Anne is a jewelry lover who owns not one but two jewelry cabinets. Although she has clear opinions on what she likes, she has never been interested in making any jewelry for herself. So I tell her that I am her very own personal jewelry maker!

Anne and I often collaborate together to create unique jewelry pieces for her. This is her favorite necklace - a simple sterling silver chained affair with black bicones and silver beads. She preferred a delicate chain design with a long, slimming style. Her earrings were identical to the pendant.

I'd say Anne is both a loyal customer and a magpie. I wonder if you can categorize your customers into the following types?

Customer Types

1. Loyal customers are those who love what you make and keep coming back for more. They are the best kind - although you may only have a few of this type, sales from loyal customers can be a significant sum. It's definitely worth your while to do what it takes to keep this group happy.

2. Magpies are the customers who can spot bling from 200 paces. For them, there is no such thing as too much jewelry. They just adore jewelry and are sure to buy at least one thing. Jewelry artisans can also be magpies - it's probably the reason why they gravitated to making jewelry. Many artisans will buy something they admire or can't make themselves to add to their hoards. These are super customers to have as they need no convincing how pretty handmade jewelry is.

3. Bargain Hunters are those who will only buy when something is on sale. For them, the price tag determines what they will purchase not how good the jewelry piece is. A savvy artisan at a craft show will either have some marked down items or some simple but less expensive fare for this group. A sale is a sale.

4.Focused customers are after a specific item and will not deviate from their quest. Often they are after a certain coloured jewelry piece to go with a special occasion outfit or particular gift for someone. They will ignore everything else which doesn't fit their criteria. So find out what they are looking for and with luck, you might have something close to what they want.

5. Impulse customers are the opposite of focused customers. They don't have a specific jewelry item in mind but if they see something they like, you've made a sale. It therefore pays to have a wide selection of styles, colours and jewelry pieces for this group to choose from because people's tastes vary a lot.

6. Wanderers are those who just like nosing around and checking things out. They are there to enjoy the hustle and bustle of a craft show. When people start to crowd round a jewelry stall, you can be sure wanderers will come to see what the fuss is all about. They may not have a need or desire for jewelry but they may well buy something. An attractive stall with great jewelry designs is an instant magnet for all sorts of customers including the wanderers.

7. Desperate men who want to please their wives/girlfriends/mothers but have absolutely no clue what to get. I remember one man standing in front of my earring boards once, almost paralysed because he didn't really know what his wife preferred. I wonder if male artisans have a slight edge on a man-to-man basis?

Female artisans must feel just like lingerie shop assistants! You've really got to help them out. Plumb (deeply) into his memory as to what sort of jewelry or colors his intended recipient normally wears. But really, he can't go wrong going home with jewelry, can he?

NB. The comment field for this post is not working for some reason. You could send me an email instead - beadinggem@yahoo.ca
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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips