Consider Your Jewelry Artist Image
What kind of jewelry artist image of yourself you want to project to the public? What qualities do you want people to connect with you and your business? Whether you like it or not, the impression you make on people is part of your overall jewelry packaging. As an artist and entrepreneur, a very important impression you want to leave with everyone is your personal touch—and I don’t mean a physical touch, but a giving of yourself. It’s the way you put yourself into your work, and share yourself with your customers and students. It’s what gives your business its personality. Be certain that by the time your customers leave your booth or your students leave your workshop, they feel like they’ve received special treatment from you. No one likes to be “just a number”. One of the things people seek when they buy handcrafted items is the feeling of having a unique item that was handmade with care, from a unique person who treated them with care also. Take the time to make personalized gestures in your business; make everyone feel important. Use your business to contribute to good causes in meaningful ways. Meet and greet everyone with interest and care, and see the beauty in each person. Leave them with the feeling that they received MORE than their money’s worth. That’s rare these days. They’ll come back, and they’ll also send a lot of business your way. How else can you project the image of yourself that you’ve decided you want to communicate to others? It may seem like judging a book by its cover, but it’s true that one of the first impressions people have when they meet you is your appearance. Your personal packaging doesn't have to be elegant or expensive; it can be unique and well-lived-in. But whatever you wear and however you wear it, it makes a statement about you before you ever say a word to someone. I try to project an image that's a combination of artsy and professional. That gives people confidence in my knowledge of jewelry art and in my ability to conduct business, yet still makes me appear approachable and not intimidating. I wear comfortable clothes such as jeans, a long skirt, or nice leggings, but with an artsy top and artsy jacket. The jacket communicates professionalism, but the jeans or leggings and artsy aspect show that I’m approachable and a little different, and not an intimidating “businessperson”. For teaching workshops, such as girls’ birthday parties, you may wind up sitting on the floor in a circle with the girls. For birthday parties, I always wear comfortable stretchy leggings and slip-off shoes along with my artsy jacket! You never know what else you’ll be involved in at a child’s birthday party—once I was also asked to help with the limbo dance! Comfortable but nice shoes are a must since you may be on your feet quite a bit. I like sandals or clogs with soft insoles. And you’ll need to wear a tasteful amount of beautiful jewelry you’ve made yourself! If you’re selling, wear one of your newest styles. If you’re teaching, wear an example of the project you’ll be teaching in that workshop. No matter what image you want to project, being clean and neat is vital to the success of your business. IMPORTANT: Your hands will receive more attention than anything else about you when you show people your jewelry or teach workshops. Clean, neat hands—and especially fingernails—are crucial! You don’t need an expensive manicure or fingernail polish, just scrupulously clean fingernails and hands that look freshly washed. People will notice and remember your hands, particularly if what they saw grossed them out! If your hands and nails are a little beaten up from making jewelry (like mine are!), people take that as evidence that you really do handcraft your jewelry, and that each piece is individually made with care. So don’t worry about work-worn hands and nails as long as they’re clean—they’re part of your artistic image! :o) Read more about the elements of successful jewelry packaging: Tips for Business Cards that Make a Professional Impression Ideas for Earring Cards and Jewelry Hang Tags How to Use Ziplock Jewelry Bags to Impress Your Customers Tips for Jewelry Gift Wrap that Brings Repeat Customers How to Choose Jewelry Shopping Bags that Promote your Business Tips for Using Velvet Jewelry Boxes to Provide a Touch of Elegance Your "Jewelry Artist" Image Return to Home Jewelry Business Success Tips home page.
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