There are a lot of mistakes a seller can make at a craft fair. Thanks to a few great articles that I found online, I’ve gathered a list of what can be considered the top ten no-no’s at any craft fair. Whether you’re a veteran or a newcomer, make sure you avoid these mistakes.
10 Mistakes to Avoid At a Craft Fair
1. You’re unprepared…and it shows
You get to the show, but you’ve forgotten part of your display, bags for people to carry their goods out, selling slips, or enough products to restock when things get low. The very first mistake you can make is coming unprepared. Make a list of everything you’ll need at the craft show and check them off one-by-one as you put them into your car. Forgetting a piece of your booth or not having enough products to restock as the day goes on are mistakes that you can easily prevent. Make sure you’re completely prepared before you arrive to the show because patrons will notice if you’re not.
2. You’re unfriendly
It can be nerve-racking to put all your products up for everyone to judge. You may not feel comfortable as a salesperson, but you’re going to come off as unfriendly if you don’t try to talk to people. Plus, you won’t build any customer relationships. A good practice is to say hi to everyone that walks into your booth. Make eye contact with them. If you see someone browsing for a bit, try striking up a conversation. Sitting in the back of your booth saying nothing, or talking to the friend you have helping you out, will only hurt you. Create a welcoming space in your booth. After all, you catch more bees with honey.
For more service tips and advice, check out 7 Customer Service Mistakes to Avoid at a Craft Fair.
3. There’s nothing about the booth that stands out
This mistake is one of the harder ones to rectify. A good piece of advice to follow is to think of your booth as a product itself. The booth should represent your brand, so get creative in expressing that! Use bright colors or a creative way to display your products. If there’s nothing of interest right out front, people will be less likely to stop by.
4. Too little or too many products
If you have too many products out and they’re not in any organized fashion, your booth is going to appear cluttered and overwhelming. If you have too few, people won’t be inclined to come in because they’ll have quickly browsed everything when they walked by. The key is balance. You want to offer enough products that they can’t all be seen right as you glance in, but not so many that it becomes overwhelming. This means filling the table, but in a way that encourages people to browse. Another good tip is top keep your displays dynamic, you don’t want your products just sitting flat on the table. Remember, you want to treat your booth as a product.
5. You don’t have business cards
This is crucial. You should have business cards readily available to hand out. They’re a great marketing tool. Hand them out to people you’ve had conversations with, give them to everyone who purchases something, and have them lying around for people to grab. Even if they didn’t find what they were looking for in your booth, they may think of a friend who would love your products and pick up a card.
6. Prices are nowhere to be seen
This is by far one of the BIGGEST mistakes you can make. If an item isn’t priced, many people will assume that it’s super expensive. Other people will be too shy to ask what the price is. Don’t miss a sale opportunity just because you’ve forgotten to price products. Make sure everything is clearly priced!
7. Your information is outdated
There is nothing worse than getting a business card or flyer and the information is incorrect or missing. Make sure everything on your business card and marketing materials are up to date.
8. You don’t have any change
If you’re only accepting cash and you don’t have enough change, then you can kiss that sale goodbye. Make sure you have enough change before you start the show, and take inventory of it halfway through in case you need to run to an ATM or shop to grab some more.
9. There’s no variety in your pricing
Not everyone can afford to drop 70 dollars, so by having a variety of products at different prices you give everyone a chance to walk away with something they’ll like. Plus, it means more business for you. People are more likely to spend 15 dollars at a few booths on a couple of items, then dropping 60 on just one, so make sure you can offer both options.
10. You don’t offer sale items or freebies
People always want a bargain. They love being able to tell all their friends, family, and coworkers about the deals they got. This can be tricky because you don’t want to end up losing money. Having at least a few items on sale will encourage those bargain hunters to buy. Plus, you could offer special deals. For example, if the customer spends 100 then they get a free item like a one-of-a-kind ornament. It might encourage people who are close to hitting that mark to purchase a few smaller items just to get that free item.
What are other mistakes to avoid making at craft fairs?
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