Photos for Craft Show Applications

I try to do 15-20 craft shows per year.  I also try to stay within an hour of home or within an hour of where my kids live (they get a visit from Mom!) -- that combination gives me a broad area to choose my shows from.

Most juried applications ask for photos of my work -- I try to show a variety of my items.  The third photo is one that we print and give to customers at craft shows, especially those who indicate that they are or know prospective brides.

 I usually have to provide a photo or two of my display -- it can be tricky because my display changes from show to show. It was specifically designed to be very flexible, allowing me to modify the arrangement to best suit my space.  All the main elements are shown in these photos -- my tables are skirted with tablecloths and earrings hang on the racks.  I also offer necklaces and within the next month, hope to begin offering bracelets.  The flowers in my display are changed to fit the season.

Some applications also request photos of my work in progress -- we came up with this:

Sometimes applying to craft shows can be a real adventure -- enjoy the ride!!

Holland Tulip Time!

Yep!  It's that time of year!  Spring is here and the tulips were gorgeous in Holland, Michigan this past weekend!  It's "Tulip Time" in Holland -- and I enjoyed my first successful craft show of the season.

I really wasn't quite sure what to expect.  For starters, I've never done a 2-day show before.  We like to reserve our Sundays for worship and family so I generally don't apply to do craft shows that encompass Sundays.  After lengthy discussion with my husband, we decided to try a couple Saturday-Sunday shows this year -- but I only wanted to do the best.  The Tulip Time Festival has been a local event for decades and draws visitors from all over the world -- it seemed like a perfect opportunity to try a full weekend.  The craft show is held in Centennial Park and is probably the most beautiful venue that we've ever had for a craft show!  It didn't hurt that the weather was generously cooperative -- cool but sunny -- the perfect spring days!

Because I've never done this show before, I don't have a baseline for how sales may have been affected by the economy (rising gas and food prices and the still high unemployment in Michigan).  I was very satisfied with my sales, although I know that several vendors had a rough weekend.  On Saturday evening, my husband spoke to a couple vendors who hadn't even made their booth fee and I know a couple vendors left early on Sunday afternoon due to lack of sales.  As a jewelry vendor, I don't expect to do a really huge business -- there's always a lot of competition for those jewelry dollars--although I also have to say that at this particular show, I didn't see anyone else who's work is very close to mine.  There are several different "flavors" of jewelry crafters and artisans and no one else offered my flavor. It was a delight to know that several buyers were purchasing for their weddings -- I just LOVE that!  Also had a few sales for late-season proms. 

Some of the shows I have scheduled this year will be repeat shows for me -- and I'm curious to see how they will go.  Several shows are in areas with lots of tourists -- it will be interesting to see how gas prices affect the tourist industry.  In talking to long-time vendors at Tulip Time, they felt that the numbers were down this year.  Last year, it was my feeling that, although unemployment was high, those who were still working had spendable cash -- not so sure this year in the light of the prices of gas and food.  

No matter what the future shows may hold, I was very pleased with my results at Tulip Time!  Awesome weekend!!

Going Big!

If you've seen my work, you know that a lot of my jewelry designs are delicate and petite.  I don't actually wear a lot of jewelry ... but I love making it!   But I don't like a lot of the really big stuff that's so popular.  Apparently, I'm not the only one -- because I sell a lot of the little stuff at the craft shows I do.

At shows, I have several trays of very small earrings.  They are usually very simple with just one or two crystals, pearls or stones and a very basic earwire.  I sell everything in those trays for $5 each -- they don't cost a lot to make and I can make several in an hour so it does come out ok for pricing.  I'm sure that some of them will be worn by children, some are purchased to coordinate with a larger piece of jewelry and some are for women who, like me, just like their jewelry small.

