The article contains suggestions that help you cut costs at craft shows and market your business to grow your craft show business during tough times.

View the article at http://www.art.mt.gov/soa/pr.asp?ID=1289

Thank You Montana Arts Council!

Recently I’ve been getting a lot of calls from craft show vendors who wanted to sign up for my newsletter about craft shows.  When they called they needed a little information about the newsletter and then asked how they could sign up.  I lost the sale when I referred them to my website because I’m not set up to take orders over the phone.  What could I have done better?

I could have  signed on to my website and walked them through the process.  This way I would have guided them through the purchase rather than leaving them to go to the site on their own.  I could have also collected their name and address while talking to them so that I could contact them later if they didn’t go and sign up right away.

Craft show vendors know when your customer is ready to make a purchase and guide them to the cash register.  Don’t walk away before the sale is completed.

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Shasta:  Tell us a little bit about yourself i.e. how old you are? Where you grew up etc.
David:  I grew up just outside of Hamilton Ontario Canada and I turned 44 this year.  Once you get into your 40′s time seems to pass pretty fast.

Shasta:  How long have you been doing arts and crafts?
David:  Ever since I was a kid I have worked with my hands. Most kids do crafts but mine quickly escalated into wood working with the available hand tools, electronics, and making rustic clothing. Very diversified interests.

I could often be found modifying something I had bought to make it work just the way I wanted.

I finally opened my business in 1987.

Shasta:  How did you get started?
David:  As you can see I have always enjoyed working with my hands. One day I was in a tourist town just being a tourist, and stopped in an artistic blacksmith’s shop. He was working on some project at the time but I was entranced with the fire and the ease of manipulating the metal when it was hot. I watched for several hours fascinated.

When it was time to leave I saw that he gave classes so I signed up for his basic course. That was followed by his intermediate course, then I ended up working for him.

At the time I was going to university to become a geological engineer, but working for the blacksmith to pay my way.

When I got my degree there were not a lot of jobs in my field where I lived but I still needed to pay my bills. The part time blacksmithing became a full time occupation.  A sink or swim situation. Fortunately starting part time I had narrowed down some selling products, and some craft shows that paid well for me.

Shasta:  What products do you make?
David:  Artistic blacksmithing is not your average craft. It takes a number of years to acquire the skills and tools to create really interesting work. The good news was I could make simple low cost items, and these are ideal for craft fairs and markets.

When I started I made 100′s of hooks and candle holders. These were my bread and butter items. In essence these were simple rods of steel shaped and forged a bit then bent into the required shape. Very functional and more esthically pleasing than what you buy from the hardware store.

Think of one man mass production.

Over the years my skills and markets evolved. I still produce some hooks and similar items but now I do more sculptural art pieces and home furnishings, and custom window grills.

Shasta:  What types of shows do you find work best for selling your product?
David:  There are three types of shows that work well for me.

The first is the common “juried” art and craft show. Juried is in quotes because I have found the non-juried shows pulled in a buying crowd that really didn’t want to spend the money for hand crafted items. In a juried show I at least stood a chance of not being set up beside someone who is importing their product.

Some juried art and craft shows were better than others. A lot depended on location and the education level of the people attending the show. I also use this type of show to advertise for my custom work and the blacksmith classes I teach. Usually lots of people through, giving maximum exposure.

This type of show was for not only targeting immediate sales but future sales. A cheap form of advertising and make money at the same time.

The second type of show I use is a wholesale trade show. For me this is the most enjoyable show to do. I only take sample products and only store owners are allowed to attend. These are well educated people who know exactly what will fit in their store. They don’t waste your time.

Qualified store owners order my product months ahead of time from my samples at the show. I take my orders home make the products ship them out. 30 days later the store sends me a check (called net 30). I don’t have to deal with retail customers have a huge inventory of stock and be constantly looking for new shows to do.

There is one day to set up and a day to tear down. I don’t have to do a show every weekend.

The third type of show I do is the high end art or designer show. This is completely different than the other shows. I take only a couple of high end art pieces. This show is not about sales. It is all about handing out business cards. Or now in some cases portfolios on CD’s.

Virtually no sales are made at this type of show. It is all about the contacts. Galleries, designers, architects, and knowledgeable end use customers. Things are discussed in abstract terms, such as can you do such and such. When can you complete this project. It is a lot of fun but there is a good deal of pressure to be polished and not how I am in the workshop.

Shasta:  Tell us some of the other avenues you use to market your crafts for instance internet, gift and specialty stores, catalogs etc.
David:  The internet has had a huge impact on my business. For literaly pennies you can have 24/7/365 advertising. The down side is there is a steep learning curve and the computer will use up a huge amount of time at first.

