Tips and tricks

[ElunaJewelry]

What is your favorite tip or trick about selling at shows? Anything from technique, to merchandising, to marketing. Post now.

[JustMeToo]

Smile, smile, smile.

[WhimsyBits]

Have something eye catching in your booth. If your booth is blah, people will walk on by. So many times I watch people starting to just wander past my booth and then something stands out to them.

[wavejewelry]

Saying hello, with a big smile on my face, to anyone who walks by. I've brought people into my booth just by saying hi.

[CoquetteBath]

I always say 'hi' or 'good morning/afternoon' with a big smile. Sometimes I joke, yep it is soap and I know you want to give them a sniff. Or, sniffs are free today! Of course, you'll have to pay to take it home with you...

something hopefully humorous and light hearted.

works.

[AnjieMadeIt]

I use IKEA clothes rack to hang my i spy quilts behind my table.

It may be too expensive to impulse-buy at craft shows, but it
1) creates "wall"
2) is eye-catching even from a distance
3) makes my other items look more affordable

I still can't figure out what I'm doing right this year compared to last year, but I think this might be it.

Hope it helps.

[TremoughGlass]

If there are two of us manning our booth and we go through a quiet patch then one of us always goes and tidies the tables from the customer side of the table. This has the obvious benefit but also passers by almost always stop as 'a crowd attracts a crowd'.

With that saying in mind,my goal is to keep people looking through my stock for as long as is possible - even if they don't purchase. So this year I have displayed my prints (from my other shop) in baskets and I have 15 of them! Some busy days this can have 10+ people leafing through the baskets and they can spend up to 15 minutes doing so, and in my experience the more time people invest in looking at things the more likely they are to buy:)

[Former_Member]

Just remember you're selling yourself as well as your product. If your customers like you they're more likely to buy from you. You know this yourself how many times have you walked by a booth if the person manning it looked unfriendly or preoccupied with their phone. Dress appropriately have an inviting demeanor and greet each person that stops by your booth. Even if they just stop outside of it, saying hello usually brings them inside.

[WovenByKim]

Well in my book everything I am about to say is a given! But from my observations at shows, other vendors are not on the same page at all. So here goes and we will see where you stand on the idea!

For sure you want to smile and always greet the customer in an upbeat voice that says you are glad to see them and respect them as a human being. Nice tidy well put together booth that is shoppable. I also believe the "dressing for success" motto. I am not talking about a "3 piece suit look", but I see so many ladies show up in a sweatshirt and blue jeans that is just not inviting at all. Also go lightly if any at all on the perfume. Nothing makes me run from a booth faster than to have the perfume so strong that I have to hold my breath!

And I have to add here that I love the idea of displays that hold the customer in the booth for awhile.

[CoquetteBath]

I second the idea of straightening up! Even if just me in the booth, I will walk to the customer side and move stuff around. Whenever there IS a crowd, people DO stop. So if my daughter is working the booth with me, I'll ask her to stand on the other side and appear to be browsing. Never fails. Others want to see what she is looking at, and others want to see THAT...and so on.

[JustMeToo]

My neighbor in my biggest show also has a walk in booth. She is sitting at the entrance of her booth, knitting like mad, with a huge scowl on her face! People are afraid to go near her!
Every year she complains that it's my fault she doesn't do well, because I'm taking all of the customer's money, haha. I AM busy, often with lineups at that show - but I know how to smile :).
I also use "straightening up" to make people move over, that are gathered, catching up on the latest, in front of my display!

[CoquetteBath]

LOL Carol, I've done that too. A slight bump of the hip 'Oh MY, I'm so sorry, here I was just straightening up...'

They move.

At my last show, this past weekend, a guy & his wife, had folding chairs, like for a baseball game, that they plunked AT THE FRONT of the booth. one on each side, like guardians.

They barely sold anything and were sniffy about how much they had to pack back up. Now, I didn't do great, but better than they did. And even with 2 of them, I got packed up faster. Now, they take automobile parts and make them into clocks and such..so more delicate, maybe.

but they had a lot fewer items than I did to start with. But sitting where they were? I'd never have gone in, either, as I would have felt trapped.

[TheCharmedPorch]

I agree with being genuinely friendly with a smile on your face! And I don't push my product. My booth is usually very cozy and pretty, so folks seem to like being in there. 95% of folks in my booth are women and typically they are 40 plus years old and have dressed for the occasion. We live near the beach so resort wear best describes it. As a female, I notice women's outfits and if I can find something that I truly like, I will compliment them. Something as simple as "I love your hat!" can start a genuine conversation :) That makes me, as the vendor, not seem scary at all :) But this is my first year and I have done better than i expected to do! I just approach the day as a chance to meet some awesome folks and at the end of the day, I feel like I have :)

[weekendjewelry1]

Being friendly without being a pushy salesperson is a biggie. So are smaller things, like having a clear space for customers to set down their purse while they get out their money or credit card. Maybe having a pretty bowl of "seconds" or "kid friendly items" for their children to look through, and maybe find an inexpensive item to buy.

