The jeweler in front of you carefully pulls the necklace you asked to see off the table and hands it to you. She watches as you carefully inspect the piece and then place it down on the table. "I'll take it," you say.
"Fantastic!" she says happily, "I have two clasp options for you; the first is a basic ribbon that will adjust as you like; the second is a handmade 'S-hook' that will fasten it close to your neck. Which would you like?"
After a few moments deliberation, you say "I'll take the 's-hook'." She smiles and pulls out the silver piece for you, almost a piece of jewelry in and of itself. After handing you the necklace, she points out a small box.
"Since you purchased one of our necklaces, you can pick out a charm or pendant if you like, for only five dollars."
In the scene above, there are two examples of business savvy: adding value and upselling. Both are important to any business, including businesses that are built around getting your art out rather than making a large profit. If you are selling your art for a living, it is even more important.
Adding value can be a simple thing; it can consist of offering several options for clasps, as our jeweler did in the example above, or it can be more extravagant, such as offering free pieces for people that purchase a certain amount. When adding value, many times it is better to focus on the small things, as 1) adding value does cost money and usually generates no revenue (or income) as it is free, and 2) if your added value is too extravagant, the customer may think you sell cheap products. Consider this TV Sales Ad:
This is the new, hand-crafted, Steampunk Lawn Gnome! It comes with a pointed hat that can either be in brass, copper, or leather! Goggles are hand crafted and can be placed over the eyes or up on the cap! Fully articulated and made out of brass and wood! the Steampunk Lawn Gnome is a must for any workshop or aviary and can be yours today for only $19.95! Start, by calling 1-800-4-STEAMPUNK. But Wait! Call in the next ten minutes, and we'll include a handpainted Kai Gun for your Lawn Gnome, a $15.00 value, FREE!
It's not hard to see the problem here. First, it's obvious that our hand crafted Lawn Gnome is actually Mass Produced, which means that if it is hand-crafted, it will probably be quick work. Even if it is excellent work, the maker is undoubtedly using Guilt MathTM. By throwing in a relatively expensive addition, he is reducing the value of his work by essentially saying each piece is worth about ten dollars.
In the example above, however, there is an instance of adding value that does work. Offering options to your customers such as different hats, or styles of goggle, would be a relatively inexpensive set of options, and adds perceived value as it gives the customer the ability to choose exactly how they want their lawn gnome to look. Let's see how this product should likely be sold:
So I see you like the Steampunk Lawn Gnome! It is hand-crafted and painted, and comes with a hat of your choice. The goggles are also hand painted and can be moved so they are either on or off of the Gnome's eyes. He costs $40. I also have some extras for him, like this Gauss Rifle that I'm selling for $15. It's a replica of the Man-Sized Gauss Rifle that Julien Harrison carries on the Steampunk Empire, fitted for this Gnome. I'll take $50 for both, if you're interested.
In this example, the seller used three methods to ensure a good sale of a quality item. First, he used Business MathTM. Second, he added value by offering several options for a hat for the Gnome's head, and showed how the goggles were articulated. Third, he tried to upsell the customer first by showing the accessory and telling the customer the price, then by offering a deal on both together. By offering the $5 discount, the customer sees a perceived increase in value for cost and if you used your Business MathTM, should have little effect on your ability to make more art.
How to Upsell
Unlike adding value, deciding how to upsell your customer can be tricky. Many times, merchants will offer the customer a valuable item from their wares that may double the bill the customer pays; even more often the merchant will try to offload an unwanted good.
When trying to upsell your customer, offer them an item that relates to the original purchase. For instance, in our Steampunk Lawn Gnome example, the Gauss Rifle is an accessory to the original work purchased. So if you sell hand made wind chimes, offer your customer charms that can hang from the centre of the pipes. Another example would be having a piece of work that is made of the same materials and has the same artistic style.
Any way you spin it, the customer above would be much more likely to buy a second hat for his Lawn Gnome rather than a steampunk dog collar. So make sure your upsell attempts, when made, compliment their original purchase. And if you don't have anything that fits, try the closest item that costs less than half of the price of the first item. Though you'll get a lot of "nos", eventually someone will say "yes."
Sales is an incredibly diverse field, and although it is not your primary reason for having your business, it would behoove you to read up on some of its better features. Sales books can easily be purchased online or in your local bookstore, or through my partner stores page at www.amway.com/vallerand. The Little Books Series by Jeffery Gitomer is especially easy to read and have helped me on many occasions (no this is not a paid ad!).
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