Spread the Love

As you may or may not have noticed, I've started writing a bit more frequently here on the ole blog...something I hope I can keep up (funnily enough the original title of my blog was Try To Keep Up!)  But with the super delayed spring, and just the world in general, I felt like I should spread some cheer!

If you have met me in person you have, no doubt, realized I am a smiley, goofy, big-laugh kinda girl.  I want everyone to have a good time and feel like they're "in on the joke".  And sometimes being in this #craftipreneuer #solopreneur world can get kinda isolating. 

And then I remembered something. A while back (ok like a long time ago), I read a realistic post about this one blogger's struggles & I empathized with her on so many levels.  So I reached out to her and basically gave her a virtual pat on the back.  And she emailed me back (!), thanking me for, what I considered, a tiny gesture. But what a HUGE difference it made in both our lives.

We tend to boost our friends or our tribes and rarely venture outside of those protective circles.  And for good reason.  We gather people around us that we trust and feel safe with.  But could you imagine if a peer from OUTSIDE your circle commented on something you did? Something you posted.  With genuine feeling? 

So I'm challenging all bloggers, craftipreneurs, mompreneurs, solopreneurs, basically anyone who reads this to go outside your tribe, find someone who inspires you, or posted a cool vid, or has a great product and tell them.  Honestly.  No emojis.  Just real talk. Direct message them.  Email them. 

Let's call it....a Random Act of Real-ness

A Random Act of Real-ness can be anything. Maybe feature someone who needs some exposure?  Write an email to that "big time" blogger you admire.  Send a hand made card (or even e-card) to one of your followers?  We're all "regular" people.  Even the people who we think have "made it big", or are "more Insta famous" than us. They are totally normal humans, just like you and me!  So go ahead! Tell someone you like them.

I hope I can inspire you to spread a little love outside of your regularly scheduled programming.  If you decide to get involved, copy and save and post the Random Act of Real-ness image! XOXOXO Happy Tuesday!

Facing your Email Fears, or How NOT to Email a Craft Market

I don't know about you, but cold emailing people is my nightmare.  I can dance on stage, sing the national anthem in an arena full of strangers...but cold emailing someone is something I've REALLY had to force myself to practice.
If you're anything like me, the fear of sending that email comes from a jumble of emotions of wanting to look professional but not cold, friendly but not goofy, succinct but not curt, and informative but minus the verbal diarrhea. It's a delicate balance to be sure. So here are some tried and true nuggets to make the most out of that cold email!
1). NIKE aka Just Do It Hurdle number one is grabbing your "beach ball sized lady nuts" (thanks Negan) and plunking down at the laptop to start.  I remember when I met the WONDERFUL Ally Matos of Allyfotografy and listening to her talk about reaching out to BIG NAMES (like, big!).  And she has such a wonderful philosophy about it.  If nothing happens, if they don't respond to you, you're actually no worse off than you were before sending that email. 

And she's right.  The worst that can happen is that you don't get an answer...ok cool.  I literally have to tell myself that when I step out of my comfort zone; the world will not end, I will not be swallowed up into a pit of oblivion, it will be ok.  Next!
2). Try to avoid "one-liner" emails aka don't ask "how much are tables?" Now, I know I might have some push back on this one.  IF you are emailing/contacting a market organizer do not, I repeat DO NOT, write a one line email asking how much a table costs and leave it at that.  To a market organizer this proves that you, the vendor, have not gone to their website, Instagram, or Facebook, nor have you looked at the FAQ page (where incidentally A LOT of markets say in black & white how much their booths cost) and you're not interested in anything beyond your costs.  And I get it - we're all trying to be as profitable as possible.  BUT  I will also say that you get what you pay for.  This has been true in EVERY instance I've encountered it. When you pay a bit more in fees, you get a lot more because the organizer now has additional budget for advertising, printing, prizes, coffee, and a great venue.  Also you'd never do that in person - just walk up to someone, ask how much their jacket costs and then walk away?!?! Why would you do it in an email? lol  This is a perfect example of the the stuff we humans do because of the anonymity of the internet! If you wouldn't do it in person, don't do it online (man, that's a good life lesson!)
3). Tell me who you are!!!!! This is one of those things I assume would be obvious....apparently not.  I have received WAY too many emails, sometimes with most of the information I need, but without people telling me who they are and how they found me!  Or people who are interested in applying for a market, but don't tell me the name of their business and what they make?!?! What do you want me to do with that lack of info? lol Imagine someone knocking on your door, you answer and they just start spewing info at you and before you can get a word in they turn around and leave?  It's like Cinderella at the ball- the Prince has NO IDEA who she is! As a rule of thumb when I start an email, even to people who might know of me, I often start with "Hi My name is Leslie Kuny and I'm the Creator and Designer of West Coast Leslie Designs. If you're unfamiliar with my brand I create handmade, heirloom quality, modern designed, knitwear accessories for women."

