Holiday Craft Shows, Without Going Nuts

Chestnuts by stebox78

The chill in the air, pumpkin lattes, and constant stream of UPS/FedEX/Golden State/USPS/OnTrac deliveries mean only one thing – it’s holiday time!

Before I became a full-time art business, the holidays were my favorite time of year. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the last two holiday seasons have been, well, different, but still amazing in their own right. A good chunk of most retailer’s sales will occur in the last fiscal quarter of the year. And if you’re an artisan, you’re likely participating in some local craft shows in December.

Last year, I had only done two small art markets before I was slated to vend at both the Bazaar Bizarre and Renegade SF holiday shows. To say I was freaking out was an extreme understatement. Most of November was spent scouring the internet for words of wisdom, lists, and tips to prepare for the incredible onslaught of holiday shoppers. If this is your first holiday season, first congrats on getting some holiday show action! Second, here are my top ten tips for successfully selling your work at holiday craft shows.  Hopefully they can bring you some calm and clarity, and get you ready to kick ass.

One last thing before I dive in – it is incredibly important to keep your perspective this time of year. Because the holiday season is so lucrative, it is easy to get caught up in the business and financial side of things in December and forget about the mistletoe, snowmen, and sugar plum fairies, let alone your friends and family. Scheduling in time to spend doing normal holiday stuff is key.  It is equally important to remember how much you love your craft and why you wanted to share your talent with the world in the first place.  Remember that and you may still be be frazzled, but you’ll have a lot more fun.

TEN TIPS for SELLING AT HOLIDAY CRAFT SHOWS,

WITHOUT GOING NUTS

1. Get a dolly.

Specifically the Magna Cart. Thank me later. (Hat tip to Paper Pastries). This is tip #1 because it is that important.

2. Make your booth visually cohesive.

Craft shows are your opportunity to have your own mini pop up shop, so make it look like you. You’ve no doubt spent a lot of time and effort getting your packaging, website, Etsy shop, business cards, etc. to reflect you and your brand. Make sure that your booth does as well. Go big with signs, keep the color scheme clean and simple and do everything you can to make your products pop.

Lisa Congdon‘s bright green peg board is eye catching, and also brings out the neon components in her work. It also provides a contrasting color that make Diana Fayt‘s gorgeous handmade ceramics pop.

Margaret of Paper Pastries has such a distinctive and clean set up, with custom pieces designed specifically to display her adorable stationary in the best way possible.

Butcher's shopfront

Since my business is meat and food focused, I spent a lot of time researching the aesthetic of old-school butcher shops to design my booth, even replicating the red and white vinyl awning and handsome bearded butcher. Paired with red and white tablecloths, metal and wood, the design scheme is kept simple, yet remains eye catching.

For more ideas, check out photos by Renegade Craft Fair on Flickr and the “Show Me Your Booths” Flickr group.

3. Mock it up!

Whatever your final design decision is for your booth, definitely mock it up before you head out to the show. There always seem to be little issues that only become evident when you actually set up your booth – like missing price tags, a place to put your post cards, a place for check out, or a too-short tablecloth (oh, please, please get a tablecloth that comes all the way to the ground! This is a personal pet peeve of mine, but booths look so much more professional and clean if I can’t see your feet, purse, and boxes of inventory.)

Oh – and take a picture that you can refer to when doing the for-real set-up.

4. Organize your inventory.

If you’re a seller who doesn’t put out everything all at once on the table, this is key. If you have your prints randomly stacked in a cardboard box, and it’s time to replace a sold item, and you have 3 people asking you questions, trust me, you’ll wish you had taken some time to organize at home.

It can be as simple as buying a file box, and labeling individual file folders with print names (my solution), labeling your box of posters, or dividing your tshirts by size and color.

5. Have a partner if possible.

16 Sparrows has the right idea. A friend AND bloody marys.

The holiday shows in particular can get crazy. Like several people deep at your booth, customers waiting to check out, OMG I need a beer and a bathroom break, crazy.

If you have a friend or spouse there to help you out, it just makes everything so much easier. And obviously, just that more enjoyable. Plus if your friends come and help out they 1) will probably bring champagne in a can* and 2) will finally understand why you’ve been MIA all winter long. Not an option? Be sure to immediately befriend your booth neighbors during set up. The craft community is a friendly one, and most folks will be more than happy to watch your booth and take sales while you take a quick break. And be sure to offer to return the favor!

6. Accept credit cards.

Not only does Erin Dollar take credit cards, but her sign (above) is great example of tip #2. The sign colors and style compliment her gorgeous art. Awesome, right?

Kind of obvious, but important. The proliferation of tiny card scanners, like Square and Intuit’s new GoPayment make credit card processing easy, fast, and cheap. If you don’t have a smart phone, Pro Pay offers a portable scanner that you later plug into your computer, where it uploads all the customer data (encrypted of course). Credit cards are essential to getting the most out of your holiday craft show experience; they are easier for customers than getting cash and also make larger purchases more likely.

7. Be prepared to offer deals.

Many sellers have show pricing that’s a bit cheaper than their online prices. If your margins allow it, this can be a great idea. People like a good deal, even more so when shopping for gifts. Another strategy is to have your online prices posted at the show, but offer customers your pre-decided “show price” if they are asking questions, but not quite prepared to buy. That might just be enough to tip their decision and make the purchase. Offering sets for a discount is also a great option. One word of warning – know what deals you are willing to make ahead of time. Math is hard when there’s 20 people waiting to check out!

8. Keep track.

Devise a system to keep track of what you sold. Not only will this allow you to answer questions about whether you have any extra small shirts left at the show, but you’ll be thankful once you get home to know how many of each item you have left in your inventory. Furthermore, knowing how many of each item sold will help you reflect on your show and have a better idea of what you should bring to the next one.

This isn’t the best system, but it’s got easy going for it – try simply printing out a spreadsheet of the inventory you take, and make tally marks each time you sell an item. Take it home and ponder why everyone wanted to buy earrings and no necklaces.

It is also helpful to take notes during the show about how things are selling, if lots of people are asking for shopping bags, or if people have made requests for particular items to be added to your line. This can be invaluable information down the road.

9. Create opportunities for follow-up sales.

Sometimes attendees aren’t quite ready to pull the trigger on a purchase. Or maybe they know their daughter would love your stuff, but can’t figure out which piece to buy.

Allie Beans business card display gets extra points for including chocolate.

Make it easy for them to follow-up with you and make a purchase in the future. Stock up on post cards and biz cards (allot for 500 – 700 for a big holiday show like Renegade) and make them readily and obviously available for everyone. No reason to keep them hidden; a lot of times customers won’t get the chance to ask you, or maybe are too shy to do so. Have a newsletter sign-up, with an attached pen (so it doesn’t disappear) and names already on the list.

Run out of an easy to replicate item? Think about keeping one on display and offering free shipping to folks who express interest after the last has been sold.

10. Gift and go.

People are ready to shop, big time. Make it easy on them by having ready to go gifts. Make art or prints? Offer some items framed or ready to hang. Make food like chocolates by Nosh This? Have items prepackaged in gift boxes. Make tea towels? Offer a set of three, tied with a nice ribbon or twine.

Framed original art

Nosh This chocolate box, photo by Jesse Friedman

What are your tips for thriving at holiday craft shows? Any burning questions? Comment away!

- Alyson

 * i hope this isn’t only the case for me. Because champagne in a can at a craft show is pretty amazing.