Advice on Sales!!

Rha, love, seriously, get that checked out as quickly as possible. Please? I *really* don't mean to frighten you, but a good friend of mine had a terrible headache like that for several days, and then had a stroke. He's fine now after a lot of rehabilitation, but he was only 36 when it happened. It can happen at any age, and a severe, continual and very debilitating headache like that, for that long, is what I would consider a warning sign that *something* is wrong. Please, get to a GP tomorrow somehow, and get it checked out?

I'm sorry to hear your not very well Rha, hope you feel better soon hun

Rha i'm really sorry to hear your not very well and i hope you feel much better soon

thanks for the concern and well wishes

I am very sensitive to weather changes and we have had unusually high storm activity here (with a lot of cloud cover etc) so I am thinking it is that

I will give it a few more days to see if it eases and watch the weather patterns too

if it gets to the point that it scares me I will see a Dr, at this point it doesn't scare me, it only annoys the hell out of me and makes it hard to do anything that requires concentration

(yes I am a glasses wearer, but rarely wear them, and have not been using my contacts, (which is typical of me) but it is not that kind of eye strain type headache)
also being my body hurts (think being under pressure) I really think it might be the weather right now

(God I feel old, talking about how the weather affects me, heh)\
managed to switch a few more things in the store, and worked on the bears a little, but then I felt the headache coming on, so left

(and just in time too, as my brother called, was nice hearing from him)

lol I can barely see the monitor without my glasses...not what's on it, the moniter itself lol

I have age related eye degenerative disorder

ohhhh..... so far behind with this thread. Hope you get to feeling better, Rhoarth.

As the "Challenger".....didn't want to leave the Challengees hanging, after I put you all to work! So here's my report.....

My unique product for the Challenge was the Red Lacquer Oriental room setting. Last week, when I finished it, I sent the sofa sectional to all my group members, and asked them for feedback. Those who gave feedback received the additional pieces. Others came into the store and bought the additional pieces, and I've sold a few of those sets this week....so that worked out great.

For the Weekend Challenge....I went around to chat up the newbies...hand out some free packages....well, I won't go into all the gory details....but won't be doing that again.

I had several things on my list that I wasn't really interested in doing, and was going to try something new. I sort of got the mall area set up....but only with pics and landmark giver. Still working on packaging that would work well there. I'm used to setting things out, and this will be a challenge. Many people have told me that you simply can't sell furniture from a box...people have to see it. So I might use this just for Accessories.

On the Freebie Thing....I said I would try it....but I'm not going to, after consulting with successful business owners. I joined the customer group, and it drove me Freekin' Insane with the notices.......and I don't think that the style of person who would be buying my items, would put up with a constant barrage of Freebie Notices all day long......actually, I don't "think" that....I "know" that. The People I sell to, come here to relax and enjoy a luxurious lifestyle. My home decor and the treasures I find for resale is geared toward that. Chasing freebies is not part of that lifestyle for the majority of people I sell to.

I decorate high end homes and sell high end homes....so offering up freebies to the masses is not the image I want to represent. I've not heard great success with it, from any of you. I don't consider 2000L a success. 10,000 would be. I doubt you can report those numbers. I want any "Gifts" (I prefer to call them Gifts) to be given to my group members only, so they feel special.

I had a 5L Weekend Sale....that was a Huge Success. I set up a corner of the store with a ton of items, and offered them for 5L. I sold MANY other regular priced items to the majority of the people who were there for the sale. 96% of the purchases were from group members. I'm going to take care of my group members like they are family. Some have become good friends. They are extremely dedicated.....so I give them tons of special offers. They have kept me hopping all weekend....and it was a great weekend in the store. Very Pleased.

I really didn't want to take the time to do a blog....but since I passed on the freebie thing, and the newbie thing was unsuccessful....I had to come up with something! ha! So....I started a Blog, and it is actually a lot of fun....also a great place to showcase some things, rather than constantly sending out pics. So this will work well. Thanks for all the suggestions on those. I'm going to be doing some "Lifestyle" reports here. Glimpses into the homes of SL's movers and shakers.....have a few in the works.

Had a great visit with most of the group members for the last few days. Great Ideas going back and forth. Lots of one-on-one Brainstorming. What a great group of treasures.

Thank you so much for sharing all your Unique Items. They were Awesome! Congratulations!

