Help! No one’s buying my stuff!

Here’s part of an email I got this week. I’ve had a few others VERY like it too.

“I’m completely demoralised and I’m thinking of jacking it all in. I’m just not making ANY sales. I’m just back from a fair where I sold NOTHING. I did a market night on Facebook and sold just THREE items. I’ve got an Etsy shop and a website that cost more to run than I make in sales. I’m thinking of throwing in the towel but before I do, is there ANYTHING you can suggest?!” Annie

Just in case you’re feeling a bit this way too I thought I’d share my SEVEN suggestions for Annie. And if you’ve got anything you’d like to ADD please pop it in the comments!

1. Check you are making stuff people WANT

It’s tricky to say this without hurting your feelings but maybe – MAYBE – people just don’t like your stuff enough to buy it. I know you enjoy making it and your friends say they love it and your Mum has a house full of it, and your pictures get lots of likes on Facebook, and people call it ‘cute’ at fairs…… But does anyone really want to BUY it?!

Have a think about how many STRANGERS have bought your stuff. If it’s not many you might need to change WHAT you make.

As Jeremy Jules Somers of “We are Handsome” said “Staying true to your creative desires while being commercially minded is always a balancing act for any creative business”

2. Stop making and start marketing

Making and creating is your safe place. You enjoy doing it, you’re good at it AND it feels like you’re working hard because you are making lots of stock. But you don’t need masses of stuff to sell if you haven’t got many customers.

I know this is HARD but every day take HALF-AN-HOUR out of your “making” time and convert it to “marketing” time. This easy tip will help you think about how to use that time to your best!

3. Make less

Sometimes customers do want to buy your stuff. Just not today. Not tomorrow. Not the next day! To help them buy NOW you need to create a bit of urgency. How do you do that? Well one of the best ways is to make your stuff “exclusive’. Commit to only making a very small amount of each design. When someone knows you only have “2 left” they are more likely to buy than if they think you’ve got 2000!

5. Make useful stuff

Customers buy things they “need”.  Even if they don’t know they “need” it until they see it! You can help your customers “need” your stuff by showing them how other people “use” it. It’s as simple as displaying your plate with cookies on it, your cushion being cuddled by a 2 year old, your picture being given as a birthday gift…etc.

6. Make something pricier!

Yes. This sounds totally WRONG. But it’s right! If something is small, cheap, “ornamental” and ANYONE can have it NO ONE wants it! Most people (hoarders excepted…) don’t buy something just because it’s cheap.

Of course you have to match the price with good quality but try it! Make a more expensive better quality product and see what happens.

7. Make things for your existing customers

Finding new customers all the time is tough and expensive. If you’ve already got a group of people who like what you make, can you make something else for them?!

If you haven’t been keeping records of your customers start NOW. Then tell them (email, Facebook etc) when you’ve got something FAB and new that they might like.

♥♥♥♥ Hello you! If you’re SERIOUS about making good money from your handmade, homebased or boutique business you might like our HEALTHY INCOME PROGRAM. You can read about it here or ask me about it here! We’d love to have you in the next Cookalong. It starts 4 November 2013! ♥♥♥♥

 

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