June 28th, 2009
by Shasta McLaughlin
copyright 2008
Press releases are informational articles sent to the press. They are meant to inform the public of things happening in the area. They are free and will be printed in most publications as space allows (so send them early and often).
Press releases are a great way to advertise your show schedule and your craft product. A press release includes certain necessary parts:
• Exciting and newsworthy headline
• Summary that clarifies and defines the rest of the release
• Body answers where, when, who, what, why and how
The body contains 6 parts they include:
1. Lead paragraph
- City, State – Month Day, Year – Your Business Name
- What is happening
2. Quotes – From previous newspaper articles, quotes from show promoters, other crafters, or previous customers about your product.
3. The Why and How paragraph – Tell the reader why you are attending this event, why you make your product, why someone should come see your product and how to attend the event.
4. Call to Action – Ask the audience to do something i.e. See me at The Extravaganza or at my other upcoming shows.
Include your schedule of events.
5. Corporate Summary – Include a short summary of your business here.
6. Contact Information – Name, Business Name, Phone Number, E-mail Address, Website
For samples of press releases look in your local newspaper, also examine the People in Business Section to determine the best place for your advertising.
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Categories: Organize an Art/Craft Show, Press Releases, Tips for Promoters
Tags: art shows, craft shows, press releases
June 20th, 2009
by Shasta McLaughlin
The Extravaganza Craft Productions
copyright 2009
One day I was riding in my sisters car. The roads were slick and the car slid off the road into a deep snowbank. The car was very stuck and trying to drive it out did no good. Along came a car with 5 guys in it. They couldn’t pull the car out using their car. They all got out and stood at different points around my sisters car then lifted up her car and put it back on the road.
One guy couldn’t have lifted the car alone, but together the 5 of them easily moved it.
Business is like lifting heavy objects. Doing it alone it’s too heavy but with many people working toward the same goal it becomes light.
Craft businesses often go out of business before they even get a good start when business owners try to do it all alone. There is just too much work to do and too many things to learn for one person.
Have you noticed that KFC and A&W teamed up? Have you thought about why they would do that? I have.
KFC and A&W are in direct competition with each other.
They chose to work together because they share costs and reach a wider customer base.
- They rent/own one building instead of two as well as sharing equipment.
- KFC and A&W share advertising costs. They put out one ad with both chains specials mentioned.
- They both use one set of employees rather than each company having to hire their own.
- KFC and A&W foods compliment each other. You might want rootbeer and ice cream with your fried chicken and mashed potatoes. You might want fried chicken and mashed potatoes while your friend wants a coney dog and tator tots, and everyone wants a rootbeer float. Both companies get more sales by working together.
In the business world working together is called a Joint Venture (JV for short). Jeff Dedrick says doing a joint venture isn’t like if I would make $1000 selling jewelry and my friend would make $1000 selling hair bows that we would make $2000 together. He says that if I would make a $1000 working alone and she would make $1000 working alone it’s possible that we would make $5000 working together.
So how do you make joint ventures work for your art or craft show business?
- Choose someone with similar products but not exactly the same.
- Jewelry-Handbags-Accessories-Clothes-Other Types or styles of Jewelry-Makeup
- Woodworking-Furniture-Home Decor-Pillows-Curtains-Florals-Pictures-Light Plate Covers-Wood Carvings
- Pottery-Table cloths and place mats-Furniture-Florals
- Body Care-Embroidered Towels-Bath Fixtures
- Rugs-Furniture-Lamps-Curtains
- Choose someone with a different style than yours if you choose a product that is very similar to yours. For instance two Asian jewelry artists can work together if one does very elaborate work and the other does only very fancy work. They would be able to offer products that closely match their target audience but would be able to offer a wider variety of price ranges, making more sales. Both jewelry artists would be experts in the same field and able to share information on the use and care of Asian jewelry.
- Ask show promoters if it’s okay to share a booth or rent two booths next to each other and mix products.
- Make an agreement to know each others products and to offer them equally if someone is looking for that item. Offer each others product as an upsell or downsell.
- No one likes to work for nothing. Be honest with your partner and keep good records making sure they get paid for their items that sold.
- Evaluate partnerships and adjust or discontinue as necessary
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Categories: Advertising, Art/Craft Business Tips, Art/Craft Industry, Art/Craft Vendor Hints and Tips, How to Make Shows Better, Other Ways to Sell Arts and Crafts, Selling Crafts Online, Uncategorized
Tags: art craft show customer service, Art/Craft Business Tips, Art/Craft Vendor Hints & Tips, Craft Business, craft show vendors, craft shows, Handmade Arts and Crafts, improve sales of arts and crafts, increasing profits from handcrafted arts and crafts, make money selling arts and crafts, marketing handcrafted jewelry, Selling Crafts Online
June 18th, 2009
The Extravaganza Craft Productions would like to thank James Dillehay of Craft Marketer for the kindness of linking to our post How to Make Your Business Card Do Double Duty. Visit James’ site at the link below.
Craft Marketer
A big Thank You to James Dillehay.
