Working the Shows Wednesday - Bits'n' Pieces

This week's comments are a collection of little bits of advice about doing shows. None are large enough to justify their own post, but are important enough to mention.

Show Log Book

As you do shows, you should maintain an ongoing record about each show. I keep mine in a loose leaf notebook. Include all the basic info, the full name of the show, date, contact info for the show director, space price and any other expenses (application fees, electrical fees, etc.) I note total sales, and total expenses (hotel, tolls, food, etc.) I now add a photo of my display at that show. (I just snap it with my pocket-size digtal camera and print out on my computer. ) Make notes as to any details about the space, i.e. lumpy ground, poor lighting, excellent location, near restroom, etc. Is there anything special you want to remember about this show? (great food, top-notch entertainment, un-Godly heat or humidity, unsupervised children running amok, etc.) Was there one product that was really moving well? (You'll want to remember this next year.) I also attach a copy of any Mapquest directions I used and any notes about a different route or any detail about getting there. I always note the total mileage to the the show and how much gas I used. (When gas was at $4/gallon two summers ago, I eliminated a few shows based on that one item.) Sometimes I attach any paperwork sent by the show committee about layout, etc. If you decide to do this show again next year, this information will be very helpful.

Price Tags

Be sure to have prices attached to or posted for every item you are selling. Customers tend not to ask. if they can't see how much it is, they simply move on. It is bad form to haggle or negotiate with customers at a show. It is acceptable to make a deal if a customer is buying multiple pricey items. It is also frowned upon, and often prohibited, to post "clearance" signs or "end of season sale" signs. "Show Special" on a specific item or group of items is acceptable if posted in a dignified manner. (For example, a single earring display stand with a 3"x5" card reading "Show Special" would be appropriate.)

Cash/Checks/Other
Know ahead of time what payment choices you will accept. Be prepared for those payment methods. Have adequate change available. Do not expect customers to have exact change. If you will be charging sales tax, have a sales tax chart readily available to allow quick and accurate calculations. Have pennies available for that purpose and do not attempt to "round off." It is unprofessional and illegal.

If you are sharing a booth with another seller, discuss before hand how money will be handled and how combination purchases (things from both of you) will be packed, etc. If it appears to be one display, customers will not expect to deal with each of you separately.

Attitude
Regardless of what happens at the show or why, maintain a cheerful and friendly attitude for your customers. They won't buy from a frowning, grumpy vendor. (They just may run for the hills.) If sales are slow, do not whine. Your customer and neighbors do not want to hear it. Stay upbeat. You can always cry all the way home or beat up your pillow before turning in for the night. SMILE, it really does help sales.

Be ready on time...
If the show starts at 9 a.m. be ready to sell at that time. Allow plenty of time for set-up. If possible, be ready earlier than the opening moment. By the same token, never close down before the appointed break-down time, regardless of how bad sales may be. (The exception here is devastating weather. We've all been forced to accept defeat from time-to-time.) Breaking down early hurts both your fellow crafters, your reputation and, most of all, your potential customers. Many a person has returned to me late in a show to purchase that bigger item they needed to think about. Many like to see everything at the show before making their buys. I've also made many sales because I was the last one standing when latecomers came by.

Display Pics
Take pictures of every display you do. Review them later and decide what works and doesn't work. Don't count on your memory to recall how you did it last time. Many show applications also require pictures of your display as part of the jury process so you will be prepared.

Most Important:
Have plenty of stock of product. Take more than you could possibly imagine selling. Have it all tagged with information identifying you so they can get in touch with you for more. Drop business cards into every bag.

Working the Shows Wednesday - Stay for the full show!

A couple of big shows took place in our area this past weekend. Unfortunately, I couldn't spend a lot of time running around to visit all of them as I had a lot to get done before we leave on vacation later this week.

As one of our favorite bands was entertaining late in the day on Saturday at one of the shows, we did make an effort to get there although we arrived late in the day (about 3 p.m.) at a show that closes at 6 p.m. This is a huge street fair that encompasses about 6 square blocks around the country courthouse, features four stages and approximately 400 vendors of various types ranging from food and crafts to civic groups to realtors, and more. The event runs for two days and generally attracts at least 15,000 people per day.

