Quiet Craft Fairs

“A decade ago or so it was possible to predict sales from a craft fair, but that’s much harder now! It’s an unpredictable market out there right now for crafts and design products! … Even doing a show that was successful in the past might not be so good the next year.

All successful craft exhibitors confirm that they have to work harder to get sales and commissions, do more promotion in advance themselves, and follow up after a craft fair as more people delay their purchase decisions.”

Patricia van den Akker, Crafts Magazine July/August 2014 (page 26)

There are many reasons for quiet fairs. Among them is that the recession and recovery from it has created uncertainty among potential buyers.  House moves, which are big drivers of purchases, are less frequent. On the other hand, there is an increasing awareness of craft and handmade which has led to an increasing number of competing craft fairs.  Online selling such as Etsy creates a new kind of competition for craft fairs.

These and other developments are outside your control.  You can’t affect this. You need to concentrate on the things you can do to make things more successful.  

This is about some of the things you can do.

What Can I Do During the Event?

You will have done your research in choosing this event, which lead you to think it would be successful for you.  During the show you can do some things to help inform you about what to do now.

·        Is there good footfall?  What are the numbers to date compared to previous years? The organisers should be able to tell you how many visitors have come so far. You can make the comparison from your research on previous years.  Don’t panic.

·        Consider the composition of the people who are present.  Are the visitors the right people prepared to buy? What does the visitor profile seem to be?  Are there retail and wholesale buyers present? This is a good opportunity to engage with them for future orders if not present ones.  Networking is important and this is a time and place where you can meet a lot of people and discover reactions to your work, even if they are not buying.  Remember that your fellow stallholders can be part of that supportive network, and even sometimes be future customers.

·        Have you put out enough publicity?  Is there anything you can do now to get people to come before the close?  If you have a quiet time, you can use your social media outlets to tell people about your participation in the event.  Possibly you can offer an incentive for people to come to this show.

·        What does your interaction with the visitors that are at the event tell you? What interest and feedback are you getting? What questions are being asked? Which piece was is most popular? Think about rearranging the placing of your work to better reflect the interests of the visitors.  Can you follow up with the visitors after the show? Are you collecting their contact details?

·        Is your display right for the venue? Can you adjust your display to attract more visitors to the stand? Think about a white board for people to post their reactions to your work.  Which is most popular, for example?  Possibly a special offer is in order. 

·        Are the other exhibitors of a similar price level and quality?  If not, think of ways for your products to appear a better fit for the rest of the event.

·        Are the other stall holders having a quiet time too?  If they are, it may be a general problem with the event.  If you are performing less well than other stall holders, perhaps you have the wrong pricing, or glass products with perceived difficulties for transport.  Lots of packaging is necessary.  Offer a delivery or postal service, if appropriate.

Review the Event

Research – how good was your investigation of the event before you signed up?  

it’s crucial that you research craft fairs before you apply. Choosing the right events to suit your work can be difficult and there are no guarantees of instant return. Don’t be afraid to ask some probing questions of the organisers and past exhibitors.   Patricia van den Akker, Crafts Magazine July/August 2014, p.26.

There are a number of things you should look at to determine if this was the right event for your glass work. 

Organisers

Who organises the event? Look at their track record for this and any other events they organise.  There are sites for rating events that you can use such as Folksy’s.  You can look at Trip Advisor show reviews  for the visitor reactions.

Exhibitors

Who the other exhibitors are, or have been, is important in judging your fit within the group of exhibitors.  This information should be available from the organisers.  Are these your peers in price and quality?  Think about how you will both fit with them and stand out from them.

A good craft fair curator should make sure there’s a wide mix of things and not too many of the same.  David Andrews, And at What Cost

Visitor numbers and average sales

The organisers should be able to tell you of the number of visitors to previous events and at least the average sales of the event.

Visitor profile

Does the proposed event seem to be oriented to buyers?  If the craft fair is in support of a main event, you need to determine if your glass work will fit the apparent interests of visitors to the main event.  You may be able to make items that will interest them.  If the craft fair is the main event, you have a greater chance of the visitors being buyers.

The publicity may be oriented toward individuals, or to buyers for businesses and wholesalers.  These will each need different approaches.  The organiser should be able to tell you about the composition of the visitors for previous event.

Publicity for the event

Look at the publicity issued for previous events.  The organisers often give you this information.  This will provide an idea of what they produced and maybe how it was distributed.  Look at what local, and if appropriate, regional and national, press was obtained.  Did they get into lifestyle publications? What business and trade press was received?