I strongly recommend to every craft person that they have a webpage. One that they pay for and either set up themselves or have someone build, not a free one. The most common question I use to be asked at shows was “Do you make all this your self?”  Now the most common question “Do you have a web page?”

What do we commonly do, when we want something or want to learn about something. The first thing typically is hop on the internet and go to google and type in what we are searching. I am guessing that if a person has internet access this is what they do first 99.9% of the time.

So if your craft page comes up in the search listings boom you are right in front of a potential customer. This customer could be anywhere in the world. Don’t be afraid of shipping things outside your country. It increases your market potential hugely.

Ebay is another vast source of customers. Easy to set up and sell an item in a few minutes. You can even set up an online store through ebay for your craft. No shows, storefront overhead, less staff to pay, works for you 24/7. All kinds of plusses.

Shasta:  If you don’t mind sharing how your income breaks down by percentages of income sources, in an average year.
David:  That is a bit tricky and it has changed over the years. When I first started 90% of my income was directly through craft show retail sales. The other 10% was custom work that was generated at the craft shows. This was my only outlet and only advertising.

After a couple of years things shifted a bit. I took on the wholesale trade shows and dropped a number of smaller craft shows. The wholesale shows accounted for 40%, craft shows 20%, teaching blacksmithing, 30% and custom work 10%.

Now with the internet there is a new mix. 20% from wholesale shows, 80% income from the internet. See how important a website is. Of that 80%, 40% is for custom work, and 40% is related to teaching.

I do very few retail shows now.

Shasta:  What tip do you feel has improved your business the most?
David:  Learn html and build your own website. If you absolutely dread learning code (html is not that hard) hire a high school student with the html ability. A web presence is so important now.

Shasta:  Tell us about the book you wrote and how it can help us improve our businesses.
David:  I wrote How to Be Successful in Your Craft Business to help people recognize when to get help and what they can do by themselves. It is not at all about blacksmithing.

When I was just starting out I was on a shoe string budget for everything. Remember I had just finished university with a rather large debt, and many other commitments.  Anything that cost money to do I usually shied away from.

This meant that I did everything with my business. Making the product was the work that actually paid, but I did the accounting, the photography, customer calling, advertising, product development…. the list goes on and on. Later I realized I would have made far more money (had I just done what I like the most, the smithing) if I had divided up these responsibilities and yes even paid for people to do them.

Over the years many good friends have helped me with suggestions from booth design to marketing principals to product suggestions. They just wanted to help out.  This book is my way of giving back to the community. I do believe that you need to balance things in your life.

The book covers many of the mistakes I made as well as areas I would still recommend people tackle themselves. I detail the different selling options I have used, areas for advertising, accounting, show planning, collecting overdue accounts, and much more. It is really the nut and bolts of everything that I didn’t get paid for.  The whole running of my craft business.

How to Be Successful in Your Craft Business is equally applicable for someone doing stained glass, stuffed teddy bears, or blacksmithing.

I am hoping to help a few people save their time and headaches by giving them my insights from over 20 years in this business.

Shasta:  As I said feel free to tell us anything else that you think is pertinent.
David:  Any sort of craft business is not the easiest business to be in. It is directly tied to disposable income. It can be profitable but there is often more behind the scenes work, than what you do that actually pays your bills. Many of us start our craft business for a love of the work. Taking a few moments every now and then to remember what inspired us in the first place helps keep our craft fresh.

David Robertson is an Artist Blacksmith who has been working in the craft industry for over 20 years. He
makes his living creating sculptural art work and teaching.

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by Shasta McLaughlin
The Extravaganza Craft Productions

Parts of this 7 part series have been reprinted with permission from the article “7 Common Disconnects In Retail Business” by Pam Grimm of Ideaco.  Click here to see Pam’s full article.

7 Common Disconnects In Retail Business

By Pamela Grimm, Ideaco

7.  No asking for the business: Not once did anyone say… “We want to be the store you come to for your crafting needs….we want your business!” There was no attitude of we want to impress you and guarantee your return to keep you as a customer. No one asked “Have we met your needs today?” They would say… “Did you get everything you needed?” instead of asking if there was more that they could do to meet my needs today! I was surprised at just how little interest there was in gaining my business.

How to Ask for Business

Remember that the value of every customer is equal to the total of their purchases over the length of time they will be your customer.  When you remember the potential value of every customer over a life time of purchases it’s easier to offer exceptional customer service.  Customers are looking for exceptional customer service something that sets your business apart from everyone else.

