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Success With Jewelry
167 - Laryssa and Liz on Clienteling, Direct Outreach, and Building Real Jewelry Relationships
00:22:17
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Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast. Your go to source for real conversations about business marketing and what it actually takes to succeed as a jewelry brand.
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Today I'm Larissa, the strategist, systems queen and the one who finds joy in turning big marketing challenges into step by step plans that actually work. Email marketing and generating revenue through it is the specialty of my agency, Joy
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Joya and I'm Liz, your creative compass and advocate for designers doing things differently. I live for brilliant brand storytelling, beautiful visuals and helping designers confidently show up and shine. I founded the Stakehold Collective to create community and support for independent jewelry brands.
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Together we bring you nearly two decades
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of jewelry marketing experience.
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And on this podcast we're pulling back the current on everything we've learned. Whether you're just starting out or scaling to your next big milestone, you'll get honest insights, helpful tips and maybe a few giggles along the way.
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This is episode 167. Building Real Connections with clients doesn't happen by accident. Today we're diving into client telling and direct outreach. How to reach out, follow up and create relationships that turn into repeat business. And for our insiders, stay tuned. After the episode, we're sharing more details about what to say, tracking tips and behind the scenes strategies. Let's get into it. Liz.
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I've had many people, well not many people, but those of whom are familiar with Stay Gold, that I guess you have a video or an interview about clientelling and it always blows their mind when they interact with it.
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I think it's interesting because direct outreach is one of the things that's really working right now and I think I've said that before here but I do a lot of interviews with designers and retailers and higher end designers and it's has to be part of a business is understanding who your leads are, who potential clients are, who purchases from you frequently, which clients to nurture. And I think that this is kind of a lost art a little bit because coming from higher end luxury retail, even though I was on the marketing end of things, I always saw the showroom up front, you know, sending flowers for an anniversary or champagne or um, we had these like little ceramic birds that we used to give as gifts with purchases and things like that. So it's such a big thing that I think is a little bit lost because of the Internet and the, you know, for a while there you could post and people would see your content and they would buy your thing. And I think that we lost some of that one to one outreach because of the success of, you know, Using social media and using email marketing to drive sales.
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B
Yeah, those are such good points to add to what you said. I think even with tools like email and social, there are some categories of jewelry where you're just not going to get that purchase off a digital asset, basically.
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There's a lot of. It's interesting, I was thinking about yesterday, the Taffen necklace that was on the red carpet at the Oscars recently that everyone was talking about. I'm totally blanking on the celebrity that wore it, but it was an incredible piece with a desert diamond and a matching ring. But I was thinking about Taffen because it is a legacy brand and it is so under the radar and exclusive. They don't have to, like, be doing marketing. Their business must be word of mouth. Their business must be, you know, them, client telling them, having relationships with people that, you know and clients and potential clients that they're nurturing.
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Absolutely. I think. Oh, yeah, it's Rose Burn by the whole way. I had to look it up.
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Yeah, that's it. But it looked amazing on her. And the matching ring was incredible too. But that was probably the most talked about piece of jewelry. And I think it's such an interesting. It's such an interesting brand. Anyway, that's how, like, Hydor does it. Like, social media kind of coming into the luxury jewelry space as a digital marketer was really interesting because I didn't know how it was done. Like, I didn't really think about, like, oh, I do digital marketing. Like, of course we're gonna have an Instagram. Of course we're gonna be on Twitter. Of course we're gonna blog and send emails and all of this. But I was kind of coming into this world that was like, oh, yeah, we're selling like $300,000 pieces of jewelry. Like, you know, it's an assist to have content, more story about these, like, one of a kind pieces. But it's not going to sell the piece. Like, you need somebody who's actively trying to sell it.
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Yes. I mean, someone buying at that price point is they're buying for reasons of, like, status exclusivity. What else? Things that.
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Things that just.
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Yeah, investment. It's not like, ooh, I saw this Instagram post. I mean, that might spark in interest for them, but they are not in a mindset that they're like, oh, I got a TikTok ad, gotta buy this. You know what I mean?