See how easy that was? In TWO sentences I introduced myself, and told you who I am.  If I'm contacting them because they posted in a Facebook group, or maybe online somewhere, be sure to mention that! All you need is one additional sentence that says something like "I saw your post in the Shabadoo Goofball Facebook page" OR "I'm emailing you because I saw your post on the Awesomesauce Vendors webpage".  In the email I would also link my website or Facebook page to the name of my business to make it easy for the recipient to check out my online presence.  I'll tell you one thing, they DO NOT want to hunt you down online. Which brings me to.....

3 A). Show me who you are

This doesn't mean clog up someone's inbox with high-res photos when they didn't ask for them.  But for darns sakes would you PLEASE link your social media?!?! I think it's great that you make handmade, up-cycled, themed pillows that help kids with night terrors(is this a thing-maybe?), but where can I see your work? Link your social media feeds in the email!!  I can't tell you how many times Jill & I have had to go scrounging the internet for people and photos. (Again I reiterate, who are you?).  It's always helpful to imagine yourself on the other end of this interaction.  Would you want to spend extra time trying to hunt someone down and find their instagram account? Probably not, so why are you making someone else do your work for you? Plus there's a real easy way to NEVER forget to add in your social media links  - add your social media links to your signature. Pretty slick right? I know!

4). Do Your Research

Remember the last time you were chatting with a friend and they knew you were training for a marathon and were really excited for you? Yeah, that felt pretty great didn't it? Someone took an interest in you and that makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Same thing goes for events.  So before shooting off a hasty email, go to the company's website, or Facebook page, or Instagram, or Twitter, or Pinterest, or LinkdIn, or Blog, or Youtube channel...or ANYTHING! 

Find out a little bit about who they are, what they stand for.  There is a lot of info on those websites (like costs, times, dates, names of important people, mission statements, values, etc). Knowing a bit about the person/company you are contacting makes a HUGE difference. It will set you apart from the other emails and it shows that you've taken an interest in what that company does.  We all want to feel valued for what we do, so taking the time to do a bit of research before hitting 'send' is well worth it.  

5). Say Thank you, be Polite, and be Patient

(sidebar guys...it was really hard finding a not sarcastic thank you gif - just putting that out there!)

Everyone is "busy".  Everyone is "important". Everyone has responsibilities, obligations, and priorities. You and the person you're emailing. So be sure to thank them for their time.  Think about your day.  How much of your day goes into reading and responding to emails...how much laptop rage do you experience in that time? lol A "thank you", or an "I appreciate your time" can go a long way.  Likewise you can't expect an immediate answer.  Things have really changed in the "internet age" and, let's admit it, in this time of instant messaging and texts we expect answers. Like NOW. Give them a solid three days.  I know - when you're expecting an answer you're basically that chick from Willy Wonka singing "don't care hooooowww, I want it nooowwww!"and then she falls down a chute or something.  Patience is a virtue, so try not to follow up too soon. You don't know what's happening on the other end.  Unfortunately the written word can be misconstrued (even in this blog post! I wish we had a keyboard for sarcasm), so constant follow up emails can be seen as impatient or worse, rude.  Now, that's not an excuse for anyone to let emails slide...but if you haven't heard back in a week, I'd say that's a fair amount of time to send a follow up.  And sadly sometimes you just won't hear back...and that's shitty. BUT see email tip #1

Again, with most of these "Tips & Tricks" the key take away is to put the shoe on the other foot.  Would you want to receive a cold email that has no pertinent information, that is curt, doesn't have a call to action (what do you want from me?), seems to know nothing about my business/brand, and doesn't say who it's from or what they do?  Who would reply to an email like that? And that's the last tip - write an email you'd want to receive. What information do they need to know?  What information do you want to know from them? Ask them for what you want. Be kind, and say thank you.  Follow that and you're golden.