I have a line of semi-precious stone jewelry -- none of it is listed on Etsy yet -- and it includes a tray of earrings.  I do sell from that tray, but for the longest time, my stone jewelry hanging on the earring rack wasn't getting much attention at craft shows.  Last week, I decided to really "analyze" my collection -- I came to the realization that I was offering too much that was too small.  As I thought about it, I realized that people tend to buy the larger designs in the stones.  I have 3 or 4 designs that I've been carrying around for several years and have either sold only one or two pairs or none at all.  So I decided to try going with all my larger designs.  I had to make a bunch of earrings to fill in my display racks but it paid off.  If I were guessing (educated guessing, of course), I would say that I've only sold 3 or 4 pairs of earrings off that rack in my last 6 shows.  In fact, the sales have been so slow, my husband was encouraging me to drop the whole line.  This past Saturday I was in a craft show -- it was not well attended and a lot of vendors were unhappy with their low sales.  In spite of the selling conditions, I sold 5 pairs off that stone earring rack!   We'll see how it goes in the future, but if sales continue, this could be one of those little tweaks you have to do from time to time that make a world of difference!

Craft Show Selling Tips

Craft Show Tips for Success

- be sure your product is high quality and well made
This may sound a little harsh, but you need to be really honest with yourself about your product and the quality of the work you do as well as the quality of materials.  If you’re going to be successful, it has to be top notch.  When I started selling jewelry, I used silver plated findings – they were less expensive and actually, because silver is a soft metal, findings that were nickel with silver plating were sturdier.  BUT, if the silver plating chips or wears off and exposes the metal beneath, the customer may have an allergy problem and you risk making the customer unhappy.   Unhappy customers aren’t return customers.

- have adequate stock
Plan to reasonably fill your table or display space.  Figure on 2-3 times the amount you might typically sell.  I have actually been concerned a couple times that I might have too much available – that it’s overwhelming for the customer and they are unable to make a decision, so they walk away.  But I’m leary of cutting back on my stock for fear that I’ll lose sales because I don’t have a color readily made.  It’s a dilemma.

- well displayed
See my blogs from March 24 and 25 for more details about displays.

- priced to sell
Don’t price too high.  Don’t price too low.  Pricing too high will discourage sales, but pricing too low will affect the “perceived value” and people won’t buy because they are afraid it’s poorly made.  If you’re really uncertain about your prices, attend a couple local shows and check out the prices of vendors whose work is similar to yours or check online stores..  I include sales tax in my prices and keep my prices at whole numbers – making change is quick and easy because I deal in all dollars and no coins.  It’s also a good idea to have a range of prices to appeal to a range of budgets.  I have several trays of small, simple earring styles that I offer for $5 each – my higher end necklaces top out around $75 and I offer a variety of items priced in between. 

- update your stock
My designs are intended to be duplicated.  I currently offer 47 colors of crystals, and customers can order any design in any color crystal.  But that doesn’t mean I should display the same earrings show after show, year after year.  I’m too creative to stop at my current portfolio of styles .. and it wouldn’t be good for my repeat customers.  My market would be very quickly saturated if I only offered the same old designs all the time.  I change some of my stock from season to season – in spring I may display a particular pair of earrings in pink, light green, violet or light blue.... in summer, I may display the same style in fuchsia or turquoise and in the fall and winter, I may display them in autumn colors or jewel tones.  And I’m constantly developing new designs which get added to the displays.  Slow sellers are eliminated – so you need some idea what’s selling and what’s not.

- be prepared to answer any possible question
Can I ship?  Internationally?  Would I be interested in selling on consignment?  Can I lengthen or shorten that necklace?  Do I gift wrap?  What are my wholesale prices?

- look professional
Be on top of your personal hygiene – have hair fixed, smell freshly showered, brush your teeth.  Be clean.  Use deodorant.  Wear make up.  Make sure your clothes are clean and pressed... and well fitting.  Jean may be comfy, but unless your craft really demands them, you need to wear something a little nicer.  No t-shirts, especially with printed messages on them (seriously ... no beer ads!).  Think “Smart Casual”.  Men should wear “Dockers” and either a button down shirt, polo style shirt or sweater.  Ladies should wear dress pants or skirts and a nice blouse.  A cheery, feminine sundress can be great for summer shows.  Make sure your colors match and know that they are a good color for your complexion.  And the most important thing to wear?  A smile!

