Do you know what your customers want or need? Do you know what you’re doing right or what you can do better? I’ve been asking myself these questions, and I want to know more about my customers, what they need and how I can help them build and grow their businesses. And the only way I’m going to learn more is to ask them. So, that’s what I’m doing this week.

Please take a few minutes to answer some questions that will help me help you. I’ve put together a survey that I think will give me some great insights into what you are looking for, what information you value, and how you like to receive that information.  As a thank you for completing the survey, I’ll give you a 10% discount on your IAPQ membership.

Click here to begin the survey.

Over the weekend I stopped into Bath and Body Works to purchase some hand cream, and it was packaged in a nice paper bag with the company name in large letters. What struck me was below the name was “Shop 24/7 at www.bathandbodyworks.com.” Great idea. Of course I knew the company would have an Internet presence, but I loved the not-so-subtle way they reminded me I could find them after the sale.

This also reminded me of an experience I had many years ago vending at a major regional show near my home. I knew lots of the area quilters, and they stopped by the booth excited to show me all their new finds. One product in particular – and I can’t remember now exactly what it was – was a new notion. Everyone who saw it wanted to know where to get it. The receipt had the company’s name and nothing else. The show catalog listed the vendors, only not their locations. I didn’t know where they were, and the only option was for someone to go up and down all the aisles until she found this particular vendor. As I recall, the vendor ended up being in my aisle, though I didn’t know it at the time. I suspect this vendor missed a lot of follow-up sales during the show.

How can you put my experiences to use? When I did that regional show, as well as other larger shows, including Quilt Market and Festival, I had a stamp made with my booth number on it. I think the stamp cost less than $5. Since I used handwritten receipts, I pre-stamped that booth number on the customer copies in my receipt book. I hoped that when all those quilters went back to their hotel rooms and shared their purchases, anyone who wanted to purchase from me would be able to easily find my booth.

Today many people use computerized or printed receipts, and you have the ability to print a message on those receipts. You can add your booth number if at a show, your website, or some other message to encourage repeat sales. One idea that came to mind for a shop was to advertise an upcoming sale or even to offer a small discount for a return visit with the receipt.

As for the shopping bag idea, this would be easy to accomplish when you need to reorder bags. Another option would be to print adhesive labels with the additional info and add them to the bag.

I’m sure you have other ideas to let your customers know how to find you after the sale. Please share them here.

I’m always on the lookout for different ways to market a business, and I discovered something really cool at my ophthalmologist’s office recently. One of doctors had created a PowerPoint featuring optical illusions, fun quizzes, etc., that plays on the wall of the lobby in the office building. The idea was expanded, and now each exam room includes a picture frame that has several hundred slides encompassing not just the fun things but also testimonials about the practice. This got me thinking about ways we could adapt this idea to quilt businesses. Here are some:

1. The first thought that comes to mind is with product demos in booths at shows. You could have several frames running at the sides of your booth. Of course, that’s in addition to your own demo to draw customers into the booth.

2. If you are a pattern designer and don’t demo in your booth, you could have the frame running with pictures of quilts made by your customers from your patterns. Nothing spurs a purchase like seeing how your quilt pattern can be made in multiple colorways, especially your favorite. I’d love to see this with bag patterns.

3. As my friend and longarm quilter Erin says, quilters travel in packs, so she always has extra chairs in the studio for the friends traveling with her clients. She could create a slide show of herself at work on her longarm and include shots of quilts that she has completed and any ribbons she has won, along with customer testimonials.

4. Art quilters could use this concept with a gallery show. Imagine slides showing you at work, slides of your work that isn’t in the gallery, and slides showing your work hanging in happy customers’ homes with their testimonials.

5. Shops could find lots of ways to use this idea – demos of new products that have arrived, samples from the classes on the schedule, covers of new books, fabrics on order. Imagine putting together one of pictures you took at Quilt Market focusing on all the new products you ordered.

6. Those of you who do craft shows could use the ideas that I have for art quilters: a slide show of you at work, photos of quilts or other products that you’ve sold, photos of your work in your customers’ homes. It’s great to offer people a picture of how your product will look in their surroundings.

I took a quick look at digital picture frames online and found them ranging in price from $30-$300, depending on size of the frame and all the extras, including the ability to add audio. I hope some of you will add this idea to your marketing toolbox and share your experiences with us.

The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business. Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership and join here.

During a recent trip to Cape May Point, NJ, I went to a local crafts cooperative with some wonderful work. I remember my days as the quilt/fiber artist at a fine crafts cooperative outside Philadelphia. It’s a great place to sell your work, meet your customer and gather marketing information.

Whether you sell your work in a cooperative or in a booth at a show like Quilt Market, here are some tips to help you increase sales:

1. Set an intention or goal for the show. Is it to make a certain amount of sales, to get your patterns picked up by a distributor, to test a new product? When you are clear on your intent, you’ll be more focused, and your results will show that.

