Craft Show Tips

I have seen many, many crafters use drawings at their shows to get the contact info on people that may be interested in their product. I have, in fact, used this tactic myself a few times. But over the years I have come to realize that I am throwing my money away.

So many people are taught this marketing ploy, but lets face facts. How many things have you signed up for with no intention of ever buying anything? How many times have you signed up for something just to win a prize?

Well the same thing goes for the drawing usage at a show. Are you really capturing the info of a potential customer or are you literally giving away your product to someone whom you will never hear from again?
Chances are it is the latter.

While I agree that asking for someones contact info is a great idea at these venues, but using a ploy for free product is not the way to get the potential, new client. What is wrong with talking to those that come into your booth because they like what they see? Why not simply ask them to fill out a sheet if they are truly interested in your product line. Why throw away hard earned profit on giving product to someone you most likely will never see or sell to again?

Yes, you may get fewer leads overall, but the ones you are getting by conversing with them will be quality leads who are honestly interested in what you sell and want more information from time to time. Not someone looking for free goods.

Next time you set up at a show, tweak your info sheet and get good, solid leads from customers. We are in business to make a profit and to grow our business, not give it away.

I set up at a show a few weeks ago and brought a long a bunch of items from my home to create a homey feel to my set. I wrote about it here Bloggin Blonde. So hop on by and check it out.

It worked for me! What can you use from your home?

We had an awesome craft show yesterday and had a lot of new vendors. So it was a lot of fun for me to go around and see the different setups that folks used.

One of the most unique booths was a new vendor to our show. She didn’t have a lot for direct sale as she did a lot of custom work, but what she had was examples of what one could purchase. What was so nice about her set up, was that she used the space wisely.

She had the sides on the ezup booth and used that as a backdrop to display the work. Wonderful table set ups with not a whole lot to display, but it was displayed beautifully. Wonderful colors of fabric and tulle intermixed with her items and some beautiful pictures in her frames. It was very pleasing and you could picture her work in your house. That was a successful set.

Just by bringing in some personal items and decorations to your set up, you take your booth from stacks of product for sale to a new level. It becomes more of displayed art and that whats you want to portray as you are trying to intice the customer into your booth, to visualize that item in their own space and the usability of it.

While many, if not most, customers purchase for a specific need, there are many that need the extra incentive to make that purchase today and a beautiful set up will definately help! We are all struck by beauty and why not use that to bring customers into your selling zone, your store.