Visit the event

If at all possible, visit the event.  This will give you a first-hand feel of the style of the event.  You will be able to see the range of exhibitors, the various styles of stands.  This will help you determine if this is an event you would fit into.  It also will  give you ideas to help design your exhibit. 

You can engage with exhibitors that appear to have a business of a similar size to yours to get the benefit of their experiences. You must be careful about this.  Be honest.  State that you are a potential exhibitor and ask if they have the time to give their experience about this event.  Approach them only when they are quiet.  Be aware of the need to avoid blocking other visitors from the stand.  Do not engage in long conversations.

If you can’t visit, look at the social media of the organisers and any exhibitors you know attended.  This will give some feel of the previous event. 

Location

This is about where the event is being held in relation to your location.  Do you need to travel and stay somewhere to attend, or is it near enough to avoid overnights?

It is also about where the event is located.  Venues range from dedicated events arenas to school gyms.  How easy is it to find? Is it signposted well? What are the parking facilities?  Look at the venue as though you were a visitor and decide on the suitability of the place.

Consider the timing

Craft fairs are held throughout the year, but those in the months leading up to Christmas most often get greater footfall and have a higher proportion of buyers.  Summer shows are influenced by the weather – a sunny day can take everyone to the beach or lakeside, but a stormy, rainy day can keep everyone inside.

Try to make your products relevant to the existing season or the coming one.  Think about opportunities people want for securing gifts relating to celebrations or awareness days.  Trade shows are often working 6 to 9 months in advance so the buyers can get the products into stock for the relevant season.

Promotion

This is not about what the organisers do, although that is important.  It is about what you do to generate interest.  There are going to be a lot of competing products.  You need to generate interest in people coming to your stand. 

My bugbear is exhibitors who expect footfall and sales and rely too much on the organisers. YOU need to do marketing & social media to get sales. – Patricia van den Akken, The Design Trust on Twitter.

You should be prepared to do a lot of social media work in the months and weeks leading up to the event.  You need to be telling people about your participation and preparation for the show.  You should make up a press release about the show and your participation in it.  Even if this is not taken up by the press, the material in it can be used for all the other marketing  you do.

You need to ensure that you provide the organisers with text and excellent photographs well before the deadline they impose.  If you have good images of your glass work and send them in plenty of time, you have a greater chance of being featured in one way or another.

After the Show

You need to consider what lessons can be taken from a quiet show.

Display

Review the layout of your stand.  Does it do justice to the quality of your glass work?  Think about what you can do to make the glass more eye catching – lighting, space for each item to breathe, clear pricing, arrangement, etc.  Make it clear what you do, what you make and why.

Product range

“When planning which products to sell at a craft fair, think 1) affordable, 2) achievable, 3) aspirational, and try to bring a range of products so you have all three covered.”  Folksy

This is applicable to all shows, perhaps with the exception of trade shows, where you need to concentrate on glass work that you can produce in quantity.  If you can produce a variety of glass with a group of price points, you will make it easier for buyers to choose.  Of course, you will need more items in group one, with a moderate amount of group two and only one or two of group three.

After a quiet fair you need to reflect on whether the glass range you brought was a fit for the event.  Were they relevant to location, suitable for the season, relevant to the event, suitable for a range of ages, etc. You need bring only the relevant products, not your full range of glass work.

Engagement

You need to review your performance at the show too.  Look at how you interacted with the people who did stop by.  You need to be sure you maintain a friendly appearance throughout.  Did you enjoy your conversations with visitors?  If not, you need to work on picking up on their cues.  You need to get them talking about themselves and their interests to be able to direct them to the appropriate glass.  Are you approachable?  Being at the front of your stand is important to drawing people in.  Showing your enthusiasm for doing your glass is important, because people like a story about the maker and her glass.  This helps engage people with your work and may lead to purchases.

Transport

Glass is heavy, and perceived to be fragile.  You need to find ways to overcome these resistances to buying.  Some things you can do are:

• excellent packaging (bring lots);
• a pick-up service (after they have paid and given their contact details) before they leave the event;
• after show delivery by post or courier. 

There will be others that you can think of too.  Signpost these services, so people know while they consider their purchase.

Payment

It is essential that you are able to take card payments.  You can use PayPal.  There are a number of companies that either have short term hire of terminals, or do not have monthly charges (although their percentage take is a bit higher).  Without electronic payment facilities, you will lose many sales.

