# Getting Customers



## Johnturner (Nov 28, 2014)

Many times people on the site will refer to "my customers". Do many of you guys have repeat customers?
How do you start? Where do you get your customers?
HELP!
John

Reactions: Great Post 1


----------



## SENC (Nov 28, 2014)

@Tclem meets his at the beauty parlor and pedicurist, but he's a special type and you may not want to follow his lead.

Reactions: Funny 11


----------



## manbuckwal (Nov 28, 2014)

Try some local stores, Etsy, Facebook,


----------



## Mrfish55 (Nov 28, 2014)

I found a local gallery that was looking for handcrafted items, win win as far as I'm concerned, he gets local handcrafts and i don't have to deal with customers, I drop off once a month and pick up a check.

Reactions: Like 3


----------



## JR Custom Calls (Nov 28, 2014)

For me, word of mouth seems to be my best source of new customers. My first customers originated on Facebook and Instagram, but once they started showing their friends, they became walking bilboards. About 3 of every 5 orders starts out with "My buddy was showing me his call..." I can't say much about pens, as I've only sold a few to friends, but I'd imagine it's similar. Etsy seems to be pretty popular, but I've found pretty good success with social media.


----------



## Schroedc (Nov 28, 2014)

I have a shop/showroom and I also do several regular art shows. Plus I've picked up a number of repeat customers both corporate and individual.


----------



## Tclem (Nov 28, 2014)

SENC said:


> @Tclem meets his at the beauty parlor and pedicurist, but he's a special type and you may not want to follow his lead.


That's where I met my wife. Lol. I primarily sell on Instagram and it has taken off. Most of my followers are from churches our church fellowships and sue tells robin and robin tells bill and bill tells mark and so on and on. Now days I get a few email orders a week due to word of mouth and yes I have a handful of repeat customer


----------



## SENC (Nov 28, 2014)

Tclem said:


> That's where I met my wife. Lol. I primarily sell on Instagram and it has taken off. Most of my followers are from churches our church fellowships and sue tells robin and robin tells bill and bill tells mark and so on and on. Now days I get a few email orders a week due to word of mouth and yes I have a handful of repeat customer


What style hairsticks to Bill and Mark like?

Reactions: Funny 2


----------



## Tclem (Nov 28, 2014)

SENC said:


> What style hairsticks to Bill and Mark like?


Well the women fill bad about buying all the hairstucks and end up letting their husbands buy pens. Lol

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Sprung (Nov 28, 2014)

Just starting out myself. I've had a handful of purchases made by family and friends - who are starting to spread the word. My mother-in-law has taken some of my pens into her work and has sold a couple so far and that also got me a custom order from someone - and might even get me making a whole set of pens as groomsmen gifts for his daughter's wedding next year. Starting small, but, then again, I'm not sure I want to get too big. This is just a hobby for me, so I'm playing the word of mouth game and seeing where it goes. I do have a Facebook page too.


----------



## kris stratton (Nov 28, 2014)

try your local craft shows/market days and check them out prior so that you know there is not a lot of junk being sold,preferably ones that only allow hand made items.


----------



## Kevin (Nov 29, 2014)

90% or more of my business is repeat customers. Most of them found me doing a google search for flame boxelder. My powder creek site comes up at the top for that search term so I sort of have an unfair advantage selling FBE. I average several new customers a week from that site alone and it keeps me as busy as I want. I have been fortunate to be able to do that for nearly 10 years and have developed an extensive customer base for it. 

In your case selling pens I believe (?) you have to use as many avenues as you can. Local via friends and family - word of mouth is and always will be the best bang for the buck - and Etsy etc. as has been suggested and you also need to have a website simply because people want to be able to go and visit your inventory in the leisure of their home. You aren't necessarily trying to comepete with the thousands of other websites selling pens you can forget that because you do not have a niche product like mine, your website is merely a convenience for the customers that you do reach in other ways. Have a simple business card printed up with your email phone number and website. If you use a company name, also make sure to have your real name on the card and maybe a simple motto that says something about you but nothing cheesy like many people put on their cards "The best writing instruments on the planet" is a put-off IMO. Something like "Personalized, quality pens at realistic prices" something simple, even boring, but authentic like that is much better than bombastic claims. 

You can also work with your local civic clubs to gift pens to local charity auctions etc. great exposure for you and for a good local cause. That's a great way to get the exposure you need.

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## justallan (Nov 29, 2014)

Kind of along the same subject line I suppose, I'm wondering not so much what folks are getting for their pens, but what's the average percentage mark up from the price of a pen kit. I understand there is the art value, wood value, time for stabilizing, ETC. but is there any price that you are shooting for?
Crap, now I've confused myself!


----------



## Karl_99 (Nov 29, 2014)

It takes some time to develop a customer base. After you give or sell pens to friends and family, you need to reach out to other potential customers. I think a website is important as it allows customers to go and see your products. It is important to know who your target market is. Some have mentioned getting placement in a local gallery or doing arts & craft shows. Shows are a great way to grow a customer base. I just received an order for 2 pens similar to one a woman bought at an art show I was at in September. If you decide to do shows, you may want to steer clear of the ones that also allow retail items such as Mary Kay or Scentsy. Check out some shows and see what you like. I prefer a juried show over one that is completely open. I currently look for about 5-6 shows per year. This is still a hobby business for me and I really enjoy all aspects of it including the shows. As Kevin said, being authentic is very important as well as providing outstanding customer service. Good luck and have fun!


