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Hi there.
Speaker:It's Sue.
Speaker:And thanks for joining me for tips and talk day.
Speaker:These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions and
Speaker:things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small business.
Speaker:If you'd like to submit a topic,
Speaker:DME over on Instagram at gift biz unwrapped,
Speaker:before we get into the show today,
Speaker:I want to make sure that you know about the newest
Speaker:thing happening over here.
Speaker:It's called the gift biz bash a zoom party that turns
Speaker:into a podcast episode.
Speaker:Several weeks later,
Speaker:the party consists of a short training with Q and a
Speaker:from yours truly.
Speaker:And then an opportunity for you to give a shout out
Speaker:about your business.
Speaker:You can tell us about a promotion you currently have going
Speaker:on or share a collaboration that you're considering so that you
Speaker:can find a perfect partner for the event.
Speaker:A little bit of learning and visibility for your business.
Speaker:What could be better?
Speaker:There is a catch though spots are limited to keep the
Speaker:party to about 45 minutes or so.
Speaker:That means you should grab your spot right away.
Speaker:It's totally free to make sure you're included.
Speaker:Why not do that right now?
Speaker:Pause this episode,
Speaker:go to gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped.com forward slash bash to sign up and then come back
Speaker:and listen to the show.
Speaker:I'll see you at the bash.
Speaker:Are you in control of your business?
Speaker:We're going to get into this so you understand what I'm
Speaker:talking about in a minute,
Speaker:but I want to start the topic in a very special
Speaker:way. Did you listen to my tips and talk episode number
Speaker:64. It's where I talk about craft show tips.
Speaker:You've never heard before.
Speaker:One of my comments is about your response.
Speaker:When people say your prices are too high and the response
Speaker:is I understand my products.
Speaker:Aren't for everyone.
Speaker:This statement about your higher pricing is a common irritant.
Speaker:I know it hits you like a stab in the side
Speaker:and feels very personal.
Speaker:Now, some customers will say this regardless of your price,
Speaker:just to see if they can bargain you down.
Speaker:When you recognize these folks,
Speaker:you can play the game with them.
Speaker:It's all in fun,
Speaker:but don't concede to lowering your prices through pressure.
Speaker:It's the constant complainer's or those whose tone is really insulting.
Speaker:Where this response I stated,
Speaker:make sense.
Speaker:You want to shut the conversation down and move on to
Speaker:those where your time is productive.
Speaker:After the episode aired,
Speaker:I got an email from Robert Sheckler who makes handmade brooms.
Speaker:You can check out his Instagram account at Redmon Filbert.
Speaker:He offered very productive ad on this situation.
Speaker:Perfect. For the times when you get this comment about high
Speaker:prices, but see some potential with the person voicing the concern.
Speaker:Let me read to you his words specifically.
Speaker:Robert says,
Speaker:I think the first part of the advice highlighting the value
Speaker:inherent in handmade products is great.
Speaker:And I might further underscore that by talking about the time
Speaker:it takes to make the products,
Speaker:which is something many customers don't understand.
Speaker:And then he goes on to say,
Speaker:most importantly,
Speaker:I would want to end with an open-ended question to keep
Speaker:the conversation going.
Speaker:I might ask where the customer has seen lower prices,
Speaker:potentially allowing me to make a direct comparison between my handmade
Speaker:products and what's available at target.
Speaker:Or I might ask how the customer planned to use my
Speaker:product, potentially allowing me to talk more about its benefit or
Speaker:to do some storytelling,
Speaker:or I might just give them a card and suggest they
Speaker:contact me.
Speaker:If they can't stop thinking about the product that they keep
Speaker:coming back to.
Speaker:I love this last one.
Speaker:It adds humor and lightness,
Speaker:which keeps the conversation friendly and will probably ease your frustration
Speaker:that you need to have this discussion at all.
Speaker:Remember your behavior.
Speaker:And the tone you bring is very important in regard to
Speaker:working through the topic of price,
Speaker:showing confidence,
Speaker:responding in an open and friendly way and letting the final
Speaker:result be what it will be,
Speaker:will benefit both you and your customer.