When we did this show, it was always one of the best of the year. From talking with a number of friends who still sell there, that has not changed. The day was very warm, sunny and a bit humid (normal for our area!) The crowd was unbelievable! We literally shuffled along the event. People were loaded down with bags of merchandise they had purchased. It's moments like that when I really miss doing the huge outdoor shows but I simply cannot physically handle them anymore without a lot of additional help that I no longer have.

All this brings me to one of my biggest complaints about crafters at these shows: Those who pack up and leave early!!! With three hours left to go for the day, humongous crowds of "buying" folks and the biggest entertainment draw of the day still to take one of the main stages, we found several spot already vacated for the day and had to dodge several crafters who were trying to maneuver large carts loaded with their tables and display pieces through the mob. As there is no vehicle access until after the event closes, these people were pushing these carts for a number of blocks to their vehicles (a minimum of 5 blocks!) They really acted "put out" that it was so hard to work their way through the crowd! Hey guys, there's a reason why promoters add that sentence to the contracts that says "Crafter must stay until the show closes for the day."

I stopped to glance at a few things left on the table of one packing jeweler. The pieces were lovely but I wondered what else he had displayed earlier. I asked if sales had been bad. He indicated it was a fantastic show for him so I point-blank asked why was he leaving early. He shook his head and said, "This place becomes a zoo when everyone tries to get in and load at the same time!" I guess he found it easier to haul everything several blocks instead regardless of lost sales!

I purposely called another friend today who was selling jewelry there to ask how the last few hours had gone. She was set up six spaces down from the early packer. (They were, incidentally, immediately adjacent to the entrance to the stage area where at least 500 people listened to the final band.) She advised she had sold approximately 130 pieces in those last 3 hours at prices ranging from $25 to $55.00. She figures the other guy did her a favor by leaving as they had similarly priced items.

I have often made my biggest and best sales in the last hour of a show, especially at street fairs and such where folks simply don't want to carry the purchase around all day or, in the case of this event, want to see all of the displays before making their choices. As a customer, I have personally done both myself. Leaving early does not just hurt you as a seller but it harms the show in general. If you were only expected to sell in the first few hours, no shows would last past lunchtime. When buyers show up later in the day and find a large number of spaces empty, they won't be back next year. I wish promoters would enforce their rules. They cannot physically restrain crafters to keep them from leaving early but they can force them to forfeit the second day of the show or not accept them at future shows as punishment. I have actually only come across a few promoters who have taken such action.

As professional craftspeople, we must act professionally. Living by the contracts we sign is just one small part of that attitude. We'd all be unhappy to arrive at a grocery store advertised to be open until 10 p.m. at 7 p.m., only to find they closed early as business was slow or they wanted to avoid the congested highway on their way home.

Goals ? What goals ?

Goals? We had goals? Are you sure?

So, we're 1/3 of the way through 2010, how are you doing on your business goals for the year ?

On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being excellent), I've got to give myself about a 3. I had lofty goals but I feel like I've been grounded by my own form of volcanic ash -- just can't seem to get off the ground.

It seems when an obstacle popped up, I accepted it and sat back and relaxed instead of finding a way around it. Don't get me wrong, my sales for the year on a whole have been pretty good. My online sales have not.

I definitely have not stuck to my plans of listing at least one new thing or renewing an expired item in the shop each day. I'd do okay for about six days and then drop the ball.

I did not throw a lot of effort into promoting for Easter. (Okay, let's be honest, I did NO Easter promoting.) Mother's Day is almost upon us and I haven't pushed there either. Talk about missed opportunities !!

Not everything was a disaster.

I DID get a Facebook business page up and running ! (Something I set out to do almost a year ago.) A work-in-progress, it's been up and running for about a week now. Please stop in and check it out at www.facebook.com/Splashincrafts .

I DID reach out and find several new big swag bag opportunities. (This is a marketing approach I have found works well for me.)

While it started out as a personal goal as it is not really business oriented, I have to believe my new food blog, Splish'n'Splash Kitchen, will also be of some benefit to the business. I do plan to have a sidebar ad for the shop and will occasionally push one of my kitchen related products like an apron or potholder set. In any case, it is an accomplishment for me to boast about!

So, in review, I need to get busy, regroup and redirect my efforts. (Think I'll go list something in the shop !)

Are YOU on track for your goals?

What's your business' "uniqueness" ?

I was wandering around the Etsy forums today and came across a thread that definitely made me pause and think - in a good way. Or, more precisely, in a constructive manner.

