[Jewelry making - Article 01066] - Re: [Orchid] Women and self-purchases

[Susannah Garcia]

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Hello, Suzanne,

    I've found that a cafe-type atmosphere works really well with
    selling to women. Easy chairs to relax in, hot coffee, chocolate,
    dessert, fruit whatever close by. Laying the jewelery out on a low
    table in front of customers to pick up and examine at their leisure.
    This works especially well with "hard sells": jewelry that has to be
    picked up and worn to be fully appreciated. It's static lying in a
    case, but alive in hand, with light sparkling off of facets and
    textured metal. Plus, this arrangement removes the implied distrust
    a glass case represents. 

    I think for women, buying jewelry is more of a treat or event than a
    purchase. I believe that if the experience is created as being a
    "spa for the soul" it is much more likely to result in a purchase
    rather than if it remains a "counter episode." One of my galleries
    has a coffee bar, and when customers come to my studio they get
    similar treatment, plus two cats. 

    Basically, the philosophy is "a spoonful of sugar makes the credit
    card come out." 

    I also let my absolute best customers "try out" jewelry at home - I
    let them make friends with the pieces. Not everyone can do this, of
    course, but I've never (knock wood) gotten burned, and it's resulted
    in sales. 

    Obviously, this situation won't work for all jewelers. It works for
    me, though, probably because I am such a small operation. When
    customers come to my studio, I try to make them feel like royalty
    visiting their personal jeweler. And since there simply isn't room
    for more than them and me in the studio, it ends up feeling as
    though I only do work for them. So, I can get away with a lot
    case-wise and security-wise that a full-fledged store can't. 

    (An interesting side effect of customers meeting me in my studio is
    that I sell jewelery to men based on the tools they were fascinated
    by during their visit. "What does this do?" becomes "Can you make me
    something using that?" Usually the piece ends up being a
    rolled/forged contraption using a really big mallet I originally
    bought for show.) 

    I realize I've run-on here, but I hope this helps. 

Thank you,
Susannah Page-Garcia
pregnant since 2004 and ready already

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