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It’s NOVEMBER (where has the time gone?) which means we’re well and truly into craft sales and market season. Are you excited? I definitely am. Whatever you call them—craft fairs, markets, craft sales, etc., it’s the best time of year for them. Are you ready?
Craft fairs, sales, and markets can be exhausting, but there’s nothing quite like seeing the excitement on someone’s face when they pick up one of my products and fall in love with it. I’m always honored when someone decides to part with their hard-earned money in exchange for something I made with my own two hands—especially in this economy!
But if you’re more of an artist than a salesperson and you struggle when it comes to actually selling your products, I have some tips to help you sell more at your next craft fair/market.
5 Rules for Selling at Craft Fairs
1. Know your hook.
Knowing your what and why is key to making consistent sales at craft fairs. You need to know what you’re selling (e.g. knitted hats) and why someone should buy it (e.g. the wool is locally sourced and dyed with natural colorants). Then, and more importantly, you need to be able to communicate this through a short (ideally one-sentence) explanation that captures people’s attention and makes them curious enough to come take a look.
For example, with my company Book’d Creations, my hook is some variant of “my jewelry is made with book pages”. I’m letting the customer know I have jewelry, and why it’s unique. (Does this intrigue you? Click here to check out my bookish products!)
At one craft fair, I sold next to a woman who sold soy candles. Her young child, who was eager to be part of the creation process, placed a soybean at the top of every candle so it stuck out a little. It added a distinctive look to the soybean candle, which people remembered, but she could talk about how her child participated. That was her hook. Her child’s excitement, and involvement in the making process.
Your hook can vary in significance, but it does need to catch someone’s attention. For example “all my tote bags are made with repurposed tshirts”. Using repurposed t-shirts isn’t going to change the world, but it is something that might matter to your ideal customer.
But what if I don’t have a hook?
If you don’t have a hook, you need one. If you can’t think of anything unique about your products, how can you communicate to someone why they should buy them? When someone asks you why they should buy your knitted mittens over the person at the table next to you, what would you say? That they’re “made with love” isn’t a suitable answer.
One other note—try not to use personal tragedy as a hook. “This is my only source of income because I’m disabled”, or “I’m trying to feed my kids” may be your actual reasons for selling, and they’re perfectly valid. But this can make buyers incredibly uncomfortable. This discomfort rarely translates to sales. You still need a hook, something that makes your product unique.
2. Consider your merchandising.
You must create a shoppable, self-explanatory display. Merchandise things in a way that makes sense to shoppers. Are your products easy to reach? Is it obvious what they are? If you have soaps, have you left any unwrapped so people can smell them?
Consider merchandising in a way that allows people to think about the possibilities. Do you have small products that make great stocking stuffers? Incorporate a little dollar store stocking into your display and have one or two of your items peaking out. Is it a Christmas market? Add some greenery and battery-powered lights to your display to make it more festive and get people thinking about Christmas and gifts under the tree.
Don’t forget to price all your items! Some customers don’t feel comfortable asking. Don’t assume they’ll ask if they’re interested because many won’t. There are a variety of reasons for this, but it often comes down to them not wanting to get your hopes up if it’s outside their budget. You’ll get more sales if your pricing is obvious.
For some tips on things you really should bring to your next market and work into your display, check out my blog post “5 THINGS YOU NEED TO BRING TO YOUR CRAFT SHOWS AND MARKETS THIS YEAR“.
3. Everyone is a potential customer. Treat them like it.
Treat every person who comes near your table like a potential customer. Don’t assume that someone will or will not be interested in your products based on their gender, appearance, etc. I’ve been incredibly surprised where some of my sales have come from. Regardless of whether you think an individual might be interested in buying from you, engage with them as though you’re sure they will want to buy from you. A lot of people bring friends and family to markets; even if they don’t want to buy, they might bring a friend over later.
Part of this is being bold and talking to people. My strategy is simple—if someone makes eye contact with me, I give my short little spiel. “Good morning/afternoon! Just letting you know all my jewelry is made with book pages.” Some people nod and walk away. But others stop, process, and then come over. I get a lot of “Sorry, what? Book pages?” That allows me to open up the conversation further if they seem open to talking. I talk about the books that I’ve used, how much teachers love them as gifts, etc. Depending on the person and what they seem to be interested in. This doesn’t work with everyone—some people nod and walk away, or walk away the moment I start talking. But it does bring people to my table who otherwise would have ignored it.
