Getting Business Tip - LQS

[JudyL]

There are so many ways to get business and as I mentioned, not all are going to work for everyone. Here's my tip on dealing with shop owners. I think the best/quickest/easiest way to get customers is by having a relationship with a local quilt shop.

Shop owners are busy! It looks like a fun and glamourous job to us but it's way more trouble than most of us imagine. I've never owned a shop (nor do I intend to) but one of my best friends owns a shop so I hear the trials and tribulations from her. Do you have any idea how many longarmers are begging the local shop owner for their referrals? I was in the LQS one day and while I may have been there longer than I care to admit, there were THREE longarmers, all strangers to me and the shop owner, who came in with cards/brochures/samples asking for referrals.

Suppose 10 of us went into the LQS on 10 different days asking for referrals. What would make YOU stand out in the shop owner's mind and what would cause her to recommend YOU over the other 9 of us who were there?

I don't want to be just another longarmer asking for business so I do not even approach the LQS with my sales speech.

First, I make sure I'm a loyal customer of that shop. I'm betting there isn't a quilt shop in the U. S. or Canada who doesn't have at least a dozen good customers who are longarm quilters. Suppose you've been a Wal-Mart or Hobby Lobby shopper for the last 10 years and haven't spent much $$ in the quilt shop, you have a hurdle right there to overcome. You really can't blame the LQS owner for not referring business to you when you haven't given her your business, can you? Yes, the quilt shop fabric may be $10/yard and you may get it for $4/yard at Hobby Lobby. I'm not knocking Hobby Lobby but think about it from the LQS owner's point of view.

Second, I wouldn't go into the shop just to try to get business. What I've done in the past is quilt one of my own quilts (preferably some of the fabric is from the LQS), do a great job -- doesn't have to trapunto feathers but it has to be neat and something I'm proud to show. Don't bind it yet. Put it in your car and leave it there. Go to the LQS . . you may have to go a few times but when you go in and there are tons of customers . . remember that you need binding for a quilt! The quilt is in the car. You run out and get it and you can flap that quilt around so that *everyone* sees it and someone will ask who quilted it!

Oh, *I* did! I have an APQS Millennium longarm and I love to do machine quilting!

I wouldn't just start passing out cards right there in the quilt shop, but when you can get the LQS owner alone, you might mention to her that you'd be happy to quilt one of her samples for no charge if she would consider recommending you as a longarm quilter.

Some owners will be so set with their regular longarmer(s) that they will decline the offer. Others may want to think about it. If so, give them some time, repeat the above scene and ask them again. If the LQS owner totally refuses to even hear what you have to say, try it again later. You never know when someone is 100% happy with their longarmer today and 100% unhappy with her tomorrow.

If you're looking for business, that means you're not too backed up. When the shop owner gives you a quilt to do, get the quilt back to her within days (if not hours!). Don't make her wait . . show her how prompt you are. This may be the only chance you have to prove to the LQS owner that you are the best longarmer she's ever seen.

There are pros and cons of doing quilting for the shops for free or at a reduced rate. I do it for free -- probably less than 6 quilts a year and most of the time it's pantos. But, when there's one on which I can do feathers and lots of showy quilting, I want to be able to quilt it just like it were my own without regard to price. And, if I quilt a top for the shop and charge them -- say my fee would have been $600, when someone comes into the shop and sees that quilt and asks how much I charged for quilting that top, the shop owner can honestly say whatever she wants to say but she cannot say $600 because I never even tell her how much the quilting would have been.

Suppose there are three or four quilters standing there and one asks "Who quilted this beautiful top?" Betty says "Judy Laquidara". Someone says "How much did she charge?" Betty says "$600". All those ladies hear is $600 and from that day forward, they think of Judy Laquidara and they think "I'd never pay $600 to have my top quilted" and they have my name scratched off their list because I'm too expensive! They never know that they could have paid $300 and had a quilt that would have been drop dead gorgeous.

Now . . who's willing to quilt a top, go to the LQS shop looking for binding?

[Grammie]

Judy well said. I agree that you must be a customer of the LQS. I spend just all the money I get there. lol

And running a Quilt shop is HARD WORK!

Thank you for taking the time to share your wisdom. I have gained alot from it in the past.

Your one HECK of GAL!!!!!!

[quiltaholi_518]

Yes, Judy-well said (and by one of the busiest quilters in the whole USA!) I also see your work at shows, I took that cue from you and if there are any guild shows in the area, boy you can bet I'll have a few in there. Eventually someone will be talking about quilters, my name may come up, and someone will say, "Oh, I've heard of her-she's supposed to be very good!) and I bet sometimes they won't even remember where they saw my name or heard it!

[mrsbishwit]

Judy, as always you are right on target with this one.

When I go to my LQS to replace my brochures because they ran out I make sure I always have one of my quilts with me, one that I just quilted but in need of binding so I have an excuse to buy something when I go to the shop ( I would feel guilty if I don't buy something because most of my business comes from there) I also make sure I go when I know it will be busy, usually on a Saturday...so my quilt gets maximum exposure... and then when they ask who quilted it The owner of the quilt shop will tell the customer that I did it and that I have a long arm and then the customer will ask me if I have a card then I hand them a brochure that I brought to restock the store with Works out great! I also volunteered to quilt up to 4 tops a year for free for the owner's shop quilts, she was thrilled and jump at the offer and told me that the other LAmrs that leave their cards there never offered to do that. I also have a link to my LQS website on my website and the owner is grateful that I am plugging her business as well. Comes down to the old phrase "you scratch my back & I'll scratch your back".

Joann

[GERRY]

You ladies are so so smart, I learn somthing new here every day.

Judy I like your style, must be that Gemini trait,

Joann, are you a Gemini too ?

[Ferret]

What is this concept of needing an excuse to spend money at the local quilt shop? I don't think I am capable of going in without spending money. I am very lucky my LQS was happy to put me in touch with her wholesalers to buy supplies. Some I bought from exactly once. They were so hard to deal with I decided I would rather pay her to deal whith them for me. Running a shop is not easy.

I love your technique for getting interest.

Ferret

[Susan Beidler]

Judy has some great ideas. Another thing I did was to offer to quilt the "quilts for soldiers" for free. I'm still a newbie and building clientele. My quilt shop owner supports this program and donates batting for it. I've quilted for both the national program for soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afganistan, and our guild makes quilts for the Oregon Vets. I feel this is my way of giving back to the soldiers, it gives me practice and also get s my name out there and shows quilters what I can do.