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Preparing For Sales Appointments

Sandra Paluzzi
The Bead Peddler®

Last month we discussed how to cold call potential customers and make an appointment.  This month we'll feature preparing for the appointments.

First of all, select the pieces you are going to present.  Make sure the pieces are clean and shiny (if appropriate).  Double check those headpin loops, etc. to make sure the jewelry will stay intact.  Once you have selected your jewelry, you have to come up with a pricing scheme.  The wholesale prices should be readily accessible to you when you display your pieces.   Here you have several options, the most obvious of which is to write the wholesale prices on small jewelry tags.  Some artisans come up with one price for several pieces - for example 8 or 9 pairs of earrings which you'll wholesale at 7.50 a pair.  All of these earrings can be grouped together with the price labeled on the display case.  A common marketing tactic is to assign letters of the alphabet to numbers.  For example, I will use my first name and my dog's name.

Sandy:  s= 1, a=2, n=3,d-4, 5=y
Chuckles:  c=6, h=7, u=8, k=9, l=0

If a pair of earrings will wholesale at 9.99, I would write kkk on the tag.  If they wholesale at 7.50 I'd put hyo on the tag.  This enables me to discuss price with the purchasing manager while hiding the cost from any potential customers in the store.  I present my customer with a copy of the price code but am quick to rattle off the translations when they're examining a piece.

How you transport the items to the store is important to your image.  An old cookie tin or cigar box will not cut it.  While most jewelry rolls are too small, there are some rather larges made to hang in closets.  You can make your own roll out of quilted fabric.  The most common option - jeweler's trays with inserts are relatively inexpensive. Again,  if you're not ready to invest in jeweler's trays, you can make your own by covering heavy cardboard with fabric.  Jewelry should be firmly pinned onto the display so that it lays nicely and doesn't get all tangled up in transit. You can buy special cloth carrying cases designed to hold a number of jewelry trays to gather all your trays together for easy transport.  My bead salesman uses a huge suitcase on rollers. Of course, you can be creative and come up with your own  unique carrying case that holds the trays neatly in place during transit.  The trays can become heavy so test the weight to see if you need rollers on your carrying case.

Along with the jewelry, you will want to bring a pen, a sales book and/or an order book that has duplicate copies, a note pad and the ever present business cards.  You may want to include color swatches of material, romance cards, brochures describing you and your work or a framed description of you and your work.  All of the above mentioned optional items could be left at the store to display with jewelry.  In addition, you may want to bring jewelry display items, such as earring trees or bracelet neck displays.   You can use these in your presentation.  You can also give or sell these displays to a store that sells your jewelry.

Now that you've gotten your jewelry, it's time to turn your attention to yourself.  Your hands will be prominent when you are showing your jewelry, so well manicured nails are a must.  If you're going to wear any jewelry other than your wedding rings, make sure it is jewelry you have made.  You may be asked to leave these pieces behind.  Make sure your outfit is pulled together and compliments your jewelry - be it 'girly girl', goth or anything in between. 

Finally, it is time to start off for that first meeting.  This is not a family affair.  You will do better going alone or with your business partner.   Next month, we'll talk about your conduct at the meeting.  Then this segment on cold calling businesses will be complete.

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