I will issue a different form of Challenge for this week. Relax. It will be fun.

The linden we make is relative. Thats why i started stating the number of items i sold when i sent out a freebie notice instead. Simply becuase 2000L in sales for me is around 40 to 60 sales. 10,000L for you is probably the same number of sales.

I suspect most people turn off the notices to th group and browse through them at their lesiure, which is what i do for both freebie groups.

Micky I spend around 50,000L decorating my house the last time I did it. So i would probably put myself in the high end spenders for home decorating. However I also like to fidn a bargain if i can. I like to find new stores and freebies are one way to do this, to get exposure.

Irealise im not likely to change your mind, but really your idea of who is in these freebie groups is very wrong. Most of these girls happily drop a lot of money in stores they like.

My progress Report:

-I creted a templte for my displays, although I decided not to goback and change my old ones as the work would be insane. It will be my new template for all my new items.

-Created several new items and for the first time ever I used a texture change script in one of my items.

-Continued my use of the freebie groups but spent some time looking at the notices which were mre sucessful and what was less sucessful

-Set up a small vendor at Rha!

-Re did some of the bad shots I had in my store for some items and updated some things

-Did some callaborative work with Rha around a freebie which I hope to put out this week in both stores.

-Advertised new items in the forums here

0-Started tryign to put more of my stuff on SLX

Thanks for the thoughts, Eclectic....but I have to disagree. I talked to people who are very successful, enough to be making a living off SL....and they do not do freebie groups.....and gave me a number of reasons "why"....all of which make very good sense.

I also browsed through all the people who had purchased an 80,000 to 150,000 home from me...(they are turning into store customers).....and not one freebie group in their profiles.

I also watched traffic at a few stores that sent out a notice. They swoop down....they grab the item....they're gone. When someone comes to my store.....they generally spend a lot of time ALONE...which they prefer.....and they have an enjoyable experience, without all the distractions of people swooping in and out. The longer they stay....the better.

I've had awesome sales for the last 5 days....because I spent my efforts in more productive directions.

could it be the fact you deal with furnishings and such, and the freebie groups are geared more around clothing and other avatar accessories?

I don't like how you seem to be talking down about the freebie groups and their members as though they are a lower for of life in SL (sorry if I am wrong, but that is how your post looks to me)

I for one, am happy I joined the freebie groups, it has not only got me more sales and more exposure, I have also met some wonderful people from said groups.

anywho I am gonna try to work on some stuff tonight

I probably won't be active much in this thread.

Not sure if it is my mood, or the not feeling so well over the last few days and my perception is impaired, but... it seems this thread had pretty much exhausted its self...

Rhaorth...you generally don't like anything I say.... Whether you are ill or not.

I wouldn't take everything so personally, and no....I did not talk it down. I'm simply saying that it does not seem to be the method of choice for those who are high producers....it does not seem to fit my customer profile.....and if I consider time spent.....it does not appear to be highly productive as opposed to other marketing ploys.

Just because someone has different ideas than you.....does not make this thread "Exhausted." Unless you are just "exhausted" disagreeing.

I do unusual marketing plans in RL....and jump out of whatever box everyone has fallen into. I will do the same here. I enjoy the fact that everyone wants to be in the same box....works for me

I highlighted the part that makes it seem as though it is beneath you, and I did say that is how it comes across to me, that doesn't mean that is how you intended it to be

not sure where you got the idea that I disagree with everything you have said. Being you and I have hardly said 2 words to each other


I quote from your previous post...


now, exactly what does this mean? And why do you doubt any of us could report those numbers? 10,000L over what amount of time? you never mentioned if you mean one sale, many sales, or 5 sales.. more numbers is needed to make sense of it. And I know many of the top designers send out freebies and I am sure they can report those numbers and more, over a short period of time.

and what is the image you do not want to represent by offering up freebies to the masses... I would really like to know why you do not want to be seen as someone who offers freebies...

take a moment and read your post again and think about how those words could be taken.

