This is a hard column for me to write today.
I’ve always heavily advocated for the retail store owner’s part of the craft business circle (artist/store owner/retail customer.) I’ve been on the other side of the sales counter--I was founding board president of our local Hannah Grimes Marketplace, a non-profit store to showcase NH craftsmen and farm producers--and I know it’s hard work.
I also firmly believe my relationships with wholesale buyers are a partnership. Both of us benefit when we do our jobs well.
But times are tough. Some of the relationships feel a bit strained. And maybe it’s time for some tough love.
One of the issues is the notion of retail being about "yes!" We learn that customers should never hear the word "no" in the sales process. We say "yes" a LOT when we sell our work.
If you click this blog title, you’ll come to the website of a company called e-J4, a company that offers sales training and consulting. They were corresponding with my husband about screencasting and on-line videos, which he wrote about in his blog here: http://weblog.infoworld.com/udell/gems/umlaut.html
Or if you want to have more fun, just google “jon umlaut” and you’ll find his video on the nature of wikipedia (the internet's community access blog encyclopedia) and the evolution of the heavy metal umlaut.
e-J4's mini-training session helps salespeople deal with the total YES mentality that often accompanies the sales process. We are told retail is all about saying “yes!” to our customers. We want to make our customers happy—it’s our work we’re selling, after all, so we want them to like it and buy it. We know we shouldn’t put our egos on the line, but it’s hard when you spent hours making the damn thing and someone is standing there trying to decide if it’s a deal or not...
The economic times have been hard on all of us—artists, store owners and customers alike. But maybe it’s time to realize that it IS a partnership, and that ALL of us have to win in order to keep the circle rolling. It's time to stop saying YES to everything.
I’ve felt like the last few years, I’ve fallen over backwards to please all my customers. I’ve offered incentives for them to place orders at wholesale shows I’ve paid thousands and thousands of dollars to be at. I’ve thrown in free gifts to offset the increase in shipping prices. I’ve cheerfully made any and all repairs on my jewelry, free of charge, even on pieces that were obviously “loved to death.” I’ve actually replaced pieces that people dropped and broke after they bought it. I’ve allowed vendors to exchange pieces that have been sitting on their shelves for two years.
But after watching the “No/But/If” video from e-J4 this week, I realize I’ve been doing no favors for these customers. Perhaps saying "yes" to everything and every situation has enabled customers who should not be carrying my work in the first place. Or who could be doing more to show ME they should be representing my work.
I especially liked the notion that requiring something in return from customers when they ask something of me, will result in them being a better qualified customer. It will be good for both of us. We will BOTH raise the bar, and we will BOTH improve our sales (I hope!)
I’m going to try a little tough love in my business from now on.
