Marketing 101—your elevator pitch
You might think your work “speaks for itself,” but you actually speak for your work. Say you meet a potential client, your perfect retailer, or even a member of the press and you have exactly 12 seconds to make them fall in love with your jewellery brand. You need an “elevator pitch” or “brand story.” What sets you and your designs apart? Is it your materials, techniques, core values, journey, or purpose as an artist? Your story has to be distilled, clear, and concise with powerful, evocative, and engaging words that effortlessly turn those 12 seconds into a full-blown conversation about your work. Brainstorm the heck out of it. Bounce it off friends, colleagues, or even strangers for that matter. You’ll know when you get it right.
Try avoiding phrases like “my work expresses movement,” or “I am inspired by nature.” If either of these things are true, you need to expand on the idea because there are at least 1000 other jewellery artists saying the same thing.
It took me two years to hone my brand story to the point where I was able to position myself on the market with a strong unique selling proposition (USP) and tagline that gets me noticed and remembered.
Dialing for dollars
Your research has led you to find some amazing retailers, with a clientele that could truly fall in love with your designs. You are psyched to sell.
Now, pick up the phone and call. If you are reluctant to make a cold call, send an e-mail with two or three beautiful photos of your work or drop a postcard in the mail to introduce yourself, then follow up with a call.
I remember the first time I called a retailer; I paced for three hours, winding myself up into a tizzy before I finally mustered up the nerve. In the end, the call was relatively painless and I booked a meeting!
What if they say “no”? “Simply move on. You are one step closer to a ‘yes,’” says Tracy Matthews, co-founder of Flourish & Thrive Academy—a program to help jewellery designers launch successful businesses.
Once you have booked your meeting, do your homework so you can personalize your presentation. Learn everything you can about each of the stores you visit; what designers they carry, their price points, and their target clientele.
Paperwork and pencil-pushing
Before you head to your first meeting, you have to prepare certain documents to conduct business with retailers. Though sales may not be your forte, creating a few documents will make it a breeze—your terms of sale, wholesale order form, and a line sheet for each collection will all be required.
| THE PAPERWORK |
|
What to define in your terms of sale:
Wholesale order forms should have boxes and lines for your products and totals, as well as:
Line sheets (a business term for your wholesale catalogues) should, ideally, be created for each collection. It should be “standalone,” telling retailers everything they need to know about you, your collection, and how to order, including:
|
