Early in my career as quiltmaker, I sold my work.

I took commissions, I did juried craft shows, and I was the only quilter in a fine arts co-op with a storefront.

I saw my share of objections to sales. I still see them today. And, today, with the coronavirus changing our sales process, you might even see more objections.

The price is too high. I need to talk to my spouse first. I can’t make a decision today. I need to look at other items. I need to touch the fabric or see it in person. I’m not sure I have space in my house.

I’m sure you’ve heard some of those and others.

Here are some ideas on how to get past buyer objections so you can get to the sale.

Anticipate objections

Whatever the objection, you can think of it as an opportunity to educate your buyer.

Look at the most common objections you get and address them early in the sales process.

For example, if you are often asked how to hang your art, talk about that before it comes up. If your sales are wholesale, explain your terms. If someone wants to see if your art fits in their space, let them know if this is/is not possible. If someone wants a different color, are you amenable to reproducing your work? You may even have written material that answers some of these questions with the display of your work at a show or gallery.

Read more…

What’s in a tagline? The purpose of a tagline is to express your brand differentiation. It’s to say who you are compared to your competition.  It’s to get people to want to know more about your company and how you can help them. The best taglines have an emotional component.

Do you recognize these taglines?

Make Creativity Happen
Made to Create
Designed by a Quilter, for Quilters
For People Who Love to Sew
Make More Art, Spend Less Money

They belong to companies in the arts fields. I’m guessing that you knew most of them.

Read more…

When we advertise our products or services, it’s often easier to talk about the features as opposed to the benefits. Features characterize the product; benefits are why we buy the product. Benefits answer the question, What’s in it for me? When you buy products, you don’t buy because of a feature, you buy because of a benefit. Features are easy to describe; benefits less so. Benefits, too, can be intangible.

The most compelling benefits are those that deliver emotional or financial rewards. This is what struck me as I looked at those magazine ads. The Twinings Tea ad that says “With my cup of Twinings, even a rainy day feels brighter” is selling an emotion. My favorite ad that pulls the emotional heartstrings is the Michelin ad with the baby sitting inside the tire. Michelin is not selling tires; it is selling safety. Good use of selling a benefit.

Looking at some quilting examples, you don’t buy a new design rotary cutter because it’s described as ergonomically correct, you buy it because the manufacturer says you will have pain-free cutting. If you are selling a pattern, instead of just saying it includes rotary-cutting instructions, say that you can save time with easy-to-follow rotary instructions. Saving time is a benefit we can all appreciate. A finished quilt isn’t just a valued piece of art, it’s a collector’s item that will increase in value. Do you think people are buying those Kinkaid prints because they are pretty? No, they think they are making an investment in something that will increase in value.

Also consider how you’ll package your product. You might find a benefit there. For example, patterns are packaged in bags with vent holes so they pack more easily. Or a kit could be in a resealable packet to keep the work clean.

One way to look at benefits is to consider your products from the consumer’s point of view. You might even survey them. What examples do you have that sells the benefits of your product or service?

The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business. Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership here.