2. Establish eye contact with show visitors, smile and engage them in a conversation. Ask questions that will lead to an answer that is not yes or no. Share something of yourself and your product. Your customer is buying you as much as she is buying your product. And, I’m sure you’ve been to a show where the craftsperson sits on a chair in the corner of an empty booth. Of course it’s empty; no one feels welcome to enter! Get up and greet your customer.

3. Qualify your buyer, i.e., separate the browsers from the buyers. Quilt Market is filled with what I call “the entourage,” quilters who want to see what Market is all about. And, I love quilters who want to become involved in our industry; they keep our industry vital. However, while they may have some influence or be the buyer of the future, they are not the decision-maker today. I’m not saying to ignore them or be rude. You can engage them in a conversation, only find out who makes the buying decision and try to get to that person.

4. Have plenty of handouts and brochures. Not everyone is ready to make a decision when they first meet you. Some like to take materials back to the hotel room and compare before buying. Be sure to bring an original of your handouts in the event you need to get copies during the show.

5. Have a way for people to contact you later. At the cooperative I visited in New Jersey, all the artists had business cards; none had a web site noted on the card. Many times, I’d like to peruse the artist’s web site and see what other work she might have. Not all your buyers will purchase while they are in your booth or even at the show. Make it easy for them to see your product line.

6. Keep up your energy. If you are doing multi-day shows, it’s easy to get run-down. Have healthy snacks and water in the booth. Try to stick to your regular sleeping routine, something I find hard to do at shows. If your energy is zapped, it will show in your results.

Hope these tips add to the success of your next show. And, feel free to share your tips with our readers.

The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business. Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership and join here.

When we advertise our products or services, it’s often easier to talk about the features as opposed to the benefits. Features characterize the product; benefits are why we buy the product. Benefits answer the question, What’s in it for me? When you buy products, you don’t buy because of a feature, you buy because of a benefit. Features are easy to describe; benefits less so. Benefits, too, can be intangible.

The most compelling benefits are those that deliver emotional or financial rewards. This is what struck me as I looked at those magazine ads. The Twinings Tea ad that says “With my cup of Twinings, even a rainy day feels brighter” is selling an emotion. My favorite ad that pulls the emotional heartstrings is the Michelin ad with the baby sitting inside the tire. Michelin is not selling tires; it is selling safety. Good use of selling a benefit.

Looking at some quilting examples, you don’t buy a new design rotary cutter because it’s described as ergonomically correct, you buy it because the manufacturer says you will have pain-free cutting. If you are selling a pattern, instead of just saying it includes rotary-cutting instructions, say that you can save time with easy-to-follow rotary instructions. Saving time is a benefit we can all appreciate. A finished quilt isn’t just a valued piece of art, it’s a collector’s item that will increase in value. Do you think people are buying those Kinkaid prints because they are pretty? No, they think they are making an investment in something that will increase in value.

Also consider how you’ll package your product. You might find a benefit there. For example, patterns are packaged in bags with vent holes so they pack more easily. Or a kit could be in a resealable packet to keep the work clean.

One way to look at benefits is to consider your products from the consumer’s point of view. You might even survey them. What examples do you have that sells the benefits of your product or service?

The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business. Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership here.

Have you considered holding an open studio to educate the public about your art and make a profit at the same time? While many such events are often held at a holiday time, they can be successful year round. In the Fall issue of The Professional Quilter, Eileen Doughty interviewed eight art quilters to get their take on how successful their open studios were and what was involved in putting one on. If this is one of the marketing ideas on your goals list for 2010, you’ll want to go back and read Eileen’s article to refine the notes you probably took when you were researching at local events this season. Following is an excerpt from part one on preparing your studio. Part two of the series is in the Winter issue of The Professional Quilter.

The most engaging studios tend to highlight the creativity and individuality of the artist. They are beautiful and inviting, inside and out. Consider including demonstrations, an artist talk, works in progress, photographic displays or even videos. Display samples of your work or process that you don’t mind being handled by a lot of fingers.

Whether your studio is in your home or a public place, it may take a few days to set everything up, and even more time if you are using someone else’s space and have to start from scratch. “Getting ready is a huge job – not just in terms of making and mounting my artwork, but rearranging the furniture, cleaning, preparing refreshments, labeling, pricing, doing the signage, arranging for helpers, printing and packing greeting cards, and preparing storyboards and displays of materials and equipment,” says fiber artist Susan Else, who participates in a tour sponsored by the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County, Calif., each October.

Consider offering artwork in a variety of sizes and prices. Place neat labels next to each work with title, size, materials and price. Besides wall art, several artists offer hand-dyed scarves, books written by or featuring the artist, note cards, small gifts, jewelry, framed art and wearable art. Inventorying every single item can be time-consuming but will help you track sales patterns, and you’ll know if there was any shoplifting.

Have a guest book to build your mailing list and get comments. Also set out your business cards and postcards. Susan puts her sign-in book on the way to the kitchen, so no homemade apple cake until you sign!  Susan’s homemade apple cake is not the exception, as many artists provide beverages and non-greasy food.

