and offline (even if you are e-commerce based).

Write /type your PR goals . Leave space after each goal to document how you will achieve your goal. Prioritize your goals and take the top 2 or 3 and work on them consistently. Put a sticky note on your computer to remind you of what you want to achieve.

Here's to the NO FEAR approach to marketing your artisan jewelry!
-Randi

Marketing Idea -Corporate Business Gifts, Incentives & more

3 Marketing Ideas for your Jewelry Business
A niche market for repeat business-the corporate world

1. This is probably one of my more unusual marketing ideas but I'm sure there are opportunities out there!Last year, I was approached by a start up venture that wanted to include a pair of my 14k GF earrings in their direct mailing with the "motto"...."We think our customers are precious just like gold." This was a paid wholesale order and the bonus was the company included my url on their direct mailing piece in case someone wanted to "order more" and yes, I did make more sales off the referrals. Do you have jewelry or other items that could be used to market another's business? Pitch them!
   
2. Market your jewelry to business for corporate gifts and "major events" to recognize employees like years of service.
3. Do you know of a company that offers incentives based on performance? Approach them with a jewelry design that can have "charms, beads, etc" added on to through the year for various achievements (sales goals, etc). I would like to say this is my idea but I would be fibbing! Check out this success story by Lynn Kvigne on Rena Klingenberg's, Home Business Jewelry Success Tips, blog (which you should be subscribed to if you're serious about making money with your handcrafted jewelry!).

I know many of you reading are having a light bulb moment thinking of "business types" you could pitch with an idea like this. For those who think this doesn't apply to them, how about these "business types"--

• Realtor's-many successful realtor's are composed of teams. Learn who is top dog and pitch them (make sure to include something for men & women!).
• Pharmacy & medical sales-these folks are driven by their numbers. Go to the company's website and call HR to see who would best be able to make an decision. Learn a bit about the company and pitch that person.
• Spas & salons-think about how many women attend a spa or salon everyday??? A staggering amount I guarantee you! Pitch the business owner in these two ways and remember to instill the value of treating clients and employees well!
  

1. Most salons/spas have pamper packages. Pitch the owner to include a FREE jewelry gift for clients who purchase any package over $100.
2. Most employees at salons/spas "rent their space", ask the owner if they offer incentives each month/quarterly to "push products and/or services". Inquire how your jewelry could be used as an incentive for employees to take a proactive step in boosting sales by upselling clients on products and services. This is a win-win situation!

Now, grab the big yellow phone book and look at different business types that you could pitch. Make a list and "customize" your pitch. I would love to hear your success stories. Make a comment !

3 Things to Ensure Your Web site has a Professional Look & Feel

If you are currently using an e-commerce site (aka web site) to sell your jewelry, make sure that you do these 3 things to ensure your potential customers stay long enough to look!

1. Your web pages should load quickly.

• Selling jewelry means you want to show off your gorgeous creations but that also means using web ready images (72 dpi) so your page loads quickly!
• If your e-commerce site has been developed by a vendor, ask for CSS coding of repeating items (header, footer, etc) to ensure quick loading time as well.
• People have the "drive-thru" mentality while shopping/surfing on the web which means that you have seconds to capture their attention. The majority of people will leave your site if it takes too long to load so don't get talked into using flash on the home page!

2. Your web pages should all have a similar look and feel.

• As a visitor changes pages within your web site, your template should remain consistent (colors, location of links etc) so they know that they are still on your site and have not been transferred somewhere else on the virtual web!

3. It should be easy to navigate around your web site.

• DON'T make the mistake of making people have to search to the end of the page or content to link to other areas of your site. If you use graphics for a link, make sure there are text links as well (do NOT assume they will know to click the picture for more information).
  

2009 Saul Bell Award-Enter your Jewelry Design

Rio Grande's Saul Bell Award deadline is just around the corner (Sept 19, 2008). Entering a well known design competition and being a finalist is an awesome way to get some major PR time.

This design competition has several categories including an emerging artist for those under 18:

Gold/Platinum
The predominant metal is gold, platinum or a combination of both. May be cast, fabricated, forged, assembled, or any combination of techniques. Must be your original design.

Precious Metal Clay®
The predominant material is either silver or gold Precious Metal Clay® (PMC), PMC+® or PMC3®. Must be your original design.

Beads
The predominant design elements are beads, pearls, or other strung ornaments. Beads may be any material. Must be your original design or assembly.

Silver
The predominant metal is silver. May be cast, fabricated, forged, assembled or any combination of techniques. Must be your original design.

Hollowware
A vessel that is spun, drawn, forged and/or raised. May incorporate decorative cast or fabricated components into the design. The medium is predominantly silver and/or gold.

Enamel
The predominant surface material must be enamel. Use glass-based enamels and fire on any type of metal. Must be your original design and construction.

You can get an application here....

The Shops At Funky Finds

PSST......want in on a little secret? The fab site , Funky Finds, that promotes independent crafters and artists (like you and me) world wide has now added an e-commerce venue aka The Shops!

