: cstovin - Viewing Profile

Hi there - I am a little shy, but I have gotten over approaching people for the most part; I am female - so for the most part most of my clients are usually pretty nice to me. I usually say hello, smile, and if I am working in my friends booth - she likes to just say "hi, let me know if there is anything I can help you with, or if you have any questions...."; That seems to work for her, but still I would like to learn the more "art and technique" of selling, be more interactive, and learn to "close the sale" so to speak

It isn't like I want to go out and sell a car lol, but there is an art all in its own to selling; it is a skill :0). I am friendly, I smile and say hello to everyone.

Thanks for the tips - will work on them!

Charlene

Thank you all - all good suggestions -

@Clay Lover- I do often display the before and after pot, sometimes that helps and other times they are clueless; they can't figure out the meaning even though the display is marked (what it is intended for, the before and after, etc),

@Pres - I have thought of a utube video or something of the like, but haven't had the time to do one yet. Unfortunately, my presentation skills in front of a camera are lacking; much better customer service skills in person.

@OffCenter - good point;

@Old Lady - I do have nice signage for my booth shelves that indicate at each shelf level that they are decorative, limited food use only (as an example) limited meaning wrapped candy, etc. and that does help....

@Mark - I am making a poster board now that is more professional that has pictures on it, and although I have done this before since the beginning and it hasn't helped, I am hoping a larger version will. Usually I only have three pictures on it, a girl loving her horse, a picture of a tuft of horse hair, and a finished pot; and I did try a tuft of hair, an unfinished pot, and a finished pot.....still having the same issues....but thank you will keep trying!

Mea and Celia - thank you - I DO need to get better at salesmanship; this is another topic in itself....But, how do you learn sales skills? I am not talking high pressure sales skills, and I have looked online for classes, but there are skills that definitely can be learned that make it better and easier when you know the "tricks of the trade" so to speak. I know one is to not ask open ended questions; but I have searched online for training, and without knowing what I am looking for, one could spend a lot of money in a hurry....

C.

Thanks.....can't tell you how many arguements this wheel has caused with my husband; "isn't it good enough"; "that isn't enough difference to cause an issue in my opinion..."....frustrating; guess my original question was just I was thinking that if I go to level out the bottom of the pot, that if the wheel is off on the horizobtal plane, that my pot will be lopsided....


too hard to visualize :rolleyes:src="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif">

Mark C., on 21 April 2013 - 07:14 PM, said:

Hi Mark - it is about a 1/16" of an inch or so; it is weird....I can slip a piece of paper under (or three) under the high end. I can get it mostly centered now, as best I can - when it seems centered, the center doesn't move, but the farther out on the clay I move my fingertips, the more I can feel the uneveness. The only way I seem successful in getting the clay open is to close my eyes and not look at it when I am opening it up; otherwise I make it go further off center, have to go by feeling....

C.

Well, as mentioned above, I am sucking it up and learning to use it, it is getting easier and eventually I think it won't be too much of an issue once I get a little better. It is not centered on the horizontal plane, so I am doing the best I can. I did try to have someone that works at our local gallery that also monitors at the art center where I was taking classes arrange to come and turn on it, but she never called back and stopped by. Other than that, I have no idea who to contact to see if there is someone to come throw on it, I don't know anyone else.

What I was wondering, is, if it is not true on the horizontal plane (short of the suggestions to make bats that make up the difference) if when starting to trim my bowls, vases, etc to make sure the bottoms are flat, won't they turn out lopsided? Maybe not, I am having a hard time visualizing this.

C.