How to sell your products

Probably as many ways to sell as there are woodworkers. My creative stuff is almost impossible to sell. I would love to find an outlet it. The other side is I’ve made a good living doing woodworking. Many of my jobs have come “word of mouth”. Yesterday I went to give a woman a price to cut down her countertop.(I did everything in my power to convince her it was a bad idea! Some salesman!) I ended up giving her a price for a 9 foot custom bench/box thing I would love to build. I’ve had some furniture in some log/rustic stores that would sit for 2 or 3 years. Yet in that time the store would have a slightly different piece custom built based of the piece that didn’t sell. I worked for a fellow who based his buisness on building kitchens. We did job after job after job for people who all went to the same church. The guy I worked for had never gone to that church…he just did good work. Sales is NOT my strong point…this is just what has worked for me.

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

I sold a pay phone to the Church I attened for 15 years, so i decided that I could sell ice cubes to Eskimos. I just need to be able to convince them that they “Need” ice cubes, because their frozen water isn’t as good as mine.

Problem I’ve found is that a lot of people have a “Wal-Mart” mentality and they want Custom furniture for a particle board price. To get them out of that mental attitude takes an Act of God.

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

an idea for the the “creative stuff”
You might go to a “classy” restaurant and ask if they’d like to use a piece in their decor. They win: getting a creative piece of art for free rental; you win: free display/promotion of your work – and it is going to be shown to the clientele who would buy it; and the clients win: sitting in the presence of great art AND learning about a woodworking artist that they hadn’t heard about before. All the restaurant has to do is post a card stating the name of the piece, your name and contact information.
Another place might be a spa / salon

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

to continue on Debbies, train of thought….

I’ve been to a couple B&B’s that had all sorts of art for sale, from cards to paintings… (just don’t pick any in my neighborhood!)

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

Hi Bill;
—-’I have a want to sell’ and ‘if i do’ and then comes ‘when i do’ sell is an equation that Einstein never figured out and is probably more along the lines that are now being written concerning the use of quantum physics. What this means in plain English is, a lot of hard work combined with being in the right place, at the right time, and meeting that right person. I’m not trying to be funny here by my answer, but will just tell you that the answer probably will never be found from what others tell you, and that you will have to go and find your own way. We, as others can give you much good advice, but you will have to walk that road by yourself and find your own avenue of expression.

A lot has to do with what you are trying to sell, ‘one of a kind’ or ‘many after the same kind’. What is the price range you are going after, ‘high end’, ‘middle’ and then there is ‘affordable to the many without breaking the bank’.

I have found that it is best to get this all decided before you start trying to sell, as one of the hardest things to do is change your canoe sitting position and direction in the middle of the river. There is nothing harder then getting a following because of what you are selling and then changing your design of style or price range. Folks will tend to say, “talk to you latter”, which means I’ll call you and no need to call me. And of course they don’t call anymore, so you start over.

Plan to spend long hours marketing yourself or be ready to pay someone else to do this for you. Plan to start looking into doing shows and spending some money long before you start getting results, unless it is your time and ‘you are in the right place at the right time and meet that right person’! Websites are not the end all anymore as you need to look into getting a blogsite and then start blogging, and I mean blog, blog, and more blog even if you think no-one is reading. ”If you will set a pattern, then that pattern will become a habit and that habit will lead you to success!” Again as you sow, so shall you reap—-just remember that that seed you put into the ground, first goes out of view and dies before it springs forth out of the ground bearing good fruit! Again yes, expect that the idea of what you are doing may die many times over before the fruit comes into view and don’t give up!!! And yes, besides being a worker of wood, my wife and I also do berry fruit and vegtable raising here in the summer time.

You might get to knowing architects and interior designers in your area and then go on the internet and find more. Start emailing to them, with photos of your work and then the next month send them a brochure of yourself, your company and your current work. I have found that current work is best as that way you don’t overload them with a massive pile of what you did back when. Short and to the point is best. Then follow up with monthly updates on what you are doing and where you are going. Sound like a lot of work, well yes it is and I have talked with folks who market artist and they tell me that the number one reason why artists fail, ”is because they fail to market ‘themselves’, did you hear me”? Not because of failing to market their work, but becaust the artist fails to market him//her-self! You see, every artist is a story in themselves and most artist are so busy making art, that they forget to tell their own story! And so remember, when one buys your piece of art, they are not just buying the art, but they are buying a story of the artist also. All you have to do is research the stories of all those past famous artists.

