Selling Jewelry

[Maggie Lizer]

Thanks for everyone's opinions. I think I was just asking for suggestions on how to get my name out there. If you don't like them then that's up to you but it didn't answer my question.

I can't really get another part time job b/c I already work 2 jobs. Working 1 show a week made more sense than working 4 hrs every night at McDonald's and being a single mom this wouldn't work.

My friends and I who would always have these parties just looked at it as a girls night out and a chance to get together & have fun. Guess it just depends on the person.

With all due respect, if that is how you view the parties, then I doubt very much you will be able to make much money from them. Your view is more along the lines of the women who want to sell Pampered Chef to get certain dishes or pieces, or Lia Sophia to get a few necklaces for themselves, not someone who seriously wants to make money off of these ventures.

If you can't get a job outside the home, have you considered babysitting or tutoring younger children? Or are you crafty - do you think you can make something to sell on etsy? Any shot at buying things at thrift shops or yard sales and reselling on ebay or craigslist?

 

[NewRVLady]

Thanks for everyone's opinions. I think I was just asking for suggestions on how to get my name out there.

If you don't like them then that's up to you but it didn't answer my question.

.

But this is exactly what people are trying to tell you.
I HIDE and MAKE EXCUSES if I get an invitation like this
Your friends is who you have to rely on to get started, and friends really get sick of being "used" this way
That's why direct sales party is so hard to do

 

[crisi]

One of the most successful party sales people I've met did lingerie sales - and specialized in bachelotte parties. Because when one girl in a circle gets married, its a good bet that more girls in a circle get married, and then you have a ball rolling - each party books another one - sometimes two. And she subscribed to the bridal mailing lists you sign up for when you get engaged - the one that have florists and photographers sending info to your house, and did bridal shows.

 

[design_mom]

I am not a fan of home-selling parties either for the most part. I think jewelry parties are particularly tough because 1) the home-party market seems to be saturated with jewelry options, and 2) because the items are usually pretty expensive. When I go to a party, I'll usually make a small purchase because it's expected at those sorts of things, but I don't want to spend $40+ on something I don't really want anyway. I've never hosted a party though, and have no interest in doing so.

As for getting your name out, my SIL sells Scentsy and does pretty well at it. She has been successful by doing low-cost sponsorships through her local schools or clubs. ($15 for a business-card size ad in the program for the high-school play, donating a small gift basket to the PTO's silent auction, etc.) She also has a couple of craft shows/vendor fairs she attends every year and those are always good for her. People going to those are looking to purchase.

A woman at my daughter's dance studio sells Tastefully Simple. She's never once been pushy, but she carries cute tote bag with "Tastefully Simple" embroidered on it, so everyone knows she's a rep. Her daughter and mine are friends, and I know she's booked several parties (and made one-off sales) by people approaching her after seeing her bag.

In addition, I belong to a couple of buy/sell/trade Facebook groups for our local area. Although pretty much all of them have a rule against spamming members with information about what you're selling, they all have some way to get your name out. One has a "sticky post" where consultants can post what they sell and their contact info. If I wanted a rep for anything, I am confident I could find one there.

Thirdly, network with other at-home sales reps. Last fall, a bunch of them (who met via the buy/sell/trade group) got together and hosted an open house. There were a bunch of consultants for different things each selling their wares. They got permission from the group moderator to promote it as an event. Since there wasn't really a party host, each vendor had a jar. When you made a purchase from that vendor, your name went into her jar. At the end of the night, each vendor drew a name from her jar and gave the winner the hostess benefits from the event. I heard it was very successful.

 

[Lewisc]

I've only had 2 people book a party and I didn't get any bookings from those parties. .... I just can't seem to get anyone willing to have a party with some good people who would book a party of their own. ...nobody showed up to shop! ...

Thanks for everyone's opinions. I think I was just asking for suggestions on how to get my name out there. If you don't like them then that's up to you but it didn't answer my question.

Every poster made the same point. It's all but impossible to get people to a "party" and get those people to overpay for jewelry.