- have professional supplies
Have sharp business cards.  Have some type of neat packaging to protect purchased items – plastic bags, paper bags, gift boxes.  Unless you do calligraphy or some kind of phenomenal handwriting, use a computer to print any important signage.  Consider promotional literature like rack cards, brochures or coupons and make sure all your promotional literature is carefully printed.  I’ve noticed that I like my business cards printed on glossy paper – they look a LOT classier!  This is not to say that you can’t use fun fonts to create coupons or flyers – just keep it clean.  I attended a show and visited the booth of a jewelry maker whose style was similar to mine.  She handed me a card with her contact info and a price list – the information was poorly laid out and confusing on the card, and the card itself had crumpled corners.  It was just tacky – not a positive impression for me at all.  I went home and examined my materials trying to be objective – and I made a few simple changes that really polished up my stuff!

- have prices visible
Let customers browse and make your prices easy to find.  If they have to ask about every item that interests them, they will get annoyed and walk away... especially if you’re too busy to answer them.

- demonstrate if you can
At craft shows, I offer to make custom jewelry “on demand” – and if possible, when setting up our booth space, I try to be seated where customers can watch me work.  I’m a bit on the shy side, but do well with kids – it’s not unusual to have a child or two watching me work... and mom shops.   The more jewelry I sit and make, the more I sell -- it’s like a magnet!.  25 to 40% of my show sales are custom made, either by substituting posts, making custom color combinations or even sitting with a customer to make their own design (they LOVE playing ... and seeing their own ideas become a reality!).

-be prepared to take special orders
Some customers may want something in quantities or colors that you don't have on hand -- but you can do a special order for them!  I've had special orders that were as much as my sales for the day -- made an average day very profitable!  Take a notebook or order book along to your shows (you can find order books in office supply stores).  Decide ahead of time how you want to handle policy issues -- payment, shipping, returns -- so you're prepared.  Consider customer needs when making your payment policy -- remember that if you were the customer, you would want some way to protect yourself financially.  If you don't have a Paypal account, it would be wise to establish one -- it allows the customer to pay with a credit card as well as offering some protections for them.  You may know you're ethical, but to most customers, you're a total stranger.  Your policies should give them confidence in you and your professionalism.  Just one good sale will make all your efforts worthwhile!!

-take a sales partner
Usually, some time during the day, you’re going to need to find a rest room or something to eat – having a person there to help is a huge benefit!  And if it gets busy, you’ll need the help.  And in my case, because I’m making custom requests, I need someone to keep the sales moving and keep an eye on things.  We like to think that customers are all honest, but unfortunately, you have to be prepared for “light fingered” shoppers -- my selling partner (usually my husband) is a second set of eyes, especially when things get busy..  Also in my case, because I’m shy, it can be hard for me to “sell”, but my husband, who is very outgoing, is great at talking to people – he’s never met a stranger!   So I make, he sells ...together we make a good team! 

- NEVER indulge in your vices while at a show – this is not the time to smoke or use alcohol.  Never use foul or crude language – it’s just not professional.  Never argue with your sales partner or raise your voices.  Never talk trash or be critical .. of anyone.  

- Don’t read.  If you look bored, people will walk right past.

- Don’t sit and chat with your sales partner while customers are browsing your wares.  Your customers deserve your attention and expect it.   Some customers may feel that they’re intruding on your conversation .. .and they’ll walk past your booth.

- Don’t eat or drink if it’s busy in your booth.

- Don’t just sit there while customer come by to browse.  My husband stands for nearly the whole show – if I’m not making something special, I try to stand to give him a break to go sit down.  We’ve noticed that if we both sit, people just keep walking past. 