I have a feeling I am not alone in how it was taken (and I was not offended on a personal level, I just felt that your words used were belittling those who use freebie groups either as a marketing tool, and/or a place to get freebies, even if the words used were not intended that way)

Please, just read your words again, and please do not think I am taking it personally, it just struck me odd the choice of words you used, and wanted to make sure I was not intreperting them incorrectly.

maybe i can help you, advertising your shop check out my newspaper and let me know
http://www.thebaxtonpost.com

Awesome with your 5L sale Mickey

I have had good luck with the freebies group but I realize that it is not something I will want to do forever, for now because I am new and in a hugely competitive industry my goals are to get people into the store and into a few of my outfits so that they can decide whether they like the quality of my things. For every 10 people that bop in and bop back out there is one that will stay and shop (I had my 24 hour freebie start yesterday and one girl bought like 5 things.) So for now it is working for me, but I realize it isn't for everyone and like I said, I won't be doing it forever.

And it also gives me a chance to critique some competitor products. If I have a few minutes I tp over, grab the freebie, take it home and nitpick over it. Do the shoulders and collars line up front/back? Do the sides line up? How is flexi movement? blah blah It gives me an idea of where I am quality wise (and makes me realize I had best make sure that my freebies are not just woops, messed that up...ok it's a freebie).

It has good points and bad points, and it's not for everyone. And Mickey seems to have done her homework, maybe in group she can share with us some of the pitfalls that she has learned about regarding them.

For me, they are a way of getting my name out in the world.

I guess for me I cant really understand why you would choose to put somethign out for 5L (or from the soud of it a number of items at 5L) and yet you think that those who went to buy those were more likely to spend money than those who might go pick up your 1L item?

I just dont see the logic.


I would also like to point out that many of the big names who sell a lot of things and who make RL money out of SL do use freebies. Probably less frequently im sure, but they do use them.

Off the top of my head - Big names i have freebies from : Blaze, Lovers Playground, pixelldolls, The Rezzables Sims (now they are HUGE business), Sine Waves, Prim Goddess.

Each of those make huge money and some do it as a living in SL and each has at least one freebie (that I found in freestyle or fabfree in most cases) but often more in my inventory. In the case of several it was how i found out about their produects and I have now spent quite a bit with each of them.


I am sure many dont use freebies and of course it is an individual choice. However I am a logical person and the assumption that the big names dont use freebies to get in customers, nor that freebie hunters dont spend money are false.

My take on Freebies and inexpensive. It was the consensus that perhaps as a starting designer m goods had been over priced at 400 over all. Again- I don't really agree from a shopper point of view since in reality we are talking a couple bux and I wd spend considerably more when I was still buying clothes and not much of a label watcher in SL or RL- I wear what I like- however- since I was having way too few sales, I took the advice, lowered m prices and have made more sales. I have three Freebies in my store- done mostly to be able to get my name in with the Freebie groups. I see them as an advertising venu and nothing more. I need traffic- not for search inflation but to get my name out there. No matter how good m stuff may be, if no one sees it it ain't selling! so...

Last weekend I had a ridiculously low price sale- and plan another for this weekend. I will choose a handful of items at random and drastically cut the price - advertise it in group and to other groups that I can and wait on those results.

I do not wish to be the WalMart of SL so I too hope to one day be put in the same sentence as one would say Bliss- but I do have to start somewhere.

That said... I think you can make a few more Lindens and still get seen even by Freebies if instead of Dollarbies you make it $5 or $10 or $20 - it is still jus tpennies- but a few more than $1L

I have to agree with you both Electic and Amar, even though yes many of them just tp in and buy the freebie and move of again, some stay and look around and then they even buy something. It would not be the first time i've released a freebie and then made sales from people on the freebie groups. Plus if i actually counted each linden i made for next few days because of the post on Freebie groups your looking atleast 200 - 300L.

I have freebie's from some designer clothing ranges. Pixelldoll is my main one, i recieve a free weekly gift each week for just being on there list, Blue Blood is more of a punk/goth store but pretty well named and they release each week on Free Style sometimes more than that.

Amar i love the idea of a secret sale, i'g really glad it went so well for you, i hope you don't mind but it's given me a idea to hold something simular, a secret sale with a twist so to speak.

I'll still have a couple of items up for cheap but also have a few items hidden in boxes in the store for people to find. Not sure what to call it but it sounded like a fun idea lol. What does everyone think?

Rhi- what I did was to take five gowns and marked them to near freebie status- I did it at $50L but next week I am going a little higher- not much 'cause there is a certain aura or mystique - like the difference between $19.99 and $20.00 - So while in volume it makes a difference to me, it has to still be subconsciously a bargain for the shopper while still avoiding the pitfall of bargain basements - it's a delicate balance!