What else can I add, well I will just say that what you make ‘is you’ and what you sell ‘is you’ and so don’t sell yourself for small change unless small change is what you want.

Thats all for now, and
GODSPEED,
Frank

-- --frank, NH, http://frank.wordpress.com/

Frank, I couldn’t agree more.

In fact, until there is a personal story about the artist, the intrinsic value of the art is somewhat obscure. Your comments are so “on the money” if you pardon my pun. A person is a non-entity before you know his story. And there is nothing more compelling than the story that is each of us.

I always hate the question, “What do you do?” It’s frequently asked as an opener when people first meet. But I think it is crass and irrelevant. I am not “what I do”.

It would be so much better if we asked, “Please tell me about yourself”.

And we need to learn how to tell our story. Write it out, refine it, read it to friends. And make sure that it reflects you and not who you would like to be, or think people would like you to be. Tell your story.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hilsbiblechurch.org/

perhaps the “what do you do” is the unfinished sentence “what do you do to express yourself?” or, “what do you do to feel fulfilled?”
I’m liking this and will be using it in the future. I never thought of the “what do you do” controversy before. Thanks for the pondering!!

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Thanks for that insight…. know that I have (technically) two jobs after 12 years of doing the same thing, there is no way I can simply answer “what I do”.

I am a (in order) son, creative, brother, husband, father, who is interested in varied subjects (mostly creative), I just happen to make a living as a graphic designer and home renovator.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

good answer Scott; good answer.

I am a woman, mother, partner, thinker, creator, who tries to express mySelf through photography, my Life Guiding business, my writing, and hopefully woodworking

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Isn’t it great, we can get technical advise and a lifestyle philosophy in one place.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

I take big sticks and make little sticks… then I take the little sticks and make big sticks again. I once dated a woman that told me three thngs:
1) Everything isn’t as funny as you think it is.
2) You’re 28 years old, you can’t go around acting 12
3) I’m leaving and Im not going to see you anymore.
To which I replied:
Everything IS as funny as I think it is…to me.
And I can act 12 years old better than anyone else my age
Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.

Don, what you do isn’t who you are, but people don’t know how to say “So, Don. What’s your story?”

I love the story, and I love pictures

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

Be who you are and say what you feel, because the people who mind don’t matter, and the people who matter don’t mind.

- Dr. Suess

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

For high end (priced) creations, visit, email, etc., to all the interior decorators in a 100 mile radius of your shop. Those folks network constantly and if you get your so called “foot in the door” with one of them there’s a good chance you may not be able to keep up with the demand.
My wife told me that. I just don’t want to work that hard. ; )

-- Dennis, Tennessee

My story is about the same, to survive I employ a number of different opportunities, e.g. direct selling, galleries, craft shops, tourist venues and my web site. In addition to selling the finished product I also sell boxes in the raw (a DIY for those without machinery) and plans via the Internet.

Over time I have become disillusioned and mistrustful with trying to work with shops and galleries, if only for the fact of not having a direct relationship with the client and the vendor’s excessive markup.

At the end of the day I sell more, per volume to fellow woodworkers, closely followed by that small band of wood lovers who provide the bread and butter income. The cream is the elite end of the market (twice a year) for whom price is not an issue.

So against all the best advice I continue to produce single objects that challenge technically, rather than producing to attempt to satisfy the market. I know I’ll never grow rich with this approach, but what the hell I am enjoying the challenge.

Someone said why don’t you write a book, whilst that sounds attractive I think that focusing on such a task diverts/distracts from the opportunity to develop and be creative and explore!

t.w.

-- Bandsaw Box Plans

Thats for the info Dennis. I will have to see what we have in this area.