A couple jewelry friends of mine used to have a bowl of "dragons tears", small iridescent stones, very inexpensive, that kids loved to look at and maybe ask for. At .25 apiece, their moms were happy to buy that little gift - and buying a small item helps encourage people to buy other items, too :-)

PS Oh - and, go vertical! Don't just display your items on a tabletop. You want to increase your real estate, and going vertical helps there. it also helps make your items more visible from a ways off!

[CoquetteBath]

I comment on clothes, jewelry, purchases that I can view, cute kid, pets (some people do bring their purse dogs to shows), etc.

But only if I really like it. Really mean it. Cause fake is so obvious. I remember when I was younger and trying on clothing in some of the dress shops my mom used to take me too. The sales ladies, paid on commission, were always so fake. It made me laugh (and a few times buy something truly butt ugly, but it is all in the learning..)

never say what you don't feel, deep down.

[TremoughGlass]

A couple of years ago I was doing a local Christmas festival which was rammed with people and for me it was a very good day.
My friend's adult son did lamp work and a it of fused glass, and needed to earn some money so he also had a booth a few down from me. I checked out his booth with his mum and he was in a black gazebo with no lighting (on a very overcast day in December) and he had positioned his display and one table right at the back of the booth - I swear it was like the black hole of Calcutta in there. We suggested that he bought his table much further forward so that at least people passing might see what he was selling, but he knew better (admittedly he is one of those toxic people that suck the joy out of any situation!)
By the end of the festival he had sold 2 items and hadn't even made his booth fee back. What really ticked me off however was when he claimed that I was competition and was undercutting him and I was therefore to blame for his lack of sales! Total hogwash as almost everything in my booth was more expensive than his and I make mostly OOAK items then nothing was the same as his anyway.

So the moral of the story is if you are a newbie and an experienced stall holder gives you good advice, take it in the spirit its meant and don't always assume that you know better.

[ImLaughingMyGlassOff]

I did my first big 4-day event this summer. A guy at the end of my aisle had a double sized corner booth with about 5 employees helping him. So lots of overhead. Selling $5 and $10 items to support that, so lots of sales. You had better believe I listed to everything he said. Lots of little tricks and tips like always keep one thing crooked. It will draw attention. Put pool noodles over the supports in your tent so water runs and doesn't pool if it rains.

He had spent time with the carnival as a teen and had quite a few ideas.

[Just4Dolls]

I did a craft fair last weekend & the lady next to me was selling a holder for a bowl for the microwave, among other similar items. Everyone who walked past she put out the item and asked if the’ve ever used one, etc. for every 10 people she engaged at least 8 bought something! That’s a saleswoman!

[BeachFleaMarket]

The holder for a bowl in the microwave reminds me of some items that are good ideas but are not obvious to customers just walking by them.
I use visual aids. A pair of scissors in a wall mounted scissor holder, A pyrex dish in the casserole carrier.A pair of glasses peeking out of the glasses case and so on.

[BohemianHollow]

Have a back wall!! An attractive back wall, that is.

This was a tip I read years ago whilst searching the interwebs for tips for selling. It had stated that having a back wall to your booth - and sometimes side walls - stops the customers' eye from wandering to whatever is behind you. This is especially important if you happen to have another booth behind you. You don't want them seeing what your neighbor is selling, you want them to see just your booth and stop there.

Once I tried it, there really was a noticeable difference in people being attracted to my booth and more willing to come in to look around. I always have a back wall up in my booth now, whether I put one up myself or set up along a fence or wall indoors.

By the way, my back wall is a giant green bedspread that I found at a thrift store for $5. Not one of the ugly tarp-like canopy walls or just a giant banner declaring your business name (which, btw, should always be up front, not in back. But that's a whole other tip story haha!) Make a back wall that fits your theme and it makes a huge difference! :D

[BohemianHollow]

A few other favorites of mine:

- NEVER sit in front of your booth! Always sit in back or busy yourself "tidying up" in the booth. Never, ever in front! NEVER!

- Have a noticeable place to checkout; a self made "register", or counter, etc. Some place you can stand behind and look a little more "official". Customers like that little bit of separation sometimes.

