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How To Instantly Increase Your Jewelry Sales By Up To 70%

By on November 7, 2011
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How to Instantly Increase Your Jewelry Sales
by up to 70%

by Gary Capps, guest author on Wire-Sculpture.com

Now I realize that this is a bold headline.

Can it really be true?

Is it really possible that you can increase the sales of your jewelry by up to 70% instantly?

Well the answer is yes, and I’m going to explain to you a head-slapping simple sales technique that can help you do just that.

Before I do that I just want to take a second to introduce myself to the readers of the Wire-Sculpture.com blog.

My name is Gary Capps and I am the owner and creator behind Bead Manager Pro Jewelry Software. Over the last 5 years we have been helping jewelry artisans just like you to create profitable jewelry businesses.

I’ve been lucky enough to work with hundreds of people during that time and get insight into the ins and outs of what works and what doesn’t work to help coach those people to make a success of their passion.

Last year we became good friends with some of the great team at Wire-Sculpture.com and Rose asked me if I would share some of the tips we’ve learnt over the last few years here on the blog.

Now I’m pretty sure most business owners would like to be able to increase their sales by 70% instantly, but it just doesn’t work in every business.

However, the great news is that this little gem of advice (excuse the pun) works perfectly in the home jewelry business.

This is so simple it’s brilliant; when I heard about it I was amazed by the simplicity yet full power of the way that a few little words could change a business.

That’s right: words.

You may be doing this already, selling one item for $30 and two for $50, but what do you SAY when someone asks you the price.

Here’s the conversation most people have:

Customer: “How much is that necklace?”
You: “They’re $30 each, or you can buy two for $50.”
Customer: “Thanks, I’ll take that one.”

Now check out a new way of saying things:

Customer: “How much is that necklace?”
You: “They’re two for $50.”
Customer: “Ok, those two are nice, I’ll have them.”

Obviously this is a very simplified version of any potential conversation, but do you see the subtle difference?

Before, they were given a choice.

Now we are only giving them one option.

Do not underestimate this very tiny change in language.

By giving the customer the option to purchase two items the majority of the time, if a customer is already serious about making a purchase, they will upsell to two items.

If you think this sounds to simple you should know that McDonalds have added millions to their bottom line every year with this same basic strategy.

Think about it, you go to McDonald’s, order a burger and what do they say?

“Would you like fries with that?”

Those 6 simple words are literally worth millions and millions of dollars every year to McDonalds.

It’s the same basic sales principle that you can add to your jewelry-selling arsenal.

This is why I said it only works for some business; obviously, if you’re selling houses, the two-for-one offer doesn’t fly much, but when we’re looking at smaller impulse buying, this can have tremendous effect on your bottom line.

And of course if the customer says they only want one, well, there’s no law says that you shouldn’t just sell them one, but try to sell two at first.

Now preparation and setup for a show can help increase how this strategy will work, so let’s review some of the basics there.

Preparing For A Show:

To increase your chances of success even more using this very simple strategy lets take a look at how you prepare for your next craft show or home jewelry party and what you might make to help improve your double sales technique.

Think about the preparation ahead of time and plan what you are going to make and how you are going to display it.

Research the show and the type of audience that are going to be there.

One of the most important things you can do is ask the organizers for sales figures from last year’s show and what the average spend was.

This can be vital information because if you know that the average spend last year at the show you’re just about to attend was $50, and you are planning on trying to sell $200 pieces, you are likely to have a hard time.

Knowing this ahead of time you can create the right pieces at the right price point for the audience you are about to encounter.

To make the two-for-one sale strategy work even better try making matching sets of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings.

If you get a customer at your booth who falls in love with your beautiful necklace that you have made that you’re selling for $30, how hard do you think it would be to upsell them to a matching pair of earrings for another $20?

Certainly nowhere near as hard as trying to sell them a completely separate piece.

But what about if you specialize in creating One-Of-A-Kind (OOAK) jewelry pieces with no matching sets?

