HOW TO KEEP YOUR PROMOS FROM BEING TOSSED OUT!
Promos can be a both an effective & fun way to grow your brand. They are especially effective for current
customers and you might want to consider adding some sort of promos to all your orders, if don’t already do so. They can also be good to use at craft shows to anyone who makes a purchase or lingers in your booth.
But, it can be difficult to come up with a good idea for a promo that’s just not going to be tossed out. I mean, why waste your money and/or time buying or making promos that are just going to end up in the trash? That’s why I like the usable promo, something that folks are going to
hold onto & use: magnets, notebooks, calendars + more. But usable goodies that are going to stand out from the crowd are the ideal.
Here are some promos I found which are usable and clever and I bet don’t get tossed out!
14 TIPS TO INCREASE YOUR CRAFT SHOW SALES
1. Stand
Standing is a much better vantage point for engaging customers. Sitting down has the potential to send the message, “I’m taking a break, don’t disturb me”, and that’s not what you want. Now sitting is okay, if you use a tall chair (like a director’s chair) or a stool and are out in the booth, rather than behind a table. Of course, taking breaks is a necessity, but try to stand as much as possible…you can rest later.
2. Smile
Even if you are grumpy, hungry, disappointed in sales and/or tired, make sure to smile. I’ve walked out of booths before just because the people behind the table looked disinterested or unhappy. No one wants to interact with miserable people, especially for an items that aren’t the necessities of life.
3. Display a credit card sign
Not everyone is going to ask, especially folks who may be new to craft show shopping.
4. You are not a clerk in a department store, you are an artist.
Don’t ask, “May I help you?” or something similar. You aren’t selling socks at Kmart, you are selling your wares. Come up with a good greeting that fits your personality. I always used a friendly “Hi!” when I was doing crafts shows. It fit my personality and people seemed to respond well. It set the tone and often led to more conversation.
5. Engage people
So, you greet people when they enter your booth, what’s next? Keep talking. Talk about the weather, the show, your wares, something the shopper has on, something else they purchased, ask where they got that smoothie, etc.Come up with some good conversation starters beforehand that you can use. Selling at craft shows is like dating or meeting a new friend, you are trying to make a good impression. Remember, the longer you talk with someone, and the longer they are in your booth looking at your stuff, the more likely they will buy.
6. Don’t be pushy
Be chatty and try to engage people, but if they give off signals that they don’t want to talk and want to move on, shut-up.
7. No gossiping
Don’t talk about other customers, or other people for that matter in front of customers. It’s rude and tacky. Unless it is something nice, of course.
8. Customers come 1st
Whenever customers enter your booth, stop chatting with your partner/helper, you can chat with them later. You won’t get another chance to sell to me, if I can’t get a word in edge-wise.
9. Share your craft
When you see customers engaging with your goods, tell them a little about the process and/or materials, especially it involves something special or uses materials they might not recognize. For example, if you make polymer clay jewelry, let people know that when they pick up a piece to study it, don’t wait until they ask. Don’t be too pushy though, let it drop if they clearly aren’t interested.
10. Make it easy for shoppers
If you make edibles or consumables, have samples or testers available. Also, have a mirror handy if you sell wearables, and even if it’s in plain sight make to sure to mention it when a customer starts putting one of your necklaces. If possible, have a changing station if you sell clothing.
11. Differing price points
If you sell pricey items, consider adding lower priced items to your offerings just for the show.
12. Look legit
Make sure to have a sign for your business, business cards out, a professional looking display, be organized and don’t ask me to write my credit card # on a scrap of paper for you to process later.
13. Be genuine!
Be yourself and don’t be all salespersony. People will run screaming from you.
14. Remember, you are selling yourself too.
Finally, not only are you selling your crafts, but you are selling yourself. Be professional, knowledgeable, friendly & helpful.
CRAFT SHOW CHECKLIST: WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU
As a continuation of my craft show series, I’m going to share a list of what to bring with you to a craft show. I’m going to focus on outdoor shows, considering we are in the midst of the outdoor season, but most things will apply to an indoor show as well. My last post in this series was all about how set up your displays at a craft show to attract more shoppers.