Tony, that is an interesting breakdown of your customers. I would not have thought of other woodworkers as being my customers.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Well I haven’t been woodworking long enough to give you any selling advice, but I do have a great uncle that has had a lot of success selling custom furniture for many years. He rents a couple spaces at the local Flea Market that is open every weekend. He has many pieces that he displays (mostly red oak) just to give people an idea of the kind of things he can build. He may sell one or two pieces off the floor, but most of his money is made from the orders he gets for custom made pieces. He keeps a sign over his chair in his booth that states “Custom orders welcome.” This is also a great way to network because everybody in town comes to the flea market at some point or another. You just never know who’s going to walk through, or who they know, or who they know, ya know? A few years ago he built an entertainment center for a woman who happened to work for the local University. She was so happy with his product that she recommended him when the University wanted to purchase some furniture to furnish some of their new and renovated buildings. He’s been building pieces for the Universiry ever since. He has developed quite a reputation in his town, and everybody knows him simply as “Rooster”. One great thing about his situation is that he can spend all week in the shop building and being productive, and on the weekend he can relax and collect the fruits of his labor. I know that sitting at a flea market selling your crafts doesn’t sound appealing to everyone, but he loves it. He loves to talk to everyone that stops by, he loves the look on the face of his customers when they see their custom piece proudly displayed and ready to be taken home and he loves the variety of projects that he gets to build. No two custom orders are alike. Maybe if I’m lucky I’ll get to take his place in that chair someday when he can no longer manage it. He’s nearly 80 years old, and he’s my inspiration.

-- JP, Shelbyville, KY

That was a great story JP. That is definitely a help in determining how to sell my products. Right now I am trying to gather ideas so I can focus on those I can do effectively. I

t’s wonderful to hear how your great uncle has prospered and is happy with what he does!

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

I’ve often wanted a market to sell my projects too but like you, I’ve been perplexed as where to start. Since I work full-time, I would need something that wouldn’t get in the way of my career. This makes me timid about doing custom work because consumers tend to want things done “right now”. Also, if that path became successful, word of mouth marketing might become overwhelming.

Thus, I’ve thought that craft shows and online sales would be more of an appropriate store front for me anyway. However, looking into some craft shows, I found a booth to cost around $200 just for a weekend. That’s a gamble because I may only sell enough to pay for the booth (or less) and then my weekend is wasted.

Since I have an advantage of being a web developer, the decision that will work best for me is to set up an online store front (at least at first) because development costs would be free. Of course, I’m going to do this only after I get an inventory of products so I can have an array of pictures. I can get server space for only $120/year and an online image is pretty standard nowadays. I can then pass out business cards that have my web address and people can shop online.

As far as I’m concerned, that’s where I’m going to start my marketing. I don’t have to be a salesman because the web site can speak for itself, and I won’t have to make custom work because what you see is what you get. Business cards are also cheap and easy to hand out to individuals or businesses, and people tend to look for a web address on them. Also, with cheap tools like Paypal, I can feel safer doing transactions online.

-- There are three types of people in the world, those who can count and those who can't!

I wouldn’t consider that a wasted weekend. At least, it might not necessarily be a wasted weekend. My mentor, Vic, doesn’t always sell very much at the shows he works, but a lot of times he’ll make the initial contacts for orders that later come in through his website or over the phone. He wouldn’t have made that initial contact without his booth at the craft show, though. Something to think about, anyway.

-- Ethan, http://greystonegreen.blogspot.com/

A good point Ethan. Sometimes it is not the sale at the initial contact, but the future sale that you are working on. After all, we would like to have a list of steady customers that would buy over time than just one time purchases.

Very cool Bass. Being a web designer would probably help my site as well, but I do what I can. I have been thinking of an online store as well. I am working on a few projects that I would offer over the store. One thing holding me back is the cost of the initial set up. While not tremendous, there is some initial costs. Then there is setting up the merchant account, creating the store, etc. But, it looks like a good way to go. Plus, working on smaller items gives me more practice for other woodworking I do.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

This was what I was looking for.

As a Wise woman one said ( my wife) you should sell what you make!

My question was…. What ?

and then I thought ,

What do I charge and where do I sell it and can I make a living doing this?

Whell since I had been watching the Marc on his site and then was led to this site ( which is GREAT) I asked him. his response was close to the same. What works for him may not work for me. Given his young age and VAST experence and knowlege I have to agree.

The one overriding feeling I have recieved from this site is of a group of caring and giving indiviuals who have realised they are not alone out there.

So the question still is CAN YOU MAKE A LIVING from this?

Examples please! I hate to make the same mistakes as others. or perhaps they were just ahead of their time.

-- sawdust is my sanity

Your wife sees your work and tells you to sell it, but if you charge her, then people will say evil things about you.

I’ve been given several ideas, none of which worked. I got a booth at a crafts fair and had stuff for as little as $10.00 I took the entire load home.