The contributor pointed out that one of the basic things taught in marketing is that a business should be able to state its very own uniqueness in order to stand out from the crowd. That writer then asked:

"Do you know yours?"

I thought I did. I then tried to write it down in a reasonably concise manner and it was a lot harder than it seemed. I make painted things, mostly clothing but some home decor pieces. Hmmm, not totally unique there. I do my own designs from my own sketches. Okay, I'm getting warmer. Most of my work used to be fish and sea oriented which did give it a lot of identity but I have expanded quite a bit, inspired both by specific requests from customers and by what actually seems to sell. My work tends to have a whimsical aspect. I do a lot of cartoon-style sketches but then, in my adult wear, I do some very realistic imagery.

While thinking about this idea, I remembered another "marketing concept" I had learned back in my college days. (I took a TV advertising class taught by Frank Perdue of the chicken fame! I learned a lot from that class, too. He was good! Even if he did resemble a chicken.) That concept was the "elevator speech." This was the idea of basically having a pat description in your head for whatever you were pitching that could be stated in about 45 seconds (the length of time you would have to speak with someone in an elevator.)

Melding both of these concepts together, I tried to state my shop's uniqueness in 45 seconds. I spent most of the afternoon mulling these thoughts over. I'm still trying to sort them out and determine what IS my uniqueness. Once that's clear in my head, I need to figure out the best wording to get that across - in 45 seconds.

I'll need to get back on you with that.

So, what's your uniqueness? Can you state it in 45 seconds?

Zhu Zhu Pets - A Social Networking Marketing Success

What's new? Kung Zhu !!

Ninja hamsters ?!? Yep.

In going over their phenomenal holiday success, Zhu Zhu Pet creators realized their little mechanical pets had a bigger appeal to girls than boys. (Winning "Toy of the Year" accolades, they also took the title of "Best Girls Toy" at the 107th American International Toy Fair last week in New York City.) So, how do they grab the other half of the market while still appealing to their original fans?

They evolve ... and, they multiply! (Just like the real thing!)

With only four of the fuzzy, squeaky little critters last season the family is definitely expanding. More than 40 new hamsters will hit the market in 2010. Joining "Mr. Squiggles" and "Pipsqueak" will be "Pax", "Kingston", "Rider" and "Roxie", Zhu Zhu Rockstars ! They'll be long-haired with A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E !! A smart chip gives each their own distinct personality but they won't interact with each other.

Then, there's the Kung Zhu crowd aimed at 8 - 12 year-old boys. These will be split into two battle groups - "Ninja Warriors" and "Special Forces." Again, a smart chip will create both good and evil action figures. They can be "trained" to change their personality from cute and mild-mannered to fighting, battling warriors. (Now, not to create a stereotype, but this appeals to boys!!) They'll feature snap-on armor, weapons, vehicles and even an arena called the "battledome" to fight in. The catch? You never know who will win. (Okay, I'll admit it. Our little lady will definitely want these! So, she isn't dainty!!)

Tiring of hamsters? Then check out the Zhu Zhu Wild Bunch - "Stinky" (you guessed it - a skunk), "Sweetie" (bunny), "Rocco" (raccoon) and a hedgehog (to be named later). There will be more playsets, hamster-powered cars and boats, even beauty salons. The critters, themselves, will still be under $10.00 with accessories going for as much as $30.00.

So, what made Zhu Zhu Pets such a hit?

Well, most obviously the price. then, there was the almost lifelike unpredictable activity involved. Everybody wants to see what they'll do next. All the fun of a pet without the mess, cost of feeding and responsibility. When you tire of it, throw it in the toy box for a while.

The big story here, though, was the marketing !!!

Ultimately, the general public hit the cyber world and pushed these crazy little rodents to the top of almost every kid's Christmas list! Sales took off mostly on the word of parents raving about them online in social network settings. Mom's tweeted about their sweet appeal and where they got them. Facebook friends shared the news and passed the word. Parents blogged about their antics and how adorable they were. Other media lifted this info from the web and put it into print and audio broadcasts. Demand went up, supplies got tighter. Moms, standing in line to get the precious little items (many stores limited purchases to 2 to a customer) tweeted to all their followers where they had found them. Word spread like wildfire!! Sales went over the top!

With the introduction of the many new characters, I foresee a collectible market much like Beanie Babies.

Still wondering if Twitter and Facebook can help sales?