What Makes a Succesful Show?

by Staci Louise Smith

I am sure there are a million posts out there on this topic.  If you wonder why, its because there are a million answers to that question.  And all of us who do shows, learn something new each time we do one. 

Today I will touch on one or two things that I think go into a successful show.

I happened to be at a show over the weekend.  I have been doing this show for 9 years- its simply one of my favorites.  I am always working on my display- every year I change it up a bit...though I really have it quite how I like it now.  So the last few years it hasn't varied very much.  

Last years booth with last years banner

One of my more recent additions was a larger banner that went across the front of my table.  A lot of vendors had them at Bead Fest last year, and Karen Totten's of Starry Road Studio caught my eye.  It showed a very clear sample of her work and really stood out.  I liked how she had individual pictures of her beads on it.

Karen with her banner at set up- note the ones also hanging in the back
www.starryroadstudio.com

Her daughter Nellie also had one in a rainbow of wooly wire

So this year I made a new banner for my jewelry shows, and thought I'd do something similar.  Rather then just show one piece on it (like I had the other year), I could give a better idea of my scope of work with a few pictures.  

Now, if you have done art and craft shows you know that there are always a lot of jewelry vendors.  I mean, a lot.  You really have to stand out, to ensure that the jewelry fans come to check out your booth.  

Well, I had a customer tell me that my banner drew her in from across the way.  She loved that she could see exactly what my style was (which was right up her alley) and it made her come to see what I had.  Otherwise, she wouldn't have stopped in.  She went on to buy some great pieces too.  I really loved that she took time to share that with me.  So I thought I would share it with all of you.  

Another tip is to make sure your business cards have a picture of what you do.  Your customers may pick up 10 or more at a show.  You want them to remember yours at a glance, and why they picked it up.  They should be able to look at it and know exactly what you do.  Below is my jewelry show card.

After all, artists, people who love art, we are visual folks.  Pictures are important.  

I had planned to write about the next tip because it came up with a fellow artist at the show.  When  it came up on Facebook in a bead and jewelry group again, I thought I would definitely write about it. It pertains to allowing customers take pictures at a show.  The question was whether you allow it, and why or why not...and, if you'd consider signage to discourage pictures.  I think it wound up being a great discussion.  It is a very hard thing as an artist, to know that someone may be out to try to make what you made.  Whether it is for themselves (rather then buying it from you) or the to make it sell, and be your competition. 

This is Cori Krewson-Catlow's mom running her booth- she had such a great way with people!  Look at that crowd!
http://www.elasticbangles.com/

Here is my take on it, and I have been doing shows a long time.  

If someone plans to copy you, they will do it, whether you allow them to take a picture or not.  If you are selling online, you already gave them pictures of your work.  

Though it does happen that some people copy, and then go on to sell at the same venue as you (and I am not discounting how much this sucks- believe me, I am sure that it is a horrible thing to have happen!)....but this post is not about copying, its about selling.

Here is Barb Bechtel at a show, look how enthusiastic she is!  I love her energy.

At the end of the day, you cannot practice defensive sales techniques.  As a customer, if I walked into a booth that had a sign saying "no pictures please" I'd walk right out.  Let's face it, it comes across as closed off.  Instead, I encourage you to talk about your pieces.  Talk about how you make them.  Engage the person to talk about what they like about the piece.  You may find yourself in a delightful conversation about color, or texture, or gemstones.  You may find they want to show it to their mom.  I have even had women shop for friends this way, and come back and buy things after their friends texted back that they wanted them. 

Mary-Lynne Moffat with some customers in her booth.  Mary-Lynne is so wonderful at talking about her art.  Her passion comes shining through when she speaks of her creations!
https://www.facebook.com/MaryLynneMoffattArt


 If you are afraid that every customer that comes into your booth is going to rip you off somehow, it will show through in your attitude.  No one wants to spend time and money on someone who is closed off.  What makes us different then chain stores and factory made goods, is that what we make is part of who we are, and our customers get the opportunity to meet us and hear about what makes us tick, and why we did what we did on the piece.....ect.....  

Chris Kaitlyn helping a customer find what they are looking for
http://chriskaitlynjewelry.indiemade.com/gallery/image/img1490edited-1jpg

So my advice- talk!!!!  Talk about why they like the piece they photographed.  Talk about your process, the materials, how you make it. It will draw people in.  They will appreciate your pieces more when they know what went into them, and even more, when they see YOU in them.  I have gotten crowds in my booth explaining how to use bronze clay, or do etching with electricity.  I have had men stay for 20 minutes talking about fossils, and made friends over sea glass discussions.  Will every conversation result in a sale?  NO.  But it may bring them back in.  Or, someone who IS interested in buying but may be shy, may hear about your pieces and buy one because they learned something new.

Customer can easily become friends- Laura Blanck (center) posing with some great customers at a show
http://www.laurablanck.blogspot.com/

Why do you think galleries have a "meet the artist" night?  People want to meet the person who creates the art.  They want to know what makes them tick.  It becomes part of the pieces themselves.