Did I miss something that you ALWAYS make sure to do when emailing?  Let me know in the comments or get at me on Facebook

limited production run #1

It's time friends!  It's time to launch the FIRST limited production run for West Coast Leslie Designs! Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey, because we want to make what you want to wear!  And don't worry, if you're favourite item wasn't selected for the first run all is not lost.  We will be hosting limited production runs throughout the year, so stay up to date with us on Facebook and Instagram!

And now, what you've all been waiting for...... 

(insert drumroll here) SLOUCH TOQUES!

These bad boys will be available in TWO SIZES: Small/Medium (20"-21") and Medium/Large (22"+).  They are made from 100% acrylic yarn, which is hypo allergenic and machine washable.  Did we mention is super soft and comes in some gorgeous colours? Like Plum? Peacock Teal?  Yeah. We're pumped.

Remember they are available to purchase ONLY on Facebook!  They are up there NOW, so be sure to check them out.  There are limited quantities so if you want one, be sure to hurry!!!

What I've Learned Part 1

Every new opportunity lends itself to a learning curve.  Starting a new job.  A new piece of technology.  Trying to do your own taxes (don't).  And then magically, one day, we don't need to think about HOW to use these things, we just do.  I bet you can't remember a time you didn't know how to use a spoon?  So in this little series I'd like to share with you some of the tips and tricks I've figured out, the hard way, about handmade selling.

Today's Episode- How Putting the Price Out in the Open Stopped My Sales

Whoa!  I know right?  It seems counter intuitive.  And a lot of makers will tell you YOU NEED to put your prices right out in the open.  What if someone is shy and they don't want to talk to you? If your prices aren't visible, you'll loose that sale. And that's a fair assumption.  But let me tell you my story about how doing that TOTALLY backfired on me.

First full year of production - 2014.  Tyler and I were working every market together -it's always nice to have someone to bounce your ideas off of.  I had my boot cuffs displayed in baskets, all lined up, ready to go to home with fashionable ladies.  I had these great little chalkboard picks I'd got at Michaels and stuck them in the baskets with the words "boot cuffs" on them. Cute right?

Then I got an idea- let's use my super cute chalk board signs and put the price of the cuffs on the chalkboards.  I rewrote the signs with $49-the price of my cable cuffs.  This would allow me to interact with my customers without having to answer "How much are the boot cuffs?"  I thought I was a genius!  My brilliant idea was efficient and informative; who wouldn't love it?

The customers, that's who didn't love it.  By seeing that $49 in black and white kept people from even touching the cuffs.  People stopped talking about them ALTOGETHER!  No one picked them up.  And just like that my boot cuff sales stopped. DEAD.  I mentioned to Ty how bummed I was that people weren't interested in the cuffs.  He suggested that the price was scaring them off and that we erase the signs.  The price was on the tag anyway, it's not like we were hiding how much they were.  So we erased them.  Put them back just with the words "boot cuffs".  Lo and behold, sales started to pick up.  I couldn't believe it!  Every blog I'd ever read told me to make sure my prices were visible.  But when I tested that theory, it didn't work for me.  

So what's the moral of the story. Depending on what you make, most shoppers need to feel a connection to your product.  Especially if it's a bit of an investment.  Once people pick up my cuffs, feel how soft they are, see how well crafted they are, they've already started the process of imagining how those cuffs would fit in their life. They start thinking about what boots they have that would match. In their head, they already own the cuffs.  And that is EXACTLY what you want people to do with your products.  ENCOURAGE shoppers to pick up and try, feel, touch your products.  Putting your product in their hands already gives them a sense of ownership!  It brings them one step closer to making that purchase, WITHOUT YOU HAVING TO BE PUSHY! WOO!   Once someone has picked up something, it's in their hands, they are interacting with it, they're imagining how it will fit in their life, their wardrobe, their home.  Once they can see their life WITH your product, the price becomes LESS scary.  Why? Because they've already purchased it in their head.  They've already decided that they need this.  I can't tell you how many people have balked at the price of my products, UNTIL THE PICK IT UP or TRY IT ON!  Then they get it.  

