Increase Your Sales

 I came across this just now and think it might have wider relevance. As Patricia says, make a 10-minute space in your day for some inspiration on selling.

From The Design Trust

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Do you want to get more sales, clients or commissions? Of course you do! Grab yourself a nice drink or lunch for this 'long read'. Today I want to take you through these 6 questions to help you get more sales, orders & commissions. See it as a short, unexpected 10 minutes mini-marketing course. Full of ideas & inspiration. For free in your inbox. Enjoy! And feel free to pass it on to other creatives too. ​ Q1: What are you *really* selling? You might think that the answer to this question is: “My jewellery” or “My workshops” or ‘My illustrations & prints”. But … people who buy creative products and services often buy so much more than ‘just a product’! They buy because they want something really original and unique. A special gift for a special friend or occasion. To celebrate. To treat themselves! Start to think about your creative products much more in terms of a 'memory' that they are buying, or a gift that reminds them of 'friendship' or 'the freedom of the sea'. Focus on the feeling that they want to get when they are wearing your colourful necklace or give a beautiful handmade jug with hand-picked wild flowers to a dear friend who is going through hard times. And even if you are selling to shops and galleries think about what you are selling to them. They want to create wonderful displays of emerging or local creatives. They want to show gorgeous hanging flower pots for the summer and to be 'on trend' and share on their Instagram feed. They want to have 'wow pieces' for their window display to lure visitors back into their shop once again. And when you are selling your creative products & services you are also selling a little bit of you of course! That doesn't mean we want to know all your secrets or what you had for breakfast. But your clients want to connect with your creative lifestyle, they want to know how your environment looks like and how that inspires you, your values from sustainable gold, or mindfulness, to Black Lives Matter and how that connects with them as 21st century human beings and consumers. Especially if they love buying from small independents and find it important to spend with small creatives like you! Take action: Brainstorm around what YOU are really selling. Go beyond the 'what' of your products and services, and think about the emotions or feelings your ideal clients have … not just when they are looking to buy, but also when they have bought your work, when they use it or give it to somebody else. WHY do you create the work you do? Emphasis these stories and occasions much more in your social media, your images, your product descriptions and your emails to really connect with the emotional side of buying, owning and loving creative products & services. ​ Q2: Have you got a plan? Did you set a financial goal at the start of 2022? Do you know how many sales you want or need this year? Online, at events, from stockists? We are big fans of financial goals here at The Design Trust! Why? Because without a goal or destination that you are aiming for you will just be running around like a headless chicken or just ‘hoping’ that things will happen and that the universe will listen to you. I personally don’t believe in that working out very well … Plus … if you don’t have a financial goal for your different income streams then you can’t really create a proper marketing plan either! You will need to know which products or services you want to focus on for sales, who your clients are and how much you will charge. Selling £15,- products on Etsy needs a very different marketing approach than selling £150 necklaces online or at an event. Of course, this year is very unpredictable. You might think that there is no point in creating a plan as it will have to change before you have even started. You might have had to change your financial goal for 2022 (we have!). That’s actually perfectly normal! And at least you are being realistic about what's happening in the world right now. You are being pro-active. And you will be more in control when you know what you are aiming for. ​Next Monday morning 4 July I will be hosting a practical 3-hour Plan The Rest of 2022 online workshop where you will be setting your own smart + juicy goals for 2022. ​ ·         Juicy goals + do-able actions for yourself and how to make sure you are in the best mental & physical place to create and work. ·         Juicy goals + do-able actions for your finances, your different income stream goals, to keep an eye on your costs. ·         Juicy goals + do-able actions for your marketing – with my expert tips on exactly what marketing activities to do to get more online sales, event sales, wholesale orders this autumn. ·         Juicy goals + do-able actions for your creative production. To stop making without thinking about who your ideal clients are (see below!), your actual costs + what you can charge. ​If you want to be less overwhelmed and back in charge then join me for this practical, thought-provoking planning workshop next Monday (the first Monday morning of the 2nd half of 2022!). Q3: Who are your ideal clients? And do you know why, when & where they buy? Do you really know who your dream clients are? Why they buy your creative products? When they buy? What’s important to them? What stops them from buying from you? Many creatives find marketing really difficult and it’s often because they don’t really know who their dream clients are. They try to sell to anybody, but then fail as it doesn’t appeal to anybody either! Many creatives rarely think about their clients when producing new work. Some creatives are even scared of their clients! Getting to know your ideal clients at a deeper psychological level can really help you to create products that people love to buy. It can help you to get more confident to create more innovative, unique and more well paid work too. It will help you to connect with the right people who have similar values and interests as you, boosting your inspiration & confidence, and then selling, marketing and talking to them will be so much easier! ​In exactly two weeks’ time on Monday 11 July from 10am – 2pm (UK) I am hosting a 4-hour practical workshop around Dream Clients – to help you to identify, get to know, approach and wow your ideal clients. Step-by-step you will find out and get a lot more confident to reach out to them and get sales and orders. ​ Q4: Are you just selling or actually building relationships? If you don’t really know how marketing works then it often feels like you are ‘pushing’ people to target them to become your client. And especially when you start to get a bit desperate for sales then often it’s very obvious that you are selling the hard way! Marketing & selling should NOT be pushy! At The Design Trust we have a marketing mantra: “People only buy from people they know, like & trust”. Unless people know what you can do for them (see Question 1!) and remember your name (so standing out from the crowd is important!) you will unlikely get any sales. They need to really fall in love with you these days to get their credit card out. And they need to trust that you can deliver. Marketing that works (=to get sales) is based on two principles: 1. Focus on a niche: What are you good at and who is interested in that? Don’t sell to everybody but really focus and get to know your ideal clients. 