General Category > General Discussion
Managing your customers expectations.
Mark Sanger:
I guess a short answer is to just find customers with high expectations. :)
woodndesign:
Hi Mark, I for one, if not everyone, always find your views valid, after all you're the gentleman most at the pointed end of Marketing Turning in every sense of the word and know only too well the work involved, given you've knocked on a few door in the past and will in the future as well .. I know .. it's Business and never a piece of cake to get that opening, it's easy getting in the door, it's as much to sell yourself, as it is to sell over your work, before being kindly booted.
Overall .. whatever anyone of us makes and the price, is down to that individual .. and so many that Turn are today Hobbyists .. and if I recall correct in the Woodturning Magazine a few years back in the chat with a pro. an most are American (could even Our Magazine be Marketed at the United Sates and not us) the person expressed the future of Turning was in the hands of the Hobbyist .. we can't get away from the fact .. but hope that via Ourselves and this Forum, the AWGB and at Club level the issue of qaulity can be addressed, if not pricing and subsequently the overall public awareness of wood art as being a recognized form.
Apologies if this is going off the topic. just tell me to bxxxxr off ...
Cheers David
Mark Sanger:
Always enjoy chatting with you David, I am always open to listening to others thoughts on a subject as this is how I learn. Just because I say a certain way works for me does not make it so for everyone. Challenge everything people say and fine out our own avenue, is something I believe strongly in.
I had written another marathon reply :), but the computer crashed, hey ho, not meant to be. You will be relieved :) If you are at Yandle's come and carry on the chat. :)
woodndesign:
Hi Mark, You'll be relieved I may not make it down to Yandle's for this falls' show ... :( ... however there is Burcot Woodturners before that ... ;D ...
Cheers David
Richard Findley:
A very interesting discussion, and it has lead me down a couple of thought paths:
Firstly, marketing...
For large organisations they spend millions on marketing, and this goes from tiny little things through to huge TV advertising campaigns. As sole traders we can't compete with this but we can watch and learn. At the end of the day, the largest part of marketing is presentation. If a company presents themselves well and can get a potential customer 'on-side' then persuading them to part with their hard earned cash becomes somewhat easier. Notice I make no reference to Woodturners or carftsmen. I feel that many Woodturners get so caught up in being a maker/designer/craftsman or whatever, that they forget that actually the first thing they need to be is a businessman. We don't have the budgets of these big stores but by making a decent website, presenting ourselves well and our work (which HAS to be of the finest quality or the whole thing is for nothing) and conducting our business in a professional manor, whether this is via the phone, email, Internet, or face to face, then this is step one. We need to be confident, honest and knowledgable and all this comes across well to a potential customer.
Empathy is an important tool that I feel many people don't use. Think how frustrating it is to use a poor website. What do you look for when buying a product, you only have to think about the last time you bought a tool, machine or bowl blank for example. There are plenty of places that present the kit well, have friendly, well trained and knowledgable staff who can help in your decision making. There are probably an equal number that give somewhat shoddy service with somewhat iffy kit. You only have to browse the forums to find such comments and you know yourself that if you hear a glowing review you are more inclined to shop there, as you are less likely to if you hear the horror stories about poor service and products.
My other train of thought comes from the comment that 'the future of turning is with the hobbyist'. I think it could well be. The main problem is that there isn't that many people like me about, and there doesn't need to be, but if you look at the artistic side of things, a professional turner that as to feed a family can not spend 5 weeks making an item and then wait another 5 years for it to possibly sell. Only a hobbyist can spend time like this and not worry if it will sell or not. You read of these guys in the magazine who make these amazing things and they may well sell some of them, but you're not telling me they can living from the income!! Please correct me if I'm wrong!
Just some thoughts
Richard
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