This years Space Cadets

[Mark C.]

Every Year I push hard at Xmas season all  of November and the 24 days of Dec keeping the galleries and stores stocked and selling at my own booth full of wares as well. I stop sending any mail order out before thanksgiving. Then I pack it up and take at least 6 weeks off from Xmas day to mid to early Feb. Tax prep and tree pruning, clean studio etc.

The start of the new new sales year for me is Dec 26^th really that’s when it can either stay sleepy or pick up with mail orders via email

Every year its different. I like the sleepy years-a Hundred-dollar minimum slowed orders a lot 2021 which was the idea.

They seem to always show a theme-from sleepy to busy and now this year-space cadets

So, this year I have had 4 emails asking about pottery in past week and only one follow thru

It’s what I call the new space cadets. I broke a fish plate can I get another as asap. Yes, I have some but you will have to come out to studio, ok no problem, so I send him a photo of 7 choices of what he wants-and 3 days later no response. Packed them up and moved on today. The next two where a bit like the 1^st one. It’s the new  world order of I want it but not really .

Wholesale is a bit more work but no space cadets. I'm starting to like the separation from the cadets

Today’s order is looking solid ,4 huge mugs to Ma. I do not want to count these chickens before they hatch

Wens update  Mugs got paid  for and shipped today of to MD

I hope this ends the space cadet run

Edited January 13, 2023 by Mark C.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I think there will always be people that ghost us, especially if they’re contacting via electronic means. I try to give folks pricing, terms and conditions before I start digging pieces out to take pictures of them to send. It can help weed out tire kickers. I also pointedly ask people to let me know how they want to proceed, so I’m not hanging out in limbo. There’s not a lot of tone in emails, so you have to go to direct communication tactics, rather than implied. 

[Mark C.]

I have a set of rules that apply to any contact-They always inculde pricing shipping pick up  and how to pay and the like 1st off return email to weed out the tire kickersand shorten the back and forth.

The fish plate guy made it thru all that with flying colors

Photos are always 3 or 4 options down the line

I did a post years back on email pots taking an average of 7 contacts back and forth usually before the credit card call comes thru and its over..I could throw lots of pots in that time frame.

My business model  that works very well is not depending on web/email sales. Thank my lucky stars on that.

 

[Mark C.]

Well it gotten very quiet past week pottery wise. Just what I was hoping for. Great for doing the tax prep paperwork during the rain and flooding down on the lowlands.

Boy have we had some wind the past week- at least 4 power outages one for 2.5 days (We are so lucky I put in that natural gas standby generator 15 years ago)

 The local Mad river is way up (not flood stage yet) and the wind howls about every night lately.

Since  we are on a well we always like more rain. Let it rain thay say let it rain.