These are just some things I have learned.  I admit, I am a people person- I know not everyone is, but I was shy at first too.  It was hard to find that comfort zone to talk about my work.  When I started to relax, and just think of it as an opportunity to meet creative people, and thought of these people as potential friends with common interests, it came more naturally.  In the end, I have made lot of friends at shows.  I have found customers whom I LOVE seeing. I love to catch up on what is new with them, learn what they have been up to, see what other artists they are into, and on and on.   

I have found such joy sharing my craft, not just the actual pieces, but the passion I have for it as well.  

I hope that you can too.  Don't worry about what could happen, just enjoy what you are doing.  That will shine through, and your customers will get to see you.....really see the honest you....and it will only help you make connections. 

Everyone has their thoughts on allowing pictures, and these are just mine.  I was an art show customer for many years before I sold there, and I know how I'd like to be treated, and what drew me to certain artists, and what turned me off.  This is all just some food for thought.

The art of selling at craft fairs & festivals

"For every sale you miss because you’re too enthusiastic, you will miss a hundred because you’re not enthusiastic enough." -Zig Ziglar

With craft fairs and festivals well under way, I wanted to share with you some of the techniques I use to be successful.

There are benefits to both selling online and selling at craft fairs. What I like about selling online is I can still be productive in the studio. Also there is a broader customer base one can reach online.  Craft fairs can be challenging but they provide the greatest opportunity to really connect with a customer and get good feedback on your product and booth display. I wanted to create a post to address the challenges of selling at craft fairs and how to overcome them. There is great potential for profit and building a strong customer base if the right steps are taken. 

Working straight commission for eight years, I learned some very savvy lessons on selling and now want to pass them on to the LMAJ readers.  I am also providing a printout HERE that you can take with you to craft fairs as a reference if you like.

Carol's Tips for selling at Craft Fairs and Festivals

1. FIRST APPROACH  Say hello to EVERY customer that comes in your booth within at least 5 seconds. Then let them briefly look before your second approach. By doing this you are letting the customer scan your merchandise to see if it is their style. Some will walk right out, and that is fine, not all customers will be attracted to your particular style. 
2. SECOND APPROACH  Remember craft fairs move very fast, and if you still have a customer in your booth for more than a minute or two then you have their attention. Walk up to the customer and engage them in a genuine way. Each customer has their unique buying style. Some like to be left alone and choose what they want on their own, and some like you to walk them through every step and help them select pieces. To gauge what type the customer is you can say something like, "please let me know if you have any questions" to see how they respond. Or if you can read the customer and they are sending you non-verbal buying signals then try an open ended question like "are you looking for something for yourself or a gift?  At my last festival a customer actually asked me to "tell her my story". I was more than happy to 'help' her see the value in what I was selling and she ended up buying 2 pieces.
3. KNOW HOW TO CLOSE THE DEAL Don't be afraid to ask for the sale. Not all customers are going to throw you money. Although it's nice when they do! If you feel a customer is ready to buy, you can say something like "just so you know, I also take credit cards" or "those earrings will look very nice on you! Would you like to get those today?" Or "were you thinking of getting that necklace to go with your dress?" Be genuine and don't be afraid to ask for the sale.
4. HAVE AN EMAIL SIGN-UP SHEET  Keep a decorative notebook with a cute pen or pencil asking for customers to sign up for your email list. If you want even more emails, you can offer a giveaway. When a customer is buying I ask them if they would like to be on my email list. Gathering emails is great for future marketing techniques. 
5. CHOOSE EVENTS WISELY  Visit craft fairs and festivals to see if they are events that fit your style. Check out the customers to make sure they are your target market and also you can ask the vendors what their opinions are on the event. Keep in mind the cost's that you will incur, such as fee's, travel expenses and any other overhead to determine if it will be profitable for you.
6. THE RIGHT PRICES Offer a range of price points to attract a variety of customers. I always have a clearance bin where items are marked down around 25%. On some items I will do a "buy one get another 50% off (lesser price item)". Some items are not on sale at all because they are new or some of my best sellers and I don't want to mark them down. There are some customers who are sale oriented and then some that want to purchase the very best pieces you have at retail. By having a variety of prices you are opening yourself up to more buyers and more sales.
7. DESIGN A BOOTH DISPLAY THAT DRAWS CUSTOMERS IN  Create a booth that is appealing, uncluttered and easy to see your products.
   
    Make sure you have signs that are visible from the outside and easy to read. You want the customer to be able to know right away what you offer. Visible prices are also very important as well. Here is my booth set-up with a cedar wall that is to the right. It creates a vertical line that attracts customers right away. I plan on doing a post soon on how we built it. You can see it on my blog.
8. CREATE A NICHE TO STAND OUT If you create a product the customer has not seen before, then they are more likely to stop and take a look. 

There you have it! I know this isn't the most interesting topic but since I just finished a festival these thoughts were fresh on my mind.  So tell me, what techniques work for you at craft fairs? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you to all who commented on the giveaway and also made me feel welcome. Now for the results!!!! Here is a screenshot with all the names entered on random.org.  Stacie Florer, congratulations!!! I will contact you soon for your address!