Don’t worry, let’s look at setting up your displays and how you can help to increase your double sales odds by setting up the correct way.

How To Display Your Jewelry Pieces:

There’s normally a pretty typical way that that a lot of artisans will display their jewelry at shows and it’s not eye catching.

I’m sorry, but it’s true for so many.

How many shows have you been to where you lift things out of trays, dig underneath one bracelet to get to another, or everything’s just laying flat on a table so nothing catches your eye at all when you walk past?

Quite often I’d bet.

So take moment to set your stand up in a way that it catches your eye as you walk past.

If you have created matching sets, keep them together but elevate items off the table at different levels.

While a flat table looks beautiful, when you’re up close, because you can see everything at once, nothing catches your eye to start with to get customers there.

If you have OOAK pieces, keep them in groups, so your necklaces together, your earrings together, your bracelets together, etc.

That way when someone picks up one piece and asks how much it is, you’re ready to say “Those are two for $50″ straight away.

Set up at least one piece as a “Wow” centerpiece attention-grabber. You can use lights or mirrors to accentuate effects as well.

Make sure once you are done setting up that you walk away for at least 5 minutes to clear your brain, then come back and look at your stand from different angles.

  • Does it catch your eye?
  • Would you stop to look at that centerpiece there?
  • How do the other stands look around you?
  • Are they more eye catching?

You need to get people to your stand to be able to sell them anything, so having a centerpiece can just help to catch people’s eye and get the most basic transaction started: a smile.

Remember, a smile can lead to a conversation, which leads to questions and when they ask “How much?” now you know what to say: “Those are two for $50″!

So in final summary:

  1. Most Important: Price two items into each sale transaction as a FIRST sale attempt. If you don’t get that, you can always come down to one item.
  2. Know your market and price point, and be prepared for your next show.
  3. Create the right pieces for your market.
  4. Create a unique eye-catching display.
  5. Take advantage of any interaction and SMILE.
  6. Be genuine, honest, and helpful to your customers, they’ll appreciate it.

So give this a go at your next booth sale or jewelry party. Be confident in what you say and make sure you offer your customer assistance with their choice.

If you leave any comments or questions below I’ll do my best to answer them for you.

Happy Selling :)

Gary Capps
Bead Manager Pro Jewelry Software

46 Comments

  1. avatar

    Bobbi helms

    November 7, 2011 at 10:03 am

    Very straightforward, easy to understand (and follow) advice. Thanks!

  2. avatar

    Karen Boudreau

    November 7, 2011 at 10:45 am

    Thank you Gary, the timing for your advice could not come at a better time! Much appeciated, Karen

  3. avatar

    Lori Crawford

    November 7, 2011 at 11:04 am

    Thank you so much for this tip! I will try it this next weekend and see how it works. It sounds like a winner.

  4. avatar

    DeLane

    November 7, 2011 at 11:28 am

    Gary,
    I’m very new at this, and have never done retail sales. Can you explain what exactly “price points” are and how they are used? Thanks for all of the other information. I think some of your suggestions will make a difference in the way I approach my sales.

    • avatar

      dalecgr

      November 7, 2011 at 7:09 pm

      Hi DeLane, Dale here – a “price point” can be a variety of things from including tax in the retail price so a customer finds it easier to pull out a 10 or 20 dollar bill, rather than $18 + tax. Or it can be what the area you are selling in considers their “comfort zone” when it comes to buying handcrafted jewelry. An artist’s price point can also be based on the quality of the supplies used in their work, as well as the quality and originality of the finished piece. For example, if an item is made of silver-filled wire, it should not be the same price as one made using sterling silver or Argentium silver wire – even though the beads or gemstones used in the design are of high quality. Your price point could also be based on what others in your area are selling their handcrafted jewelry for. A well known designer will be able to sell their work for more than a new artist on the market, even if the work of the new artist is exceptional but they have not yet established a reputation. This year, walk a couple of shows in the areas that you would like to market and check out the quality as well as the prices and then also watch to see if those things are selling. Pricing your work is absolutely the most difficult thing for any of us to do! And unfortunately there is no “one way” to go about it. I wish you awesome success this season! Dale

    • avatar

      Gary

      November 7, 2011 at 7:10 pm

      Hi DeLane

      Price points are really about meeting consumer demand and expectation while maintaining a good profit for you and your business.