All in all, I find it a positive experience for that one weekend - I will let you know how the next one goes. And Rhi- by all means, feel free to take it and run, share any tweaks to the theory!

Btw, the gentleman who is exhibiting his art pieces in the gallery next door has added a rather sophisticated ambiance to Terminus - I am looking forward to his debut. Last night I put some walls up for him he did some decorating- it looks very MMOA'ish . I am updating my land description to include him= equals additional exposure for both I would imagine.

he he i have to agree with you there a bit of mystique always adds a little bit of intrigue if you ask me and people wanna see the unknown

Thanks Amar i appreciate it, he sounds great Amar, I'll definitely have to come by when he launches. Please make sure to send me a invite *wink*

Oh I've had this idea in my head a few days, no clue how it could work but we have all probably placed hunt items out in malls etc. Well i was thinking maybe we could hold a actual hunt ourselves. I'm not really sure where we could hold it or how the logistics would work lol. Just thought I'd toss the idea out there and see what everyone thought about it?

I always had such good vision, a tad more farsighted, but good overall.

Then some years ago, I noticed that the print on the forms I was using at work was smaller. I squinted and carried on. Then every business began using smaller print - restaurants for their menus, mail, even the print in my own journal was shrinking...errr...

I mentioned this to my father and he said "Congratulations, you've acquired the Over-40 Eye Condition."

/mutters darkly

He "could" have called it something else...I mean there ARE people under 40 wearing glasses...lol.

Like between all us members? Thing is how do we get the word out? Yes- we could post to some of the fashion Groups... but we do not as a whole have a group with subscribers and it would be a huge imposition on many of the groups we do belong to. I am sure some group owners would not mind but I can see how it could easily be construed as spam.

Advertising in classified... Events... how many really read it? If it were free it couldn't hurt but- at that point we're basically talking traffic- cause hunts have one goal for the owners - exposure; and for the hunter- the prize... I don't see it would inspire immediate shopping... don't really think the pay off would be worth the effort but I could be wrong- open to ideas.

As for adverts- I am considering responding to the woman that contacted me earlier- and buying a small trial advert- the gentleman above - well, I leave you all to view his page and make your own conclusion.

Here is my take on freebies...which i hunt like a fiend btw...lol I will go and take the freebie...look around a bit and maybe buy something if it really jumps out at me and is a low price. Then i take the freebie home and try it on within the next day or two. Once i have seen it on, I make a decision about whether i like the designer etc. I usually will wear the item if i like it, otherwise i delete it. Then at some point i will go back to the store and buy some additional pieces.

So, i agree that people who zero in on freebies often do not buy at the same time. However i do think if they like the items they become a customer at a later time. To me, it is free advertising. I offer free things...costs me nothing...they get to see the home decor item, use it in their spaces and maybe they or someone else will like it enough to buy more at a later time.

I have a few free items in my store at all times and i change them out when i think of it. I also offer a group only freebie and try to change that about once a week, but they have to come into my store to get it. For me, the freebies have been great.

I was just about to post something similar in my experience with the freebie groups.

I understand where you're coming from, Mickey...and over time I will likely not be sending many freebie notices out...if any.


The reason I joined one of the groups is (1) I'd never heard of them before and was interested in what type of traffic they might generate and (2) my main goal at this point is to get my name out there in any way I can. I've really just been dabbling in this shop thing until this thread came along due to my focus being geared more toward teaching where I was making an income.

(SIDENOTE: The school for which I was teaching just closed. DANG IT!!! I've decided to now shift my concentration to working on my shop and I may offer classes independently as I LOVE teaching...it's in my blood.)

Anyway, back to Rha's point...

My shop sells primarily furnishings and some jewelry. I've noticed a LOT more people coming for the freebie (well dollarbie) when I've offered jewelry as opposed to furniture. The exception to that was when I put the ceiling fan out. I noticed that only several people came to get that BUT those few people picked up a whole bunch of them (since I changed my furniture perms to mod/trans). EEEKkkkkk....Could possibly be people stocking up on those to put in a yardsale or resell and I have a wonderful collaborator for that. Learned that lesson and replaced the fan with my mod/copy bracelet. Then more people came, each getting just one of the bracelets.

