Marketing Archives

How do you get started in selling your pens?

Barry’s personal Cast Resin Clock Parts pen

The first step is to carry your OWN pen! This may sound silly but I cannot tell you how many pen turners do not advertise their own work by showing off a pen they have made! How do you expect to sell something if you do not have an example of your craftsmanship? Whenever I sign anything or write anything down I always use a pen that I made. By me using my own pen, it will lead a person to ask about the pen I am using, and if they don’t ask, I make sure that I show it to them and tell them about it. Be proud of your creations – show your work to anyone and everyone, and make sure they know that you made that pen. Hand someone your business card – always have them available to hand out!

The internet and bookstores are loaded with books and articles on how to market and sell your creations. (This very brief introduction is by no means going to give you all the answers to success. Please consider subscribing to my blog. I will be posting more marketing articles and tips in the future)

Finding a market for your work…

I was a sales manager with over 30 years experience training sales representatives on how to “sell,” the first objective for any good sales representative is to listen. We have two ears and one mouth, so why do we talk twice as much as we listen?
Listen to what your customer is telling you.

Every market is different, what sells in New England may not sell well in Texas, and conversely, what sells in California may not sell in Minnesota! So, take a moment and conduct your own market research. Visit local galleries, attend craft fairs and join a local woodturning club for ideas on what may sell in a particular area.

EMT Star of Life Laser Inlay Pen

Getting Established –

A fast way to establish yourself is to offer your work for local fundraising. The local ambulance squad was having a fundraiser and I offered to split the proceeds of the sales of my pens as a donation to the ambulance squad. This accomplished three things. First, it was good to give to the ambulance squad. Second, it established my work in the area and exposed me to many people. And third, as a result, many other orders were taken for special pens to be delivered at a later time.

Part 2 will be published early next week. Please subscribe to my blog so that you don’t miss any future articles – click here to subscribe

This is the first in a series of ongoing articles to help you make the most of your pen turning business, or to help you get started making a little money with your hobby. Click any photo to open a larger version.

It is SHOW SEASON, and time to start making pens and selling them. As an instructor and author of several turning books, one question I hear repeatedly is “How do you get started, and where is the best place to sell the pens that I have created?” My first response is why do you want to sell it? Is it to make money, satisfy an egotistical need to be a world renowned pen maker or is it because you have made so many pens that all your friends, family and neighbors have one and they are telling you “Why don’t you sell these?”

These next few paragraphs are by no means going to give you the silver bullet, step-by-step, key to success, however, I will try and offer some pointers on displaying and selling your work.

My first rule of marketing is to be proud of your creation!

Make sure you have one of your own pens in your pocket! Show your pens to everyone, and let everyone know you that you made that pen and people will always say “Really – you made that?” I can not tell you how many pens I have sold by just letting people know that the pen they are holding (which I conveniently placed in their hand) was created by me. Just recently (last week) a salesman from a re-bath company came to my house to sell my wife and me a new bathroom. When he left, he had an abalone shell pen in his pocket that he purchased for his wife for $150.00. He would have not known that I made pens unless I told him. It is a very simple sales technique that you can do too.

My second rule of marketing is to figure out WHO will buy your pens and more importantly, for the price you want to charge them. Herein lies the dilemma, where do you start? Think of what you are making, are you making high end fountain pens with gold nibs that sell for $300 or are you making a slimline pens selling for $25? There is nothing worse than making a lot of high end product and trying to sell them at a local firehouse, or church craft sale.

First, do your homework; no one said this was going to be easy.
In order for you to be successful, you will have to know your market. Attend a few craft shows and see what the average item costs. Are there vendors selling their products for hundreds of dollars? If so, are they selling them, or are they just sitting there looking great, but no one is buying them? Will you be the only vendor there selling pens? If not, go snoop around their booth and see what the response is to their work and what prices they are charging.

After you have done your homework, and found the right venue for your work, how will it be displayed? Will you need a pop up tent for your work? (Pic-1) Most shows require you have a 10′ x 10′ tent that has sides (if raining) and any tables must be draped. This is part of your start-up costs, and something you will use at every sale.
How will you display your work? Will you just put it in a case and open it on the table? (Pic-2)

This is not the best way to display your work.

Click the photo to open a larger version.

I prefer to put them on some sort of risers as shown (Pic-3). Also note that each pen is in a box, perfect for gift giving and each pen has a “romance card”, or description of what the pen is made from.

Click the photo to open a larger version.

For my more expensive pens, I put them under a glass case. (Pic-4) This does two things: first, it tells your customers right away that these are the “better, more expensive pens” and secondly, it draws them in closer so you can then hand them a pen of your choosing, and now they have your pen in their hand already. They can feel the quality, and you tell them all about the pen, how it was made, what material you used and any other pertinent information drawing them into the conversation and making them take ownership of the pen!

Click the photo to open a larger version.

Then have them write with the pen – make sure that you have a good quality paper for them to try your pen. I usually upgrade the refill to a Parker ink gel and that way the pen writes really smooth. Once they have written with your pen and like it, ask them if they would like that in a gift box? This is your “upsell” to get a little more profit from a new customer. Be sure you have a selection of pen pouches, boxes or cases that can fit the buyer’s price range.

And just like that you sold your pen – nice sale!

Happy Turning!