- This is a NEW one: Instead of handing out business cards like crazy, I've been asking people to take a photo of one saying they can have a digital business card instead and help save trees. :)

- Organizing your car smartly when preparing for shows. Canopies should ALWAYS be the last thing in so that they're the first thing out.

- Along those lines: ALWAYS set up your canopy first thing, then unload everything else.
Nothing bugs me more than someone who takes out all their stuff, places it in their space, and then sets up the canopy in the middle of the walk/driveway, then struggles to get the canopy over all their crap.

- Learn how to properly open a canopy!
MAJOR pet peeve of mine that people don't know how to open a canopy the correct way and then spend forever struggling with it. Anyone, despite those with injuries, should be able to open any canopy by themselves quite easily. There are videos on youtube on how to easily open any canopy by yourself. Little tip on that: DO NOT stretch up the legs before clicking the corners into their place. (Can't tell you how many times I've seen people doing that and it drives me mad!) Think of the canopy as a giant umbrella, you gotta click it in place before it goes up.

Ok, so that was a lot more that a few, and I probably have more that I'll probably end up posting later haha. This is a fun thread! :D

[JustMeToo]

Stefan. I have a full 15 foot back gridwall covered with my towels. It looks very impressive and professional. I'm very proud of it, and my sales have skyrocketed since I started it six years ago. The towels are on hooks that are designed for displaying that sort of product.
I agree with you about how to load the van! My gridwall, tables and flatbed dolly are all down one side, and slide out first. The first container right at the back of the van is zip ties and tablecloths - then lights. Product is last.

[AllisonGlickCeramics]

Carol, your back gridwall sounds wonderful and perfect for your venue and product. You are describing an indoor show set up.

Every show is different and I don't think there are quite as many absolutes as Stefan's posts suggest. Outdoor shows rules and etiquette in particular can be very different.

My tips would be to follow the rules of the show and be kind to your neighbors.

If you are setting up in a field or a parking lot you may be allowed to set your canopy and then finish unloading your car, but most street festivals require that you completely unload, move your car, then return to set up, including setting up your canopy.

I have, and never will set up a canopy by myself, We always bring help. However, at every show we have ever done in the past 6 years, my son has offered help if we notice someone alone. He or my daughter have assisted another vendor with various tasks that require an extra pair of hands for few moments when asked. I have both a shoulder and foot injury so I do little during the first stage of set up but people watch, and I have watched a lot of people helping each other.

Many outdoor shows discourage tent walls, some outright forbid them unless the weather is bad, because they want an open feel to the market. I don't feel that its a problem if people in our booth can see into our neighbors' booths, people can see our products from a distance as well.

I will agree that sitting behind a table rather than at the entrance to your booth is usually preferable, as people can feel uncomfortable walking in and out pass the vendor.

[JustMeToo]

My neighbour vendor also has a walk-in booth. She sits right at the entrance with a permanent scowl on her face. Most people won't venture in! It really isn't very inviting! She's been doing shows for more than 20 years, so you'd think she'd know by now NOT to sit at the entrance!! I sit at my back wall, behind my packing and visa table - and I know how to smile :), so that helps!

[TigersandDragons]

My tip would be to ALWAYS read the rules and information provided by the show, weeks ahead. Then email/phone if you have any questions, DON"T wait until the last minuten to talk to the organizer because they are often busy and difficult to reach. Then re-read the info a few days before. There are shows that we've done for years that suddenly make a change in their rule, or the show hours, and it's so easy to miss, if you don't bother to re-read the info provided.

The hours changed significantly on two of my Fall shows this year. In both cases it was a bad idea, as neither show did a decent job of advertising this change. Many people showed up at the normal opening time, only to be told that they couldn't be admitted for several hours! And most of the vendors had not read their showkits, so had no idea what was going on. Which means some of them likely mis-informed their customers when they were promoting the show.

Also - consider bringing a copy of your show contract and rule with you to the show. This year several people told me their booth size wasn't right, but they didn't have their info. with them to prove it.
You can always scan info. and email it to yourself so that it is available for you to read digitally, if you don't want to print a hard copy.

We always unload and then set up the canopy unless it is raining. We know how to place our goods/displays, so these aren't in the way of setting up the canopy, and we're usually there early, so if we have to be in a neighbour's space temporarily, it isn't an issue.

My rules with canopies is - don't set it up until you have the weights ready at hand! Same with tearing down, don't remove the weights until you are ready to take it down. It only takes a second for a canopy to be caught in the wind and hit some unsuspecting person! Or flip over and smash, leaving you without a canopy. I've seen both thing happen!