To read more of Eileen’s article on Holding an Open Studio in Issue 109 of The Professional Quilter, your subscription or membership in the The International Association of Professional Quilters must be current.Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership here.

Do you have systems in your business? Maybe you haven’t given much thought to what systems can do for you. Here are just three benefits: They can give you more time to be creative. You’ll have time to work on your business rather than just in your business. And, they will let you grow your business.

If you are like most of our readers, you’re a small business owner or solopreneur. At some point you’ll discover you can’t do it all. That’s the time to get started with systems, if you haven’t already.

How do you go about creating systems? I’m actually in the process of creating systems for some of the processes I do. My goal is to hire someone to handle some of our processes so I can devote my time to creating new products. To that end, I am writing down step-by-step how each process is handled. Yes, it is taking me extra time, but I know in the end it will pay off.

Here are just three ideas that you might try for your business:

Handling Fabric. After our last teleclass on organizing, one of our listeners contacted me about how she would start the year with her fabric organized and then the studio would quickly become unmanageable. It was something she repeated on a frequent basis. I suggested she write down her process for storing her fabric, i.e, develop a system for storing her fabric, and then hire a high school girl to come in a couple of times a week to get it back in order. This lets this quilter focus on what we could call her genius or brilliance.

Teaching or Media Requests. Do you scramble looking for all the materials to send when you get a request to teach or promote your business? Create a system to keep all those materials easily accessible. You could create folders on your computer or in your physical file cabinet to include photos, short and long bio, résumé, your brochure, anything that you are ever asked for. By keeping everything in one place, it will be easy to find. That means less stress looking for it or less time having to recreate something you find shortly thereafter.

Online Marketing. Are you sending out e-zines or updating your blog? Do you need to update your Facebook page or Tweet? Do you use a shopping cart and autoresponders? I have a couple of suggestions here. Create a schedule for doing this. For example, on Friday set aside several hours to write your newsletter, a few blog posts, and updates to Facebook and tweets. Many of these can be scheduled ahead of time. An assistant or virtual assistant can also be valuable setting up and maintaining these for you. That allows you time to work on activities that add to the bottom line of your business.

And, a big plus for creating and working the systems is you have lots of energy. And, when you have more energy, you’ll work at a higher level in your brilliance.

What ideas do you have for systems?

The Professional Quilter includes articles to help you create success with your quilt business. If your subscription is not current and you need to renew, or you want to start a new subscription, here’s a link to our order page

I’m really excited to announce that The Professional Quilter is becoming part of the International Association of Professional Quilters.

Over the last few years most of you have noticed that we’ve harnessed the power of the Internet to offer more information to help you, the serious quilter, create business success. We publish this e-zine with business tips, tools and techniques to help you build your business. We regularly sponsor teleclasses and longer teleseminars all geared to guide you as you grow your business.

As I talked with subscribers and participants in our programs and looked at what we offered, I knew the best way to help you uplevel your business was to package these products together, along with some other goodies. Members of the IAPQ will receive:

• The Professional Quilter, our quarterly business journal;
• access to monthly teleclasses with experts both in and outside the quilt world;
• access to a monthly tele-networking/ mastermind event;
• a free consultation with an intellectual property attorney;
• an IAPQ lapel pin designed by our art director, Kim Bartko;
• discounts on our books and other resources;
• and more.

The actual value of these benefits easily exceeds $700; the value of these benefits to you is priceless as you build and grow your business. You can see complete details of the benefits on our redesigned Web site.

If you are a subscriber to The Professional Quilter, I know that you are interested in how your current subscription converts to IAPQ membership. Effective immediately, we will no longer accept single subscriptions. The regular price of the IAPQ membership is $137. Through December 31, 2009, we are offering an introductory price of $97 for the first year. We will never offer a special at this rate again. When you convert your subscription online and input the expiration date shown on your address label, you will be credited for the amount remaining on your subscription, in most cases $7.49 an issue. Details are on the Join Page on our site.

I know that networking with other professional quilters is important. Please join me on our new IAPQ Facebook group page where you can interact with like-minded quilters. Here’s the quick link.

I look forward to helping you uplevel your quilt business. Our mission at the IAPQ is to provide the resources to educate and empower you to create your own success in our industry. Whether you’ve been in business for years or you’re just starting out, you’ll find the resources you need to create your own success at the IAPQ.

Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership here.

Have you tried to use the Internet to connect with your customers and not been as successful as you wish? Your online newsletter – or e-zine – is the key to connecting with your customers and increasing sales at the same time.

I’ve seen this happen day after day in my own business and want to share the secrets I’ve discovered with you. Join me on July 9, 13, 16 and 20 at 3 pm Eastern as we explore what you need to do to: plan, write and publish your e-zine; set up and begin posting to your blog; create and populate your Facebook page; join Twitter and begin Tweeting.

Registration includes the teleclasses, MP3 downloadable recording, written materials and a private yahoo group for class attendees to share their experiences, questions and discoveries. Here are details.

Join us to learn how to take your business to the next level with Internet marketing.