      Price to low and you may make a lot of sales but little to no profit.

      Price to high and you may make few sales but a high profit on each individual sale, but if you don’t make enough sales your overall profit is negligible.

      There’s a really great page in wikipedia here on price points which explains how they can really effect supply and demand.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_points

      Hope that helps :)

      Gary

      Bead Manager Pro Jewelry Software

  5. avatar

    Virginia

    November 7, 2011 at 11:38 am

    Hello and thank you for the “tips” for selling ooak jewelry. At my venue I sell a good bit of high end jewelry. However, I believe in having medium and lower end jewelry available for those who cannot afford high-end.
    I set up my table with the high-end pieces at one end and medium priced in the middle and the low end at the far end of my table. My question: Is this the right way to display my jewelry or should I intermix the high, medium and low on the table. Thanking you in advance.
    Virginia.

    • avatar

      dalecgr

      November 7, 2011 at 6:57 pm

      Hi Virginia, how has this type of arrangement worked for you in the past? Personally I like to place a “show stopper” in middle of a display, with lesser priced items around it so the customer who is attracted to the “big” one will see that they can afford something equally as beautiful with a lesser price tag.

    • avatar

      Gary

      November 7, 2011 at 7:15 pm

      Hi Virginia

      I agree with Dale.

      That strategy may work at some shows but not so well at others.

      Using the “show stopper” as an attraction to get people looking at your stuff to start with can be key.

      Once they are there engaging customers and understanding what their needs are is your next step to making a sale.

      Don’t be afraid to ask them questions, maybe even what sort of budget they are looking at for an item, then you know exactly what they are after and you can always try to up-sell them :)

      Gary

      Bead Manager Pro Jewelry Software

  6. avatar

    Nathalie

    November 7, 2011 at 11:59 am

    Thanks Gary, very insightful information… I will try that tactic next weekend. I also use your software which has helped with pricing pieces appropriately and track my inventory. My table is somewhat eye-catching with variations in height displays and props. However, I still feel I do not have enough bling to attract people from a distance especially in indoor markets where one cannot display a large banner. Do you have any suggestions or links where I can get additional ideas?

    • avatar

      dalecgr

      November 7, 2011 at 6:55 pm

      Hi Nathalie, do you have lots of lights to really bring out the “sparkle” and “bling” to attract potential customers eyes? I always have my biggest crystal earring display under the brightest lighting possible. Just a thought.

  7. avatar

    Karen

    November 7, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    Great information – I’ll try those words at my next show! Loved this article!

  8. avatar

    Barbara

    November 7, 2011 at 1:28 pm

    Hi Gery, thank you for the advise I will try it for sure.
    I found it depents where much on the place and the area you are selling.Since the money is tight people are not willing to pay out money for Jewelery as easy as befor.
    Where I sold in the past to now is a differenc like day and night. Will try and see if it works let you know.

    • avatar

      Gary

      November 7, 2011 at 7:19 pm

      Good luck Barabara.

      It is definitely a different time for selling now, but this tactic is still be really effective since people love a bargain.

      Gary

      Bead Manager Pro Jewelry Software

  9. avatar

    Linda Keesee

    November 7, 2011 at 1:30 pm

    Thank you for the great advice. I have a show coming up next month, I will have to try this next month.

  10. avatar

    Laura Bracho

    November 7, 2011 at 2:08 pm

    We like to strategically place high end show stopper sets on busts and risers. Around them are medium priced pieces. The eye catching higher priced items attract the buyers. If the price seems high they will pick up a nearby piece and it will seem affordable in comparison. The psychology of this selling technique wonders for our sales.