There are 4 types of shops available starting at under $10/month. That's about the cost of 2 fancy coffees from Starbucks so what are you waiting for. All you need to get started is a Paypal account and photos of your jewelry (and/or other products).

So, what are you waiting for? Get on over to The Shops @ Funky Finds and check it out!

Jewelry Business Slow ? Have a SALE to bring in cash!

Typically, summer means lean times in the jewelry business but it doesn't have to be! Have a SALE to bring in much needed cash to breathe life into your business; have fun and be creative and people will respond to it even more!

One of my favorite ways to increase jewelry sales is to offer my "regular customers and newsletter subscribers" monthly "specials". Note, I said "special" NOT "sale"! Often, I will create a limited edition design and let them get first crack at it. These "sneak previews" make them feel special (and they are!) and give me valuable feedback as well!

Here are 7 tips from Alicia M Forest on having a sale in your business to bring in cash NOW!

Enjoy!

----Randi

P.S.
Do you have marketing strategy that you would like to share that brings in consistent sales in your jewelry business? Please leave a comment!

Strapped For Cash? 7 Ways to Have a Sale Today
by Alicia M Forest, MBA
Multiple Streams Queen & Coach

Want to encourage people on your email list to buy one (or more) of your products or programs sooner than later? Have a sale! The following are 7 ways that you can provide value to your potential clients/customers and still bring in a profit for you at the same time.

1. Half-Off Sale:

Offer your product or program for 50% off its usual price. That may seem like a big discount - and it is - which means that many more people are likely to buy it.

Or go one step further and offer all your products or programs at 50% off (except any one-on-one work with you, of course!). I've been thinking about buying a few products over the past year from one site, and when they had a 50% off sale recently, I jumped at the chance to buy not just one, but three products for half-price.

2. Close-Out Sale:

Do you have a product or a program that you are no longer going to offer, perhaps to make room for some other offerings? Or are you coming out with a new version of one of your offerings? Have a close-out sale by offering a deep discount.

TIP: As an added bonus, you could then offer those people who bought your offering at the close-out price that same amount in a discount if they buy the new version.

3. Re-Gift Sale:

Remember the Seinfeld episode about re-gifting? Do something similar for the stock of any of your products that have been returned. "Re-gift" them to a new buyer for a discount.

4. VIP Sale:

Offer a coupon or promo code ONLY to your email list, or to your clients, or to those people who have bought from you before, that is good towards the purchase of any one or all of your offerings. You can set this up in your shopping cart system very easily, so there's no other extra work on your part.

5. Free Shipping Sale:

Offer free shipping on any of your physical products for a limited time, or offer free shipping on all orders over a certain amount.

Personally, if I'm looking to purchase something online, I will hunt through a half dozen or so websites to find the one that offers free shipping and make my purchase through them (price of item being equal).

6. Bonus Sale:

Add a valuable bonus or two to your offering for a limited time. It can be something you've created or something from one of your colleagues that your niche would benefit from.

Leverage this kind of sale by doing a "bonus sale swap" with a colleague, where they would offer a bonus from you and vice versa. Your own sale will bring you cash, and your bonus offering for your colleague's sale will bring you more subscribers to your list, which will ultimately bring you more cash.

7. Just Because Sale:

This is a favorite of mine - having a sale just because - it's your birthday, you want to show your gratitude to your list, it's the 1, 5, or 10 year anniversary of when you went into business for yourself, or for any other reason you can think of.

Having a sale WILL increase your sales, but there are some cautions to take when doing so. Only have a sale occasionally, and when you do, have a compelling reason for doing so. Otherwise, if it seems you're always having a sale, you're planting a seed in your potential buyer's mind that your offerings may not be worth their usual price.

So, which kind of sale are you going to have to put some extra cash in your pocket?

© 2008 Alicia M Forest and ClientAbundance.com

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

Jewelry Box and Display Resource Alert

One of the great things about the web is that new potential partners/vendors can find you! I recently got an e-mail from Alice Turner from Prestige Pak about exchanging links. How could I refuse when the link exchange involves wholesale jewelry boxes and displays!

If you are looking for a new package resource for your handcrafted jewelry, check out Prestige Pak for your jewelry boxes and displays!

Randi
P.S.
Let me know what you think and share your favorite packaging resource for others to check out!

Happy 4th of July & Save Some $$$ on Beading Supplies

My kids are super excited as the 4th of July fireworks and mini-carnival will be held from 7-10pm tonight. I see a little cotton candy in my future! Yum. Yum.

I hope that you have a happy and safe 4th!

Randi

P.S.
If you need to stock up on semi-precious round beads, I just got an e-mail that Fusion Beads is having a 20% off sale on all their semi-precious rounds (3mm, 4mm, 6mm, 8mm and 10mm). I have ordered from them before (labradorite and garnet) and was impressed with their prices and FREE domestic shipping. The sale ends July 6th!

Even if you do NOT need beads right now, bookmark the site as a jewelry resource (you can never have enough of those IMHO)!