We hear from all over that the specialty retail market is tough and getting tougher. Margins are small, and the mass department store retailers keep moving in. Well, one thing that the mass retailer can?t compete on is personalized service and personalized products. But, the specialty gift retailer can! That is the specialty gift retailers niche, so be ?personal.?
Hopefully, being a specialty gift retailer you already have a personalized jewelry line. If not, well you need to get one. Sterling silver jewelry is synonymous with class and style in the world of fashion. Its versatility and flexibility make it a welcome and useful addition to any person?s wardrobe. Sterling silver jewelry epitomizes classic simplicity in itself, the aesthetic value it lends to the wearer is inestimable. More importantly, sterling silver jewelry can be personalized.
Where to look for a personalized silver jewelry line- tradeshows such as AmericasMart in Atlanta or the MerchandiseMart in Chicago are two great tradeshows. If you can?t afford to go to these tradeshows, visit their websites online where you can find a listing of vendors and contact information. Simply search the accessories/jewelry section and you are sure to find that supplier.
Now, you have made the investment into a personalizable jewelry collection. You have selected a vendor that doesn?t charge personalization fees or make you carry inventory; instead you have a beautiful display and a wonderful catalog to sell from. All the jewelry, specially ordered by your customer, is presale before delivery so there is no idle inventory to move. Now, make this line work for you. Don?t sit back and wait for your customers to discover your personalized selection. Show it to them.
There are several ways to do this. First, motivate and encourage sales associates to promote your new line to prospective customers. Your customers are looking for something unique making custom-made products easy to recommend. To encourage your sales associates, have a weekly contest for movie tickets, a gas card, gift certificates to a restaurant, or a free piece personalized jewelry item. Also, keep a basket full of goodies like chocolate or mini lotions and give small prizes to each associate who makes a sale. Find ways to make it fun to sell your new line.
Second, make sure that each sales associate is wearing personalized items from your jewelry collection. Encourage them to wear ensembles?you will find that your customers will want exactly what you and your associates are wearing. Offer items from your new jewelry collection at a sizeable discount or even on-loan to your sales staff.
Third, hand out marketing materials. If you do not have any marketing materials, ask your personalized jewelry supplier. Most likely, they have already created marketing materials ready for you to use. Hand out seasonal catalogs for your new collection in each customer?s bag and tell them that it is in there. Give a larger catalog to your best customers with a gift certificate enclosed for a future purchase. It may spark their interest on the spot, or they may sit and read it leisurely at home. Either way, they have your products to look over, shop through with friends, and start planning for special gift giving occasions.
Offer ?Earlybird Seasonal Gift Discounts? for Mother?s Day, Easter, Father?s Day, and Christmas. Also, consider giving out small, $5, invite-a-friend gift certificates for your customers to give to their friends.
Fourth, for the customer who isn?t sure about a size, a monogram, or even what to buy, have a gift card set featuring items for purchase. This is an innovative offer that can include a Gift Card and a small, full color personalized merchandise flier that match the value of the gift card. Most importantly, market, market, market like it is 1999. A great way to market your new personalized line is with the use of inexpensive postcards. Mail them out you your customer list. These postcards should feature pictures of some of the best selling personalized silver jewelry items with brief text. If you don?t have a postcard ask your supplier, they probably have premade postcards for you to use. Simply put your company sticker or print your logo on the postcards and mail them or stuff them in customer shopping bags. Ask you supplier about Free Ad Slicks, that are preformatted ads for you to send to your local paper. The ads should be ready for you to insert your store?s information. Remember, the only way to set your store apart from the mass department retail outlets, is to get personal. So, what are you waiting for!
Ron Waugh, Marketing mgmt at a leading supplier of personalized gifts and services, http://www.heartstrings.net, for the specialty gift retailer.
email him with questions at ron@heartstrings.net
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