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It was interesting, though, because we would do advertising too, and so we would align the social media content with the ads that were Coming out and, like, it would be an assist. And you could draw a line better back then 10 years ago than you can now, I think. But where am I going with all this? Is that, like, you know, it's so much harder to be seen online these days. And so layering in a direct outreach strategy and thinking about clientelling, I think is a really, really good practice. I think people are looking for connection. They want to connect with the person making or designing the thing that they're purchasing. So offering that I think is important. Mm.
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What you said about Todd Reed and the outreach strategy that they had and the gifting is so interesting to me because it just goes to show that these things aren't accidental. Like, they don't kind of. I don't know how to explain it. They don't just, like, happen. You need to be intentional about it and either have a budget, set aside, time set aside, a strategy set aside. Like, it's not just gonna magically happen for you.
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And with any kind of gifting strategy, you want it to, like, align with your brand. And it's not just gifting for gifting sake. And it's not just gifting everyone. It's really getting to know your customers and getting to know who. Who is interested in your work and who is purchasing and collecting your work and how. What they. What would delight them, you know, like, what they would like what would be meaningful to them, I think always. And we'll probably talk about this many times, but, like, a handwritten note is the simplest way. It doesn't even need to be a gift, just the thought behind that. I love reaching out to folks. Like, if you have a collector who loves aquamarine, for example, and you have a new one of a kind aquamarine piece on your bench, like, sending them a photo and being like, hey, I'm working on this. It made me think of you because I know that you love aquamarine. Like, simple things like that. It doesn't necessarily have to be this, like, big gifting strategy. It's like understanding who your collectors are and how you can really build that relationship further.
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Yeah, something like that. That just needs to be, like, top of mind for you, though. Like, you always have to kind of be proactively thinking on top of the making and the marketing and everything of, like, how can I share this with someone in a more intimate way?
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And the first step is really, I think, identifying who the leads are, who the clients that you want to nurture are. So putting together that prospect list would be the starting point. And then thinking about those people and thinking about what they might connect with, something aligned with the brand. Maybe you start off with just a handwritten note. Maybe you know, that so and so, you know, loves, you know, her afternoon latte or something like that. So maybe you send them a gift card for coffee or something like that. Like, it can be very little things, but just things thoughtful to the person. And then when you are doing, like, a bigger gifting strategy, and, like, sometimes you see this, like, when a trade show is coming up, sending, like, a little gift to stores that you're wanting to be in, thinking about how it aligns with the brand and how it'll stand out. So not just, you know, you know, I love thinking local, like, local artists, like the local locally made ceramic birds or local locally made chocolate or something like that. Something that kind of aligns and helps tell your story. Yeah, I think being thoughtful about what you're doing is important.
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Definitely.
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And I think the pushback I get from this the most. And you've probably heard this too, Larissa, but, like, how do I do this without feeling salesy or pushy or annoying, Especially with the, you know, checking in or, like, the example I gave about, like, a client liking aquamarine and you sending a little picture from your bench. You know, I think that designers feel uncomfortable because they feel like they're being pushy in those situations. And I think if you're coming from an authentic place and you're focused on connecting and building a relationship, it won't come across that way. And I know I've said this here before, too, but, like, I always love when a brand reaches out to me in a personal way or says something to me like, oh, I know you love this. I want it to show you this. I think that's great. I mean, I think I'm always. I always feel special when that happens.
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Yeah, I totally agree with what you're saying, but I do want to add, like, you can't fully avoid it not being a sales activity.
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Like it is.
