The "Unboxing" Experience!
We’re picking up the fun this week as we dive into how you can sell your products directly as a Surface Designer. If you love customer interaction and have a friendly and outgoing personality, direct selling is a great option for you.
Direct selling means that you buy inventory in the products that have your designs on them, and you sell those items directly to the public in a variety of ways.
Here are my tips on how to get started.
#1 - Participate in a craft fair.
If you already sell at craft fairs, you can add to your existing artwork by creating new products with your designs on them. Think about seasonally appropriate items like wrapping paper, notebooks, and tote bags.
If you’ve never sold at a craft fair before, check out my free ebook: Craft Fairs: Your Step by Step Guide to Success. It gives you all of the detailed information you need to be successful.
#2 – Collaborate with your local art store.
Consider taking your physical products down to your local art supply store and asking them if they will sell your products and share the profits with you.
When I was first getting started, I put my products into a little storage box and walked down to the store in my tiny little town. I introduced myself to the manager who also happened to be the store owner. I noticed that she featured new people in the window every month or so. I asked her if she would be interested in featuring me and selling some of my products in the store.
We came to an arrangement, and I was featured in her window during the back to school time frame. I only had a tiny little shelf to display my items on, but was a great way for me to get started. You never know what will happen when you ask, and it just takes a little courage.
#3 – Sell directly on your website.
Selling on your website has become easier than ever. You can highlight key items on your landing page and link to other sites that carry or sell your products for you. We’ll get into indirect selling next week.
One of the great things about selling directly is that you can curate the customer's experience. This means when someone purchases something from your website or from you directly at a store or a craft fair, you curate the packaging. That means you select the perfect box or bag. You surround the items with tissue paper that has your design on it. Add a sticker with your logo as the finishing touch.
You might even include a thank you card. When your customer gets home and unpacks the box, they’re thrilled. You’ve made the “unboxing” experience incredibly special. They immediately see the amazing care that you’ve given to every detail inside - not just the item they purchased.
This makes direct selling very compelling. And what fun you’ll have designing shopping bags with your logo on the side and beautiful tissue paper in one of your gorgeous designs!
Don’t forget to pop over to my YouTube channel to watch the video version of this blog. Click HERE and please subscribe while you’re over there.
I’ll see you next week.
xo,
Anne
Dive even deeper into how to Craft a Career You Love in Surface Design by downloading my free ebook HERE.
Have fun and I’ll see you next week.
Remember,
It’s Never Too Late to Create®
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MEET ANNE
Hi…I’m Anne!
My creative inspiration comes from a lifetime of observation. I grew up in Paris on the Place St. Sulpice and walked to school through the Luxembourg gardens. And that was only the beginning… Learn more by watching the video on my About page.