Remember make a positive impression, show your interest in your customers, share your product knowledge, and find the customers needs.  Present the customer with the benefits of the product as they apply to them, offer the options they need like customization, ability to pay by check, money order or credit card, free gift wrapping and shipping to any address.

Ask the customer if you have met their needs and listen quietly to what they say.  Take notes if necessary and carefully consider if you can provide their needs. Is the value of that customer worth the time and money that you will spend to meet their needs?

Meet the needs of your customers with a wow and they will keep coming back for more!

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Okay I admit it!  I’m addicted to Sorority Life on Facebook for my family it’s Mafia Wars.  Sorority Life is a game where you do things like the girls in a sorority would.  You must add a certain number of new friends every level or you are bound to be beat.  You can send your friends gifts and vote for them etc.

So you are asking me what does this have to do with my art or craft show booth?

Well you only have so many friends you can invite each day.  You need to add that many or suffer the consequences.  Many people that you invite will probably not even be interested in playing the game with you.  A large percentage of the people you invite will not respond at all and many will not respond right away.

This is like your craft show customers, it is important to contact the people most likely to buy your craft.  The more people you contact who are interested in buying your product each day the more chances you have of finding the ones that will buy the most product from you. Continue to contact people who truly aren’t interested and you waste both time and money.

You need to try to contact a certain number of the prospects you should have collected at your last art or craft show each day of the week.  Give them a gentle reminder of who you are.  Offer them useful-useful to them, not to you-information about your product or service.   Offer them an incentive to buy right now for instance a coupon that is good for a limited time.

The people who aren’t prepared to buy your art or craft right away will appreciate the reminder that they still planned on buying your merchandise.  Contact them when they are ready and they are likely to become buyers.  Forget to contact them and when they are ready to buy they might buy from your competition.

Like your friends in Sorority Life your craft show customer likes to receive gifts.  Gifts make them feel appreciated and help them to trust you.  Your gifts can be small things like discounts, buy one get one xx% off, or a free newsletter or information about the product they bought.

You also need to be aware of your customers rights when collecting contact information.  Ask your customer if it will be alright to add them to your mailing list.  Let them know the valuable information that you will be sending.  Don’t do this and just like in sorority life you will be banned from sending messages to them.

The friends you add in Sorority Life also often add you as a Facebook friend and if done respectfully you might find some new prospects and customers there for your craft business.

See what you can learn about marketing from the games you play in your life.

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• Ceramics
• Digital Media/Photography
• Furniture Design/Wood/Sculpture
• Painting & Drawing
• Printmaking
• Sculpture

…interested in improving their art through living, breathing, and creating their art at an artist in residency program should get more information at http://www.andersonranch.org/residencies/index.php?page=residency-overview

Application deadline for the Fall 2010/Spring 2011 Artists’ Residency program is FEBRUARY 1, 2010. Notifications to applicants/recipients will be made by early April.

by Shasta McLaughlin
The Extravaganza Craft Productions

Parts of this 7 part series have been reprinted with permission from the article “7 Common Disconnects In Retail Business” by Pam Grimm of Ideaco.  Click here to see Pam’s full article.

7 Common Disconnects In Retail Business

By Pamela Grimm, Ideaco

6.  Lack of service options: In many stores, customer service failed miserably. Most think that service equals sales explanation, however it doesn’t; it equals a sales pitch. When we did gather and pile up products that we might want to purchase no one offered to take our pile up to the counter, or get us a basket or cart. We were not offered to have a product explained to us to ensure that we knew how to work the new “gadget” we had just bought. When a product was out of stock, rarely was there an option to have it ordered in and we would be called when it arrived. Overall, there were no WOW factors being provided in the customer service end of retail.

Improve Customer Service

As mentioned earlier in the series customers want to know how a product or service improves their lives.  Explain to the customer how the product or service will benefit them.  When the customer has narrowed down their choices, offer to carry their purchases to the counter.

If your craft needs explaning take the time to show the customer how to install and use it.

Offer to create a customized product for your customers if you don’t have the perfect one for them.  Offer to ship it to them.

The more ways that your service stands out from the competition the more likely that customers will purchase from you instead of them.  Think what service options you would like if you were a customer and provide as many as you can.  Every time you offer a new option-whether it’s another way to make payments, gift wrapping, customization, or shipping to the customer-you set yourself apart from the competition.

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Shasta:  Tell us a little bit about yourself i.e. how old you are? Where you grew up etc.