My friends and I who would always have these parties just looked at it as a girls night out and a chance to get together & have fun. Guess it just depends on the person.

You've answered your question. Invite your friends who enjoy going to those parties as a girls night out.

With all due respect, if that is how you view the parties, then I doubt very much you will be able to make much money from them.

+1 The question isn't just getting people to a party. It's about getting people to the party who want to buy.

 

[cluvsdisney]

Design_mom gave loads of good advice. And I agree that jewelry is a little tough because of the prices.

Around here, direct sales companies do have tables at craft shows but they only permit one rep from each company so as not to have competing vendors so you need to be on top of that. I joined a facebook group just to get a line on when they occur in my area but it's also where the organizers look for vendors. So I would see if there's something like that on facebook for your area.

Def offer to host FB/online parties -- people tend to invite everyone on their friends list so the guest list is not limited to who is available on Thursday evening.

One of my friends who used to do really well with direct sales said the key to making money was recruiting reps.

I think companies like Scentsy and Pink Zebra are a little easier to make some money with because the products are consumable. Someone buys a burner and to use it, needs to buy refills. I find Scentsy in particular to be very reasonable so I do keep reordering from my friend.

Good luck!

 

[sunnyday123]

Thanks for everyone's opinions. I think I was just asking for suggestions on how to get my name out there. If you don't like them then that's up to you but it didn't answer my question.

I can't really get another part time job b/c I already work 2 jobs. Working 1 show a week made more sense than working 4 hrs every night at McDonald's and being a single mom this wouldn't work.

My friends and I who would always have these parties just looked at it as a girls night out and a chance to get together & have fun. Guess it just depends on the person.

Maybe pick up more hours at one of the other jobs? If you view them as a girls night out, you're not going to make money. I'm a single Mom too, and that is NOT what I want to do on a GNO. And they're EXPENSIVE.

Quite frankly, I rather impale myself with a dirty stick and walk to the hospital.

 

[ellochka]

These companies make most of their money from their "representatives". These are the people who buy their stuff. So, don't be sucked into spending your money on them. Get a part time job that pays you, not the other way around.

 

[ellochka]

One of my friends who used to do really well with direct sales said the key to making money was recruiting reps.

Of course. The reps are truly the buyers, not the sellers.

Working 1 show a week made more sense than working 4 hrs every night at McDonald's and being a single mom this wouldn't work.

Then, work one night. It is still better money then what you spend on the jewelry.

 

[Marionnette]

Thanks for everyone's opinions. I think I was just asking for suggestions on how to get my name out there. If you don't like them then that's up to you but it didn't answer my question.

I can't really get another part time job b/c I already work 2 jobs. Working 1 show a week made more sense than working 4 hrs every night at McDonald's and being a single mom this wouldn't work.

My friends and I who would always have these parties just looked at it as a girls night out and a chance to get together & have fun. Guess it just depends on the person.

I think that what everyone is trying to point out is that the whole premise behind these party-type sales jobs is that you are going to use your network of friends to get the ball rolling and then their friends will book parties and then the friends of the friends will do likewise. This is how you make your sales.

The problem that you're running into is that you and your friends are seeing this as a girls' night out and not the business venture that it has to be in order to make serious money.

Someone else mentioned doing eBay sales. This can still be a good way to make money IF you know what sells and for how much. You would need to have the time available to seek out the bargains, space to store your stock and supplies, and then use one evening each week to list your auctions.

If you're crafty, try Etsy. My niece (also a single mom working 2 jobs) is doing quite well with the custom baby items that she sews. She's not going to pay the rent with what she makes, but she has a nice little savings account from her Etsy money that she intends to use for fun outings with her boys.

FWIW, I'm with the majority of people here. I hate home parties and will find any excuse that I can find in order to avoid going to one. That's especially true of jewelry parties. I can usually find something small and giftable at the other types of parties, but jewelry is so personal that I end up not buying anything unless I need a birthday gift and there's a piece that I know the recipient will love.