    • avatar

      dalecgr

      November 7, 2011 at 6:52 pm

      I totally agree Laura, our “big” pieces catch a potential customer’s eye and when they see the price they often pick up a lesser priced item so they can at least own a piece of “you” :)

  11. avatar

    Daniella

    November 7, 2011 at 2:29 pm

    Thank you, that was an eye opener for me as I have yet to make or even sell one good piece!! I am just starting out and am practicing joining beads together, so far I made a wee bracelet for my granddaughter, with a hook and eye closure, all made by me and it felt so darned GOOD!! When I can made good loops and good joins, I will start experimenting with my good beads and wire. Your advice is going to be printed and kept where I can see it, muchas gracias amigo!! Question: What is the simplest and best way to come up with a price for ones creations????? That has me stymied.

    • avatar

      dalecgr

      November 7, 2011 at 6:44 pm

      Hi Daniella, pricing your jewelry these days really has a lot to do with the market you are selling in. For example, at a Farmer’s or Flea Market or at a small arts & crafts show, medium to lower priced items will sell better than higher priced pieces. At a juried “art” show, especially one where customers have to pay an entrance fee to shop, medium to higher end pieces will do better. Of course, it’s always smart to have “impulse” buys available, such as simple headpin earrings for $10 to $15 or $18 a pair. Have you read “How to Price Your Wire Jewelry”? It may offer some extra insight about different pricing formulas that could help you.
      Dale

    • avatar

      Gary

      November 7, 2011 at 7:23 pm

      Hi Daniella

      You may also like to review our tutorial on How To Price Your Jewelry using Bead Manager Pro:
      http://www.beading-software.com/how-to-price-your-jewelry/

      Hope that helps.

      Gary

      Bead Manager Pro Jewelry Software

  12. avatar

    Lori Shumey

    November 7, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    Hi Gary… thanks for the awesome info. I will definitely try this this weekend.
    My problem is … I have a display of four panels… ea 2×4′ that hold approx. 100 pairs of earrings each. These are freestanding walls.. I have the earrings nicely displayed, matching colors etc. I also have two 2×4′ tables in two heights for my necklaces, bracelets, pendants, small fun items like keyrings & bookmarks. I can never figure out the best layout for these pieces. My booth measurement for this weekend is 8′ long x 6′ deep. I also bring along my supplies to make things onsight. Everything always seems so squished. Gosh… I sure could use some help! Maybe there is a sight you could recommend with layouts.
    Thanx sooooo much
    LoriAnn

    • avatar

      dalecgr

      November 7, 2011 at 6:50 pm

      Hi Lori, Dale here – I know exactly what you mean!! Sometimes we have so many cool things to offer customers that we want to put them all out at once! This can really confuse a customer however, as there is just too much for them to take in at one time. A while back I wrote an article about booth displays that includes photos, and it is followed by some great suggestions from other jewelry designers. Check it out: “Wire Jewelry Display and Booth Ideas” and maybe it will help you this season :)

  13. avatar

    Tracy

    November 7, 2011 at 6:50 pm

    Hello and thank you for the advice

    I live in norway and things are quite different here. I do a daily market in oslo. The nowegian people are very shy and honestly scared.. When i say hello or ask if they need any help. Some just literaly walk away with no responce or say no i am just looking then walk away. Or even just try to look from such a distance where they dont have to interact with myself or my husband.. It is odd do you have any advice on how to engage peple who want to buy but are to shy or nervous to speak.. Thank you for you time
    Tracy

    • avatar

      Gary

      November 7, 2011 at 7:32 pm

      Hi Tracy

      That’s a tough one.

      If that’s a cultural thing and Norwegian people are really shy about engaging in sales talk with you then I would say you need to be really clear with your written sales and marketing messaging.

      Make sure you have very clear price points on your pieces.

      Write big colourful signs “Two For One Sale On Necklaces Today Only” (for example)

      Or maybe try creating some sales incentive and putting something on your signs to encourage them to engage you first such as “Ask Me How You Can Get A free Pair Of Earrings With Every Purchase!”