2. Build relationships with your clients, especially if you are selling unique or less frequently bought purchases, high end work, or services like craft & design commissions or workshops. People need to think about their purchase, and that's part of the natural process of buying from you. Stay in touch and be helpful. Marketing & selling is about pulling in the right people that love what you do & what you stand for! Listening to them, taking care of them, creating value for them in their lives. Get into action: How can you build your profile, credibility & trust with your ideal clients? How can you reach out to them and remind them what you really do? (See Question 1 again!) How can your marketing become more ‘educating them’ around your values or creative process? And especially if you are selling to other businesses, galleries or shops how can you be helpful to them right now? How can you promote them and highlight them on your website, emails or social media? Could you offer to do a demonstration or talk? Have you talked to them about the new work you are developing and have they got the best images to promote you? Q5: Do you encourage clients to spend more? Offer commissions & pre-order! This might sound counter-intuitive but the creatives that are struggling the most right now are those selling work between £100 - £1,000. Why? Because up to £100 is a gift. Either for themselves, or for others. And it’s often a quick purchase that they don’t need to think about too much. There will always be birthdays, weddings or other special occasions that need lovely, unique creative products! Above £1,000 is the territory of commissions and higher end unique work. These are often very special and very personal purchases, for special occasions like wedding anniversaries, house extensions and even memorials. And many collectors will keep collecting! (This part of the market has not been impacted that much by the cost-of-living crises as most of us …) When you are trying to sell work between £100 - £1,000 then often you are both too expensive (for people looking for a gift) and too cheap (for people who want something really unique) at the same time! We are big fans of using more pre-order options and don’t really understand that not more creatives are using this opportunity to promote new work to their clients who then can purchase it for a selected period only at a very special price. The big benefit of pre-ordering is that you get a far better idea of how much stock to create, which designs or colours will be more popular and you will be paid upfront! Very useful indeed for your cashflow and to avoid loads of unsold stock later in the year. We are even bigger fans of commissions! These are creatively, financially and personally great opportunities for creatives to create amazing and really unique works of art, that push your creative skills, raise your profile, and really are very meaningful for your clients too. Commissions really can be amazing for both creatives and their clients. But … we also know that many creatives do not manage their commissions or their clients very well, and have trouble setting boundaries, do not charge properly for their time and expertise, and find it difficult to promote themselves and their commissions. We recently did some research around commissions and realised that there is very little advice around this important topic and income stream. So, we created this brand-new online course Creative Commissions to help creatives manage commissions professionally (with loads of templates!), price your commissions properly and promote yourself too. ​Creative Commissions is a 2 x half day online course on 14 – 15 July PLUS we have invited 3 creatives and experts for 3 x 1-hour interviews too so you can learn from their expertise and as them questions too. Can’t make this course live? No problem! All the sessions are recorded and you will have access till the end of 2022 to the course. Q6: Do you encourage repeat business? And finally … something that’s often overlooked by creatives: your existing or previous clients! Don’t take them for granted. They already know you, like you, and trust you! So it's often much easier to sell to them. Get into action: Have you heard about the Pareto principle or the 20/80 effect? It turns out that about 20% of your sales will come from 80% of your clients! Do you know who your top clients are? Check your bookkeeping system and see who those top clients are. Can you get to know them better? Do you know where they live, what gender they are, how much they spend and how often they return? If they bought online or at a specific event? Even simple factual data like that can help you to get to know them, and to connect with them better. Could you let them know that you are working on some new work that’s related to what they purchased before? Hint: Tell them they are the first to know about this new collection you are launching in September! Have you got an event coming up near them that they might like to get an invite to? What else would this client like to buy? Could you give them special treatment to show that you appreciate their custom? Can you create exclusive videos showing your creative process, could they get VIP invites for your Summer Sale, or can you give them free postage & packaging next time they buy? Making your clients less ‘strangers’ and more human beings is really the only way to build your business, your ideas, your creativity and your confidence. ​ And that’s it! The end of your unexpected mini-marketing course! 6 questions to help you get more sales this summer. I hope you found it useful and that you got inspiration to take some action too. And of course we would love to help you with getting more sales & getting more organised in one of our 3 Summer courses. Looking forward to seeing you. Patricia van den Akker The Design Trust – the online business school for designers, makers & other creative professionals ​www.thedesigntrust.co.uk @TheDesignTrust​ ​ ​