Reflect on the Benefits of Attending Events

Feedback

You get direct feedback on your work, its pricing, and how it fits with people’s lifestyle.  You can learn of misunderstandings about your glass and so correct or anticipate them in the future.  Conversations at shows can be vital in guiding the direction of your work.

Networking 

Communicating with other stall holders makes a community of interest and support.  Also, potential customers can be discovered at shows and some of them may be the fellow stallholders. Making good relations with them has the potential to get write-ups about you from them in their discussion of the fair on social media, just as you may and should write about them even though they don’t do glass.

Meeting people that can promote your work

There is a great variety of people who are not buyers but are looking for things and people to write about.  This is great publicity.  The craft press attends shows looking for items of interest to their readers. Bloggers increasingly are writing about people they discover at events. Stylists, interior designers and influencers are also milling about.  You will not always recognise them from their badges, but treating everyone with enthusiasm for your glass work will include them.  They may give you feedback at the show or be available afterwards to contact and learn of their views.

Stockists

Shows are good places to meet stockists, who may be retailers, shops, galleries, wholesalers and others who want to stock your glass.  Take details and follow up all of these contacts.  You should be prepared for these people by having price lists and  professionally produced publicity material under the counter to give to them.  Business cards are essential.  If you offer one, you will get theirs in return.

Future sales 
It is not only stockists that you need to keep a list of contacts.  Get the details of all the interested people and contact them after the show and in the future when appropriate.

I do believe that craft fairs and events are still one of the best marketing tools for creative businesses. They help you to build your profile, to reach many potential clients in a short period of time who can get to know you a lot better, and events can really boost your confidence too.

But … you do need to … promote yourself! Even if your contacts are unable to attend the event it’s crucial that you let them know through a series of emails, blog posts and social media. Events are one of the best ways to stay in touch with your potential clients!

An event invite can be a great tool to drive more traffic to your website and get online sales instead.

Selling events aren’t there just to get sales but are also a way to stay in touch with potential clients, to increase your profile, and to get new contact details for your database. Start a database and stay in touch. And by following up you can often turn a quiet craft fair into a pretty successful one!

Patricia van den Akker, Crafts Magazine July/August 2014 (page 26)

Take advantage of quiet events to reflect on what you can do during the show and after the show to make for better outcomes in the future.  Reflect on your research of the event.  Consider location, timing, relation to a main event or awareness week or month.  Look at your promotional effort leading up to the show.  Consider how to improve your marketing.  Remember that even a quiet show can provide great contacts and that follow-up with the people you have met can garner purchases.  Not everything is about the immediate monetary returns.

Engaging Visitors

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.

Displays for Small Tables

Frequently small or busy craft fairs provide a relatively a small space or table to display your glass.  This means you need to make an impact with little area in which to do it.

There is also guidance elsewhere, but these are some basic ideas to get you started thinking about how to use the space you have and make your presentation stand out.

credit: CountryHeartandHome

Make your display like a shop window display

Think about how a shop with small windows works to display things to attract your attention.  Use your stand to display a single theme or style (sometimes called a brand).  Present your key pieces in a complementary but muted background.  Co-ordinate colour, or shape, or function.  Do not put everything out at once.  Give each of your glass pieces space.  Keep extra stock behind or under the table to meet the need for different colours, sizes or shapes.  Give your pieces space to be appreciated individually. The more unity you can give to your display, the more chance you will get the attention your glass deserves.

Be imaginative in your use of display materials

Think about props you have around the studio or in your home that can complement your glass.  Look for things that fit your style of work, or the theme you are presenting.  It is the unusual, but complementary coverings and props that can help you stand out from the other displays.

Height provides interest and space

You might consider a self-supporting stand that can be placed on the table and provide shelves for your glass – as long as they are stable.  You can drape appropriately sized boxes that you brought the stock in to give height to the display.  If the boxes are appropriate, you can use them bare as platforms or shelves, depending on the arrangement.  Always think about ways to build higher, but secure, displays for your glass.  After all glass looks best with light coming through rather than flat on a table.

credit: dizziebhooked.wordpress.com

Make your display fit the glass you make

Think about what is needed to show your glass off to its best.  Mostly this will be vertical with light filtering through.  Vertical light behind or in front of the glass is good.  This is to avoid dazzling the visitor rather than displaying the glass.  It may be that jewellery is best flat, although earrings can be stunning with light behind.  You can consider constructing something that does not need a table.  Look for inspiration at the kinds of displays used by retailers to save space.

credit: pinterest

Create the illusion of space

Use light colours for table coverings and display materials.  It gives a sense of space, that black does not. Using the same colour throughout gives a sense of unity in the display.

