Some ideas about Craft Shows to improve your Sales

I've recently had the privilege to be at the Round Lake Sports Area for their Fall Harvest Craft and Expo Show. The even was very nice, the venders were extremely helpful and wonderful to talk too. This event for me was an opportunity to expand and explore new ventures and ideas, I was able to network through the wonderful people I have met there. I decided to talk about and add this into my blog, because I know there are a lot of you crafters who are wondering what helps to make a good craft show. Well, I will start off by telling you I am in NO WAY and EXPERT on this subject. However, by going to different craft show over the last few years, I have learned a thing or two about how it works, what people are looking for and what you can do to improve your chanses at a craft show. First off I will have to say, you need to invest some money into dressing your area up! Find out the square footage of the area you will be having, and start laying things out, either in a real area the same size or on paper. If you need tables, GET THEM! buy some decorations depending on the season your in, dress it up. It is a known fact that the human eye s attracted to colors and cleanlyness! Cover your table or tables with cheap inexpensive flat sheets from Wal-mart, Kmart, Shopko, or Target, although Walmart is the cheapest, I've checked.... Make sure your table clothes are long enough to cover all the way to the floor, you don't want the bottom of the table showing, becuase that is where your going to store your boxes and such for packing up your items/products. Take the time purchase some flower, leaf, or pine garlands to weave in and around thigs on your table, make it look nice! Secondly, you want to elevate your items, people don't like bending over to look for things, they like it all at eye level. Price your items clearly, another thing I hear that people don't like is when they have to ask for a price on something, most times if they have to ask you, you just lost a sale. Cover whatever you are elevating your things on with a nice sheet, I suggest using an alternate color that highlites the packaging and one that is the opposite of the base table covering. Third and most important, get out there wear a big smile, dress professionally, and greet people. Start conversing with others, talk, but don't over talk, answer questions willingling and with ease. Don't seem over anxious, or jumpy, take a deep breath and let the information about YOU and YOUR ITEMS flow. Dressing nice and professionally is a big one, when you go to a store and the sales person who is approaching you has a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt with a goofy saying on it walks up to you, what is your first impression? Now reverse that! So dress to impress, remember you most times have one shot at making a possitive first impression, especially at a craft show, or expo, you only get about 1 minute to impress someone's eyes. Always be polite, and curtious to your customers, offer them a tester (if you make things they can try) offer to go that extra mile fr them..... It pays off in the end! When people are walking past, don't be scared to get out there and say, 'Hello, how has your day been so far?' or 'Good Morning' 'Good afternoon' "Hello how are you today" these are all excellent ways to 'break the ice' with your customer. It helps you to get 'noticed' stand out in the croud of others who are just sitting there doing their knitting not looking at a single person. Start creating connections between you and your customer. If you can do these three simple things, believe you me, your shows will start to look, feel, and reward you better!