Quoting for Fused Glass Commissions

When quoting on a fused glass commission, what are all the factors to consider?

Commission for Glasgow University

Quote the same way as for leaded or copper foil.  But if you don’t work in those forms, that statement will not be much help.

The elements to consider are:

·        Design time and value (making sure you retain the copyright of the design).

·        Amount of time to assemble. You need to think clearly about how long it really takes.  You need to be charging a reasonable amount for your time. Think about skilled trades people’s charges and that you have additional artistic skills.

·        Amount of glass to be purchased (rather than used) to make the piece, even if much is from stock – you must replace it after all.

·        Number and cost of kiln firings.  Be clear about how many firings might be required, if something does not work out first time.  Be clear about how much each firing costs including depreciation on the kiln.

·        Incidental supplies.  All the little things that are necessary to supply your practice, such as art materials, kiln supplies, etc.

·        Overheads. This is the cost to run your practice.  If the studio is part of the home premises, add a proportion of the running expenses of the house to the cost.  The cost of business - advertising, promotion, printing, etc., all need to be included.

·        Profit. You do need to make a profit to stay in business. Decide what that is and add that percentage to the cost.

·        Allowance for contingencies (20% of the price already determined is usual).

·        Delivery/installation costs (normally in addition to the cost of design and making).

It is advisable to find out what the client’s budget for the commission is before starting any designing.  If it is too small for their specification, decline the commission.  Otherwise, you can design to the budget.  A large budget allows expansive or highly detailed works.  A small budget restricts the size or detail possible.

Some people charge more for a commission. Some, like me charge less, as I am getting most of the money up front, rather than maybe sometime in the future.  Cash is important.

Some artists take 1/3 to make the design, 1/3 on approval of design, and final 1/3 on completion. This is widely used in the interior design field. You may want to consider requiring a non-refundable deposit of one third to make a start and the remaining two thirds on completion as an alternative. 