Tablecloths are most often used because they are easy to transport, but they are not the only portable material to use.  You could consider rolls of paper, foam board, and other materials to give a clean minimalist base for the display.

What more could be done with that space behind?
credit: MacrameUK

Space behind your stall

Often there is a backing to the stall.  Make use of it if it is there.  You need to determine in advance from the organisers what backing there is to the stall you will be allocated.  If there is a wall or other partition, make sure you leave it as you found it.  You can also think about providing your own stall backing with the organiser’s permission.   Using the back of the stall increases the space you have to display your glass.

There are many ways to utilise small spaces at craft fairs. Your imagination will be the only limit.  Think of shop displays, build up, give your glass space, ensure good lighting, use the back of your space.

Craft Fair Checklist

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There are so many things you need to remember before starting off to the event you have signed up for.  A checklist can help reassure you have everything you need and are prepared for your visitors and customers.

Spread the word

Let everyone know about the fair – your acceptance, your preparations, what you are taking, what else is happening at the event, etc.  The more stall holders talking about the event, the wider the publicity will be, and it should attract more visitors.

Set up at home

Set out the floor space you will have and see how you can make your stand be the best.  Mock-ups at home allow trials of various displays.  Set up one day and leave it for the next.  Your immediate impression the next morning will tell you if it is right.  When you have the display right, photograph it so you have a reference at the setup at the show.

Design your own banner

Most big organisers will have a generic name board for your stand.  Everyone has that.  Your pitch can stand out if you have designed a banner which reflects your glass work and business logo.  It needs to be boldly visible and state the business name clearly.

Tool kit 

You need to have a box or bag of all the things you need to set up and sustain you for the event.  There are the things you need to operate during the show - a float of cash, pens, business cards, Publicity material, blu-tac, scissors, string, strong tape, wet wipes, polishing cloths, pens, phone charger, and a small notebook, tablecloth, price labels, bags, packaging,  a card reader, smart phone or internet connected tablet, directions to the venue, etc.  Your list will vary to some extent for your needs, but will be much the same for large and small events.

You need to think about yourself too.  Bring bottles of water, snacks, chewing gum or mints, tissues, a folding chair, anything else you need for sustenance for 6- to 10- hour days;  and a positive attitude.

Make it possible to carry all of it

Remember you have your set-up materials – stands, boxes, supports, and survival bag.  You also have to get your glass and packaging into the premises too.  How are you going to manage? Will a folding trolley be needed? Maybe some other carrying method will be better.  Pack things up and practice transporting them for a distance.  If it is too heavy, try other methods such as breaking the materials into smaller units.

Have your directions to the event with you

You need to be sure how to get to the venue to avoid any panics.  Make sure you have plenty of time to get to the place.  Being early allows you to have a rest and calm down after setting up and before the visitors enter.  Give yourself plenty of time to unload and park the car – everyone else is trying to do the same thing as you and at the same time.

Pricing 

Make your price list days before the fair, ideally as soon as you have finalised what glass you are taking.  Make sure all the glass is clearly priced, so the less confident buyers don’t have to ask. If you are selling online, the prices should be the same. You may want to offer discounted prices at the event, but the ticket price should be the same as online.

Business details

Bring business cards to hand out to people who cannot make the decision to buy on the day.  They may decide to buy later. A discount code written onto the card may stimulate a later purchase from the online shop.  Have publicity material available too – something about you, your glass, and your business.  Price lists are useful if you meet buyers and wholesalers.

Card reader

A method to take card payments is essential. A sign or logo indicating that you take card payments encourages people to purchase.  If you don’t already have one, give yourself enough time to get it, as it often takes at least a month.  And you have to get familiar with it before the show.

Web presence

Make sure that your website, your shop and your social media are up to date.  Events often cause more traffic to your sites, so they need to be ready before you leave for the event.  This means hiding anything that is one-off or difficult to replicate.  Sometime after the show they can re-appear.

Conversations

Be ready for the people you will be meeting with a variety of starters for the conversation with different visitors.  You will probably have a different conversation with a buyer than with the general run of visitors.  You want a conversation to get feedback on your glass and other things relevant to your glass, display and general presentation.  These also help discover what may fit the people who want to buy, or comment on your work in ways that can help you improve or even start new glass lines.  Have a notebook to record the feedback you get as soon as you can at the event.

