At One of a Kind, I was recognized (away from my booth and without
my badge) for the first time, from my picture in Art Jewelry. I
can't say it sold more jewelry, and it was a funny feeling.
I’ve been recognized by name for years just from posting on Orchid.
Aren’t the photos in Art Jewelry stylized though, they turn them
black and white and then add color or something? Hmm. How did they
recognize you without photoshop? : )
But self-promotion is a necessity if you are to succeed more
than minimally. And if I become convinced that putting my face out
there will help with that, then I cannot afford not to do it, and
if someone concludes I am an egomaniac, then so be it.
There are quite a few people here on Orchid who deal in $100 items,
and there are others who do not. I was having lunch with some friends
in their shop last week, as we do, and another friend stopped by. He
was somewhat depressed because he had gone to Nordstom’s to buy some
shoelaces and was mugged, and put in the hospital for 2 weeks. I
don’t think that it’s a coincidence that he had $300,000 worth of
cash and watches in his pocket on his way to do a deal with someone
he never met. Funny how muggers just happen to catch you holding
goods, isn’t it? For those of you who aren’t concerned about security
for whatever reasons, that’s fine. My friend broke the rules, though,
and he paid for it - he kept saying, “I’m just glad to be alive!”,
and someone else he knew was shot and paralysed not long ago in a
similar situation. I don’t want to tell anybody what to do with
themselves, but there ain’t EVER gonna be a picture of me on a
business card, and many other things that are just basic security.
Don’t confuse a zeal for self promotion with putting a sign on your
back saying, “Rob me, Rob me”. My feeling is that everyone should
know, understand and use fundamental security procedures all the
time, but that’s just me. So you deal in $50 items, and then one day
somebody asks you for a $20,000 deal… Are you ready? Are you
trained and prepared? Are your procedures already in place? Or are
you just a walking target ripe for plucking?
My feeling is that everyone should know, understand and use
fundamental security procedures all the time, but that's just me.
So you deal in $50 items, and then one day somebody asks you for a
$20,000 deal... Are you ready? Are you trained and prepared? Are
your procedures already in place? Or are you just a walking target
ripe for plucking?
Absolutely!
And even if you only ever deal in $50 items, there are people who are
prepared to hurt you for less than $50. A few self-defense classes
are time and money well-spent. (And a little time away from the
bench, kicking the daylights out of a heavy bag, is good for my
heart, or so my doctor says…)
Can anyone give me hints as to if they found it easier to select a
ring, say, as opposed to a bracelet or pin for the image? Or any
other suggestions, too.
I saw one recently of a very busy necklace, I think it’s a very cool
necklace, but the detail was lost in the small picture. So I would
pick a piece of jewelry, whatever it was, that is relatively simple
and will look good in a small picture.
Or, size up to a bigger card. I have a picture of one on my blog by
Suzanne McNenly, who went up to a 4x4 card to solve just that
problem.