- Be friendly and courteous, but not pushy.  We have a short “opening spiel” that introduces some basics to customers when they stop by my booth.  It’s informative and usually includes some little humorous line to keep things light.  We let people know that everything is made with sterling silver (so is likely not an allergy problem), that my crystals and pearls are all Swarovski and that I can make any style in any color or mix of colors – my husband usually adds “school colors, team colors, birthstone colors, colors for your wedding party” and sometimes something fun like “my husband is hunting so I”m shopping colors” – always brings a laugh!  It seems to put people at ease and they linger longer to browse .. and often buy.  And this might be a good place to mention that sometimes, customers are rude or critical -- don't let it shake you -- SOME people are just never happy.  "Just smile and nod, boys.... smile and nod".  :)

- let people touch your items
Some people need to pick it up, handle it, try it on ... and letting them do so can really add to your sales.  If you sell something wearable, be sure to have a mirror handy so people can see how they look.  If you sell earrings, don’t let people try them on – if they don’t purchase them, you have something that’s been in someone’s ears ... and that’s just gross for the person who eventually buys them.  But let them try on a necklace.  Let them feel the weight of your product, see the color, feel the softness of the fabric or the smoothness of the wood or the thickness of the quilt.  If you sell something that can be offered in samples, by all means, offer samples!  People use all their senses – feed their senses!

- keep your display neat
If customers pick up items, they don’t always put them back down in the same spot – and your display can get to looking untidy, which will discourage passing customers from stopping.  And if there’s a lull in the action, being out at the front of your display makes it look like someone is there browsing ... and customers seem to like shopping at a busy table. 

- Be friendly and courteous to other vendors.
Some of my best sales have come from other vendors.  If they’re having a good day, they have the extra cash to buy too.  And being sociable with other vendors is just good practice – keeping things friendly makes your whole day better.  Be conscious of where your displays are in relation to your neighboring booth – don’t infringe on their space.  If we are next to someone who is working alone, we will offer to watch their booth so they can take a break.

- have adequate change on hand
If you run out of the right change, you could lose a sale.  I usually take $100 in ones and fives, with a ten or two – and that’s normally sufficient.  You may not need quite as much for a small sale but you may need more for a really big craft show.

- take credit cards
You’ll get higher average sales and more impulse purchases.   I use Propay and have been happy with it.  They have several options ... you should be able to find one that’s right for you.  Check with your bank or credit union – some of them offer good options too.

- take a bottle of water and something to snack on
It’s almost inevitable that there will be down time sometime during your show day – take advantage of the lull to catch a quick drink or snack.  We don’t eat at the same time – so one of us is always available for customer service.  If it’s a warm summer show, the extra water isn’t just a convenience ... it’s a necessity! 

- above all, have FUN!!!
If you’re having a blast, it will be contagious .. customers will be drawn to you and your booth.  So get enough sleep the night before.  Do some pre-planning and organization ahead of time so that on the day of the show, you’re able to relax and feel confidant that you’re ready to take on the day!  Smile warmly, laugh often and have a good time!!

Whew! The Roller Coaster!!

Have you ever felt like life was a roller coaster? That feeling that you're going WAY too fast? That you don't have much control? And you're hoping the hardware holds out?
That's been my last couple weeks!

Lets' see ... on Thursday, the 23rd, two days before the craft show, we were still in MI working on our daughter's house (they had a water problem in a house they're trying to sell and they've moved away). We had hoped to head for home in WI that morning .... but there were glitches (aren't there always?) and we didn't leave until after midnight. The 7-hour drive was a killer but actually, it was great driving through Chicago -- there was NO traffic at 3 am!! We got home in time to go to work Friday morning. My husband did all the driving but I was afraid he would fall asleep -- so I only got a couple 20 minute catnaps all night.

I was actually pretty amazed how well I did Friday -- hung in there pretty well without sleep -- until about 5 in the afternoon. Then I started really dragging. By the time my husband got home at 9 that night (he had to work out of town that day -- poor guy -- more travel for him!) I was done in. I told him we weren't going to do the craft show Saturday -- I didn't feel prepared and I was totally exhausted. The idea of getting up the next morning at 5 was just too overwhelming! So we went to bed -- nothing packed in the car. Originally, I figured we should leave for the show about 6:30 am to allow us plenty of time to get there and get set up --haven't done a show since December and knew we would be "rusty" about our set up.

So Saturday morning, at 6:20, I got up for a nature call ... felt a whole lot better .. so woke my poor hubby and said "let's go!!". He had been really disappointed that we weren't going so I didn't even have to ask twice -- he was out of bed like a shot. By 7, we were on the road. Given that we had to dress and pack up, that's amazing!

