We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michelle Gulden. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michelle below.
Michelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?
I try to have fun with my customers since I feel we’ve been building relationships over the years. Customer retention is so important and with so many repeat customers, I want them to be excited about each order they receive. Throughout the year I have offered different incentives like scratch off tickets that have varying discounts, free gift with purchase, and special packaging. A couple months ago I started a new raffle where each order receives a ticket and at the end of each month, I pick two winners to receive a credit to my shop. It’s something fun we do together via Instagram and I love how it’s a way to engage with my customers and give something back to them for supporting me.
I want them to know their feedback has impact and often include them in polls and mini surveys. It’s a great opportunity to involve the whole community of j&g babes and let them share their opinions on potential pieces or collections. I know they have fun being a part of the creative process and it’s cool to see what they’re excited about. I also like to use Instagram stories to have polls for random personal things that we can all relate to like favorite tv shows or travel destinations. Since we’re all online, I hope it’s a way for my little community to get to know one another.
As a customer of other small business, I know how great it feels to be valued and hope that mine feel the love!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I have to start with what I’m most proud of, which is that I’m completely self taught. Making jewelry was always a past time for me, from friendship bracelets as a kid to “the birth” of jack & ginger with a pair of guitar pick earrings, it’s no surprise I find myself still creating. With the help of YouTube, I taught myself how to solder and the birth of Instagram connected me to a whole new world. As my skills grew, so did my confidence and it pushes me to keep trying new techniques and see how far I can go.
I create jewelry that feels like endless summer. I lived on the island of Oahu and my years there completely changed my life and direction of my jewelry. It sounds cliché, but the island life fostered a great version of me. Being outside, in the water, up in the mountains, pushing physical limits made me feel strong and capable and when you have that fueling you, it’s empowering. My jewelry is meant to be lived in and I enjoy when customers share the different things they’re doing and places they are while wearing it. I love hearing that my pieces make women feel beautiful. It’s such a compliment knowing that I can contribute to that.
I am addicted to the water and spend hours diving for shells and sea glass. I have so much fun taking my customers along with me in the water while I’m treasure hunting for the materials that will be made into their jewelry. I feel like it’s a great way to connect with them and make them a part of the process like they’re with me in the water.
My pieces are timeless and can be incorporated into all trends, which is important to me. As a hand maker, fast fashion is detrimental to businesses like mine and I want my customers to own pieces they will wear for years, not just the season. Tooting my own horn a little, but I know what I offer my customers as a whole package is unique. I work so hard at fostering these relationships and I think my reviews help back that up. I’m so proud of what I’m building and it makes me excited for the future.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Social media gets the credit for the initial growth outside of my inner circle. Instagram made my work available to a whole new world and the catalyst for my first retailer. My tiny network was now growing due to people sharing my work where that wasn’t an option before. Instagram became my free advertising and marketing tool where people I didn’t even know where telling other people about me. I know we all have our struggles with social media today, but I have to say it’s the reason I grew.
My account is small by popularity standards but you learn that numbers are numbers and it’s the relationships that matter. I reply to all messages and comments because I want each person to feel their words are valued. So many of us now feel like friends because we have “known” each other for so long. Followers become customers and customers become friends. It’s been such a fun way to connect with new people. We feel like a community, I see their families growing, they share their stories with me. We are in a unique time where customers and business owners are directly in touch because of social media. That’s still a fairly new concept and I really believe my customers are seeing me and getting to know me. Some days I can’t believe the love my customers show me with their posts and shares of my work. The fact that there are women out there that are proud to talk about what I create just blows my mind.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
100% referrals. I am consistently wowed by how often orders come in with a message saying “I heard about you from X”. I am always telling my customers how lucky I am to have them. They are the best models I could dream of because they are real, relatable women going about their day in awesome jewelry. They make it look so good and they help build the trust of the quality in the work.
As a small business, a new shopper may rely heavily on reviews of others before making a purchase and I know how powerful those reviews can be in making or breaking their decision. My growth is so heavily dedicated to my customers and their loyalty over the years. The adage is true, I could not do it without them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jacknginger.com
- Instagram: hijacknginger
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hijacknginger/
Image Credits
Michelle Gulden