The main point of
attending craft fairs and other events is to sell your glass. The way to sell is to engage with the
visitors to the show. They have come to
view, and have an interest in buying.
Your job is to get them to stop, look and buy (or at least leave their
details in anticipation of a future purchase).
There are some things that are necessary to think about before attending
the event so that you get the best opportunity to sell your glass by talking
with the visitors.
Sit or stand - where?
Where should you
place yourself at your stand? If you
place yourself behind the display of your glass, you will find it difficult to
talk with your customers - especially if you have built upwards. Additionally, there is a barrier between the
two of you that is as much psychological as physical.
I recommend you
stand at the side or in the front of your stand. This enables you to move about and hand
things to the customer for their appreciation.
It is much more welcoming than seeking refuge behind the display. If the stand is deep enough, you can build in
a “U” shape and you don’t have to stand in the aisle.
Should you sit or
stand? If you are sitting - whether in front or behind the display – you are
much less likely to catch the visitors’ attention, and less likely to see the
interest of the visitor. At an all-day
show, you will need sit sometimes. I
recommend a high stool or folding bar style chair. This elevates you more toward standing height
and shows you as more alert.
Should you bring something to do? My response is that your
job while at a show is to sell. You do
this through engaging with the visitors.
That is very difficult to do if you are doing something, even if it is
demonstrating a technique relevant to your glass. Any use of the phone should be minimised.
When to talk and what to say
One of the most
difficult things for makers to do is to make the conversation that will lead to
a sale begin.
Greeting
The first part of
engaging a visitor is to smile say hello. This provokes a response in the other
person and often they come to the stall.
Often these people have a question or comment that initiates
the conversation. That gives an
indication of what their interest is. If
they don’t start the conversation, observe what glass pieces take their
interest. That gives the cue to talk
about those items – inspiration, benefits, good locations for display in their
house, etc. You will be able to gauge people’s interest, and if it is small, a
conversation will not start. But when
people are interested, there will be a back and forth exchange.
Initiating the conversation
You can practice
the beginnings of a conversation by placing a few of your glass pieces in front
of you. Look at them as much as you can
as customer. What will they miss by just
looking at the piece? That is what you
need to start talking about your glass work – materials, methods, origins,
inspiration. If they can see it, you
don’t need to say it. Ideally, you want
to put the work into the customer’s hands so they can get the feel of it while
you talk about it. You will be able to
judge the interest by the way they view and handle it.
Engage one customer and more will come
People are
attracted to a crowd. If you can get
some people stopping and engaging with you and your stand for a while, it will
attract others. The job then is to pay
attention to the others who you are not actively speaking to. Eye contact and acknowledgement of their
interest goes a long way. You can’t
afford to spend long with any one person in this situation. You will quickly learn the cues the really
interested give, and the ones the “time wasters” give out. The casual browser can be left with something
to look at or to do while you move on to the other people, with a promise to
come back to the first person.
Selling
“But I’m a maker not a salesperson…” The point to make here is that you do not
need to do a hard sell. Your approach
should be more about presenting and describing the work. You and your stand need to be
attractive. You have a well-presented
stall. Now you need to complement that
in your dress which may reflect the colour theme, or your style of working –
both of which need to be neat.
There are a number of elements that can be used in selling
which are not of the “salesperson” variety.
Descriptive approach
This is about the conversation again. You know your glass and the field. You can talk about it knowledgeably. That is
the best element in selling. To that you add being enthusiastic, honest,
empathetic and good at listening and understanding what might be causing any
resistance to a purchase.
Use your knowledge
As a maker skilled in your craft, you already have knowledge
– after all no one knows your product better than you. So, approach ‘selling’
as an artist explaining the thoughts and processes that have moulded your
designs. Remember that one of the reasons people enjoy buying handmade at craft
fairs is the experience of meeting the person who made it. By engaging
with customers, you are adding even more value to your products.
Confidence in your work
Of course, selling is a lot easier if you’re confident. You
do have confidence in your glass even if not in selling. Use that confidence
and enthusiasm for your work and allow it to communicate to the visitors. Of course, if you are uncomfortable talking
about yourself, you can make up a poster giving your story – your inspirations,
your business, your methods. This will
often provoke questions based on what you have written.
After all, the visitors might be shy too, and need a peg for
starting the conversation. You will need to make text brief and in a large font
to be easily read.
Hearing what the visitor wants
Much of selling is about listening and having a genuine
interest in the customer. You can ask
about their experience of craft – do they perform any, wear any, own any craft?
Maybe ask about who they are buying for.
Always listen to them, don’t interrupt.
Build on their contributions to the conversation.
Selling may not be your forte, but there are a number of
simple approaches that will improve your engagement with visitors to your
event. Using these, and others that you
will develop, will improve your enjoyment and your sales at the craft fair.
No comments:
Post a Comment