Selling your jewellery with style - New blog article

PACKAGING TIP:

Setting out your stall

Before you take on your first craft shows, it’s very much worth considering what style you want to your business to have – are you ethnic or folksy? Maybe your jewellery is contemporary, fun and funky?

Whatever your style, consider what might make your stall more eye-catching and begin to build up a store of display props – a couple of different level stands and a table covering is a good start. Don’t forget, if you want people to remember your name, a business card is important.

Make sure you have a practice run before the big day to ensure you’ve got everything you need. And don’t forget – take a small, select jeweller’s toolbox of tools and findings with you for on-the-spot adjustments – it can mean the difference between a sale and a ‘not today’.

You can find more help on developing the business side of your jewellery making in this book: Marketing & Selling Handmade Jewellery By Viki Lareau.

If you have any tips you’ll like to share or if your just seeking further advice, why not leave us a comment and we will get back to you. Alternatively, why not enter our jewellery making forum packed with friendly jewellers who love nothing more than talking jewellery.

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Here is a view from the other side. I visit lots of craft fairs, just to get the feel of this year's trends. Although I try hard not to copy what I have seen, something obviuosly rubs off to influence my future work. So while I am not going to buy anything, I get thoroughly off piste when I see a stall holder having an intimate conversation with a friend or family member, or sometimes with the stall holder next door. Should I recognise a jeweller friend I keep away if I see a customer hovering. Well that's got that off my chest anyhow.
Kind regards, Dennis.

I done quite a few craft fairs and although I enjoy friends visiting - they don't seem to grasp that I'm there to make a living and not to chit chat. I've missed out on a few sales and connections with customers as friends have popped by and it's impossible to get them to go away. It's a difficult situation as you love the fact that they've come to support you and say hellow, but they rarely by and interfere with the selling process.

I find it quite easy to tell friends to 'bog off cos you're stopping business.' What I don't find easy is when a customer or, worse still, an 'interested bystander' stops to chat. And chat and chat and...

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Originally Posted by Moon Cottage

I find it quite easy to tell friends to 'bog off cos you're stopping business.' What I don't find easy is when a customer or, worse still, an 'interested bystander' stops to chat. And chat and chat and...

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Ha Ha Ha......I've soooo been there, I tend to get the gemstone experts though, who insist on giving me a lesson in the mystical properties of each and every gemstone that they have ever heard of !

It's the people who park their buggies, or who chat to their friends in front of the stand that really get me. I usually pretend I'm tidying up and say "excuse me" very loudly. As for chatting to other stallholders, it really depends on what sort of day I've had. Sometimes it's the only thing that keeps you going - that and chocolate!

That also bugs me Carole, the polishing cloth always comes out at that point to give some items at the front of my stall a quick polish it usually moves them along. Also im the same if its one of those desperately quiet days its not a bad time to have a little chat, i always find out about other events and shows this way, obviously when there is people near or looking at my stall i have a break in chatting, after all i am there to sell and promote my jewellery.

mmmm chocolate.

My least favourite thing is when other jewellery sellers come to look at your things - then start asking how you made something or who you suppliers are! I'm always suitably vague in my response. I think it's kind of weird, I would never approach another seller like that who I didn't know.

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Originally Posted by agent_44

My least favourite thing is when other jewellery sellers come to look at your things - then start asking how you made something or who you suppliers are! I'm always suitably vague in my response. I think it's kind of weird, I would never approach another seller like that who I didn't know.

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That bugs me too! I share a lot of what I do (I teach how to make jewellery so I do share a lot!) but there are limits for business reasons!

My pet hate is having other stall holders who aren't having a good day coming over, standing in front of my stall and putting customers off by moaning loudly at me. I may or may not be having a better day than they are, but either way I wouldn't talk about it in front of a potential customer!