Of course, I also engage with every person who comes to my table. Sometimes it can be tough if there are a lot of people, but I do my best.
Don’t assume that people don’t want you to talk to them. Don’t be pushy, of course, but engage with them. You’re passionate about your art, let it show through.
4. Be quiet.
On the flip side, you need to know when to utilize pauses and silence. My hook generally requires that someone process it for a moment. They either then understand and browse or walk away, but sometimes they look at the products and try to understand what I mean. They might ask questions, they might mull it over. But they need a moment.
Don’t be afraid of the silence. They may be thinking about who to gift your product to. They might be trying to understand what they’re looking at. Make sure they know you’re open to discussion and willing to answer questions, and then let them browse in peace. Check in occasionally, if they’ve been looking for a while, but don’t push. You can be a great salesperson without being a pushy salesperson. Be human, authentic, and approachable. It makes all the difference.
5. Keep it fresh.
Craft fairs generally run from 3-6 hours, sometimes longer. It’s important that you keep your display fresh. Re-stock regularly. Add new product, move product around. Shoppers who come later in the day don’t want to think all the “good stuff” is gone, and they’re picking through the leftovers. Every shopper who comes to your table should get more or less the same experience, even if the “good” stuff has already sold.
If you’ve sold very little (which is unlikely if you’ve incorporated the other tips above!) you can still utilize this technique. When there’s no one at your table, go around to the front to add a little more stock. Or make it look like you’re adding more stock while you move things around a bit. It makes the customers headed towards your table think that your stuff is selling, which makes them more interested in checking it out. We humans want what other people want; if we think a product is popular we want to see what the big deal is.
2 Things To Avoid
1. Sitting more than you stand.
Sitting behind your table can make you unapproachable, particularly if you’re on your phone or crafting. People often won’t bother asking questions because they don’t want to interrupt you. Sitting also makes it harder for you to reach across a table to show someone something, or demonstrate how something works.
Of course, some of us have to sit. I have to do it more than I used to, due to chronic pain, as does the person I bring to shows as a helper. (Hi Mom! You’re the best!) So, I get it. If you need to sit, try to limit your sitting to when there are no customers at your table. Or, if you have to sit the whole day, make sure you’re utilizing the other techniques above. Treat everyone like a potential customer, engage with people, smile, talk about your hook, etc.
Some vendors think that there’s a benefit in sitting behind their tables and making more of their products. There isn’t, unless you’re back there with a laser cutter or demonstrating your yarn-spinning skills. But if you’re sitting behind your table beading, knitting, crocheting, etc., customers are going to pass you right by.
2. Complaining.
There is a lot outside our control when it comes to craft fairs. We trust the organizers to plan a great event, advertise, and make sure everything runs smoothly. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan. Maybe there isn’t the foot traffic that you’d want, something is unclear or confusing, or the organizer has forgotten something important. Sometimes things go wrong that are outside the organizer’s control, too. They can do everything right, and yet the weather doesn’t cooperate or people just don’t show up.
There’s a time and a place for complaints. Communicate to the organizers after the show what you’re unhappy with. But in the moment, when you’re there selling, your job is to make the most of every opportunity. If there aren’t a lot of shoppers, make sure you’re embracing every opportunity to sell you do have. If you’re sitting there looking sour, complaining to the helper you brought with you (if you brought one), talking on the phone about how bad the market is, or complaining to the sellers next to you, shoppers who do show up are not going to want to spend much time lingering at your table. Don’t sit there looking grumpy; prospective customers will be wary of approaching.
There’s nothing you can do once the event has started. Make the most of it and provide feedback after the fact to the people who can do something about it.
You’ve got this!
Keep in mind that selling is a very particular skill set, and it doesn’t come naturally to everyone… but I strongly believe that anyone can learn how to sell. Are you already doing any of these things? Will you work any of them into your sales technique? How many craft fairs, sales, or markets are you doing this holiday season?
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