My First Stella & Dot Trunk Show

Last night I hosted my first Stella & Dot trunk show at my house.  I thought I'd do my first show as hostess as well as stylist as it's a good way to introduce people to the brand without hassle.

I must admit I was nervous.  My party was due to start at 8pm and throughout the day my nerves grew.  I felt better once Ethan was in bed for the day because then I could concentrate fully on setting up and getting ready.  I haven't got masses of samples, so I worried my display was sparse, but in the end I was happy with how it looked.  Of course one day I hope to have many more samples and will be able to make a far more impressive display, but for a first show, I was happy.

I got my nibbles and snacks set up, stocked up the fridge with some drinks, put catalogues out and tried not to let my nerves get the best of me!!

A couple of my friends couldn't make it, but I had 5 who could.  Quite a nice number for a first show I think, not too big, not too small.  I was worried that people would feel pressured to buy as a duty to me as a friend, but as it turns out, I don't feel that was the case at all.  At least I hope not!! I was pleased to find out that many of my friends were finding it very hard to choose what to go for because they liked so many items from the catalogue.

My first show has been a great learning tool for me, I got asked some questions that I didn't know the answer to (like "how long will it take my parcel to get to me" - answer one week or less, though seeing as I have ordered myself, I should have known!!) but that's good.  Getting put on the spot forces you to learn and I find you're more likely to remember in the future!

If you're a new Stella & Dot stylist preparing for your first show, my tips would be:

- Have at least one laptop/tablet/PC on with the Stella & Dot website loaded up.  Very handy for checking current prices and looking up sale items which aren't in the catalogue.  Also great for looking up FAQs for when someone asks you something you don't know the answer to!

- Have some business cards with your stylist details on them printed up.  You can staple them into catalogues or just hand them out to guests who don't want to take a catalogue home because it's too bulky.

- Spend time over your display.  Don't just use conventional jewellery display stands, try to be creative, it gives you your own style!

- Explain a bit about the history of Stella & Dot to guests. I didn't do this enough last night, but I think this was because it was very informal and with close friends.  If I were going to a group where I only knew one or two people, I would start the evening with a short introduction.

- Make sure you've worn some (or all) of your samples pieces out and about yourself, it makes it so much easier to recommend how to style them, what they are like to wear, how they wear, what the quality is like etc..

Now, unfortunately I haven't yet managed to book a second show, and I must admit I am a little worried about this.  I think the main reason people are put off booking is expense.  I've had a few people tell me they've had a look at the Stella & Dot website and feel that it's expensive.  This is where coming to shows really comes into it's own.  I do think that some of the pieces look mega expensive for what they are when you look at them online, but when you actually see them in the flesh, you realise how much work has gone into them and how great the quality is.  The trouble is, when it comes to friends, I don't want to force anyone.  I don't want to loose friendships or make anyone feel uncomfortable, so I really need to work on getting a show booked outside of my circle of friends.  This is proving tricky.  I'm dropping off little S&D look books with my details on around my town, so I'm hoping something will come up from that.

Let's hope I get a second show booked soon.  I really want to make something of this, I'm excited!  The jewellery is really gorgeous and I'm enjoying telling people all about it.  It goes without saying, if you're reading this and want to book a show, let me know!