Upselling and Linkselling Keepsakes needs to be done with sensitivity and restraint. There’s no ethical governing body for keepsakes and memorial jewellery but we can self-govern our actions and find a middle path where we earn a fair living and give our clients the best possible quality, but also not to overcharge or pressure our clients.
I’ve talked about upselling and linkselling, using opportunities to earn a little extra, with other keepsake artists in the past and the opinions have sometimes been mixed. Not everyone feels the same way as I do about capitalising their work but in my defence, I have small mouths to feed (quite literally, I owe my mum £30 for taking the kids out to get basics like bread and washing up liquid for me today, this has just reminded me…). I also am lucky enough to have staff to pay and they in turn, all have children to feed and clothe. I pay over the living wage too, and for that and many other reasons, making the maximum profit isn’t a luxury for me, it’s a necessity. Making an extra £10 profit by charging £15 more for a more expensive chain, might be shoes for my two year old tomorrow or it might pay for my new memory card.
If you’re making keepsake, memorial and breastmilk jewellery as a hobby or a profitable hobby then of course you can include extras free of charge and make little gifts for your clients to your heart’s content. Please don’t let me stop you. It might even give you an incredible word of mouth and review reputation. The rest of us though, it’s fair for us to charge for our work*.
In Advanced Breastmilk Jewellery Course and Advanced Memorial Jewellery Course I go into more detail on upselling and linkselling but options are more expensive settings, add-ons like precious metal leaf, upgrades like thicker chains, certificates of authenticity, polishing cloths and other things which you think would complement or improve an order which you feel would be of benefit to you both.
Proof Photos and Extra Stones
In the photo above, I had had the ring engraved (engraving changed for privacy) and the client wanted various things in the resin. I could have made a stone but I think this ring style looks best as a direct pour. The client had requested angelic aqua at first but then changed her mind. I first made the purple and teal 8mm pendant on the left in solid silver, the colours the client had requested in changes, and sent her a proof photo. I loved the colours but we felt it was going to be hard to see the hair and the fabric with blood in the ring and she wasn’t feeling the colours either. I suggested I try again with the aqua as it would light the hair and fabric from behind. I did the second one and she was really happy. I told her the two extras would be free of charge, then I offered to set the aqua stone with a European bracelet setting for a little extra. This little extra was enough profit to cover the silver in the piece and the two settings and something for myself too.
For this client, I made a few stones for her ring and she wanted it more like another previous piece I’d made. She sent a photo over and I remade the stones, I think there were 7 in total and she chose her favourite for the ring. I offered to set the extra stones as earrings. There’s much less profit doing earrings the same price as a necklace or dangle charm but I wanted more photos, and I still made a small profit. The client got a pair or earrings at less than a quarter or what I would have charged normally for them. I now have a stock photo of these earrings for my clients here, and also social media for Tree of Opals and a product photo. We both benefited and it was optional for her.
I hope you enjoyed this blog. Please let me know your favourite linksell in the comments below, perhaps we can all give each other some inspiration.
*I do pro-bono work, I prefer not to charge for baby memorial pieces like a lot of other artists I know who do this free too. If you need to, then you can charge for it. I’m a bereaved parent so it’s personal for me. Sometimes I let them know that they can pay for the silver. I always charge for the shipping and the gold. Some parents who are able to still pay full price, which is incredibly kind of them!!! I then actively post in a few places to let other bereaved parents know I’m able to offer some