So you're looking to set up a booth at
a craft show or fair?
Good for you!
There's something really exciting about
selling
in person
. You get to meet your customers
face-to-face and find out exactly what they like about your products.
You can answer any questions they have, and persuade them to buy –
something that's harder to do online!
But if you're new to selling at a craft
show then how do you go about it? We're about to show you in this
blog...
#1. Check out the
competition
First
step is to visit some trade shows and see what people are selling.
See which booths are getting the most foot traffic. If you already
have products - in mind - to sell, then find booths that are selling
similar products and see how they compare.
You
should visit as many fairs as possible and make note of:
- The
type of products being sold - will yours fit in? Stand out?
- The
quality of the products - will yours offer the same or better
quality?
- The
price of other products - have you priced yours competitively?
#2.
Find the right show for your product
Let's be honest, if your trade is
selling vintage jewelry and you're at an RV show then your not going
to be moving much product! Finding the right fair is important to the
success of your overall profits.
Check out these listing websites below
where you can search for different types of fairs to suit all sorts
of products. You can search by state, join communities and discover
the right audience to suit what you're selling:
#3.
Decide your budget
Next it's time to work on that budget.
Depending on the fair you're attending, typically a booth is going to
cost you from $25 to $200. But then you've also got to factor in
other important costs such as:
- Marketing and promotions
- Materials
- Travel
- Inventory
- A permit (if needed)
- Shipping costs (if needed)
Once you've worked out how much you can
spend, you can then decide how much you should price your products
at. You may get people trying to bargain you down for a price on the
day, so make sure you take into account the above costs so that you
can make a profit rather than simply breaking even.
Top tip: If this is your first
show and you're still not sure about what to expect then see if you
can share a booth, or seek the advice from another seller. If you
join the
Etsy
community
, you'll be able to speak to other
sellers within your marketplace and ask them any questions you may
have!
#4.
Brand your booth
So you may be new to this, but you sell
products so you have a brand – and your booth needs to be a
representation of that. It's true what they say, you'll never get a
second chance to make a good first impression so your booth needs to
look perfect, to help you make those sales!
So you need to ask yourself: What is my
brand?
That is, what do you want to tell your
customers about yourself and the products you sell? Are they hand
made? Are the materials ethically sourced? Are your products
high-end?
The design of your booth should be a
full representation of your brand, so take time to think about the
message that you want to convey to your customers.
If
you already have a logo for your business, you can go to a local Sign
shop and have a large vinyl banner printed for less than $50.
You
can also have business cards printed with your logo and contact
information.
Gotprint is a
great online source of business cards and printed materials.
If
you don't have time to wait on ordered materials, you can buy blank
business cards at Staples; and print them at home.
Top tip: Give away promotional
items like badges, post cards or bags with your branding and logo on
so that they can remember who you are.
#5. Be a great seller
When it comes to the day, you need to
do everything you can to make that all important sale. So what do
customers want? Well aside from a well-presented booth (and seller)
they want you to make it really easy and convenient for them to make
a purchase from you...
In this day and age customers don't
tend to carry much cash on them. Bring a
mobile
card reader
with you so if a customer wants to
pay using their credit card, you won't lose out on a sale because you
can't provide them with a paying solution to suit them.
Don't forget to learn exactly what it
is that your customers need and look for opportunities to up-sell
when appropriate. Don't over do the hard sell of course – you'll be
able to gage each situation and see if there is room for you to offer
a more expensive product.
Top tip: If your product is
suitable, offer some testers on your booth so that customers can try
before they buy.
#6. Think about the
bigger picture
Your full efforts may go in to making
sure the day runs smooth, but this is also the perfect chance to take
advantage of future marketing efforts.
You're in the prime place to speak with
your customers, so it would be foolish not to try and turn them into
lifelong customers. Ask customers to leave their email address with
you so you can send them updates, offers and new products.
If you're struggling to get people to
leave their contact details then think about running a giveaway so
they have reason to leave you their email address.
Top tip: While
you're at the fair, take photos of your booth, products and customers
so that you can use them for marketing purposes on your social pages
and your website.
#7.
Offer
customized merchandise
There
is a wide range of hand crafted merchandise or vintage collectibles
that sell very well at craft shows. But there is some heightened
level of interest in products that can be customized with a
personalized initial or name.
A great number of trade show
visitors always have their eye open for special occasion gifts
including birthdays and Christmas. This opens the door to a much
larger set of potential customers who are looking for that perfect
something for a new baby, or a house-warming gift with the family
name.
Top
tip:
This
is also applies to Etsy stores, where monogrammed bibs and custom
artwork are big sellers.
Over to you
So those are our top tips on how to sell at craft shows and fairs.
Don't be disheartened if you don't make a huge profit from your first
fair. Do your research, learn from your experience and make the
changes you need for your next one – good luck!
And
if you want to find out more about our
Mobile
Card Reader
to offer a convenient way for customers to buy from you then contact
us today!