James:  I grew up in Houston Texas, sometimes working in my father’s retail clothing business in my early teens. In my twenties, my dad expanded to 4 stores and incorporated. I was expected to take over the business and it seemed like the logical choice. Meanwhile, I had a side interest — studying human potential – as in personal growth through consciousness raising practices.

I had come across a Sufi master from Baghdad who traveled around the world teaching ancient techniques for increasing one’s perceptions and intelligence. In a workshop with this man, who seemed straight out of the Arabian Nights, he told me I should quit my job – that it was holding me back from the work I would be doing later on.

Needless to say, this created quite a lot of stress. On the one hand, my father’s business was a golden opportunity. And on the other hand, I could spend some unknown amount of time walking a path that stretched back into antiquity with no clear promise of anything my Western mind could grasp. But it was the call of adventure into the unknown that finally won out.

Shasta: How did you get started?

James:  Once on my own, I had to find work to support myself in between attending sessions with the Sufi teacher. He suggested I become a weaver and start a business selling my work.

Shasta:  How long have you been doing arts and crafts?

James:  The time was around 1984. At first, I was totally resistant to the idea of becoming a weaver. But when I plunged into learning the craft and began selling pieces, I became very enthused. My third show brought in almost $6,000 in sales.

Of course, the money was a big motivator. What I didn’t expect, was a change in the way my mind worked as a result of immersion in the craft of weaving. I learned years later that Sufis traditionally sent students to apprentice under craftsmen in order to both learn a practical skill and also to engage the creative part of the mind on a regular basis. The result is a change of world view along with a healthy side benefit of having a profitable business.

Shasta:  What products do you make?

James:  I wove wearable art in the form of women’s garments, since there seemed to be a steady demand. Eventually, I also began making rugs and wall hangings, too. The end products weren’t as important to me as the involvement with creating the patterns and the arrangement of the colors.

Shasta:  What types of shows do you find work best for selling your product?

James:  My pieces typically sold for between $75 and $150. The shows that performed best for me were the high-end art and crafts shows. Juried shows tended to be good selling events for my work. I also exhibited at some ‘country craft’ shows, but they were a complete waste of time and money because the attendees were there for low-priced items.

Shasta:  Tell us some of the other avenues you use to market your crafts for instance internet, gift and specialty stores, catalogs etc.

James:  In addition to shows, I sold in galleries, specialty shops, gift stores and cooperative galleries. At one point, my pieces were on display in locations in Manhattan, Sedona, Denver, Boulder, Santa Fe, San Antonio and in the Grand Canyon, to name a few.

Shasta:  If you don’t mind sharing about how much you make on selling arts and crafts in an average year.

James:  My gross sales were between $50,000 and $100,000 a year depending on how much I worked. I never felt compelled to work all the time. You have to enjoy life too.

Shasta: What tip do you feel has improved your business the most?

Probably the most important thing I’ve learned over the years of being a craftsperson and also a writer, publisher and speaker, is that the things that move you — things you jump out of bed in the morning to do — are worth paying the most attention to. The idea that we have to work hard to be successful just doesn’t hold true. You can make money playing — having fun doing what you enjoy doing. And not only can you, but this is what you should focus on most. Because wealth isn’t just money in the bank, it’s also a measure of the moments in your day and how rich they are in experience. My immersion in a craft that I came to love taught me that you can shape your own destiny just as you shape your craft. Of course, if you prefer to work “hard” and suffer, no one can stand in your way.

Shasta:  Tell us about the books you wrote and how they can help us improve our businesses.

James:  After several years as a professional craft artist, I began writing books teaching others what I learned about starting and growing a craft business. There are now five books in a series and you can read more about my Craft Business Success Package and what others have to say about my advice at www.craftmarketer.com. The library of material delivers over 770 pages of ideas on selling crafts, pricing, finding shows, working with stores and galleries, selling through a website and on eBay and lots more.

One of the chief obstacles I found in growing my own business ventures has always been that I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I think, and my reviewers tend to echo this, that I help readers learn the missing chunks of what they need to get started and to take the next steps to grow their business to the level they are going to be happy with.

Shasta:  Feel free to tell us anything else that you think is pertinent.

James:  As I mentioned earlier, focus your most important time and resources on what you are most passionate about. It will give you the strength and determination to persevere in the face of challenges.

I will also say that the clearer your vision of what you want to achieve from your craft or any other kind of venture, the more certain its attainment. Just as you envision a finished craft piece before you begin to shape it, envision your business and how it will serve your life aims and then it will just be a matter of taking the necessary steps to enjoying the fruits of your labor.

