Friday, May 27, 2011

Pay attention to what your customers want

I was checking to see what I had sold and what I needed to replace, when it dawned on me all the cowrie  shell rings I had sold were a size six. I didn't have a size six on either site. I made some size six rings and listed them. How many sells did I lose because I didn't have a size six listed. I don't know, but you can bet I won't do that again.

The hardest part of selling anywhere, online or offline  is finding your niche. What are the characteristics of your customers? What do they read? What  do they like to do in leisure time? Do they roller blade or listen to opera or both? Don't laugh, this describes one of my best customers and she didn't care what I charged as long as she liked it. She was all of five feet tall and wore some of the biggest earrings I had ever seen. She would tell me I made earrings too small. I am tall and assumed my jewelry appealed to big women. Nope, most of my customers are petite. They speak of how delicate my jewelry is. (Its sturdy but it does look delicate) . I've since translated this to mean feminine,which is what I wanted to convey.

When I did shows in person I would make most of my money at the end of the show. Why? Those giving the show were usually my customers and  I might make $300-700 in 30-40 minutes. I had to wait on them to get free and come to my table. This meant most of the day I might have sales dribbling in but my biggest sales almost always came at the end. A very good way to learn patience. Smile

How did you find your niche? Is it on or offline? What do you do to make your customer feel extra special? Leave a comment.

Thanks,
Michelle

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