Artists and Designers: How To Communicate Value To Your Wholesale Customers

credit: Making Bird Pottery – Tasha McKelvey.

Photo credit: Balin Kim

You want to stand out, right? Of course, you do. You would be crazy to answer any other way. ALL small business artisans want to stand out, it's imperative in this day of the mega-store and cheap goods made in China.

The first step to getting attention in the market of artisan and indie-made goods is to make really great products. Check, you got that.

The next step is to communicate the value of those products to both your future and current customers. Hmm, that one sounds easier said than done to you? Don't worry, there are actually some pretty easy things you can do to communicate the value of your goods to your wholesale customers.

Remember, you're not only selling your goods, you are selling the experience of buying your goods too. Keep this in your mind when interacting with your customers. The actions you take, the things you say speak volumes are just as important as having quality-made goods.

• Be professional! Nothing is more likely to scare away customers faster than unprofessional behavior. Make sure to follow professional etiquette at all times.
• Do what you say you are going to do. If you email a customer and say you will have an order out in 2 weeks, get it out in 2 weeks. Boutique owners can't make money with an empty shop and they may think twice about ordering if orders are consistently late.
• Make it right. Whatever it is, make it right. Retailers will remember your willingness to fix a problem and will be more likely to reorder. If you end up taking a small loss, you will recoup that by having a loyal customer.
• Treat all your customers the same. Whether it's a small boutique ordering just at your minimum order amount or that large boutique chain that pretty much pays your bills, give all your customers the same attention. It's the right thing to do and you never know when a business will grow or share their experience.
• Remember you are an artisan; share that with your customers. Tell your story to them and make it easy to share it with their customers. It's easier to sell to customers when they understand that you are selling them quality and not quantity.
• Offer to create private label, limited edition or one-of-a-kind goods via collaboration with your wholesale customers. This has the advantage of making them feel special and allowing them to offer something truly unique to their customers.
• Streamline your shopping experience and keep up with technology. Make it easier for your customers to order from you and they are more likely to reorder. Believe it or not, you are communicating a lot to your customers when you may it difficult for them to place an order.
• Keep in touch. Start a newsletter and share new products in development, share tours of your studio, work in progress, etc. This is a fantastic way to communicate in between wholesale catalog updates and it reinforces the specialness of your artisan brand and goods.
• Finally, think about including a small sample, or a prototype of an upcoming new design as a teaser gift for your wholesale customer. What better way to get them to be a returning customer than by encouraging them to actually use your products. It's also a memorable way to show them that you care what they think.

Jen Wallace shares her indie life at Indie Fixx where she writes about making, creating, cooking, learning, playing, loving, and pretty much anything else that strikes her fancy.

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