Jewelry Marketing - How to Get a Jewelry Rep to Market Your Handmade Jewelry Line

Are you a jewelry maker or designer looking for new ways to market your jewelry? There's no doubt about it! A jewelry design business takes time especially if you exhibit at craft and jewelry shows which require preparation and travel. This can take precious time away from jewelry design and production. Your first love is jewelry design and you'd like to spend more time designing and less time focused on jewelry marketing. Is there a solution?

For some jewelry makers and designers, the answer is to enlist the services of a sales rep. A jewelry sales rep is a traveling sales person who carries several independent lines of jewelry that he or she markets to various boutiques and galleries. The sales rep is paid a commission by the jewelry designer of between 10% to 20% of the wholesale price. For example, if a bracelet sells for a retail price of $100, the store pays $50.00 for the item. Out of that $50.00 you pay the rep $7.50, assuming a commission rate of 15%. This may not sound like a lot, but you have to consider the cost savings of not traveling as well as the time savings of being able to spend more time in your studio producing jewelry.

A sales rep can also help you reach a national audience by exhibiting your designs at trade shows in large cities. This can be a very rewarding arrangement for you as the jewelry designer. Your jewelry is marketed in a professional manner and you never have to leave your studio.

An additional benefit of having a rep is that a rep can keep you abreast of jewelry design trends and give you updates on what's selling and what's not. A jewelry rep can also suggest potential modifications to your jewelry line based on her experience in the marketplace. This may result in increased sales for you.

In order to successfully sell your jewelry through a sales rep, you'll need:

Price lists for your jewelry neatly printed up to give to the rep. Actual catalogue sheets are usually unnecessary since the rep will have samples of your individual jewelry pieces.

A statement of your terms of sale including your return policy.