      I’d love to hear how you get on and if that helps to make a difference, please drop me a line at garyc (at) beading-software.com and let me know how you did as I’m sure lots of my customers would be interested to hear how you did.

      Gary

      Bead Manager Pro – Jewelry Software

      • avatar

        Tracy

        November 8, 2011 at 6:51 pm

        Thank you very much for your thoughts.
        I have signs up now in bright yellow actually written in norwegian so its easier to understand even though they all speak english.. Also I notice they feel more comfortable when I am solo in the booth, if anyone else is there with me or I am busy I notice they are nervous to interupt so iIam learning not to chat too much and finish sales quickly.

        I just am finding to hard to adjust to since I am from originally the Boston area where people are loud and open. Also I live and do sales in Italy as well and people there are like Americans, open honest and very upfront with questions..
        But as you mentioned it is a curtural thing even the Norwegian children when you say hello they walk away with no response. If anyone has any advice to try different things to engage shy nervous people, I will try it all…I even have a childs section and different levels of value from 1 dollar to over 100 sets and original art. So trying it all and open to anything …
        Thanks again so much – sorry for the rambling, this subject really bothers me and I want to fix it…

  14. avatar

    Terri

    November 7, 2011 at 8:09 pm

    What a great idea. How can we apply this to online sales?

    • avatar

      Gary

      November 10, 2011 at 7:11 am

      Hi Terri

      Online sales are obviously a fair bit different as you cant actually engage in a two way conversation with a customer.

      I wouldn’t say this style of sale cant be used but there are many other forms of offer you can use on websites but it really depends on the setup and technology you have.

      Amazons model of showing items that other people purchased who bought something similar to whatever you have just purchased was widely copied by lots of other platforms due to its simplistic success.

      Online sales really can be a different task though, maybe I’ll cover some pointers on that in another article.

      Gary

      Bead Manager Pro Jewelry Software

  15. avatar

    Dorothy

    November 7, 2011 at 10:36 pm

    Thank you so much for the good advice. It makes a lot of sense. I only have one comment, in response to your advice to the lady in Oslo, Norway. Don’t put “Today Only” if it isn’t for today only. It’s a lie. Or, don’t call it a “Special two for . . . sale” if it isn’t really a special. Also a lie. I would never advertise in a way that misrepresents what is a consistent practice, just to increase sales. I had a professor once who had a saying I live by: “It’s never right to do wrong to do right.”

    • avatar

      Gary

      November 8, 2011 at 12:37 am

      Hi Dorothy

      Absolutely right, I certainly wasn’t suggesting that you should be misleading, that’s why I just said for example.

      The key is to come up with an inviting offer and promote it clearly on the stall to ensure that those shy customers are intrigued to enquire further.

      Cheers

      Gary

      Bead Manager Pro Jewelry Software

      • avatar

        Dorothy

        November 8, 2011 at 3:26 pm

        Thanks for the clarification. I wasn’t implying you were encouraging misleading anyone, just wanted to make sure it was clarified. By the way, I have your Bead Manager Pro, and am just starting to use it. It looks pretty good, and I’m looking forward to using it’s very valuable functions.

        • avatar

          Tracy

          November 8, 2011 at 6:59 pm

          Thanks for looking out.. And i actually knew what he meant just as a example but you are right since i do a outdoor market daily i cant say one day only but i can do a day to day special each day a week inwas going to try a special of the day…

          Good luck with the program i have never followed aprogram just trial and error here ..

        • avatar

          Gary

          November 10, 2011 at 7:15 am

          No problem at all Dorothy.

          Great to hear that you have BMPro.

          I look forward to hearing from you in the future with some feedback so please do come over and join us on Facebook and post your comments there.

          Cheers

          Gary

          Bead Manager Pro Jewelry Software

  16. avatar

    Editta

    November 8, 2011 at 11:21 am

    I am a bigginer . Making jewelry is my hobby. My friend offered me to display my work at her store for commision. What would be the right percentage to offer her for doing this?