A contract of some sort is essential.  It needs to cover the expectations of both parties.  Cost, of course.  When is it to be completed? Requests for colours, shapes, location, style, etc.  If the client wants approval at various stages, you need to either state what these stages are, or more sensibly, decline the commission. 

The contract does not have to be legalistic.  It can be a letter stating the terms of the commission that is sent by you to the client and acknowledged by them.

Determining the price for a commission requires consideration of the costs of time and materials, and the values of what you do.  A contract of some sort is required. It can be a simple letter with a statement of the agreed conditions.

Advice on Commissioning Craft

This is an outline of information you can give to a potential client to help them with the process of commissioning.

If you have always imagined owning something unique and original, or like to be distinctive and stylish and can’t find what you are looking for on the high street, then commissioning could be the way forward.

If you are nervous about taking the next step and uncertain what is involved, these are the key stages.
Step 1: What do you want?
Step 2: Research by looking at ideas and images that suit your imagination. Note who is working in that kind of style.
Step 3: Write a brief of what you have discovered and then discuss your ideas with the artist you have identified.
Step 4: Discuss the budget and get a written quotation.
Step 5: Agree on the time frame for progress and delivery updates. There are sometimes difficulties in making unique items.
Step 6: Communicate regularly with each other.

Remember, because the process is about communication, there is the potential for misunderstandings and differing expectations by the commissioner and maker. Make sure you have thought the process through before proceeding and ensure all aspects are clarified in writing before you begin - including the quotation, payment schedule, time frame, etc.

And finally…… Enjoy it

The opportunity to commission a piece is an exciting experience and can be rewarding to both you and the maker. As long as you are prepared, and keep communicating with each other, you will become the owner of a unique and special piece of work which will bring hours of pleasure and will be the envy of your friends. 



The full information can be downloaded from craftscotland

Commissioning

Commissioning a stained glass window, screen or lamp involves entering into a contract with the designer/maker. It is therefore important that both client and maker know exactly what is involved.

· The price of the work should be established. The materials used in the making of a window, especially the glass itself, can be expensive and the possibility of commissioning a well-designed leaded light should not be ignored.

· The maker will need to know the budget for the work and will provide an estimate, and may require a down payment before beginning work and perhaps payment by instalments, depending upon the cost of the materials involved.

The designer will prepare a preliminary design, according to the client's brief.

· The design should indicate the nature of the construction and the position of any ferramenta or physical support.

· This design should be as detailed as possible. It may be accompanied by samples of the proposed glasses.

· The client must be prepared to recompense an artist for design(s) prepared according to a brief, whether or not it proceeds to execution.

· The copyright in all cases remains the property of the artist.

The arrangements for the execution of the commission must also be satisfactorily established, including those for installation. If necessary, the advice of an architect should be sought; for church commissions, the architect responsible for the church should be involved from the outset. If the window is to be sited in an exposed position or in an area where vandalism is known to be a problem, protective measures should be considered.

Also look at Commission Agreements

Advice for Surviving a Selling Event,.2

Customers

Don't judge people by their appearances.

Keep smiling and never lose your cool even with difficult customers. Listen to them. They may actually have a point. They know what they like and don't like and they're not afraid to tell you.

Never undertake something that you don't really, really want to do. Steer them round to what you make. Be firm if a customer is making unreasonable demands. Is the job actually worthwhile?

Commissions

Once they decide they want something give the customer your time. Find out what they like about it, what they don't like, what space it's going in, is it on the wall? The time spent will pay dividends as the most important thing is your time and they'll remember it afterwards.

Write everything down in one place - name, address and add something which you can easily remember them by. Agree a price and usually include delivery and insurance as extras.

Never give discounts.

Timescale - you'll have lots of work after the event - so start commissions several weeks or months afterwards. Be good and let them know if there's a delay or a problem.

For a commission people do expect to pay a deposit. Ask for a round figure. Give them a receipt.

More information is available from the Business Fact Sheet for Scottish Crafts at craftscotland