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It is. Let's name it, let's call it what it is. You. You're trying to sell something. And so to that aspect of it, mindset work. I mean, if you personally feel uncomfortable, maybe investing in, like, a sales assistant or a sales rep, like, if you truly cannot get over that hurdle, but let's call it what it is and
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a reminder that sales is a service. I mean, I think this is easy or for me to wrap my head around when I'm thinking about wholesale sales, because, you know, retail buyers want to see everything that's out there and you putting it in front of them and saying, hey, I'm doing this. Here's what I'm making. Here's a little summary of what I make, and here's my line sheet. All the information's here. Like, that is a service that feels really straightforward to me. I think it is harder mindset work when you're reaching out to individual people and feeling like you might be bothering them. I think in that case, start with the handwritten note, because everybody loves mail. I mean, nobody doesn't love mail. I would love mail. That's not a bill always, so that's a great place to start. Or if you can't, if you're often DMing with them, like, a quick DM is a great way that feels a little bit less formal or less intrusive. But again, I mean, I think that if you approach reaching out in a thoughtful way, it's never in a personable way. It's never going to really feel like a strong sales tactic, even though it is. We are selling.
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I just thought of something random. I don't know when this. The heyday of this was maybe like five years ago, but remember when MLMs were, like, very present, like, in my.
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I mean, that was longer ago than that.
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Okay. But I feel like everyone, at least for me, it's like someone you went to high school with, like, suddenly gets, like, very friendly with you on Facebook and you're like, why? Like, we never really talked what's going on? And I. I think I'm bringing this up because there's, like, there was always this guise of, like, I'm not selling to you, but then it turns out they're like, in an mlm. And so I think when you're doing this outreach, like, don't be too shady about it. Like, I think you need to be somewhat clear about the fact that you, like, sell a product and ultimately that's your goal. But balancing, like, that sense of connection
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with that, I just, before we hopped on, was looking at a post on Instagram that was like, are influencers no longer a thing? Kind of was essentially this carousel post that I was reading. And the end consumer has gotten so much savvier. I don't like that word. But has gotten smarter. Has gotten smarter. I mean, savvier. It's. It fits. But so they know they're being sold to, and then they're looking at these influencers whose lifestyles don't necessarily match their own or what they can afford anymore. So it's less relatable. I don't know where I'm going with this in the context of the conversation, but I think the end goal here is to just be straightforward and relatable, you know, like, I don't know where I'm going with this, but I thought it was interesting because I think that we're all constantly being sold to in a way that is very transactional and very impersonal, that the personal conversations and outreach and relationship building is what stands out.
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I'm just ripping off what you said because it made me think of this. I think that this sales outreach, it's really helpful when you yourself are genuinely a fan of wearing your own jewelry too. I think that's one of the easiest ways to communicate. Enthusiasm is like you styling it, you having fun with it, you sharing like what's cool about it, and in that sense, being like your own influencer.
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I completely agree with that. I mean, you made the thing for a reason. You love the thing for a reason. Sharing that story behind it is all you need to sell a product for the most part is sharing that passion and sharing that story and leading with. With that energy is a great way to do it. There's nothing to be uncomfortable about.
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Yeah.
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Okay, where do we want to go? Okay, let me see what my questions are. How should you follow up with clients? So I think that that's where it can start to feel like pushy or salesy a little bit, is when you do too much follow up. It's kind of like you want to be putting in the universe and not necessarily expecting a response. It's different with, you know, if you are working in with like a store that wants to pick up your work and you have a lot of one of a kinds, like, and they're. They're on hold for the store that wants to buy them, then you need to keep following up because you need an answer there. But with this kind of outreach we're talking about for end consumers, this kind of like, relationship building kind of thing, like, we're sending the handwritten note, we're sending the email, we might not get a response. We don't necessarily need to follow up on the thing unless there's a specific reason, like they inquired about the aquamarine one of a kind thing and you know somebody else is interested, you need an answer, do they want this or can you sell it to this other person? Like, then you need to follow up. But if you're just sending like a note to check in, Happy spring, how's it Going, I hope things are well with you. I don't know. You don't necessarily need a response.
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Yeah, it's important also to keep notes. I think having a CRM or a similar system because you sometimes do need to read the room a little bit too, and it's hard to keep that all in your head. So having notes that allow you to go back and make conclusions or make decisions like based on what has happened in the past, I think is really important too.