Shasta McLaughlin
The Extravaganza Craft Productions
www.extravaganzacrafts.com
Categories: Announcements
Tags: Art/Craft Business Tips, craft show vendors, Handmade Arts and Crafts, jewelry, marketing handcrafted jewelry
June 18th, 2009
by Shasta McLaughlin
The Extravaganza Craft Productions
copyright 2008
How many times has someone who was trying to help you actually hurt your chances of getting what you wanted? How many times has someone with good intentions tried to help you reach what they saw as your full potential but actually stood in the way of you reaching your dreams? How many times has a pushy salesman stood between you and the car you wanted trying to sell you a different one?
Your job as a business person is to help a customer who already has an idea what they want, find it and then sell it to them. Remember not to stand in the way of them buying your product.
Some Don’ts. Don’t stand in front of your booth (or anyone’s booth) talking to people you haven’t seen in a while catching up. Get their number so you can call later and allow them to move on. Don’t read in your booth. If you work on a project in your booth talk about what you’re doing even when no one is around. Don’t get so caught up in the project that you become unapproachable.
As an art or craft vendor it should be
your goal to discover what every customer
who walks into your booth wants.
First establish a relationship. Smile, say hello, and introduce yourself. Give customers an idea of how things are arranged in your booth. For example say, “Hello, my name is Shasta. Necklaces are here, bracelets over there, and rings are by the checkout stand.” Tell them your special of the day. For example, “Today we’re having a sale on jewelry buy one necklace (valued at $x) and get a free pair of earrings (valued at ($x).” Some show promoters don’t allow sales so be sure that you are not breaking the rules. If you are not allowed to have sales then show the customer the featured item of the day. You don’t always have to run the same special, but if you find one works particularly well for you, use it often.
Narrow the choices. You might allow them to shop a few minutes or you could try to help them narrow their choices. Ask them if they are shopping for themselves or for someone else today. When you know who they are shopping for you narrow down which questions to ask to help make their choice easier.
By asking where a person is from you establish a casual conversation which can give clues to what styles they might be looking for. You can ask them if they like the style most common to their area. For instance people from Montana might like a western or outdoor theme, while people from Florida might like a beach theme. They might like that theme but be looking for something different just because they like to be different. The question is really just meant to give them a way to express what they do and don’t like and what they might be looking for.
You can always ask if they had a specific item in mind, or if they would like you to show them some of your ideas.
Close the sale. When they seem to be stuck ask if they would like to see more options or if you can ring up their selections? They might just be waiting for you to ask for the sale.
Offer an Upsell. Never let a customer who is purchasing just buy the one thing they have picked out. Offer an additional item similar or complimentary to the one they purchased at a small discount. For instance if they decided to buy a platter ask if they would like the matching gravy pitcher for 10% off or offer them two platters for $x.
Keep in contact. Try to collect every customers name, address, phone number, and email address. Ask their permission to add them to your mailing list. Tell them you will be sending relevant product information, specials, notices of where they can find your products. If they will share their birth date with you send them a special discount on their special day. Only mail to customers who give you permission and keep all information relevant. Remember how much you hate junk mail and spam!
Two inexpensive programs for automated email respones are AutoWebBusiness.com and the other is Constant Contact. I highly recommend you check out these two companies if you don’t already have some kind of automated follow up/email system in place.
Listen carefully for the clues your customers give you, that indicate what they are looking for. Watch your sales increase now that you’re an expert in helping them find what they want.
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After posting this message I found this great resource and wanted to share it with you.
How to Sell: Eliminating Obstacles to Sales
To Making Your Business More Profitable,
Shasta
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Categories: Art/Craft Business Tips, Customer Service
Tags: art craft show customer service, art show vendors, Art/Craft Business Tips, improve sales of arts and crafts
June 18th, 2009
I came across these thoughts by Sarah Neuburger owner of The Small Object today and thought I would share them with you.
http://thesmallobject.com/stenopad/wordpress/?p=1111
She also mentions which shows do well for her in her area.
Have a nice day,
Shasta
Categories: Finding Shows, Other Ways to Sell Arts and Crafts
Tags: Craft Business, craft show vendors, craft shows, Selling Crafts Online
June 11th, 2009
by Shasta McLaughlin
The Extravaganza Craft Productions
copyright 2009
I was reading a post by Carla of Cobweb Corner and it got me thinking how she got her prospects (people in her craft show booth) into the buying mood making them buying customers.
Read her post here:
Jewelry Shows – There’s Something about a Sale
The internet marketing gurus I’ve been studying suggest creating a loss leader (a product you lose money on in the beginning to get people buying). They often offer a free product to gain the trust of the prospect and charge shipping on the product because if the customer would pay for shipping they are a qualified buyer.
The thing I didn’t see in her post was after she had her craft show prospects in the buying mood, what she did then.
The thing I’m learning as I study marketing is always offer an upsell or a downsell when a customer is making a purchase.
When you have a customer making a purchase always offer them a complimentary product (meaning a product similar in style or nature to the one they are already purchasing) as an upsell. You can even offer a product that is twice the price of the original one they are buying. Keep offering additional upsells as long as they keep saying yes.
When they say no, offer them a down sell. A down sell can be another lower priced product, a discount on the whole set, or a payment plan.
Tell me what you offer as an upsell or downsell.
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Categories: How to Make Shows Better, Marketing
Tags: art shows, Art/Craft Vendor Hints & Tips, craft shows, Handmade Arts and Crafts, improve sales of arts and crafts, increasing profits from handcrafted arts and crafts, jewelry, marketing handcrafted jewelry, selling jewelry at art and craft shows
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