Sandra J. Paluzzi
The Bead Peddler®

Everyone's thoughts are turning to Christmas.   Both vendors and customers are starting to think about gifts.  There are simple ways you can increase your gift sales both through the holidays and throughout the year.

The most basic way to increase holiday sales is to offer a free gift box.  I personally believe that you should always place a sale in a gift box.  The little white swirl cardboard ones are inexpensive as are small gold or silver pre-tied stretchy bows to hold them shut.  Center a label on the box with your company name and phone number.  People may throw out business cards, but they keep jewelry boxes for many years.  Your phone number will always be available to your customer.

If you want, you can offer a gift wrapping service.  Men tend to like this service.  A few rolls of wrapping paper, some bows and you're all set.  You can charge a fee for this service.

I've kind of put the cart before the horse in this article.  I've discussed packaging your item, but haven't touched on how to sell it in the first place.

I'm sure you've all thought of gift cards.  But they are only one method in an arsenal of means available to increase sales.

Create 'make a wish' cards for your customers wherever you sell.  Have customers fill out a card listing specific items they would like to own.  Have them enter their mate's/children's/parents contact info.  Call their contact person and tell them you have the perfect gift for their loved one - something the recipient has already said she'd love to have. HINT: get your customer's birthdate on the card, file the cards by birth month and you have calls to make all year long.

But let's get back to the holidays (all of them - Christmas, Hanakuh, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, etc).   Have a 'men's night out' jewelry party.  Help the guys select jewelry for their loved ones. While you are thinking of mates and mothers, don't forget Daddy's little girls.  Have a selection of key rings, earrings, or small bracelets priced at stocking stuffer prices.  Create Mommy/Daughter jewelry.  When a man selects a gift for his wife, ask if he would like a matching set made up for his daughter(s).

Have 'make a gift parties'.  These parties are great for kids.  For 10.00 a child, the young ones get to design and make a gift for their mothers or best friends.  Children don't have to be very old to do this.  Have a selection of focal beads, seed beads or sterling spacers, some head pins and earwires.  The child can pick out the focal beads from beads in a cup.  Then you can suggest a few different colors of seed beads for the child's selection. (you probably don't want kids pawing throwing bowls full of seed beadS).  The yount one  can put the beads on the headpin.  Then you secure the headpin onto the earwires.  My nephews did this at ages 7 and 9.  They were very serious about picking out the beads and very intent on putting them on the headpin.  They were so proud and Mom loved the earrings.  She still proudly wears them.

Don't forget husbands/boy friends can also be creative.  What woman wouldn't love a piece of jewelry designed by her man?  Make some sample jewelry sets to display.  Allow your customer to choose a style and a color.  Create the set.  Enclose a gift card saying this piece was custom designed for her with love by (customer's name).

This holiday season is going to be a little slower than most with the price of gas and storm torn regions of the country.  I think that to keep sales at their previous levels, we all have to be more creative.  What better than to involve the customer in the creative process?

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