    • avatar

      Tracy

      November 8, 2011 at 7:04 pm

      I sell a tiny bit of my friends stuff he loves to make it and hates to sellnso i tell him give it to me for free and when it sells we split 60/40. 40 for me since he makes itnand doesnthe initial invetment… But itnis gold silver and all high end crystal so we both make out well…. Other may do it different but thats how i work it… Because you work hard to make it but it is hard to sell sometimes as well.. I think if no actual agressive sales is happening maybe its just on a shelf in her store the percentage lower like 25%. This is just one woman opinion but i hope it helps

    • avatar

      Gary

      November 10, 2011 at 7:23 am

      Hey Editta

      I assume your question actually relates to what should you pay them if they sell your piece, not just display it?

      It really depends on the product and cost because commissions can vary between 20-50% or more.

      You need to factor in a few things:

      1 – Make sure you know what it cost you to make the piece.
      2 – What profit you need to make after costs (all of them) to make it worth your while.
      3 – How likely are they to sell your pieces. If they sell lots great, you can focus on creating. If they don’t sell many then you need to find other sale3s avenues so they’re not really helping you out.

      Try to think a little outside just the number and look at what the overall transaction of display versus your work versus the number of sales will work for you.

      Hope that helps.

      Gary

      Bead Manager Pro Jewelry Software

      • avatar

        Editta

        November 12, 2011 at 10:01 am

        Thank you very much for your advise. It is helpfull. I will see how it goes.

  17. avatar

    Missy B

    November 10, 2011 at 6:58 pm

    Thanks Gary, that makes a lot of sense.

  18. avatar

    Patricia C Vener

    November 12, 2011 at 5:37 pm

    All of my pieces are one of a kind and with higher price points. As well, I am unable to do fairs/shows this year but rather must sell online and find a way to connect with people who might want a private showing or host a small trunk show. I am still trying to find ways of connecting with people both online and in person that fit with all this.

    I was really hoping this topic might yield something new and useful for me. Rats. LOL

  19. avatar

    Debbie Minter

    November 13, 2011 at 9:38 pm

    Thanks for this Gary.

    I have Bead Manager Pro and I love it. Before I use to be all over the place with my collection and stuggled to keep on top of all the bits I had stashed away. It took a while to get it all setup and entere in but was so worth it in the end.

    The tips and advice you provided me were wonderful and have been very helpful so I’ll look forwrad to using this one as well.

    All the best

    Debbie

  20. avatar

    Caroline

    November 14, 2011 at 5:11 pm

    I’m just starting out making my jewelry to sell so this advice is great for me.
    Any other tips on how to get started with selling before I get to the point of having a stall at the market?

    • avatar

      dalecgr

      November 14, 2011 at 5:38 pm

      Hi Caroline, be sure to read: Resources for Jewelry Selling and Marketing as well as the individual articles that are linked within it. I have spent many hours training folks on how, where and when to sell, as well as how to price and display. Have fun!

  21. avatar

    Eugenia

    November 17, 2011 at 2:48 pm

    Hi! Irene here. I got some advice from my 12 year old grandson. Not only was it a shocker, but it works…. ALL THE TIME….
    The conversation…
    “Gramma, how do people know you were the one who made the jewelry? I think you should be making some nice stuff while you’re selling. You make those birthstone rings, you could make them to order while the people wait or come back for the stuff. Some people might even ask to sign up for your classes if they see you making stuff.” I ask you, how’s that for business sense. Pretty smart kid and it works like a charm.. I printed your advise and the responses I have every intention of using as many as I can. Don’t know what I would do without all the advise from so many knowledgeable people… Thank you, thank you, thank you.

  22. avatar

    AJ

    April 30, 2015 at 2:20 pm

    Hi!,

    I am new to selling my creations and will forever use the techniques described here. Bloody brilliant and oh so simple. It jsut goes to show you, simple solutions are always best. I cannot tell you how many times Ive ask, how much and heard 1 for 20 or two for 30 then ended up with one. What an eye opener lol~