Speaker:Thank you,
Speaker:Robert, for this input,
Speaker:I'm anticipating with the economy as it is right now.
Speaker:We'll see this question come up more and more having ready-made
Speaker:responses in your pocket allows you to choose which one fits
Speaker:the situation best.
Speaker:And you're not left scrambling for a response.
Speaker:All this leads into the topic of control.
Speaker:And my question,
Speaker:are you in control of your business?
Speaker:The answer to this as the owner of your business is
Speaker:always, yes,
Speaker:you are the one at the top making decisions that affect
Speaker:your outcomes.
Speaker:You're also the one in control.
Speaker:If you decide to relinquish control,
Speaker:let me say that again.
Speaker:You are also the one in control.
Speaker:If you decide to relinquish control,
Speaker:and this is something I really want you to get when
Speaker:inflation is high and people are tighter with their money,
Speaker:you may have the tendency to use that as an excuse
Speaker:for low sales.
Speaker:When you do,
Speaker:you've passed your power off with an excuse that you have
Speaker:no control over.
Speaker:How about looking at the situation to see what you can
Speaker:adjust in your business to fit the current economic situation that
Speaker:could be adjusting product sizes,
Speaker:to make the retail price more palatable or investigating sourcing options,
Speaker:to get your cost of goods down so you can adjust
Speaker:your price accordingly and still make money.
Speaker:What it is not is dropping your price to try and
Speaker:get the sale at any cost.
Speaker:Then you're dipping into your margins and weakening your business.
Speaker:Overall, I'm picturing right now,
Speaker:an old log cabin where all the wood has rotted out.
Speaker:It's still standing,
Speaker:but it could fall at any minute.
Speaker:Another example where you could possibly hand over control is if
Speaker:you say Facebook ads just don't work.
Speaker:Hmm. Is it that they really don't work?
Speaker:Or is it that yours?
Speaker:Aren't working,
Speaker:keeping ownership of the decision to run ads and test options
Speaker:that lead to positive results is an example of staying in
Speaker:control. So is deciding that you don't want to mess around
Speaker:with them and focusing on other sales generating activities instead,
Speaker:but complaining about Facebook ads and doing nothing,
Speaker:relinquishes your control.
Speaker:One more example,
Speaker:nobody is buying your newest line of jewelry.
Speaker:You say to yourself,
Speaker:they just don't get how cool this is that I use
Speaker:material that is so unique.
Speaker:And it's the up and coming trend.
Speaker:Are you blaming your customer for your results?
Speaker:Ooh, potential truth bomb here.
Speaker:Perhaps you could have prepped them better to understand what new
Speaker:fashions are coming down the pike,
Speaker:showing celebrities sporting the new style or referencing an article in
Speaker:a fashion guide,
Speaker:talking about the trend or consider if it's even a fit
Speaker:for the customers that you attract.
Speaker:If your current styles are classic and traditional,
Speaker:does this even fit for your brand and will it be
Speaker:received well with your existing customer base?
Speaker:Did you ask them to confirm their interest?
Speaker:It's not their fault.
Speaker:If they're not interested.
Speaker:Yes. You're going to do things that don't work.
Speaker:I do it all the time.
Speaker:Testing new ideas,
Speaker:making a move that doesn't result in the response that I
Speaker:knew for sure it would being in control.
Speaker:Doesn't mean you're always right,
Speaker:but it means you take responsibility for all of it.
Speaker:The good,
Speaker:the bad,
Speaker:and what action you take.
Speaker:Moving forward.
Speaker:You are always the one in control of your business.
Speaker:Even if you relinquish it,
Speaker:acknowledging this can be a game changer.
Speaker:That's a wrap.
Speaker:I'm a get to the point kind of girl.
Speaker:And this is what you can expect from these quick midweek
Speaker:sessions. Now it's your turn.
Speaker:Go out and fulfill that dream of yours.
Speaker:Share your handmade products with us.
