Golden Leek Beads & Make a
Killing From Jewellery Parties
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Chrysoprase & Chrysocolla – The Golden Leeks
The name chrysoprase (rhymes with
bliss and craze) is from a Greek word meaning Golden Leek. It is the rarest of
the chalcedony group of gem quartzes and its bright even colour and texture is
ideal for beads. Chrysoprase was popular in the time of the Greeks and Romans
when it was cut into cameos - the Egyptians used it with lapis jewellery and
even to decorate beads. In Europe until the middle of the last century it was
used lavishly, when deposits mined in Silesia exhausted and it became expensive.
The Book of Revelations (21:20) describes the holy city of Jerusalem with its 12
walls decorated with precious gemstones, the tenth being chrysoprase.
According
to an 11th Century Byzantine manuscript, chrysoprase strengthens vision and
relieves internal pain. Metaphysically, it brings a sense of grace, helping
meditative, calmness and acceptance of oneself and others. It is believed to
encourage positive outcome, helping to heal a broken heart, the heart itself,
the reproductive organs, and fertility. And in the East, Chrysoprase is said to
balance yin-yang and encourage the heart chakra bringing energy to the physical
body. Astrologically, chrysoprase is associated with the zodiac signs of Gemini
and Cancer.
Chrysocolla
is very similar to chrysoprase, but usually has more blue colouring. Both stones
look great beside turquoise in a necklace or bracelet - giving a bright natural
appearance.
To see all our Chrysoprase & Chrysocolla click
MrBead.com or
MrBead.co.uk
How to Profit from Jewellery Home Parties
A
jewellery home party is one of the most profitable and fun ways to market your
bead designs. There’s no competition from other sellers, and the guests love to
encourage each other to shop. It’s better than say a Tupperware party, because
you’re the actual designer, personally selling your jewellery. Buyers love that!
Parties are very efficient. In just three hours, you can make hundreds of
pounds. And it’s not always necessary to pay any fees or commission - just give
your hostess some free jewellery and a discount based on the takings.
Party guests feel comfortable buying from you, because your presence in the
hostess’s home implies they can trust you and your work is good.
You’re a friend, not an outside sales person. Trust is the most important factor
in selling and developing repeat business. And customers enjoy shopping in a
relaxed, personalized environment, rather than a mall.
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Organizing the Party
It’s
easy to sell at a jewellery home party every week while holding down your day
job. You only need a couple of hours’ preparation. You choose the dates and
times, and it’s easier than you think to attract bookings.
Around
3-hours at someone’s home work best.
Although you can estimate how long you need for the party, add 50% more
time, and tell this to the host in advance.Work the party like a craft show -
greeting customers browsing and encourage trying on jewellery.
Answer
questions, make suggestions, and advice on custom orders.
Create
a fun atmosphere of a girls’ night out shopping.
Invitations
The
best invitations are colour postcards with an enticing photo of your finest
jewellery – this will encourage people to attend the party.
To prevent guests from assuming everything will be too expensive for
them, add “Prices Start at £3” (or whatever your least expensive item is) on the
invitation. Other tips are:
-
Print in
colour one side, and leave the other side blank so you can fill in for
different parties.
-
Write or
print both your and the hostess’s details on the cards - so guests can
contact you in the future to either buy jewellery or book a party of their
own.
- To
encourage more guests, add “Receive Free Jewellery for Each Guest you
bring!” Give them something that
has a high perceived value, but costs you little - like bead earrings or £5
off their total.
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Attract More People
Only
about half invited may actually attend, therefore encourage your hostess to ask
over 20 people. Request a guest
list with names, addresses, and phone numbers, so you can mail invitations two
weeks in advance. Provide her with plenty of invitations early, so she can
distribute at work, school, church, clubs etc.
Suggest she telephones all the guests the day before to remind them.
Setting Up
Arrange
beforehand, whether to use the hostess’s dining table or bring your own table(s)
for display, and take black or white velvet to cover the table top.
Save time by setting up all you can at home
beforehand, but arrive 15-minutes early to organize and assemble everything.Take
lots of mirrors so customers can see how good they look when they try your
jewellery.
Friends' opinions this is what makes the party fun for
guests. You may also want to bring scarves, hats and other props too.
Bright lighting is crucial for good
jewellery sales.
Tell your hostess you need a well-lit room and
bring extra lights with an extension cable.
How to Sell
Don’t
distract
Most
guests intend to buy jewellery.
Keep them focused there, you don’t need anything fancy. Simple and without
pressure - letting people come and go as they please. Guests attend to shop and
socialize, not eat. They can’t try
on jewellery with food in their hands. Tea, coffee and biscuits; or nuts, wine
and cheese is all you need.
Right away is always best
Try selling as much jewellery as possible at the actual party - instead
of showing samples and taking orders. Impulse sales come easy when people are
excited and guests like to take something home.
Emphasize that your custom jewellery is unique and impossible to
duplicate.
If they don’t buy now, they
could miss the chance to own the piece later.
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“Fear of loss” is a powerful seller!
