Following the idea of keeping your spirits high at a show comes the concept of customer care. Make your customers feel welcomed and attended to, without pressure, and they will take the time to really look at your work.
Here are a few ways to take care of your customers.
Make sure your booth is either easy to "read" or intriguing. Let people know what you are selling. If you have small items, or jewelry, use large-format photo posters to show people what you make.
Keep your booth clear and easy to navigate. If your booth is crowded with objects, or your display is precarious, people will be uneasy and won't stay. One vendor at the show had delightful mobiles on display. But they were hung low and too close to the entrance, so that people couldn't easily walk into her booth. People didn't want to risk brushing into one and breaking it--so they just didn't go in.
Make sure all your displays are sturdy and able to sustain small "bumps." Check that there aren't sharp edges or things sticking out to catch on clothes or bags. Make aisles and spaces open enough for one person to get by another.
Signs that say "Please don't touch", no matter how politely worded, make customers feel defensive and ill at ease. Instead of shopping, they are now mere spectators--and too mindful of causing damage to really appreciate your work.
If you have work that cannot be touched or handled, make sure you have samples that CAN be. I am fortunate that my work is made of durable stuff and can be held. The most powerful words I greet people with, after "Hello" is, "Please feel free to touch." People visibly relax and smile. They even say, "Thank you!"
Children are a fact of life at retail shows. They are actually a good sign. Their families may not be actively shopping today (though many are!), but when they are ready for finer things in their home, they will have been exposed to good handcraft along the way.
And kids need to be exposed to handcraft at every opportunity, so THEY become buyers and collectors when THEY grow up. Treat children with respect and consideration. You will feel more relaxed, and the parents will be grateful.
Think ahead of how you will handle young ones in your booth, before you even get to the show. Providing child-safe items for them to hold, offering age-appropriate candy or treats, and giving away small items they can take as souvenirs will go far to making your booth a little event they and their families will long remember. I keep my old enclosure cards with images of fish and horses on them to give out to "good children" (and I try to find something "good" in all of them.)
And remember, we were all children once!
Make sure your lights spotlight your work and don't shine in your customers' eyes. And that lighting is positioned so that if a customer looks at your work, their shadow doesn't fall on the work, making it harder to look at. Many artists put up a center rack of lights, all aimed out at the walls. The customer's head is between the lighting and the wall, throwing a shadow. And when they turn around, the light shines right in their eyes, temporarily blinding them. Position lights above and slightly out from the walls, shining back in and down instead.
Too hot? I bring a container of refreshing wipes, and keep a fan blowing.
Too noisy? My booth is a quiet haven, a tranquil harbor to lose yourself in for a little while.
Shopping warriors who have gone past their break time? Offer food--little candies, fresh fruit (clementines, grapes) or dried fruit (raisins, dried apricots), chocolate, cookies. It's a rare human celebration or event that doesn't involve food! My friend Mark Rosenbaum, glass blower extraordinaire from New Orleans, brings homemade pralines to his wholesale shows for his customers and his fellow exhibitors. It's southern hospitality at its finest--and Mark is originally from Connecticut. A little food treat restores falling blood sugar levels, rewards good children and soothes grumpy husbands.
Hard convention floors, or uneven outdoor surfaces? My comfy mat flooring encourages buyers to linger. Some artists even build solid floors for their booths, knowing the sense of stability makes customers feel more at ease.
Another customer care tip is to offer handled bags. They only cost 50 cents, but you'd be surprised how stingy some craftspeople can be with these. I may only hand out a dozen or two at the show, but people are touched and grateful when I do. I've even offered them to people who were struggling with purchases who hadn't bought anything from me!
Retail anthropologist Paco Underhill, in his book, "WHY WE BUY" observed that when people's hands are full, they stop shopping. Try the experiment the next time you're shopping. I did, and he's right. So when I see an overloaded shopper at a crafts fair, I know if I can get a handled bag in her hands, she's going to keep shopping. Maybe it won't benefit ME, but it will benefit my fellow craftsmen. That's worth 50 cents to me.
Finally, don't load them down with meaningless conversation. See Bruce Baker's seminars on craft selling for the extended discussion on this topic. Acknowledge that the person has entered your booth with a greeting, let them know you are available IF THEY NEED YOU, and let them browse. Keep busy so they don't feel like you are staring at them, waiting for them to buys something. Let THEM set the pace--if they want to talk to you, they will ask you a question or make a comment.
There is an ebb and flow to this which is a column to itself. But the short story is, don't babble at them or force them to engage in coversation if they are not ready. Remember--you may be the 30th booth they've wandered into today. How many times do you think they've had someone ask them how they are and if they are enjoying the fair??
Taking care of your customers means you show them respect, consideration and that you see them as a real person--not just someone with a wallet who might buy your work. The pay-off for you is not just increased sales--it's remembering that this business is all about forming connections, extending the connection between you and your work to a bigger audience and world.
At one wholesale show, a buyer burst into my booth. He was obviously exhausted and agitated. He'd had a long, hard, frustrating day.
He'd just flown in from the other coast, his plane had been delayed, he'd been up since the wee hours, and he'd missed a couple of meals. Before I even gave him a chance to look at my work, I offered him a clementine, a chair, and let him rest. He took the food and chair gratefully, and told me about his day. It was a wild one!
We had a pleasant chat, and he left with a "be back" tomorrow. I didn't really think I'd see him again. It had been a slow show, and we hadn't even talked about my work or his store.
But he came back the next day to thank me for simply taking care of him. He couldn't believe I'd put selling on hold and just treated him like a fellow human being. He ended up placing a big order. A REALLY big order!
Take care of your customers, and they in turn will take care of you--and your work!