I don’t have the money to put in an ad in the paper. There are about 10 cabinet shops in Atwater and there are only 26,000 people.

And as to which end? Must be high end cause if you want Wal-Mart Crap, go to Wal-Mart and get it.

My hardwood costs more than their particle board and if that’s what you want, you know where you can go…

And I don’t paint. You want painted stuff I’ll tell you where you can go for that too.

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

Yes, it is a balance to determine what you can and want to do, what your customers want, who they are, and what are they willing to pay for. I am still in the process of finding that out. I will be much happier when I have an expanded customer base. I send out a monthly newsletter, so there are quite a few readers. Turning them into buyers is proving trickier than I first imagined.

Good luck in your journey.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Bill, Here’s a thought.

I had some time and lumber on my hands this past winter so I made a couple of very nice pieces and gave them to two different couples who are friends of mine who just happen to throw dinner parties fairly regularly (the friends who don’t throw get-togethers will just have to wait a bit).

Because they were pretty nice gifts and because I did the nicest work I’m capable of, one of the first things they show people at their gatherings is my work. This has already lead to more paid commissions then I can handle right now so I think it has panned out pretty well. Am I using my friends? Maybe, but I don’t think in a bad way and I prefer to think of it as using the resources I have at hand and networking.

Anyway, it all starts with having some time on your hands which is easier for some then others and it also means forking out the money for the lumber which is also easier for some then others. But business is all about a return on investment. In my case it worked out pretty well. Maybe it could work for you too.

-- Better to say nothing and be thought the fool... then to speak and erase all doubt.

Agreed Chip. That is a great way of getting the word out about your products. I think I will have to build a few gifts to pass out in order to spread the word. Enough people have not actually seen my work yet to be inquiring about it. Samples, pictures, brochures, word of mouth all have a part in my marketing campaign.

Hmm, I wonder if I can claim the gifts as part of my advertising budget?

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Great information by all. I have been selling online for about six years now and each item is made to order. Granted I have a niche market but have a simple website quote each item separately and until recently asked for a check as payment without issue. Get your stuff online with an e-mail and people will find you. It gives people a place to look and send them to LJ also.

-- http://www.hockeystix.com

That is great to hear Melski, and congratulations on your online success. If you have seen the online stories from Dan and Walter, maybe you can add your own as well. We all appreciate the chance to learn from someone who has already done it.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

And yet a couple of other thoughts.

You’ll never “make it” if you think of selling and making your woodworking projects in your “spare time”. There is no such animal. Part time? Yes, surely. Full time? Absolutely? Second job? Yup, but not “spare time. You have to MAKE time and be faithful to it in order to gain the fruits of your labors.

Second, it’s the rare bird that success finds. Normally, you have to pursue it. You can be aggressive or passive, but you have to pursue it. Pursuit can be through word of mouth, but even that has to start somewhere. As a formerly self-employed person, I can tell you that my services were not crucial and as a result only some of my vast clientele were actually repeat customers. Those were golden to me, but few and far between. The referrals, however, were what made it work. And finding folks for whom my services were vital.

I have a woodworking friend who build his shop with two commissions for high end balusters for a high end construction company for a high end house. He had the lathe but needed a good duplicator and table saw. Ended up making a couple of hundred balusters. Even at Big Orange, they ain’t cheap. Fancier, better lumber, better craftsmanship, and unique design. Hear the profit bells ringing? He’s done a number of other such projects since, but can’t yet “just” do woodworking. Still part time commission work, but his reputation grows.

Find out who “needs” or who should need your services, make ‘em a sample and go introduce yourself!

-- Dean, Missouri

Great story and ideas Dean. I like to hear how people got their start, and what has worked (or not) for them. We are each different, so what works for one may not for another. But, you never know until you try.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

I would very highly recommend listening to cds of talks and seminars by Zig Ziglar. He is an inspirational speaker who will TEACH you how to sell yourself.

-- John R. - Richmond, Ohio, "With God, all things are possible"

If this is truly your desire then Bill this is what you should do. You already know what it takes and you have the skill. I believe in the laws of attraction. If you focus on your dream and move toward that realization every day then you will be successful in your business. If you keep thinking of reasons you can not do it you will fail so pick a path and follow it with your heart and the talent god gave you.

-- Sell it here> http://woodworkerslist.com