how much options to give buyers?

SHOKR

SHOKR

Well-Known Member
hey guys

i recently had a someone request a carbon fiber dagger, you can see it here http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?27541-my-knives&p=247209#post247209, when i was working with her on the design i realized after a while that i gave her too much options and she was one of those who when given too much options doesnt know what to do and gets confused but i guess most of us tend towards that really

now another one saw that dagger and he requested to see couple of design options, i showed him 'few' designs and he chose two and told me i can choose based on what i think is best.

now we all know that this sentence only means i either shut up and do what I like OR start working to make it best for him, in which case i will give him probably a lot of modification options based on his needs... what i told him is it depends on your needs and i can modify it a bit if you like (because it was designed to be really small!)

lets face it, we all want that satisfied and happy customer, specially new makers like me :D

my question is how much modification choices do you give a customer without facing the trouble of 'too many'? and i am talking about the one who doesnt actually know what he wants.

i am interested to hear your answers, experience, how you deal with it in general because i too am a fairly technical person so i can work with a customer on modifications a lot but i fear i will only be making it worse (for myself or for them)
 
For the buyer who knows what they want it is easy, if they don't I would let them see the closest thing you can to what you think they would like and ask them what parts they don't like because no matter how small it is you should be making a knife that is exactly how they want. If they see a design and think it should be pointier then do so etc. if they don't see anything they don't like then that is what you make them. Remember though that your name will be on the knife so it is ultimately your decision as to what you make.

This is what I would do, I can't see a problem with it but I have never dealt with a customer who has not cancelled.
 
Thanks Liam

Yeah was just thinking about that problem, that we have no control over it specially since several experienced makers advised me never to take money first, except perhaps when buying hard to get or expensive material, etc.
 
They cancel because people are thinking about £15 a knife not £100. I wouldn't take money from a client unless the nature of the knife made it hard to sell otherwise or was expensive to make. If a client wants their name etched into the blade for example, I would want the money before etching it. Was it not Henry Ford who said "You can have it in any colour you like, as long as it's black."

What I'm getting at is that you design a pattern and then see what they would want to change.
 
Shokr,
I have most people pay in full when the order. Sometimes half or I will let someone make it in three payments if that works for them? I always get my materials covered at least, upfront.

I do say if they don't like that one for some reason like the wood came out too dark etc? I will make them another. No one has asked so far.
It works for me.

On your original topic of how many options,

Henry Ford's statement
"People can have their car any color the want! As long as it's black"
Did help simplify the color choices. I try to bring out a small box of stabilized woods or 3-4 handle materials. If you have too many choices I've seen people walk because they are overwhelmed by all of the choices.

In sales, we call it "Easing the buying decision" Would you like Chocolate or Vanilla?
Oh, There is Strawberry too?

I'm sure you get the idea.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
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Liam, i feel your pain!

thanks Laurence, yeah i'm starting to appreciate the limit of options, if the client asks for something thats great, if not lets keep it simple...

someone asked me for a kicthen set for his fiance now actually... about to start
 
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