Plan friendly, but not pushy conversation openers.  You can offer help in describing the qualities of your glass, rather than how it was made.  Be prepared to talk about yourself, your inspirations, how you work, etc.  Be interested in the visitors – their likes, desires, what they are looking from the event. 

It is from these conversations that you can expand your mailing list.  The people you have pleasant conversations with will be willing to join your mailing list and the social media you participate in.  Enjoy your event!

Engage with your neighbours 

If you are on your own for a long day, you will need help from them to cover for your toilet breaks at the least.  Friends you make at shows can become long-term and can be a source of information when you have questions.  They don’t have to be glass workers.  It is a good way to business network and get mutual support.

Based on an article written by Camilla from Folksy blog.folksy.com

Attending Craft Fairs is Important

Credit: Artefact Contemporary Craft Fair at Vessel Gallery 

It is easy to think up reasons for not attending craft events, e.g.:

·        Expense

·        Stocking costs

·        Accommodation and travel

·        Will I be able to sell to people?

·        Is my glass work good enough?

·        Which show is the right one; there are so many?

These are the thoughts we use when trying to avoid something.  There are a number of reasons to make the effort to show your glass at events.  These are some of them.

Feedback

Attending a craft fair enables you to get personal feedback on your work and your prices.  The questions people ask will show the kind of marketing you need to do. By talking to people, you can refine the idea of your ideal client and what they like about your glass.  The things about your work that are not clear indicate what you need to consider about your glass or presentation.

“It’s much better to get feedback from strangers who are interested in design or crafts, rather than asking for feedback from your mum or best friend!”  Patricia Van den Akker

Raise your Profile

Attending the events that fit your glass work can build your profile in a way that on-line cannot.  An event where entrants are selected boosts your confidence, but more importantly, boosts the confidence of the buyer.  You can use this to build your reputation by posting on social media, and even help to get local business awards.  But be sure the event is one which contains your peers, as a poorly chosen show will not improve your profile.

Maintain Contacts

Participation in fairs and other events is an easy way to maintain existing contacts.  It shows how your glass is developing and maintains your profile within the buying community.  It is also a good excuse to connect with the people on your mailing list, and through social media.  An invitation is a welcome reminder to people that you value the client enough to welcome them to your event.

New Clients

While at an event, whether a trade fair, or another kind of event, the people you meet will be those who are interested and willing to buy.  These are your new customers coming to your door.  Get them to sign up to your newsletter online with Mail Chimp or other reputable email provider to ensure you comply with the GDPR legislation on privacy.  Give them information about your social media and website too.

Events Can Help Online Sales 

When promoting your participation in an event, you need to feature your website also.  This enables those who cannot attend the event to look at the site and some will purchase.  Also, when you are following up with people afterwards some will make online purchases although they did not buy at the event. 

Physical Presence 

You stand is a tangible presentation of your glass or collection.  A well-presented stand can have much more impact than an online display.  It is an occasion where people can touch your work and get a tactile impression as well as physical one. This engagement with your glass makes it more likely people will buy from you now or in the future.

Selling creative work is a process and your individual and trade clients go through various steps of getting to know you, like you and trust you before they purchase…   Events play a key role in this buying and commissioning process.  Patricia van den Akker.

Deadlines

Signing up to an event means you have to have things ready. You can‘t put things off, because you have to be there and be prepared.  This makes you direct all your efforts to all of your business needs at once – marketing, promotion, updating the website, pricing, preparing your stand and its display of glass work, etc.  It brings to the fore all the things you may have put on the back burner.

Attending craft fairs and other selling events can bring many benefits in addition to sales – profile, getting feedback, re-connecting with previous customers, finding new customers, and simply putting everything you need to promote your business in a one-time limited occasion.

Selling online

Credit: 48HoursLogo.com

Once you have achieved a lot of visits to your website, you need to convert the visits to sales. 

The first thing you need to do is consider your products.  Craft products are more difficult to sell online than mass manufactured items that are completely standard and so have known quality.

Is your product suitable for online selling?

·        The general case is that lower priced gift items are easier to sell than expensive ones. 

·        Is delivery expensive relative to the cost of the item? 

·        Do the items have to be sized, e.g., rings?

·        Are the items easy to post safely without breakage?

·        How much packaging will be necessary?

