Weaponsmith Archive
Thread: Ideas on how to draw business
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Carthian
Wed Oct 13, 2004 4:13 am
#1
I'm a Master Weaponsmith and have been for quite awhile now. I'm having a hell of a time getting my name out there and bringing in customers. I have gone into Mos Eisley and sold some weapons to noobs for ungodly cheep prices. I've asked friends to come and check out my vendor. I am also on the world map. Nothing seems to be working though to bring in customers. My weapons arent the BEST on the server, but they are higher quality. every person that has bought something i have added to my friends list and i send out a mail every week detailing my stock, but that doesnt seem to bring in the customers again. I've decided to change my tactic of selling by having a Sliced and non sliced vendor, So i am going Mws/MSmuggler. I've thought that maybe my location isnt the best, its in my guilds city on Dantioone and we dont have a shuttle yet, but we are on the world map as a city. The other vendors in the city get some good sales, but they are in a mall and i am in a small Tat house across from the mall. Does anyone have any suggestions on how i could up my sales? Should i move a branch down to Coronet, Bespine, Theed? What has worked for you to get customers to come.
I've put to much heart and effort into this to give up now.
Message Edited by Carthian on 10-13-2004 04:24 AM
Survivalist
Wed Oct 13, 2004 4:35 am
#2
Well, tough to say, i am a crafter since my server went alive, so people know me. I started near Coronet the first months, then moved to Dantooine in a very small city with no shuttleport and nothing, but customers followed me and my business on Danto is way bigger than ever before (think, just because i always tried making high quality stuff for reasonable prices).
Sounds likeyou tried out a lot. Maybe you should move to a location like Bestine or Coronet.
Another idea is a well decorated mall with a bunch of other sellers (make shopping to an "event"). Besides that you might try to sell some really great weapons (weapons with looted components or Scythe, DXR6bs and such).
However, i think best for you is to move to Coronet for a while, go back to Danto with your vendors after you are a well known crafter.
Customers will follow you as long as you keep up a good job, means as long as you have some well stocked vendors with good quality items. 
TruGeek
Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:28 am
#3
I'm not to worried about drawing a ton of business right now myself, but I'm on Rori (I get so many 'where is that?' lol) in a PA city (it is on the map and we have a shuttleport now) and my vendors are on the world map and I do get a number of non guild traffic. Soon I'm planning on puting a vendor in a tent by Theed with a selection of my goods and a message that more is available at my shop. I hope this will draw some more business. For those of us on the non 'major' worlds I think the best thing to do is at least set up a small vendor near major cities on one or two of the 'major' worlds to get our names out there.
jefdenbeffer
Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:37 am
#4
make yourself an afk barker or place merchant droids (u can place like 5 at a time, if it's on another planet), do custom work, make some specials that get u known,...
hinchles
Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:42 am
#5
if your a relativley new smith i would suggest keeping your vendors in malls where theres lots of other vendors so you catch passing trade and also try to get a vendor up near some of the more populated locations for both passing trade and convenience to get to.
I personally have one in the fang trading outpost near bestine on my server and one in my merchant tent near coronet about 3 minutes run away from starport on sea front.
both get a relativley nice amount of passing trade and also repeat customers even if i am having stalker problems atm. (see other thread by me)
I also only sell melee weapons i specialise in getting hte best resources possiable to make the best melee weapons possiable. I also run the occational special weapon run of scythes/hacks/geo cored swords and hammers and stuns etc and enhanced vk's
appart from that whenever im logged in i leave a barker droid outside both coronet starport and bestine starport.
it appears to work quite well and i have a nice steady flow of business although i am along way from making a serious amount of cash i just about cover costs and enjoy the work
I personally have one in the fang trading outpost near bestine on my server and one in my merchant tent near coronet about 3 minutes run away from starport on sea front.
both get a relativley nice amount of passing trade and also repeat customers even if i am having stalker problems atm.
