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!

I've Got My Hands Full! By Karen McGovern

This will be a scattered and brief post that doesn't have a lot to do with art jewelry.  Sorry, or your welcome, depending on your perspective!  Spring/Summer seasons are the busiest for me here at the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation, where I live and work.  It's breeding season here, and we have our hands full working with several endangered species.  We are home to the entire North American captive population of the Red-browed Amazon parrot, the most endangered Amazon parrot from Brazil.  Right now I have five chicks hand-feeding, almost weaned, that are taking up most of my time.  So, I thought I would throw together a little video/picture timeline to give you an idea of what I do in "real life", and why certain times of the year are just CRAZY for me. 

First, every egg laid in the nest is incubated by the parents for a few days, then pulled for artificial incubation (to ensure that we get as many eggs to hatch as possible).

When the eggs hatch, we have to hand feed the babies every 90 minutes around the clock for the first 4 days or so.  YOU HEARD ME, EVERY 90 MINUTES AROUND THE CLOCK.  Sleep is soooo overrated....sigh.  In the video below you will see my husband assisting a baby out of the egg.  Hatching is hard work, and sometimes the chick just gets exhausted and needs a bit of help getting out.  It's pretty amazing, no???

Once the chick is out of the egg and settled in, we keep them in temperature controlled brooders and the fun begins. Eventually they do start to look like birds, and they eat like little machines!

They may start out a bit ugly...but they sure get cuter and cuter every day!

Finally, they become beautiful, independent adults.  The five we are working with right now are almost weaned, down to two hand feedings a day, and learning to fly and eat on their own.  Within the next month or so we will begin letting them fly around in outside enclosures, and by August they will be fully independent! 

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful....

So, while all of this is going on, my time at the bench is broken up into stolen moments at odd hours of the days and nights.  I promise my next post will actually be about jewelry design--I hope you all don't mind this little side trip into my daily life.  I will say this, working with these amazing creatures inspires me every single day and I try to incorporate that inspiration into my jewelry designs.  Working with wildlife is an amazing challenge--often heartbreaking, often euphoric, but never a dull moment! 

Tassel-ations......

Tassels are a very popular trend at the moment in jewelry design. I love the gentle swaying look of them and they tend to suit the style of the jewelry I create. You may remember this post from awhile back I posted about how to make leather tassels.....

Since I'm a consummate mixed media artist and frequent visitor to thrift stores and estate sales, I've amassed something like this......

As I'm sure some of you might relate. Embroidery thread or cotton perle (the more twisted variety) is useful in many applications.....but today, I want to share with you a way to make your own handmade tassels in a variety of ways....to help you use that stash of threads you may or may not have....


You could make your own tassel caps if you're feeling so inclined....for this purpose, I have used either no caps or pre purchased end caps....commonly sold as bead caps or kumihimo ends or caps.

Here are several different ways to use your tassel jig!


I built a simple jig from finishing nails and a scrap of wood.

Using short finishing nails, I nail them in at premeasured lengths. I made lengths of 4" , 5" and 8". Depending on the way you knot it at the end, you will end up with one fat tassel or two smaller tassels that will be half of the length, or one very long tassel that is the same length of your nails.

Be careful not to use nails that have too large of a nailhead, as it will be difficult to remove them when you're finished. I also marked the half way point to help me find the center.

Begin by taking your embroidery thread and wrapping it around both nails and tying a slip knot in the center and pulling it tight.

Continue wrapping the tassel round and round. I prefer nice thick tassels but it also depends a little on the size of your caps. When you're done wrapping, simply snip your thread off at one of the nail ends. It won't unravel.

If you're using a cap that already has a loop on top, you can use a little more thread to tightly tie a square knot around the center mark. Cut the ends at the nailheads and fold in half to make your tassel. Test your tassel to make sure it fits nice and snug. Add glue to your beadcap and let dry.

If you're using a bead cap, use a length of wire and TIGHTLY wire wrap a loop at the center point. Feed your wire through the top of your cap and wire wrap a loop to connect.

If you want to attach a jump ring, tie a slip knot and begin wrapping the end around the tassel to make a nice collar. I use an upholstery needle to make this step a bit easier. Finish with a double knot using your needle to go back through the last ring on the collar. Snip your thread and add a bit of glue (I use E6000 or GS Hypo) Repeat on the other end to secure.Cut your tassel at the half way point and GENTLY remove it from the nail heads, taking care not to snag any threads. I found using the upholstery need helps me remove it a bit easier. Add a jump ring and close.

Trim the ends of your tassels so they are nice and even! You're done!

Want to use leather and bead caps? Erin Siegal posted a great diy for making leather tassels, with suede and leather lace. 

mary jane dodd

mjd - 2014

so many wonderful things are happening here for the contributors of the blog - 

things they work hard for, 

take chances on,

dedicate their time to. 

a new talented member has joined in - welcome, carol!

it's not easy to keep a group blog 

(much less your own)

going. 

i thank them for their dedication and desire to inspire and educate 

you.

i've not been so present - 

life can be unpredictable - 

before a serious illness i was more productive,

attending to blogs,

teaching classes, 

writing for publications.

in short, doing what the goal of many of us becomes.

mjd - 2014 beach and forest finds

but what happens when you cannot do as you did before? 

after you have grieved 

after you have gotten frustrated?

because it is in making that you speak 

that you feel

that you make sense of things. 

mjd - 2014

as in dealing with many of life's challenges, 

you adapt

you accept

you learn to let go.

i know i am not alone - 

we have deaths in families,

illnesses

job losses

things that change our lives 

and can strip us of passion.

be gentle with yourself. 

find what works,

what makes you feel good

what allows you to speak. 

mjd - 2014 - everyday love pins

inspired by rumi

things work out. 

the necklace in the first photo evokes a cupped hand ever so gently holding a heart - 

a heart wrapped, but softly and openly - keeping it from turning hard.

no matter how bad it gets, remember that love is ever present. i challenge you to go outside and look around. how many plants have leaves shaped like hearts? stand before them, breathe deeply, smile and know. know you are loved. know that this life of yours offers an opportunity to touch others. 

then figure out how you want to do that. 

you're a maker, aren't you?

so make something for someone who has touched you. 

then set it free into the world.

guess what? you've created a ripple - maybe that gift will reach someone just when they needed it. and they will be able to do it for someone else. 

spread the love - 

and never stop believing in the power you hold to make the world a better place.