Jewellery Parties

[handcrafted]

I know! I know! Its been talked about before. But i still cant get my head around jewellery parties. I think its because personally, i would never look to get one at one of my (nonexistant) parties. So im finding it hard to grasp and to market.

So people would contact you to come to their homes and set up your stuff just like a stall. They would then have all their friends around who would look at your stuff and try it on and buy it....Then you sneak off while they party on!

I think my issue is that your stuff is under so much scrutiny as people will spend a lot of time looking at them. Also you need to be very much the sales person and im not that bubbly.

I feel like it is a major part of the business that i am missing out on. The other option is to get someone else to be the seller, like a friend of mine who is much more centre of attention and likes to talk! But i would need to then cut her in to the profit.

[Caroleecrafts]

I am the worst sales person ever, hate it, I suppose it comes from the fact that I don't like it if you enter a shop and are pounced on 'Can I help' or "what are you looking for' when I don't know and only want to browse, if I see something I would probably buy but when met with this tend to walk out.

I digress, going back to parties I have always found that my products sell themselves, I just thank the hostess at the start of the evening and everyone else for coming, explain how the buying works and the party plan system, give the host her gift as a thank you then let them know I am there if they want to ask a question or help. At the end of the evening I normally find that guests do not out stay their welcome and can normally pack up and out by 10:30, if the selling seems to have died and they are all chatting I just politely ask if everyone is finished then make my escape.

Best to try on family and friends first, have you someone who will host a party for you to get you started, my Mum (when she was alive) did my first two, this gave me the confidence to carry on. After a bit it becomes second nature just allow enough time to set up and relax with a cuppa before the onslaught. I have said this before but have found that normal parties the sales are in excess of £250.00, my highest being £850.00, admittedly before the recession, where as craft fairs can be £0.

[goblindreams]

This is something I've been asked to do in the run up to christmas this year..

It will be my first time, so a bit nervous, but I'm glad it was my sister friend that requested it - rather than me pushing it, if you know what I mean..

Me and my mum are going to do one too.. should be fun

x

[beckyboo]

very little chatting needs to be done if your'e not a people person, in fact no more than you would do with customers at fairs and events, they know they are coming to a jewellery party so many come with the intention of looking for a certain colour,design etc to go with certain outfits or for special occasions they have coming up,some come to buy for birthdays etc. I set up exactly as I would for a fair ,and my stuff comes under no more scrutiny than it would at an event ( maybe less when people have had a few glasses of wine,lol)
A simple explantion of your designs normally is all that is needed in most cases for example : "my name is ...... all our jewellery is handmade , we do can make to order ,please feel free to browse and try anything on. We can also take bookings tonight should you like to host your own party"

most people do arrive at the start time and have a browse , then a drink and think and come back to you,some buy straight away and some come back and buy a few times during the night

could you hold one in your own house or a friends and invite people you know asking each person to bring a friend that way it might not be so intimidating as chatting to strangers for your first one

they can be great fun and very profitable

[ejralph]

Jewellery parties are great, but nerve-wracking at first.

When I used to do parties, I would just sort of let the work speak for itself mostly - but that didn't mean claming up. I would just let people come to me when they wanted help or infomation, but didn't do the "hard sell"

That way, you can be really friendly and bubbly with people, without feeling that you are being pushy. Then mostly all you have to do is to copy with people complimenting you all evening, which isnt too taxing!

I also think people buy more if they didn't feel obliged to purchase. Ideally I would always ask to set the jewellery up in a different room - so jewellery in the dining room, people in the lounge. That way, the people would chill out and relax with wine and nibbles, then wander in to see the jewellery in their twos and threes.

This worked really well -and I advise it strongly. Because when you do that, people coming around the jewellery display tend to be there wanting to look. You don't find your table overcrowded with people just chit-chatting and catching up with friends. Because those who are doing that, do so in the other room away from where you are trying to do business and don't get under your feet.

So when the ladies come in to see the jewellery in their twos and threes, its when the conversation has lagged and they have nothing else to talk about. So they saying "ok, lets go see the jewellery" and they come in and egg each other on to try things on and buy stuff and talk to each other about the jewellery because they have just thoroughly exhausted all their other conversations. They have done how little Megan is getting on at Ballet and isnt it a shame that Joan and David are divorcing and they are at the point where they remember why it is they only see these people once a year.

And that, I found, leads to more sales usually.


But, not everyone wants to do jewellery parties. I have to admit, I don't do them anymore. I only sell online and do fine that way. So there is no law that says you have to sell at parties. Just do them if you think they will be fun.

But don't let a little bit of stage fright stop you, because the nerves pass and they can be good fun.

[LadyLora]

I am doing a jewellery and gift party this wednesday at my house! Will have tables set up in dining room and lounge for all of us (6 in total) to display our different crafts (have group of us that make different crafts) so will be a bit like a mini craft fair we have all invited our friends/relatives/acquaintances which number 100 in total and told them to come between 7:30 and 10pm. Needless to say am feeling the pressure a little as i will be hosting and selling at the same time but am also excited- i had a lovely time at the last one we did (at my friends house as she was hosting and selling) and made a nice amount of money which helps as i have baby due in 6 weeks and husband is losing his job on friday so every little helps!! Just have to grin and bear it
I dont feel like i am selling when i do it- i jus sit back and let people browse and enjoy all the lovely comments i receive about my crafts i found that they sell themselves- and quickly too!! I say go for it- but if your uncertain about doing them among strangers then try it out with people you know first to get into the swing of it- perhaps have a friend host one at her house and get her to invite as many people as she can think of (chances are only half will come)!

[baines]

When doing jewellery parties it is a good idea to have a range to sell right there and then and also some samples to take order from in different colours etc.

If you offer some kind of customization service, then you make the jewellery more unique and desirable to the individual. There are some amazing techniques which you can employ to increase your sales and I am thinking of writing a guide about this as many people seem to lack the sales skills necessary to generate a good income from parties.

Selling is not about being pushy of selling people things they don't want. It's about offering choices and solutions. Once you see it this way, the process becomes easier.

Remember questions are buying signals. If someone asks if you have the necklace on display in red, the answer is, "would you like it in red?" Once they have said yes you take the order, make it, and send it out.

Yes it will be difficult at first, but after a while you will get into the swing of things.

[shootingstar27]

For my first jewellery party, I invited my friends and family over to my flat and had the party on my own ground so to speak. I was more relaxed, I had my husband getting drinks and snacks and he also prompted the conversation.
I knew everyone pretty well so the conversation was light and based loosely around the jewellery but I was there to answer any questions people had and take the orders and payments etc.
This year I will hold one jewellery party in my own home but also have been approached by colleagues to hold one in their home too. I am a bit nervous about that but excited too.
One thing I would recomend is to set yourself up with enough space to have a separate table to do all your transactions/orders/wrapping etc on, I don't have much space in my own flat so I was a bit cramped which made me feel a bit flustered, apart from that - Have Fun!