Tips for selling at Craft Shows
A huge thank you to all the crafters who came out last Wednesday night to participate in our Craft Racket!
We collected a fantastic list of tips for selling at shows, from a variety of crafters. Download the Selling at Craft Shows Tipsheet, or just take a quick look at a few excerpts:
- Get people to touch and try on jewelry. Some studies say people are 40% more likely to buy if can touch first.
- It’s a good idea to include a picture of what you make on your business card.
- If you’re doing a demo [in your booth or at a show], take a photo or make a checklist of what you’ll need (including all the supplies); when you’re packing up, you’ll be sure to have everything you need.
- Don’t make everything so perfectly neat. People will be intimated to look at – and certainly touch – anything because they don’t want to disturb it.
Join the Chicago Craft Mafia mailing list (in the column over there ->) to find out about upcoming events like this one, or follow us on Twitter (@chicraftmafia) for more great tips and info relating to crafters and upcoming events!
Resources
As we’re sure you know, the web is flooded with advice and how-to’s for starting, maintaining and expanding your business. Here are just a few of our favorites.
Smaller Box
An invaluable resource for everything you ever wanted to know about running your indie business. Topics covered include marketing, publicity, wholesaling, customer service, advertising, business development, web design and so much more.
Etsy’s Seller Handbook
Etsy’s own guide to selling handmade. Obviously geared toward success on their site, but has valuable information for any seller.
Crafting an MBA
Business school for crafters!
Duct Tape Marketing
Duct Tape Marketing is all about simple, effective, and cheap marketing for your business. While the book is very useful, the blog is also a fabulous resource!
Entrepreneur
Lots of great information on getting your business started from non-crafty types.
TED
Free and inspirational talks from professionals from all walks of life. Some are business related and most really just get you inspired and ready to go!
Summit of Awesome
Annual conference aimed at handcrafted business folks with tons of lectures, and workshops that run the gambit of what running a crafty business entails.