guest books

[KimRulien]

Has anyone used guest books at shows to get people to stay in the shop a bit longer, or try to get a sort of mailing list of future clients going?

I was thinking it could be useful? any other ideas? helpful hints????

[UKRay]

You might like to try the old win a bottle of champagne or whisky trick... it has worked plenty of times for me. Simply find a glass punch bowl and stand a bottle of booze in it with a label saying put your business card here to get a chance of winning the bottle. You will have a huge mailing list in no time (most people will try to win booze) but it won't be particularly product specific. If you want to refine the process then use a piece of your work as the prize. If they drop their contact detils into the pot then you will know they could be potential clients

I never had any luck with a visitor's book though and I did try it a couple of times. Another option is the 'internet raffle' where you give free entry to a prize draw to win a nice prize - all people have to do is write their email address down on your list. Now personally, I'd not be inclined to do that as I hate getting spamed, but plenty of folk will.

[Johanna]

I have a friend who does craft shows and she always puts out a jar to "win this" and people drop in their business card or fill out a slip of paper to enter a drawing. But like Ray pointed out, some people don't want to be spammed.

I had a look at your website. You do some unique work that a collector or professional musician might want to be kept apprised of, but there is no guestbook on your site. That might be the place to start collecting that mailing list. Add to it the info from all sales tickets you write. If I bought a guitar strap from you, constantly got compliments on it, and my best friend's birthday was coming up...well, the email saying "hey, look what I did that's new!" would probably make me a repeat customer.

There is a company up in Maine that restores trunks and is a retail supplier. He uses a mailing list to send out a periodic newsletter. It is so well written and funny I always read it. (People are nodding their heads. Churchill Barton of Brettuns Village, of course!) If Ray started a newsletter or blog, I would sign up for the same reason. There are just some people you know you would enjoy sitting around drinking coffee on the back porch with, ya know?

For an artist like yourself with a niche market, you have to be able to communicate why yours is better, has more value, quality. You may want to include a little education on your site. I know what goes into doing inlay, stitching and measuring, but the average customer does not. They assume you have a magic machine that attaches everything in the back room. They didn't see you standing there with the strap of leather and an idea, then going through your stuff until you found just want you were looking for...let them see you as an artist and an individual, but your site is sort of impersonal. Pics really help sell good work, too. Close up detailed pics will sometimes send the customer over the edge.

Your question was about a guestbook at a show, but my answer is that to use your site might be even more effective, especially since you do such specialty work. People looking at your guestbook would see "oh, it's even better than I expected!" "thank you for the quick courteous help!" etc and that helps add to your credibility and reputation. You do list your website on your business cards, right? I know sometimes I sit down with a pile of them and visit the sites after I've been to a show. "Oh, yeah, I remember that lady- she put the jewels in the guitar straps!"

When dimosaurs roamed the earth, and there was no internet, we leatherworkers were limited to our geographical locations to sell. Thanks to the Internet, UKRay has eaten Oreos. People here sell to anywhere they can ship, and are glad to, especially when they are highly specialized leatherworkers.

HTH

Johanna

[KimRulien]

There is a company up in Maine that restores trunks and is a retail supplier. He uses a mailing list to send out a periodic newsletter. It is so well written and funny I always read it. (People are nodding their heads. Churchill Barton of Brettuns Village, of course!) If Ray started a newsletter or blog, I would sign up for the same reason. There are just some people you know you would enjoy sitting around drinking coffee on the back porch with, ya know?

For an artist like yourself with a niche market, you have to be able to communicate why yours is better, has more value, quality. You may want to include a little education on your site. I know what goes into doing inlay, stitching and measuring, but the average customer does not. They assume you have a magic machine that attaches everything in the back room. They didn't see you standing there with the strap of leather and an idea, then going through your stuff until you found just want you were looking for...let them see you as an artist and an individual, but your site is sort of impersonal. Pics really help sell good work, too. Close up detailed pics will sometimes send the customer over the edge.

Oh my gosh I love that guy at 'Brettuns' too funny! My husband and i found him when ordering punches, very helpful and his sense of humor is fab...

I love the idea of win a free guitar strap...(I charge between $300-$450) I think you could tell them to check the website to see the winners list as well and that would get them coming back...and checking in. They could put address memail or phone or all or some of that for the folks worried about spam.

I did want to point out that I do have detailed close ups on the website, and I plan to add a links or testimonial page and maybe one about myself. I really have concentrated on the straps and photography for now.

What was it you found 'impersonal'? I need the constructive criticism!

I do also think I need to go into more detail about the process, I just have the bit about hand sewing the gemstones and not much more. I worried it could get to be too much for people.

How do you all feel about photos of the artists on web pages? i have been trying to decide if I should stick my picture up there, or just my cute dog Lola! (kidding)

[MADMAX22]

I wouldnt make them check the website because I sometimes people forget that kind of thing.

Anyways I will say that every motorcycle show that I have gone to there has been drawings and you can enter these to win bikes, accessories, what ever and they allways have a little thing that allows you to send them newsletters/spam whatever you wanna call it, they can opt out by checking a box or whatever. Giving a guitar strap away would be a good idea like you said.

Also make sure your business cards are readily available. If you can float it get a pic of your straps on the front of it like on your website, its more expensive but then people will be like " oh yeah that guy" or whatever.