I'm so proud of you. I know it can be scary, but trust me, this is a beautiful adventure you are starting on.
Chrissy Weems said "Without Love, it's just Jewelry"
I know how scary it can be to put yourself out there and do your very first Jewelry Bar, so I hope this blog post gives you some good steps and advice to follow.
1. Log into the back office of Origami Owl and start your very own Jewelry Bar.
Here is a video I made. Warning. It's totally GHETTO! But it gives you the gist what you do! :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz9ajRI6Qso
2. Create a FB event page. I like to this for my Jewelry Bars because I can invite friends to it, and it allows people to shop online, even if they don't live in my area. :) To create a party:
Click on EVENTS on the left side of FB
Click on CREATE at the top
Then you can upload pictures, dates, shopping links etc.
I will do another blog post with tips for what to say on an Online party. But at least with this start, you can put the shopping link there, the address and time of the party and start inviting friends. WARNING! Do not do a mass invite. Invite about 20 friends. Then message them each privately. "Hi ___. I'm having a launch party for my Origami Owl business and I would love for you to come. I just sent you a FB event invitation. Check it out". This gives them the heads up to expect the invitation. Make your guests feel special. :)
3. Talk about your business. Post about it at least once a day. Things like : I'm so excited, I just got an Origami Owl package in the mail! Look at my newest locket! What charm is your favorite? I love working from home.
PUT YOUR PASSION OUT THERE! Let other's know you LOVE this jewelry. People will become interested in it, when they see how much you love it.
4. INVITE! Now it's up to you, how do you want to invite people to your Jewelry Bar? Postcard invites? Email? FB only? Text? Call? Do what works best for you. But you want to make sure you get your invites out in plenty of time. I heard someone say, a month in advance. I personally think 2 weeks is best, but again, it's up to you. :) There is also a great thing called RED STAMP. Check it!
https://www.redstamp.com/browse/collections/origami-owl5. Incentives! I love to offer incentives to my customers/friends/guests. I do thing like "BUY 4 CHARMS GET ONE FREE" or "Spend $110 get a Free Core Bracelet" You don't have to do this. But I have found, people love getting something for free. We, as designers, buy charms at 50% so $2.50 per charm is pretty affordable. When I was just starting out, I would give away charms from my starter Kit. This really pulled people in to the party and got them excited.
6. THE DAY OF YOUR JB!! Eeeeeeeee. Are you excited? Today is the big day! BREATHE!
First, you don't have to spend a lot of money to make your Jewelry display look good. A lot of designers have had fantastic parties using just a plain white table cloth, and a few white plates. Lay the jewelry out. Let your guests open up lockets, pick up charms and create. Encourage everyone to tell stories with jewelry. There are lots of pictures on our team page of examples of cute Jewelry displays. You can also find examples on google and pinterest.
Second, I like take my lap top. I set it up as a "CHECK OUT" station. I have it opened to the jewelry bar shopping link, so when guests come to me with their orders I can quickly enter it in, add their credit card info and shipping and then it will go directly to them. Nice and Easy!
Third, during my first few Jewelry Bars, I do not let people do a MAKE AND TAKE, or shop from my inventory. It's too confusing at first. I just place all the orders online. That's why having a Check out station is nice.
7. Knowledge! Get to know the Take out Menu (TOM) and the website. Do some mock jewelry bar experiences before your big day. Have you explored the shopping website? Try placing an order. You can bail on it before entering the credit card info. But this way, you know where to find different items.
QUICK TIP! Inscription plates. To place an order for a custom plate, you need to Add the item to your cart. Then go to the cart. Then click on EDIT, next to the item. This is the spot where you can play with different templates etc. When you get the plate as you want it, save it. Don't worry! If you need to go back in and change it, you can still edit the plate. :)
8. HAVE FUN! You will have a successful party if you are confident and having fun. All these People like you. They will like your party. You don't have to know everything to be successful. SMILE. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. AND!!! Remember why YOU love Origami Owl. If you share this from your heart, everything else will fall into place.
Do I get nervous? Of course I do! But don't freak out. :) Be yourself.
9. Get your next party booked!!!
This is seriously one of the most important things you will do at your party. How do I get future parties? Here is an idea that would be great at your very first jewelry bar.
Place envelopes on the table. BOOK AND LOOK. Inside each envelope is a discount or a free item. "Free Shipping" "Free core bracelet" "Five free charms" "Half price on a locket" "Free Face" etc Something you will offer or give to someone who hosts a party. You explain to your guests... if they host a party, they can pick an envelope. Everyone LOVES freebies! You can give them their gift when you come to their house for their Jewelry Bar. (use your hostess rewards from this party to buy the gift for theirs)
I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!