Extra orders
Display a nice photo album of your work at every party. This triggers custom
orders and makes it easier for you to give suggestions. Expect questions
about how and when you became a jewellery artist, places you sell, materials
used, how it’s made, and where you met the hostess.
Interesting comments said about your
art makes it more appealing.
Sincere encouragement
Look your guests in the face when you talk, with breath eye contact.
Smile and chat to show you’re sincere.
Emphasize the BENEFITS of owning one of your pieces. Say something like
“you’ll look fantastic in this pearl necklace, all the guys will fancy you - and
they never go out of style!”
Taking orders
Bring two calculators, order and receipt forms, and some nice pens.
For custom orders, ensure both you and the customer have a written and
signed copy of the agreement. Specify delivery date with their phone
number and e-mail address. Make the date slightly later than when you
expect to finish the order. Then you’re covered if it’s late - and they’ll be
impressed if it’s early.
Take payment in full at the party, otherwise some will cancel later.
Accept credit cards, Paypal, or post-dated checks for larger amounts.
Also take a float of change and a money box for cash.
Extra Party Tips
1. Let the hostess choose pieces of your jewellery to
model during the party.
2. Display an area of under-£20
gift selections next to a sign that reminds
customers of people they need to shop for:
daughters, mothers, grandmothers, babysitters, teachers, coworkers,
bosses, employees, godmothers, goddaughters, clients, nieces, etc.
3. Give bonuses for individual sales at different levels.
For example, a guest who purchases over £100
receives a coupon for £10
off jewellery purchased within 30-days (or free earrings). This also motivates
customers who have spent £100
or less, to buy one more items.
4. Award a special prize for the
customer who spends the most - and dramatize giving it to them at the end of the
party. This encourages people to
spend more at future parties.
5. Each piece of jewellery should be part of a possible set. So if they
buy a pearl necklace, suggest a pearl bracelet too.
If you don’t have ready-made matching pieces, offer to make custom items
to match.
6. Show lots of impulse extras: like chains and neck wires, inexpensive
earrings, jewellery polishing cloths, etc. One extra item onto each customer’s
total adds up.
7. Sell everything in a quality presentation box, and offer free gift wrapping
to make it easy for guests to buy for presents.
8. Sell gift certificates for your jewellery.
9. At the end of the party, encourage guests to book their own
jewellery party. As an
incentive, offer a free voucher (or
gift) if they commit there and then.
10. Distribute vouchers to promote both your own custom jewellery designs and
for guests to host their own jewellery party.
Include a colour photo on the leaflet, highlight the benefits, and offer
a gift or small discount.
Hostess Incentives
People
agree to host a jewellery party because they want cut-priced jewellery.
However, some hesitate as they think it will be too much work. Therefore,
tell your potential hostesses they only need provide snacks, you’ll do
everything else. Explain that
she’ll have a lot of fun: socializing and shopping with friends for free
jewellery.
After she books, send a
thank-you note the next day. This shows your appreciation and commits them.
If someone feels she couldn’t host a party, suggest doubling up with another
hostess to hold a group party - where each person invites her own guests and
gets credit for their purchases. Negotiate whose house to use, and give
them extra.
Apart from discounts, you can entice potential hostesses with a special gift,
like a unique design that everyone wants, but only they can buy.
Don’t feel over obliging
Try to avoid paying commission in cash – far better to give a discount for your
jewellery or a small design free.
Tell your hostess how long it took you to design and make a piece.
There’s nothing wrong charging for your time - don’t undersell yourself.
Hostess Credits
Work out what incentives you want to give to your hosts before approaching them
and set a few rules. Like there
must be at least two people besides the hostess who purchase jewellery for it to
be considered a party - and the combined guest total must be at least
£75
for her to earn free/discounted jewellery.
If these conditions are met, then a few ideas of what the hostess could receive
are:
·
A £15
gift certificate to spend at her party or use toward a custom order.
·
Plus discounted/free jewellery equaling 10% of her guests’ pre-tax total of
£100
to £300, or 15% of her guests’ total over
£300. These totals don’t include
the hostess’s purchases.
·
Also give her another £10
for each party booked from her jewellery party, and an
additional £10 if she has 20 or more guests.
If all goes well,
hostesses will often host again - especially if they enjoyed themselves and got
some nice jewellery. Mail her a
handwritten thank you the day after her party, with an extra jewellery coupon
that’s good for 30-days.
Discount Vouchers
Use
quality printed discount vouchers.
Design so they are versatile and can be given both to customers and to your
jewellery party hosts.
The voucher
must have your name, logo, and contact details.
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For Free Shipping
off anything enter GREENBEADS in the box at checkout, and click "Redeem
Coupon". Use
NOW - as expires
Friday 18th July 2014. No minimum order, but can only for used at MrBead.com or
MrBead.co.uk and cannot be used with any other discount or eBay.
For all What's New
click MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk
top of page
To view all are old newsletters click here
To go to our MrBead
store click MrBead.com or
MrBead.co.uk