3 Ways To Up Your Game At Your Next Market
Whether you’re a first timer or a seasonal seller, there are hundreds of ways to approach and refine your strategy as a vendor. These three tips can help you up your game at your next event!
1. Set Up Your Display From A Customer’s Perspective
Customers are going to be walking past dozens of booths, so you want to be able to capture their attention fast. One way to do this is by giving them a clear snapshot of what your booth offers by displaying as much as you can.
I know it can be easy to put products in baskets or stack them on top of each other. However, this doesn’t show off all your items and invites people to dig through your display. Customers don’t know all the variations of prints you have or what sizes you may offer.
Try grouping things together to help you save space, such as a stack of the same prints or baskets of the same items. This will help keep things tidy, but also make it easier for customers to find something they may like. If you have any wearable items, have a mirror so someone can see what a product looks like when worn.
Another tip is to make sure everything is priced. Items get picked up and moved, and people don’t always read every sign. Putting a price sticker on everything ahead of time can ease the confusion for customers during the event, and keep you from having to answer the question, “How much does this cost?” all day long.
2. Spruce Up Your Packaging
Most events don’t provide any bags or boxes for purchased items, making it your responsibility to package up products someone buys from your booth. This is a great way to leave a lasting impression on your customers! Things you can add to your packaging include:
Instructions & care cards
Thank you notes
Business cards
Discount codes or coupons
Extras like stickers
Paper confetti
Free samples
If you like to pay attention to little details, you could go the extra mile by matching the packaging to your branding. This could be custom boxes with your logo, tissue paper matching your brand colors, or bows and lace that match your brand’s theme. Make sure you have enough of your packing items, plus additional items like scissors or tape, to make the process run more smoothly. Whatever you don’t use at this event can be used at your next one!
Be mindful you may need some space in your booth to package up items and process transactions. It’s easy to fill your whole booth space with displays and products, but set aside some room for purchases and packaging. This will keep you from fumbling around with someone’s cash or card, and prevent you from accidentally dropping an item.
3. Let Customers Order Custom Items
It can be tricky to sell custom items at an event, but customizations can be a huge draw in for many customers. So, how do you sell custom stuff at an event? Easy—offer order forms! This allows you to still make a sale and satisfy your customers.
This can also be a handy trick when you have a product sell out, or maybe you offer something in a different size, color, or other customization that you currently don’t have on hand. Now everyone can still get a product from you; you just need to ship these orders as quickly as possible once the event ends.
When using an order form at an event, be sure to gather a customer’s contact information and shipping information so they can receive their product later on. You will also want to provide an estimated production and shipping time so people know what to expect.
Stay Safe & Have Fun!
It’s important to take care of yourself during events, so remember to keep water and snacks on hand. Also take some time to get to know your vendor neighbors; this is a great way to network with other crafters.
You also want to keep your business safe with event insurance. It’s easy, fast, and cheap to get a policy with ACT Insurance. We offer policies for 1–3 days, 7 days, or 90 days, allowing you to stay insured for one show or one season. We also offer year-round coverage with general and product liability insurance through our annual policy. Prices start at $49 and it only takes a few minutes to buy a policy online.
Now go and make the most out of your next event!