Approaching Shops and Galleries with Your Jewelry

© by Rena Klingenberg; all rights reserved

Approaching shops about carrying your handcrafted jewelry is easy and even fun - if you do a little research before contacting them. Find out everything you can about a shop or gallery first, because the more you know, the better you can present your jewelry (and yourself) as the solution to their needs.

If possible, first visit a shop or gallery in person as an anonymous browser. Pick up one of their business cards, and look around the establishment to get a feel for its character or atmosphere. Notice what lines of merchandise they carry, and how their wares are displayed.

What price points do they emphasize? Pay special attention to their jewelry lines. Is it mostly a particular style? What's on the tags? Do they have too much jewelry already? How would your jewelry fit in here - and how would it stand out among the competition? Jot down a few notes when you get back to your car.

Now visit the shop's website (if you can't visit a shop or gallery in person to conduct your research, this step is especially important). Read all the text and examine all the photos closely. Check for as many of the previously mentioned points as you can online.

The next step in approaching shops and galleries with your jewelry is to telephone or stop in to set up an appointment with the establishment's owner or buyer. (If you make your appointment in person, have your jewelry displays ready in your car in case the buyer has the time and motivation to see them right then.)

Shop owners often tell me how much they appreciate it when artists make an appointment to see them, rather than just waltzing in off the street, expecting the shop owner to be idle. Shop and gallery owners are extremely busy keeping their establishments operating profitably, and find it annoying when artists don't understand their busy schedules. And that won't get you off on the right foot in this business-to-business relationship you're hoping to forge.

If a shop owner declines to make an appointment with you, because they "already have enough jewelry" or some other reason, don't take it personally or feel stressed about it. Just let that one go and contact the next one on your list. Sometimes it's just the wrong time of year for that shop, or their sales may be slow or finances tight (which are not good situations for your jewelry business anyway).

On the day of your appointment, it's best to dress nicely and with a thought to the shop or gallery's general style and degree of formality. Don't forget the most important part - wear a tasteful amount of your own jewelry! And it's a good idea to be on time for your appointment; better a little early than late. That demonstrates your reliability when it comes to business matters.

Are you nervous about approaching shops and galleries? I used to be, until I realized that the store isn't doing me a favor by accepting my jewelry; instead, I'm doing them a favor by offering them a unique line of jewelry art that their customers won't find in other shops. That boosted my confidence, and made me able to talk to them about the beauty of the stones I use and the originality of some of my one-of-a-kind pieces.

Smile and be enthusiastic about your work without pressuring the shop owner or buyer. Even if they decide not to take any of your jewelry, leave on a friendly note, giving them your business card and any photos or printed literature you have of your work to keep on file. Very often they'll contact you in the future about carrying your jewelry if you make a positive impression; call or send an email periodically to check whether there's anything they'd like to order from you.

You'll need a professional-looking, portable jewelry display for transporting your jewelry to the shop or gallery and showing it to the owner. Odds and ends of boxes and bags that you pull your jewelry out of won't make a very good impression!

If you plan on approaching shops and galleries with your jewelry, it's worth investing in a couple of jewelry display trays or cases for your presentations. However, this doesn't need to be expensive. Depending on your jewelry, you might consider a few presentation displays like jewelry rolls, jewelry folders, gem trays, sample cases with a window in the lid, sample trays, bracelet rolls, necklace rolls, jewelry portfolios, or other similar items. You can also get carrying cases designed to protect and transport these special presentation displays.

Good sources of jewelry presentation displays are Fetpak, Nile Corp, Jewelry Supply, and Rio Grande. Shop around and compare prices (including shipping charges), because they can vary widely.

I recommend having a sampling of your work in a couple of jewelry presentation displays, and the rest of your inventory handy in other jewelry presentation cases. That way you'll have everything ready to show to the shop owner - you never know what they'll ask to see, and it won't help if you've left at home the one thing they're interested in.

Have your business cards, price lists, order forms (ones with a carbon or carbonless copy for you), copies of your artist statement or bio, and any literature with photos of your jewelry in a folder, briefcase, or pocket of your jewelry display case. (It's a nice, professional touch to give the shop owner all your literature in an inexpensive folder as a convenience for their files.) And have some pens and a calculator handy, for filling out your order form.

For my presentations to shops and galleries, I have each of my pieces in a cardboard gift jewelry box, open so the bottom of the box is nesting inside its lid. I fill 1-1/2" high black stacking trays (these trays are about 14" x 8") with these boxes in neat rows, and stack the trays inside a nice display case that's designed to tote the trays. Necklaces are pinned to velvet pads inside their jewelry trays. My order forms, other literature, and pens go in a big zippered pocket on the outside of the luggage.

With this jewelry presentation setup, I can just unzip the jewelry tray case and unstack the trays onto the countertop for fast and easy showing. When the shop owner has made their selections, I restack the trays and put them back in the luggage, write up the order, and that's that.

Sometimes the shop wants the gift boxes the jewelry comes in, and sometimes not. But just in case they do, I figure in the cost of the box when I calculate my wholesale pricing.

Some shops and galleries are concerned about the information that's on the tags of products in their establishment. In particular, some prefer that your tags not have any of your contact information. They don't want their shoppers to be able to contact you directly so that the shop loses its part of a sale. So it's a good idea to ask whether the shop has any special requirements for the labeling or packaging of your jewelry.

I personally don't like to sell my jewelry without my contact info on the tag. I think customers feel more comfortable buying jewelry when they can contact the artist if they have a problem or question about the piece they purchased. After all, when you buy any other consumer product, the company's name and contact info are on the package. And if the shop or gallery ever goes out of business (which happens more often than shop owners want to think), how does the buyer contact the artist for product support?

However, I can see the shop's point of view too; ultimately it's up to you to decide whether you want to re-label your work for shops that don't want your contact info available to their customers. Anyway, it's a good point to be clear on with each shop.

After your appointment with the shop or gallery owner, it's a nice touch to follow up immediately with a handwritten thank-you note, expressing your appreciation for their taking the time to view your jewelry. This is very important, regardless of whether the buyer decided to carry your jewelry or not. Very few people take the time to handwrite a personal thank-you note, yet this small touch makes a tremendous positive impression that can really open doors for you! It's one of those personal touches that make a one-person handcraft business special.

A good shop or gallery where your jewelry fits in well can be a dependable source of steady sales for years. A shop may be a source of extra business for you too, such as trunk shows. Stay in touch with all your shop and gallery owners regularly with brief e-mails, phone calls, or notes. Your jewelry business will thrive if you establish warm, solid, personal connections with all the people you do business with.

Remember, you're not just selling them jewelry - you're offering them great solutions to their customers' gift-giving and fashion problems! Shops and galleries are constantly on the lookout for new and different merchandise that will give them an edge over competing shops. Owners want something unique and popular with a good price, and they need suppliers (including jewelry artists) who are reliable and professional to do business with. Shop and gallery owners are concerned about their bottom line, and how your jewelry can help them cover their expenses and retain a profit.

What's the best way to keep supplying the jewelry that the shop or gallery wants? Just ask. Ask regularly what they'd like, what trends they're staying in tune with, and whether there's anything in particular their customers ask for that they can't supply.

For more tips on establishing great relationships with your shops and galleries, see Relationship Marketing Tips for Your Jewelry Business.

Approaching shops and galleries can open all kinds of wonderful doors for your jewelry business! I wish you every success and lots of serendipity in finding the right shops for your jewelry.

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