About James Dillehay:
James Dillehay is a professional craft artist and entrepreneur. He is author of seven books and has been written about in The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, Bottom Line Personal, Family Circle, The Crafts Report, Sunshine Artist, and many more, including being a guest on HGTV’s The Carroll Duvall Show. James has been listed in Who’s Who of Entrepreneurs and is a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach. He creates content and provides a free newsletter for craft artists at www.craftmarketer.com

Links in this post are affiliate links.  If you buy products from the links in this post The Extravaganza will receive a commission.

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by Shasta McLaughlin
The Extravaganza Craft Productions

Parts of this 7 part series have been reprinted with permission from the article “7 Common Disconnects In Retail Business” by Pam Grimm of Ideaco.  Click here to see Pam’s full article.

7 Common Disconnects In Retail Business

By Pamela Grimm, Ideaco

5.  Lack of sales skills: Too often a salesperson could give information, but not transition the conversation into a sale. More than not, staff members would walk away with apparently no regard for whether the customer had actually picked up the product or were going to purchase anything. We were given a very informal information session that did not inspire or motivate us to purchase that product. 90% of the stores did not even show us a sample or give a mini demo on how the product could be used or create an urgency to purchase. In many stores we walked in, asked questions, got brief answers and walked out without purchasing anything.

How to Transition to a Sale

Be sure to answer customers questions with the benefits of the product to them not the features.  Remember they want to know how the product will solve a problem for them, save them time or money, or make their life easier.  People make emotional purchases, help them feel this product will help them in some way.

Show your art or craft in the setting it will be used.  It requires less imagination for your customers to see it in use in that setting.  Demonstrate the benefits of the product to the customer.

Artists and crafters are often afraid of being too pushy and possibly driving customers away.  Fear makes us too reserved and passive.  Be assertive not agressive.  Remember when customers enter your booth they are interested in buying your product.  Asking them to make the purchase isn’t being pushy as long as you take, “No” as well as you take, “Yes.”  Remember the worst thing they can say is, “No.”  Be as grateful for the customer who doesn’t purchase as you are for the one who buys.  Not every customer is going to make a purchase, so don’t take it personally.  Remember that every NO leads you one encounter closer to the big sale.

When the customer seems to be standing there looking like they’re lost, ask if you have answered all of they’re questions.  If you’ve answered all their questions they may need some prompting.  Ask if you can ring up their purchases for them?  Ask them if you can bag them up for them?  Ask if you can take the crafts to the counter for them?

By asking the customer if they would like to purchase you’re giving them one more opportunity to think about the product without allowing them to talk themselves out of the purchase.

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by Shasta McLaughlin
The Extravaganza Craft Productions

Parts of this 7 part series have been reprinted with permission from the article “7 Common Disconnects In Retail Business” by Pam Grimm of Ideaco.  Click here to see Pam’s full article.

7 Common Disconnects In Retail Business

By Pamela Grimm, Ideaco

4.  Assuming not Assessing: When a staff person could speak about products, she often told everything she knew about it before asking any questions. Most of the time the information was not even relevant to the question or need. We found most staff members don’t bother to probe for information to meet a customer’s need; they download all they know in hopes they have covered it.

How to Assess A Customers Needs

They say to assume makes an @$$ out of you and me.  To assess what a customer needs you need to ask questions and hear the answers.  Don’t get ahead of yourself and spill everything that you know about the product instead simply answer the question.  When you’ve answered the question if they don’t say anything  wait a few seconds and ask another question, it could be that they are considering one product over another or how much money they have to spend or it could be that they are waiting for you to ask for the sale.

Questions that might help you know what they would like are:

1. Are you buying for someone special today?  This tells you if they are looking for childrens items, items for teens, adult items or items for the elderly.
2. Are you buying for a special occasion:?  People need different kinds of things for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and everyday.
3. Are you looking for a particular style?  Depending on your craft your merchandise will have some varying styles some things might be more modern or contemporary, others might be more country, some things will be Victorian or classic.  Things like jewelry will vary from an abstract random pattern to a symmetrical pattern that repeats itself.  Some of your items may have an Americana flair while others might have an ethnic flair from other regions.  Some items will be more natural while others may be more synthetic, some may be recycled.
4. If they are buying for themselves you can ask if they are buying to match a particular outfit?  What color is it?
5. What are their favorite colors?
6. When the choices have been narrowed you might ask if you have answered all their questions.

Your job at this stage is to discover their questions and answer them while narrowing the choices.  It’s a fine art but you’re a creative person you can do it!

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