Even if I don't offer dollarbies in the future, I think I'll stay in the group. I've picked up some items for myself that are really fun!

Well, I really don't want to beat a dead horse. And my intention was not to offend.

I'll try to explain again. I offer what you call "freebies" to my group....to my group I use the word "gift".....I don't want to imply that it is a worthless item, so they are getting it for "free." I want to imply that it is a "treasure" that was given to them as a gift.

When I give them a "gift" it is not an item that was just tossed to them, that they will never use. I send out gift boxes packed with about 6 to 10 items.....some of them, are my best sellers. I send out items for "review"....so I can get feedback. I believe that I will get more feedback from the group, because they are comfortable with the concept....or will be, eventually.

It is customer appreciation. I want to reward those who buy from me. I have spent 100's of thousands of lindens in SL stores ....many times to the same stores, over and over again....as an interior decorator.....only one has ever given me a gift....and only a handful have offered a discount. That's just insane. I'm going to do it differently. I'm spending my efforts "rewarding" and not "enticing." I really don't want a "freebie" from all those big stores that I spent lindens in.....I want something I will use.....like give me a package deal on that one potted plant that I have purchased 100 times from you. And NOTICE that I purchased that potted plant 100 times, for goodness sake!

As I have said before...the marketing geniuses teach spending your efforts keeping customers....and this will pay off far more than spending your efforts trying to get customers at random. I takes less effort to keep one....then to get a new one. Even as fast moving as SL is and as frequently as the population changes....there are still people who have been around for some time. Many of the people I've sold houses to.....are still in the same house, after 2 years. I'm geared toward pleasing the folks who "live" here, for extended periods....not playing a numbers game with fly by nights.

I'm not saying that I don't want to get new customers. Of course I do. But my marketing is targeted to a different group than the freebie shoppers. That does not mean that I am turning my nose up at anyone who shops for freebies....it means that I am reading the profiles of the people who shop from me....and gearing my efforts toward what I see in their profiles. It's just targeted marketing.

Everyone who made any kind of a purchase from me, over the weekend.....even if it was only one 5L item....received another gift box. If I offer that to the masses....it is no longer a "special gift" for appreciation....it's just a toss out item.

When I am out and about meeting people....I give them a gift box and invite them to the store....it's one on one interaction....it's not a cold offer sent out to the masses. It's "special." I'm also building relationships with designers who are interested in wholesaling their items to me.....and toward interior decorators, who would be consistent buyers. That's where I choose to spend my time.

I think that's great that it is getting people into your stores....and they are buying. Then use it. I have other methods for getting people into my store. More personalized methods....more creative methods. I am choosing to spend my time on those methods, because I am more comfortable with the message that those methods send. That's all....it's just a personal choice. You can't be everything to everyone.....I'm simply choosing what I want to be to a specific group.

I'll give an example....and it's to Amaranthim....I think she can handle it.....and not get offended.....but Am....you spent your weekend efforts with the discount shoppers....if you had had a trunk showing.....and simply stood in front of me, and changed into each and every one of your gowns...so that I could see them on a body.....I'm sure I would have purchased at least 2 at regular price. Multiply that by 4 other ladies like me. And you did all that in one hour....go dancing and have fun, after that.

I avoided going over to your store....because I knew you were having a blowout sale....and I like to shop in peace. I also do not feel comfortable buying your creations at huge discounts. As a creator....I want you to make what they are worth....and to me, that's full price. I am VERY uncomfortable buying hugely discounted items from creators that I love. They deserve a good price, because they create awesome content, and I will pay for it.....because it is Special. And I'm not being mean to you, by telling you that.....just telling you how a shopper that will pay for quality items tends to buy.

I don't think that I am out in left field with that concept. An example of my own...would be a woman decorating a new home, that came into my shop on Friday night. I took a one hour break between Maximillion and Komuso....and I spent one on one with her....so she bought more items, than if I had not been in the store. She basically purchased a whole house full of furniture and accessories. That was one hour, that paid off more than a whole weekend of freebie shoppers. Do The Math.

Yea i see what you mean Amar, maybe a little bit to much to do and to much to think on how to do it. I was a good thought lol.

If you ever do start classes Czari, i'll be sure up for it