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I think so too. And it doesn't need to be a formal CRM system. It could just be a spreadsheet. The best tool. Your words, Larissa. The best tool is the one you'll actually use. Whatever system works best for you is great. One tip for turning outreach into repeat business. So I think that it's again coming back to like really building a relationship and focusing on that and focusing on, you know, going from like, I want to connect with you to, you know, showing them what you have available to, you know, it's always great when you can invite somebody into your studio and like really show them the work in person. But even if you're corresponding online, you know, like, what type of piece are you looking for Here, let me pull a tray and send some photos and videos. Like going like above and beyond in kind of those capacities can lead to the sale. And then someone having a good experience not only leads to repeat business, but it also leads to word of mouth. And you know, I think that something I talked about or we talked about a lot when I was doing marketing 10 years ago was just like millennials and how they were buying experiences versus buying a thing. And that's kind of what you want to offer is like an experience for your customers. And like if you are doing higher volume, that experience, and we've talked about this before, it can just be the packaging, can be the package that shows up, the follow up email flow, things like that, to make sure that that person who purchased the thing had a great experience and that will lead to repeat business.
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Yes, I lost my train of thought because I was just like absorbing all the things you were saying and I had a thought and now I don't remember what it was. Oh, I remember now. Another idea it's like you feel uncomfortable with. I guess sales outreachy kind of thing is like, be the go to trusted jewelry person in this person's life. Like jewelry care, jewelry cleaning, jewelry storage, styling, like, I don't know, be that person's like helper when it comes to all things jewelry. And then they Won't have a choice but to like come to you when they want jewelry.
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That's so great. Because if you're a trusted source and somebody's thinking about even purchasing from another brand, like feeling them, feeling comfortable to reach out to you and be like, hey, how does this stack with that ring I have from you? Or have you seen this brand in person before? What do you think? Like, even being trusted on that level will lead to them trusting to purchase from you more?
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Yeah, I agree with that. You might have to go a little bit outside of like your marketing message, I guess, and just like focus more on the relationship with the person.
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The, the relationship, like building relationships is the most important part about building a fine jewelry business. Because to, you know, or any jewelry business or any business, I mean, my business was fully built on relationships. And it's what keeps it going is word of mouth and relationships. And every single jewelry business I've ever worked with started out with friends and family and friends and family telling like their friends and family and getting, you know, going that way. So I love, you know, and I've probably said this before here too, but I love the idea of thinking smaller and thinking, you know, more personal events. Like you have a collector who loves your work and that's your ideal customer. Like asking, can we do a little pop up for your friends? And getting in that room with a smaller group. And it's not the mass marketing approach, but it's really effective because people are going to remember that even if they didn't buy from you, they're at that event, they're going to tell people, oh, I went to this great event and I heard from this designer and I got to see the gemstones up close and try on this great jewelry. Like that spreads and that builds a foundation.
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Yeah, I love that.
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Okay, let's get into some quick fire questions here. One hour Tabit. You should never skip. I would say being consistent.
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Yeah, I'm not quick enough to answer quick fun of your questions. One outreach habit. I think you really need to track your work. That's my opinion.
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One mistake to avoid in client messages. I think assuming things like when you're reaching out to stores, for example, you never want to say, I think my collection would be great in your store because that's assuming too much. They're the expert. They know what their client buys and what they're looking for. So really making sure that you're respectful of that.
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I would say maybe being too stringent or maybe too focused on one platform. I think you need to adapt to where the person wants to be contacted and like have notes and remember that for the future.
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Meet them where they're at. Yeah, one small personal personalization. Sorry, one small personalization that gets results. A handwritten note, I think. Something handwritten.
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Yeah. I mean I agree with that. I don't just try to remember a detail. Like it could literally just be like oh, they went on vacation to Hawaii or something. You know, something that maybe most people like wouldn't remember or thing to ask about them. People love to talk about themselves. So prompt that.
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Yeah, I agree with that. Remembering small details about their life. I think that's great. All right, did that answer your clienteling questions? Let us know. Visit successwithjewelry.com and if you love the podcast, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a message or leave us a review. Thanks for being part of our community.