The show went ... ok. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad. We didn't know what to expect but we did expect more people to come. It was a rainy day -- I know that didn't help. And when the show organizers planned the date, they had checked on road construction -- they were told that the road would be resurfaced from June - August. Somebody's calendar was really screwed up because it was all torn up in April! And we expected that the economy would have some impact -- didn't know how much. This show last year had about 2000 attendees -- we figured there were only 700-800 this year.

The show itself was really pretty neat. Some fun vendors -- someone was selling decorated hula hoops -- their booth was really bopping!!-- the booth across from us were selling their own dip mixes (oh my goodness ... SOooooo good!!) and there were just some interesting things being sold. The guy a couple booths down from us was selling metal lawn sculptures -- they were amazing! One lady was selling hair pieces -- sort of for an instant updo. Another was selling bras -- she had her own little booth for trying on. There were some wonderful handmade soaps. Lots of jewelry, but none of it like mine. And the chocolatiers -- yes, there were choclatiers! and the samples? almost heaven!!!

I had a couple of fun sales -- both ladies wanted very custom made pieces. One lady was probably in her late 40's -- she picked a pair of earrings she liked, then pointed to a necklace and said she'd like something like that, only a little different. We talked about what she had in mind, then I made up a couple samples -- she loved one of them and bought it! Later, a younger gal came by -- mid 20's -- getting married in July. She had the jewelry picked out for her wedding party but hadn't been able to find anything she liked for herself. She chose a pair of earrings in white/clear but wondered what they would look like if one of the crystals was sapphire instead (the color of her wedding) -- I made it up for her -- and she LOVED it! But then she wanted a necklace -- I made one similar to a style I have but, like the earrings, substituted a sapphire crystal for a clear in part of the necklace. It came out perfect! It was so cool to do wedding jewelry -- it's an area I want to work in to -- and it was SO fun!!

As for the marketing mix, there were more young women at this show than at the typical craft show -- and I had a lot of attention from most of them. It confirmed that my work has a bit younger appeal than I've been thinking -- which should help with my marketing strategy.

And my shop is open -- it was pretty slow getting things listed and I have LOTS more listing to do -- but that's a story for another day. Come check me out:
www.gentleadornments.etsy.com
So far, the feedback I'm getting is very positive. Most of my photos are pretty decent. No sales yet but I really didn't have enough listed until yesterday. It's really a relief to have it open and be able to list. I've been working on it for so long -- taken SO many pictures! And getting them edited and cropped. Woohoo!! This is me doing the happy dance!!!

Woohoo! Craft Show Coming!!

April 25 (next Saturday) is my first craft show of the 2009 season. I am particularly looking forward to this one – because it’s a different type of show from the normal.

There are many similarities in craft shows. Most of those who attend my craft shows are women, age 45+. They tend to either be crafty themselves or they are supporters of whatever organization/school is sponsoring the show. I’m not sure if I’m reading them correctly, but I often get the feeling that only a few are professional/career women. Most of the shows I'm involved in these days are juried and there is heavy emphasis on artwork and handmade crafts. The typical craft show appeals to a fairly specific market segment.

But this show is different. The theme is "What Women Want" and it is more of a business expo that includes local crafters (as in home-based businesses). Most of the well known home party companies will be represented as will a number of area merchants. I expect to see representation from local eateries, floral shops, boutiques and spas. Demonstrations are planned throughout the day. One of the highlights is the focus on the local Chocolatiers (yes, this show is sounding more and more decadent all the time!).

I plan to keep a close eye on the demographics – because although I’ve been doing craft shows for a several years, I’m not convinced that it reaches my best market segment. And, as with my new Etsy shop, I’ve tweaked a few things and made a few small changes. I’m hoping that the uniqueness of this show (and it’s broader appeal) will provide me with some very important market information .... we’ll see!!

Oh, and if you’re in the area, it’s at the Sunnyview Exposition Center, Oshkosh WI and the show runs from 10-4.
Love to see you there!!