----------



## Schroedc (Nov 29, 2014)

I agree with sticking with juried sites but some are juried better than others. I won't do a show anymore that has any resale. If you can it's always good to check out the show the year before to make sure your product fits and for the most part the other artists can be a good source to find out about decent shows. Someone asked about pricing and arule of thumb is to price it at least 3-4 times your total materials cost (kit plus blank plus stabilization/dye if used) but you also need to look at what your market will bear. I have things that sell at 40.00 that in other markets would sell at 60.00 and vice versa.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


----------



## shadetree_1 (Nov 29, 2014)

I know most folks experience with Ebay has been less than satisfying at least as a buyer but as a seller I can't say that at all, we started out with just 15-20 pieces listed and we must have filled a niche because it blew up from there and now we carry about 200 pieces in the store on a daily basis and ship worldwide, despite their fees it has been lucrative for us. And we have about 80% of our customers as repeat buyers that buy something weekly.


----------



## Karl_99 (Nov 29, 2014)

justallan said:


> Kind of along the same subject line I suppose, I'm wondering not so much what folks are getting for their pens, but what's the average percentage mark up from the price of a pen kit. I understand there is the art value, wood value, time for stabilizing, ETC. but is there any price that you are shooting for?
> Crap, now I've confused myself!



The real answer is "it depends". While some people use a special formula of 3 times materials or 4 times the kit or... , you need to decide what you are comfortable selling it for. There are people selling pens on Ebay for little or no margin. I sometimes consider buying them to resell. I have developed a pricing structure that works and provides customers. I provide a good value and make a nice profit. I adjust pricing for specialty woods that are rare or have a lot of figure. I may sell a slimline with a simple wood or acrylic blank for $30 and a Jr. Gent II rollerball with a gator jaw blank for $200. This is a hobby business for me so I do have to show a profit not only to the IRS, but my wife!


----------



## Tclem (Nov 29, 2014)

As far as the price of your pens. Well, it has been stated already but what does your market buy for. I've been told I sell cheap. Ok so here it is. I live in poor ol Mississippi. So if my bolts won't sell for $50 a piece
Then I'm stuck with a bunch of pens. While this is a hobby for me I do use the income to buy baby food and daycare so now I just lower my prices and I kill 3 birds with one stone. Baby food. I enjoy turning and someone gets a pen.

Reactions: Like 3


----------



## justallan (Nov 29, 2014)

So far I've sold a grand total of zero pens, but have sure given away all the ones that I've made while learning what I'm doing. I do have fun with it, but eventually plan to try to break even. lol

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## Tony (Nov 29, 2014)

For me, craft shows have been the best way to get my name/work out there. I attach a business card to everything so that people have my info and I get many calls from people saying, "I was at Bob's house and I saw his cutting board, I want one!". As for price, I believe there are a couple of ways to look at it. I am told I don't charge enough for my work, but I enjoy woodworking, so I would rather sell 50 cutting boards at $50 and keep busy rather than sell 10 of them at $80. As has been mentioned previously in this thread, your market has a lot to do with it also. Tony


----------



## rdabpenman (Nov 29, 2014)

Gun shows, Sportsman shows, Outdoor Adventure shows, Craft shows, Internet and Business cards.
Unique, quality products with competitive prices along with good customer service.

Les

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## ironman123 (Nov 29, 2014)

Tony (Tclem) did you get a good customer base on facebook also? Was facebook or is Instagram better or basically the same?


----------



## Tclem (Nov 29, 2014)

ironman123 said:


> Tony (Tclem) did you get a good customer base on facebook also? Was facebook or is Instagram better or basically the same?


I use Facebook but 99% of my sales are from Instagram. I get a lot of email orders from there.


----------



## DKMD (Nov 29, 2014)

I would suggest setting your price at a level where you'd be comfortable selling one or one hundred pens. I used to sell mine locally for a little more than what I had in them($10-30), and a large order for some nasty acrylic pens killed my desire to turn them. I still get requests even though I haven't turned any in several years. Word of mouth was plenty for me, but I can see where social media sites would get your business up and running faster.


----------



## Tclem (Nov 29, 2014)

The Instagram got me going for sure but now days those who bought tell their friends and now emails and phone calls have started coming in


----------



## Kevin (Nov 29, 2014)

I still think you should run with my HairPens or WritingSticks idea. A hairpen that writes just think you can retire rich in 3 years.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 4


----------



## ssgmeader (Nov 29, 2014)

Tclem said:


> I use Facebook but 99% of my sales are from Instagram. I get a lot of email orders from there.



Really? that's a good nugget of info. I've not even bothered with Instagram, guess it's time to take a peak.

I suggest creating a Pintrest account too and upload some of your work. You may get hits that way too.



DKMD said:


> I would suggest setting your price at a level where you'd be comfortable selling one or one hundred pens. I used to sell mine locally for a little more than what I had in them($10-30), and a large order for some nasty acrylic pens killed my desire to turn them. I still get requests even though I haven't turned any in several years. Word of mouth was plenty for me, but I can see where social media sites would get your business up and running faster.



I'm sure many of us could offer a referral bonus in wood for you pointing those people in our direction. LOL


----------