What to Bring With You to a Craft Show?
- Scissors
- Tape (Scotch, double-sided, masking & duct)
- Pens
- Cash – I always brought $120. $40 ones, $40 fives & $40 tens.
- Someplace handy to store your extra cash and credit cards slips.
- Credit card knucklebuster and slips.
- Clipboard for customers to sign credit card slips.
- Business cards
- Bags and boxes & other packaging
- Your crafting tools to make minor repairs.
- Signage – both on the tent and on the table.
- Notebook for newsletter sign-up
- Mirror
- First-aid kit
- Sunscreen
- Change of shoes & clothes (in case it rains).
- Apron
- Tent with removable walls.
- Plastic sheeting for rain coverage. You can use it to cover your tables in an emergency.
- Bungee cords
- Twine or rope
- Sewing kit
- Handiwipes
- Lint Roller
- Ibuprofen, Anti-histamine & and other meds.
- Paper towels
- Trash Bags
- Toilet paper
- Snacks
- Water
- Lunch – you can never be sure what will be there.
- Chair or stool
- Tent weights
- Helpers!
- Extra price tags
- Stick pins – pin lightweight objects to table to keep from blowing away & pin the edges of table cover to keep from blowing.
- Binder clips – can be useful to keep table coverings from blowing around as well as for other stuff.
- Camera
- Calculator
- Mints!
- Basic beauty kit for you – brush, lip gloss, hairties, barrettes, hand lotion, deodorant, etc.
- Receipt forms for cash transactions.
- Tissues
- Basic tools – hammer, screwdriver
- Dolly or luggage carts
- All-natural insect repellent – don’t be spraying chemicals around other people.
- Sunglasses/hat
- Cell phone
- Laptop – if you need it for processing credit cards. Otherwise, leave it at home.
- Blank notebook to record sales, take custom orders, etc.
- Promotional materials besides biz cards. Stickers, pins, pencils. People love freebies.
- Candy to give away and to eat!
- Fishing line – good to hang stuff from tent and affix items to table.
- Paper weights
- Extra backs for earrings & other extras suitable to your craft.
- Business license
- Craft show details – starting time, break-down time, organizer’s contact info, etc.
- Sales tax chart
- Credit card sign. Don’t assume people will ask.
- Checklist of everything you want to bring.
- And, of course, all your crafts, tables, display stuff, etc.
13 CRAFT SHOW DISPLAY DO’S
As a veteran of craft shows, both as a participant and as a shopper, I think I am a semi-pro on craft show displays. Since craft show season is upon us once again, I decided to put together a list of some craft show displays do’s to help you attract more attention to your booth or table.
One important thing to remember is that your store should be exciting as any mainstream store at the mall, that’s what lots of shoppers are used to looking at. In fact, you could even take a field trip to shops like Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters to see how they display stuff as a stepping stone for your own ideas & solutions.
Also, if you are looking for a craft shows to take part in or attend, check out indiecraftshows.com.
Now onto the tips!
1. Do use fun props. image from the workroom & display from needle book.
2. Don’t forget to price your goods & make sure those prices are visible. image the workroom from & display from Melinda Josie.
3. Do display items at varying heights to utilize space as well as keep things from being too cluttered. image from Tasha McKelvey & display from rebound designs
4. Do provide a mirror if your goods are wearable. image & display from Giant Dwarf
5. Do think ‘outside the table’ in terms of your display. image fromschmancytoys & display from Tillansium
6. Do make clever displays. image from me & display from Olario Studio
7. Do come up with solutions, so your items don’t blow away. image from me & display from Kflick
8. Do design custom & eye-catching displays. image from renegade craft fair & display from zooguu
9. Do use recycled materials to create your displays. image fromrenegade craft fair & display from early jewelry
10. Do make it easy for customers to interact with your goods. image from renegade craft fair and display from freshie and zero
11. Do incorporate your branding into your display. image fromrenegade craft fair & display from Timber!
12. Do make your stuff look as tantalizing as sweets in the sweet shop! image & display from something’s hiding in here
13. Do be colorful! image & display from a bardis