jttheclockman
Member
I think we all have seen the ads or at times sales lessons that start with Sell Me This Pen. Well with many people here making pens and possibly selling pens, why not discuss the methods used in selling pens. Not going to get into prices of your pens but you can make references to them if you choose. Maybe when all said and done there will come out of this exercise some notes for your next pen sales. Maybe someone new just getting into the hobby wants to make a few bucks and continue expanding their pen making skills and wants to sell a few. Now there are hundreds of methods and valuable lessons out there and I am sure plenty of videos that can help. My goal here is to take some of these ideas and place them in a thread that can be searched in the future for sellers of their wares. Now these ideas are definitely not limited to pens and in fact they can be applied to anything you want to sell but can also help when buying too. They can give you an idea of what a good salesperson sounds like and be ready to answer questions if asked.
Now also I won't go into the where to sell your pens or to whom to sell to. These are discussions for another thread all by itself. We all know the old adage LOCATION< LOCATION< LOCATION plays a huge role. Types of venues also plays a huge role. Type of crowd and so forth but again that is not what this is about.
I will start and give some ideas that I use and they are the same no matter what venue or show I am selling in. I will say this that I have been selling at shows for about 40 years and started and still sell scrollsawn and handmade wooden items. I incorporated pens about 15 years or so ago. Always the first approach, and you learn very fast the more shows you do, who you can talk to and who just want to be left alone. But all are approachable in some manner. I try never to be that pushy drive hard at a sale person. I strike up a conversation. I always mention that if they have any questions at anything they are seeing I am here to answer them. If they need help and or want to see something I have on a shelf or a wall just ask and I will retrieve it for them. If they are responsive I will start my sales pitch in a way of explaining that everything is handmade and what woods are used. if this takes off and there is a back and forth conversation then I go deeper. I explain my warrenty policy. I explain what the item would look best on or how to use it. If it is a clock I explain how to change batteries and so forth. Now when I introduced pens I had to add a little more gab lines because a pen is something that everyone has used in the past and probably still are. So I will start with asking a few questions as to find out if they know anything about the type pens they are holding. Maybe ask if they ever used a highend pen and written with one and let them try them as there is always paper there to do so. I then go into a little story telling as to what they are looking at and what makes the pen special. I may show them various pens in the themes or different woods or acrylics depending what they picked up first because that usually is what caught their eye right away. All the time remembering they are looking at items that are impulse buys and not needs. You try to put them in a place that helps with that impulse and give positive vibes of why they want that item. You get into the feel of the pen and the weight and how the refill writes. If they are looking at real highend pens you mention they are basically that special pen that is a one of a kind. most people use them as desk pens. You mention it comes with a highend display box. All the same time you must be confident in what you are telling them and just be friendly.
So lets hear what you all have to say and your approach to sell your pens.
Now also I won't go into the where to sell your pens or to whom to sell to. These are discussions for another thread all by itself. We all know the old adage LOCATION< LOCATION< LOCATION plays a huge role. Types of venues also plays a huge role. Type of crowd and so forth but again that is not what this is about.
I will start and give some ideas that I use and they are the same no matter what venue or show I am selling in. I will say this that I have been selling at shows for about 40 years and started and still sell scrollsawn and handmade wooden items. I incorporated pens about 15 years or so ago. Always the first approach, and you learn very fast the more shows you do, who you can talk to and who just want to be left alone. But all are approachable in some manner. I try never to be that pushy drive hard at a sale person. I strike up a conversation. I always mention that if they have any questions at anything they are seeing I am here to answer them. If they need help and or want to see something I have on a shelf or a wall just ask and I will retrieve it for them. If they are responsive I will start my sales pitch in a way of explaining that everything is handmade and what woods are used. if this takes off and there is a back and forth conversation then I go deeper. I explain my warrenty policy. I explain what the item would look best on or how to use it. If it is a clock I explain how to change batteries and so forth. Now when I introduced pens I had to add a little more gab lines because a pen is something that everyone has used in the past and probably still are. So I will start with asking a few questions as to find out if they know anything about the type pens they are holding. Maybe ask if they ever used a highend pen and written with one and let them try them as there is always paper there to do so. I then go into a little story telling as to what they are looking at and what makes the pen special. I may show them various pens in the themes or different woods or acrylics depending what they picked up first because that usually is what caught their eye right away. All the time remembering they are looking at items that are impulse buys and not needs. You try to put them in a place that helps with that impulse and give positive vibes of why they want that item. You get into the feel of the pen and the weight and how the refill writes. If they are looking at real highend pens you mention they are basically that special pen that is a one of a kind. most people use them as desk pens. You mention it comes with a highend display box. All the same time you must be confident in what you are telling them and just be friendly.
So lets hear what you all have to say and your approach to sell your pens.