(see other thread by me)I also only sell melee weapons i specialise in getting hte best resources possiable to make the best melee weapons possiable. I also run the occational special weapon run of scythes/hacks/geo cored swords and hammers and stuns etc and enhanced vk's
appart from that whenever im logged in i leave a barker droid outside both coronet starport and bestine starport.
it appears to work quite well and i have a nice steady flow of business although i am along way from making a serious amount of cash i just about cover costs and enjoy the work
leighthal1967
Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:51 am
#6
Location,Location,Location!..also tag your shop waypoint on the end of the weapon name...also stick samples on the busiest city's bazaar at auction for 6k with shop details in the description,free advertising for 7 days
d0qtrX
Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:11 am
#7
I have noticed sales go from a tricke, to a nice swift pace.
What did I do? I moved to a good location just outside Coronet.
This is what I think any smith needs to do to be a success:
1. GOOD LOCATION (Starter cities are great. Try to find a placethat's not TOO congested with similar ssmiths) this loses some importance when you are well-known. Some smiths become reclusive hermits and STILL stay very busy.
2. Advertise. Pimp your wares on the boards, in game, anywhere you can think of.
3. Back up your advertisements with STOCKED vendors.
4. Sell QUALITY products, and provide GOOD service.
5. Keep your prices competetive. Run specials andadvertise them.
6. Dump old, stangnantstock on the bazaar. Even if it's taking a loss at 6k, because what else are you going to do with it? May as well get 6k instead of destroy it or let it rot on your vendor for 2 years. Never know, some newbie might look for you when he needs new instruments of destruction. If you have to relist it, you'll probably never sell it. Keep cash comingin!
Being a self-sustaining crafter in SWG IS running a business. Except, it's not very valid, as you have almost no costs involved, but you get the idea.
jason67
Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:41 am
#8
Get to know your customer Base. If your work is designed to be for the PvP arena then get to know the good PvPers on your server or in your area. Find out what they are looking for and make what they need. When people get killed in PvP(assuming there is a decent relationship there) then one will often ask questions about the weapon that killed him, or ask to see it. Word of Mouth will forever be your best friend as a WS. another thing that will help you is if you make several High end weapons using looted enhancements and sell those on your server trade forums. Put your name as the crafter underneath the weapons descriptions. This helps to associate you with the quality of weapons you produce. If your looking to establish your name for prices vs quality then put up a post with your vendor wp and your current prices instead of auctioning them off.
Carthian
Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:07 pm
#9
Okay i am going to try and move a branch down to Coronet. I will first try to find a mall who is looking for a WS and if i dont get any luck i will just place a house or something outside Cnet
ImperialCmdr
Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:58 pm
#10
The only thing thats keeping me afloat is grenades, really hard breaking into the business it seems
Brilyn
Wed Oct 13, 2004 4:30 pm
#11
Spamming = evil.
Droidspamming = lesser evil. (but still evil)
Mailing people*repeatedly* = spam (see above).
How I generate business (I have a store on Talus, and Naboo, a good 4km from Theed):
Check the Bazaar in Coronet/Theed. See what's poorly stocked/quality. Usually 2-Handed Weaponry.
Make 25 2-handed Curved Swords. Split them between Coronet and Theed, put waypoints to vendors in 'seller information'. Sell them for 5k.
Whoever buys the weapon gets a stock email (just the once), that says:
Hey there.
You bought a 2-Handed Curved Sword off the Bazaar recently, made by me.
If you're interested, I have two stores.
One is based in Vagabond's Rest, 4km from Theed on Naboo.
The other is based in Kyu'mai just 2km from Dearic on Talus.
Please use the filters, my vendors are quite heavily stocked.
Brilyn
Why 2-Handed Curved Swords? They're a newbie weapon, without being a N00b weapon. You get them to 240+ max damage, and you'll be making them about as good as you'll see on the Bazaar. They're going to want an upgrade soon (most likely a Powerhammer), but a good 2-Handed Curved Sword will stand them in good stead for some time to come.
Why 5k? Because 6k is the cap. Almost all the other weaponry there will be 6k, regardless of how crap it is. At 5k, you'll generate the perception of 'low cost', and 'good value'.
Why a single email? Because if they don't respond, they don't want to know. Mailing them multiple times just gets you added to their ignore list.
Generally, I get a good rate of response. I almost always sell 20 of the swords by the end of the week, and I've frequently sold out in 48 hours.
I tend to get a positive reponse to the emails in about 10-20% of the cases. I usually get about 50% of the Bazaar purchase names in my 'Vendor has sold an item' emails later in the week/month.
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