Download - [PDS] Selling your Work - Ellen O’Hara
Selling At Your Show
Ellen O’Hara Head of Business Development
Cockpit Arts
ECCA February 2011
Creative business incubator for designer-makers
What we’ll cover …
• Different options for selling at your show
• What you need to prepare
• Pricing approaches
www.cockpitarts.com
Selling options
Direct selling during the show:
• If you have stock• More appropriate
to product based work
Taking orders of work on show:
• If you only have limited numbers of each piece
Image: Katie Barton at Open Studios, Cockpit Arts
Selling options
Taking commissions• If you offer a bespoke
service or variations of work on show
Other services• Freelance design etc.
Image: Work by Katherine Wardropper
What to prepare
• Business / contact cards• Portfolio• ‘Elevator pitch’• Receipt book (that can
double as an invoice)• Simple order form with
terms and conditions• Price list
www.cockpitarts.com Image: Work by Jen Rowland
Elevator pitch
• One or two sentences about you and your work
• No more than a couple of minutes long
Image: Work by Alpa Mistry
Basic record keeping
• Record and keep receipts of all purchases you make
• If you pay cash, make a note of purchases in a cash book and produce your own petty cash receipt
• Create an invoice or produce a receipt for every sale made
• Keep copies of your invoices and record them in a sales ledger
www.cockpitarts.com Image: Linda Florence in her studio
Invoices for a sole trader
• your company name, address and contact information
• the company name and address of the customer you are invoicing
• a unique invoice number • a clear description of what you
are charging for • the date of the invoice • the amount being charged • VAT amount if applicable • the total amount owed • any business name being used if
the surname of the sole trader is not being used
www.cockpitarts.com Image: work by Louisa Taylor
Approaches to pricing
1. Cost-plus pricing – calculating the costs to you of producing work and adding a mark up
2. Market pricing – researching the market and pricing yourself accordingly
3. Value based pricing – estimating the perceived value of your work by potential customers
www.cockpitarts.com
Cost plus pricing
Cost price = materials + labour + overheads
Wholesale price = cost price + profit
Retail price = wholesale price + profit
www.cockpitarts.com
Market pricing
• What competitors are charging?
• How do you compare with them in terms of what you offer?
• Where would like to position yourself?
Image: Work by Catherine Hammerton www.cockpitarts.com
Value based pricing
Collectable
Experience
Service
Status
Investment On trend
Customised
Sustainable
Design content
Hand crafted
Unique
Value
www.cockpitarts.com
Other considerations:
• Don’t give all your work away until the show is over!• Think about delivery of work and how this will be
arranged and paid for• Agree a realistic deadline for orders and take a deposit
if you can• Arrange a time to meet after the show for commissions,
agree a clear brief and take a deposit on agreement of the brief / contract
• Have information to hand regarding other services and arrange follow up meetings once the show is over
• Don’t make promises you can’t keep!
www.cockpitarts.com
Some final selling tips:
• Engage with your potential customers – ask questions and take contact details
• Rehearse a few words to describe yourself and your work
• Smile! Be confident, welcoming and enjoy yourself
• FOLLOW UP!!
Image: Lush Designs at Open Studios
Summary
• Sell your work and services in the most appropriate way
• Prepare your ‘elevator pitch’, business cards, price lists and receipt book / order forms for your show
• Set up a simple record keeping system for income and expenditure
• Use a combination of Cost Plus, Market and Value based pricing
www.cockpitarts.com
Cockpit Arts HolbornCockpit YardNorthington StreetLondon WC1N 2NP
T 020 7419 1959F 020 7916 2455E [email protected]
Cockpit Arts Deptford18-22 CreeksideDeptfordLondon SE8 3DZ
T 020 8692 4463F 020 8692 3735E [email protected]
www.cockpitarts.com
Published by Cockpit Arts (2011), under a Creative Commons licence which allows you to copy and distribute the report as long as
you keep it intact in its original format, credit the original author and do not use it for commercial purposes .
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