If the answers are that what you sell is expensive to buy or deliver, must made to a size, or are difficult to post, you may have difficulties in generating sales.  If you have items that are likely to sell less well online, consider the other ways you can sell them – trade events, galleries, shops, wholesale.  Also think about making items that are easier to sell online, but still fall within your style.  This approach will help support your more difficult to deliver or more expensive items that won’t sell well online.

Then

Online selling techniques are not so different from in-person selling, except that you have to rely on text and images to do the selling.  This puts more emphasis on words and images and getting your personality into those two things.

The basics are:

Get the viewer’s attention

Stimulate their interest

Develop their desire for the object

Convert these elements into the purchase.

There are many things that can create these three pre-requisites for a purchase.  

Images

The quality of images is extremely important.  Photographs must be sharp, focused, and with lots of light.  They must be taken to show the quality of craftsmanship.  Multiple pictures of the item help to give a better feeling of the object.  They should be taken from various angles, including the unseen backs of items to show the craftsmanship and help promote the assurance of quality. Lifestyle images bring items to life, but have to be carefully arranged.  This is often done best by a professional photographer.

Get and maintain interest

What you do must be apparent immediately.  Do you have recognisable work or style? Is your business name memorable?  An explanation of what you do and why it is unique is important to maintain interest.  Links from these explanations to relevant individual items or product groups are appropriate to keeping people engaged.

It is important to maintain interest after the initial contact.  Make it easy to find other relevant items. Use links, buttons, suggestions, etc., liberally.

Keep the site alive with case studies. These can be the background to your workday, or events in your business life.   Inside views of the development of new lines shows how you progress from idea to finished work.  You have interesting ways of working, that many people are interested in knowing about. Show your working practices, tell them the story of making.

You need to keep in touch with potential and existing clients.  Direct posts to those you have contact details for, with information on developments keeps you and what you do in customers’ minds.  These must not be direct sales pitches.  You can ask questions of these people to keep them engaged. They may also tell others about you and your work.  General posts to targeted audiences can help spread the word too.  Some paid promotion on social media can help, if targeted to the right people.

Provide information

Explain the potential questions about each item that client may have.  Think about the kinds of questions you ask about non-glass craft products. Use those approaches in stating and answering these questions.

Make the explanations personal and consistent with your site and the glass products you are offering.  In many cases, it is desirable to establish a FAQ section, including terms and conditions.  This can help maintain confidence of the buyer in your ability to make and supply the work.

Purchase

What’s for sale

You need to overcome any difficulties that the client might face in coming to the buying decision.  The website should be immediately clear about what you do and for whom.  Price levels need to be clear, possibly by grouping or sorting. Images need to connect with client desires.  This is where lifestyle images are useful.  Do remember that first impressions are all important.

Develop trust

Development of, or appearance of trustworthiness is essential to buying.  People buy from those they know, like and trust.  Development of this is essential for consistent online sales, as well as anywhere else.  This can be promoted by your presence on a group of platforms that you link between. Good descriptions of products and about yourself are important to maintaining the trust of the client.  Testimonials, if you have them, are useful. 

The website must appear professional.  Knowledge of your location is important to developing confidence in your work. Knowing where else your work is available is also important in validating confidence in your business.  Knowledge of where else your work can be purchased gives creditability to your standing within the craft  buying community. This can include your attendance at craft and trade fairs, as well as any awards or press mentions.

Buying and delivery

Make it easy to purchase.  One-click links can help ease the customer into buying. Use of a known payment provider increases confidence that the purchased item will be delivered and that there is a mechanism to get money back if not.  Make sure you explain about postage and packaging, unless you have included it in the in price.  If P&P is included, make sure that you are clear in the text accompanying the image and description.  If you don’t do that, the price comparisons with those that don’t include P&P are skewed against you.  Include plain English terms and conditions, to engender trust if something were to go wrong.

But

Don’t rely exclusively on online sales. There is enormous competition online, even though it is a means to get your work known to a wide range of people Importantly, it is a way to get year-round sales rather than the summer and autumn craft circuit.  Other sources for consistent sales - without you being present all the time - are galleries, shops and wholesalers.

Think about combining online sales with craft fairs and other selling events.  These face to face events give you the opportunity of getting direct feedback on your work, which will help develop what you do.  Promote your attendance at events on the website and tell about your website at events.  Blog about the events before and after their occurrence on your website and social media.  Tell stories from the events on your social media and in the website, too.

Selling online requires getting attention, stimulating interest and promoting desire to buy.  Some of the things you can do are noted.  But do not put all your effort into online.  You can gain a lot of information by attending face to face selling events.