ABCs of Successfully Selling Crafts

I thought I would share what I perceive as the ABC's of Successfully Selling Crafts. There are many other words that would have fit for each instance, but I felt these were some of the most important! Many of these apply to any business, and some even apply to life in general :)

A is for Accuracy – Make sure your photos and product descriptions are accurate. Proofread listings and develop a strong relationship with grammar check and photo-editing software.

B is for Business Plan – Create one – it will make you take your business seriously.

C is for Customer Service – Make yours remarkable in a good way!

D is for Discipline – If you don’t take yourself seriously, how will others? Set hours, plan your schedule, act like you’re in business!

E is for Enjoyment – If it’s becoming more work than enjoyment, rethink your plan.

F is for Finances – Create a budget. Be realistic about start up costs, advertising costs, supplies, and the value of your time.

G is for Goal Setting – Set yours: short term, long term, and intermediate. Review them often, adjust as necessary.

H is for Humor – Develop a good sense of humor if you don’t already have one. It’ll get you through the worst of days.

I is for Imagination – Use yours!

J is for Juggling – Juggling schedules, juggling responsibilities, juggling space for your studio… you get the idea.

K is for Knowledge – The more knowledgeable you are about your craft, the more likely people are to trust your work.

L is for Licenses and Other Legal “Stuff” – Be sure you are on the up and up, have your i's dotted and your t's crossed.

M is for Mission Statement – Define yours and make sure you work to that end.

N is for Networking – Networking basically gives everyone in the network an expanded “Sales Team” which is working on their behalf to promote them! Have no doubt about the viral aspects of social media – your work will be seen by audiences everywhere with comparatively minimal effort on your part.

O is for Originality – Look to others for inspiration occasionally, but always make your work your own in whatever small way you can.

P is for Promotion – People won’t magically find you, so promote, promote, promote!

Q is for Quality – The best ad is a good product.

R is for Reputation – Protect yours. Be careful of what you say and to whom, and what you post online – virtually everything is searchable online nowadays from forum posts to tweets, and can often come back to haunt you.

S is for Smiles – Let yours radiate self confidence, warmth, and sincerity whenever you come in contact with others.

T is for Tact – A little tactfulness can go a long way in relationships, even when you feel anything but tactful.

U is for Uniqueness – Ask yourself why people should buy your product rather than someone else's? Make it unique.

V is for Visual Appeal – Be sure your product photos are accurate, crisp, and inviting. After all, they will usually be what people’s first impressions of your work is based on!

W is for Worth – Don’t undervalue the worth of your products, your time, and your skill – and especially don’t underestimate the worth of a happy customer.

X is for Xploring – (Ok, it’s almost like it started with an X!) Explore new ideas, new techniques, new trends. Try them, and if you like them, incorporate them slowly to see how your clientele responds. Even the experts are wrong about trends occasionally!

Y is for Your Workspace – Have a place you can designate as your “studio” – even if it’s just an old table in a corner. Keep your workspace organized, comfortable, and still a reflection of your personality.

Z is for Zeal – If you’re not excited about your products, do you think others will be?

Please feel free to add your own ideas by posting them in comments - it's always great to hear what you're thinking!

Sometime in the near future, I'll be posting my ABC list of things NOT to do when trying to successfully sell crafts. Stay tuned!