 

[3boymthr]

Well, I had an idea for you. Not sure if it's allowed but I know Tupperware does it. One of the kids in our Scout group was fundraising for a project and held a Tupperware catalog party. he got a portion of the sales and did do okay - I think he made about $100 - no idea what the sales rep made. If Lia Sophia allows something like this and you can find a charitable organization that wants to sell your product to make money you might be able to get in that way.

 

[footballmouse]

Thanks for the suggestions. I am going to contact the schools when they start to get the info for the craft shows. I think last year I kept calling places too late.

I like the idea about the open house. I'll keep my eyes open to see who I know that sells other products.

I'll have to check to see if they have a tote bag or something that I can start using. I'm always wearing their jewelry and I get a lot of compliments.

My problem when I do these shows is that since I'm still starting out I don't have that much jewelry to bring to the parties for people to try on and look at. The more parties you have then the more free jewelry you earn which you bring to the shows for people to see. The district manager that is in charge of my region has the entire catalog almost. Going to her shows are a lot of fun b/c she has so much jewelry to try on and look at.

 

[danygirl]

Why not ask if you can borrow her samples if you schedule an event? She earns a percentage of your sales, make her work for it

I find at the school fairs and such if the person has stock I will buy but since I don't know them I am Leary of placing an order

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Why not ask if you can borrow her samples if you schedule an event? She earns a percentage of your sales, make her work for it

This is excellent advice!

 

[timmac]

I've posted a few responses on these forums over the years, about various flavors of home based parties. Agreeing with most of the others that they just simply are not a winning proposition in the long run. I won't rehash every detail of my thoughts, but a few highlights:

- The commission check you hear about people getting is true, but a commission check is very much not the same as a paycheck; you'll need to consider business expenses (which can be more substantial than you think) and taxes coming out before you're left with actual profits.
- The amount of time and effort before and after parties can be quite substantial, far more than just the few hours of the party itself. Keep this in mind when figuring out a rough hourly wage this enterprise actually earns.
- The market is definitely saturated, in just about all of these types of parties, and the web of contacts who want to book another party is certainly not infinite.
- These companies exist for the good of the mother company, not because they have a genuine altruistic desire to provide people with an "opportunity".
- The initial and recurring buy-in costs often cause a natural psychological (but ultimately economically flawed) habit of throwing good money after bad to try to "make up the losses and come out ahead", often with a healthy dose of self-doubt and feeling like you "failed" because you couldn't make it work. (FWIW I detect that in the OP even, but don't mean it as an attack... rather just pointing out it's normal.)
- Having a constant steam of parties means doing a lot of parties, consistently, all the time, to keep generating new referral clients. With only a very few attendees actually wanting to host their own party (1 in 10, or maybe less), you need at least a few decent sized parties a week to have enough of a critical mass to keep going for any length of time. The sad reality is, as purely a numbers game, it's simply not possible for everyone (or even most) to reach this point.

I realize, looking through the thread, that OP probably doesn't like the advice being given. Unfortunately, though, sometimes the harsh reality is just that... harsh. Though I sympathize with trying to make more money, OP is claiming that "it makes more sense to do a party one night than work for four hours", but is also telling us that the actual results have, thus far, been quite the opposite.

 

[pryncess527]

I've posted a few responses on these forums over the years, about various flavors of home based parties. Agreeing with most of the others that they just simply are not a winning proposition in the long run. I won't rehash every detail of my thoughts, but a few highlights:

- The commission check you hear about people getting is true, but a commission check is very much not the same as a paycheck; you'll need to consider business expenses (which can be more substantial than you think) and taxes coming out before you're left with actual profits.
- The amount of time and effort before and after parties can be quite substantial, far more than just the few hours of the party itself. Keep this in mind when figuring out a rough hourly wage this enterprise actually earns.
- The market is definitely saturated, in just about all of these types of parties, and the web of contacts who want to book another party is certainly not infinite.
- These companies exist for the good of the mother company, not because they have a genuine altruistic desire to provide people with an "opportunity".
- The initial and recurring buy-in costs often cause a natural psychological (but ultimately economically flawed) habit of throwing good money after bad to try to "make up the losses and come out ahead", often with a healthy dose of self-doubt and feeling like you "failed" because you couldn't make it work. (FWIW I detect that in the OP even, but don't mean it as an attack... rather just pointing out it's normal.)
- Having a constant steam of parties means doing a lot of parties, consistently, all the time, to keep generating new referral clients. With only a very few attendees actually wanting to host their own party (1 in 10, or maybe less), you need at least a few decent sized parties a week to have enough of a critical mass to keep going for any length of time. The sad reality is, as purely a numbers game, it's simply not possible for everyone (or even most) to reach this point.

I realize, looking through the thread, that OP probably doesn't like the advice being given. Unfortunately, though, sometimes the harsh reality is just that... harsh. Though I sympathize with trying to make more money, OP is claiming that "it makes more sense to do a party one night than work for four hours", but is also telling us that the actual results have, thus far, been quite the opposite.

Such good, well stated advice it bears quoting! Seriously, 99% of people LOSE money with multi-level marketing, but that fact gets obscured because of they way they report commissions with no regard for expenses. They take the 1 or 2 success stories and make them think that could be you. It can't. You would make more money running a PerkTV Farm than you would with any multi-level marketing scheme.

 

[Lewisc]

Why not ask if you can borrow her samples if you schedule an event? She earns a percentage of your sales, make her work for it

I find at the school fairs and such if the person has stock I will buy but since I don't know them I am Leary of placing an order

It's good advice but....Don't be surprised if the manager suggests the OP "invest in her business" and buy samples. Maybe even suggest using a credit card or opening a line of credit.

 

[Alesia]

It's good advice but....Don't be surprised if the manager suggests the OP "invest in her business" and buy samples. Maybe even suggest using a credit card or opening a line of credit.

Yep.

 

[kymom99]

I really think trying to do the open house thing and craft fair thing is the best advice. I sometimes like tastefully simple products but don't want to spend all evening at a party to buy what I want. If I can walk up to a table and buy it, I am more inclined to do so. That way, I am not pressured into booking a party. I know a girl who sells Miche bags and she displays her stuff in hair salons. She has done well enough to earn a cruise.

A couple years ago, a sweet lady I worked with had a jewelry party. A mutual friend and I went because we hadn't seen her in a while, but didn't have the money to buy much. I would have rather met her for dinner. I usually end up buying for a gift for someone at these things. I rarely go to any parties anymore, because I truly cannot afford it.

 

[shruley]

I have several friends who do direct sales and used to sell Pampered Chef myself. I honestly think to be successful you have to have a large social network of people willing to host and buy the stuff. Then you need to be able to book parties off the people your friends invite. Are you offering an immeadiate reward for booking a party? (Something they get right there they can take home.) Sometimes that helps intice people. From my observation, in home parties are becoming a thing of the past. Facebook parties or catalog parties seem to be becoming the norm, and require less commitment from people when it comes to hosting. The parties you've done, are you pushing those as options? When I did Pampered Chef I tried every kind of way to market parties...I did some bridal showers which worked well, especially for brides who lives a ways away from the shower...everything could be shipped directly to them. I also did fundraisers. Craft shows work too, but more for sales. Getting party bookings for them can be difficult.

I also know you haven't taken the feedback you've gotten the best, but I can think of no worse product to try to sell than Lia Sophia. I enjoy parties- 31, pampered chef, origami owl, even tupperware. I LOVE scentsy. But I hate Lia Sophia. My cousin had one and i went only out of love for her and wanted to poke myself in the eye the whole time. THe only other people to come kept muttering to each other how much THEY hated lia sophia. The stuff is SO overpriced, and most of it isn't even cute. Usually I can go to a direct sale show and find something I can buy of some use and/or desire to me, except Lia Sophia. Maybe it's different in your area/group of friends, but that would not be my direct sale item of choice right now!