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What do you give out when you sell

Will Armstrong

Will Armstrong

Joined
Apr 29, 2020
Messages
154
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915
Location
Toronto, ON
I didn't know how to title this, but I am interested in what members enclose with their product, or give out at time of sale. Such as business card, detail card (date, species, etc.), info about care of kitchen items or anything I haven't thought of.
Pictures of items would be very informative. I have seen some mentions on the forum of this collateral material in the past, but searches didn't find them. Much appreciated!
 
I don't hand out anything with a sale, I do have business cards (in a turned holder) so customers can take one as they see fit - most of my items they're buying for display (as art, even though it may be utility usable), the few that want them for utility either already know, or usually ask, about how to care for the wooden items.

It all depends on the market you're selling to, I suppose- With most of my sales we're rural farmer's market type sales, as in no "big city snobbery" where folks want all the bells & whistles to go with the item (Box with a bow on it, fancy individualized cards to go with item, etc like I have seen in some art galleries in bigger tourist cities I visited like Kennebunkport, Portland, Miami, Etc.) Around here, plain and simple fits the bill nicely (and indeed any of that extraneous stuff can also "hurt" the sale because they'll then want to ask "OK how much if I buy it without all that fancy crap" - meaning they're more concerned about how much it will cost them, than showing off how much they can spend on "stuff")
 
I have business cards. Regular ones with my contact info, another set with "Utility Bowl Care" info printed on the back, and a third set with Sot Barrel Care on the back. Regular ones are put out on the sales table, and I throw one or more of the appropriate kind in with a purchase.
 
Will, you do great work. Establishing a rapport with customers always pays dividends. When you take pains to make something special, there are people out there even in the country that appreciates it. The best way is with a website that shows your work and how you do it. Adding a card with the website information on it should go with the piece. If that is a little much for you, print up a modest fold over that does the same thing. Connections are what makes the world go around.😀
 
For most of my bowls I use a very distinct silver lame` bag. That way it's very noticeable as the person is walking around the festival.

If they purchased a larger bowl they get a nice re-usable nylon bag that I let them pick the color.

The silver are roughly 40 cents a piece and the nylon are less than a dollar.
 

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I don’t usually sell, but when I give something I often include a small card with my name, the type of wood, and where it came from (TN, Italy, etc). I cut small pieces of parchment paper, fold once, write on the inside, then if there’s a way to fasten it I punch a small hole in the corner and tie it to the piece with a piece of fine string. Did the same for things like horse riders crops, Christmas ornaments, and “magic” wands.

I recently got a thank you note from a choral director, said she was especially happy to know the name and origin of the wood. (was a conductors baton with a handle of Ebony from eastern Africa and a shaft from TN Holly.)

When making little flower vases for my kindergarteners to take home for Mother’s Day I did the same, wrote the name of the wood inside, the year, and “Hand made by Mr John and Bobby” (The child got to help make these: “sand” the wood with 400 grit paper, rub some wax on it after a finish coat, then make an colorful arrangement of tiny artificial flowers.) A few times I glued in tiny photos of the child. Some mothers told me years later they still had these vases!

JKJ
 
John K Jordan said:
When making little flower vases for my kindergarteners to take home for Mother’s Day I did the same, wrote the name of the wood inside, the year, and “Hand made by Mr John and Bobby” (The child got to help make these: “sand” the wood with 400 grit paper, rub some wax on it after a finish coat, then make an colorful arrangement of tiny artificial flowers.) A few times I glued in tiny photos of the child. Some mothers told me years later they still had these vases!

JKJ
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John, this is beyond special.
 
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