I'm not saying hide your prices.  I'm not saying to be sleazy, or scamy (that's not how I roll).  But you don't need to have a big neon flashing sign (or chalkboard sign for that matter) outright flaunting your prices.  Next time you're shopping in a higher end clothing store, try to find a tag that's out in the open.  Bet you can't.  High end retailers do the same thing.  They want you to envision your life with that sweater, BEFORE you see the price.  Think about the prices at an art gallery.  Tiny. Almost hidden beside the painting. Available, but not flashy.   And from my experience, it works.

Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on how to be a better handmade seller.  Got a comment or question?  Leave it below.  I promise to get back to all of them.  Let's make 2016 your most successful handmade year yet!

Peace, Love & Handmade
*Leslie

HERE'S WHAT'S UP

We're only a week into 2016 and we already 

have BIG plans for West Coast Leslie Designs!

The 2015 Market Season was such a blast and successful to boot!  We are so grateful to all our shoppers and boosters and friends who support us.  It was our second full year of operations and while we're starting to feel like we know what we're doing, we are still learning so much!  Last year we updated our booth for LARGER spaces with two vintage ladders.  We received SO many compliments on our "new" booth from fellow vendors & shoppers.

We were ready for the boot cuff craze this year!  

We made so many pairs we have some left over!  

How did that happen?!?!

And even though we carry awesome classic products, we always get asked to make other items.  This year I think the most requested items were leg warmers, slippers, and fingerless gloves.  Sadly there are only so many hours in the day to make things :(  BUT you will be happy to know that we found a way to offer some new products!!

ANNOUNCING WEST COAST LESLIE DESIGNS 

LIMITED EDITION PRODUCTION RUNS!

Ok so what does that mean? LOL  We will be launching new products, like slippers, in a limited number, available for purchase during a specific time.  For example we will make 20 pairs of slippers and they will go on sale on a Wednesday on our Facebook page.  The sale will last until the products sell out OR for four weeks TOPS!  Once they're gone, THEY'RE GONE! If it's a successful run and people still want slippers, in a month or two we'll run another slipper production.  

Got it? So exciting!!! Remember these products will only be available on Facebook, so make sure you're following us over there!

We want to know what you'd like to see us make!  If you've got ideas for what we should make for our first production run head over to our Facebook page and let us know!!

Peace, Love & Handmade
*Leslie

We're Here to Pump - YOU up!

That's right!  Ok, so I don't look like Hanz & Franz aka Kevin Nealon and Dana Carvey, but I love to pump people up!  Mostly I love to pump up other craftipreneurs, to encourage them to take a leap of faith!  But with good, solid information behind them!  No crazy, get rich quick schemes here!

I recently encouraged the lovely Sherri, from Wild and Raven to apply for Make It! Vancouver.  She was nervous. - the time and financial commitment to participate in Make It! is more than your average craft fair.  But what did she have to lose?  Not getting in?  Psh! She was no worse off if that's how it turned out.

I stressed to her that it was a crucial step to apply, just to do it.  Going out of your comfort zone, trying something new, is sometimes best attempted with kind encouragement. I know I always appreciate a cheerleader, even if it's the server saying I made a good dinner selection. I walked Sherri through how to look at the financial side, without having a panic attack, and how to view her sales in manageable goals.  The best part is that Sherri applied and... drum roll please....SHE GOT IN! And now she gets to be a part of one of Vancouver's largest, best publicized and well attended craft markets!  Booyeah Sherri!I want to encourage MORE craftipreneurs to follow their dreams!  I know a lot of amazing people who make lovely things, but are too scared to make a go of it.  I have years of experience in retail and marketing with some of the best known brands in Canada and I've learned a lot!  And I want to help you find your brand, your passion, and love within your business!If you're interested in taking your hobby or crafty biz to the next level, email me!  Message me on Facebook. Get at me on Instagram.  I'm around!  I am booking sales coaching sessions throughout the summer and I'm available for in person and FaceTime meet ups!  I am relatable, funny, and realistic, but best of all I know what you do.  The hours of work you put in to be a craftipreneur, the passion you have behind your craft, and I really want to help make your biz more profitable.  PLEASE don't hesitate to contact me!  Let's make this Christmas craft season your best yet!www.facebook.com/westcoastlesliewww.instagram.com/westcoastlesliewestcoastleslie@gmail.com