I have a new series percolating on manifesting for our maker businesses, but just realized I hadn't posted anything about my exhibit at NYIGF last month!
(my bad)
So here are my top 10 lessons learned (most the hard way) that anyone considering a tradeshow to offer their handmade whoseewhatsee to industry might find helpful.
(I am all about being helpful after all ... and perky ... I am all about being helpful and perky ... or wait that might be what Olive is all about, but some of her habits have rubbed off on me over the years - luckily not her habit of trying to impregnate the beach towels)
NOTE - wholesale selling is not an absolute step for growing a handmade business (in fact it can put you out of business) and trade show selling is not an absolute step for growing a wholesale business - I am rethinking this myself.
1. Location is very important.
Your customer will not walk this entire show - it is huge. I had a good location - not a great one. Next time I will have a great one.
(now you get what you pay for with this and I have been told you have to pay your dues a bit- will have to let you know about that one - with smaller venues where customers walk the entire show this is less important)
2. Display your items the way a store would.
This is the first show where I set up display packages to show customers exactly how my makings could work and look in their stores and it made a huge difference.
I am very sure it doubled my sales.
(also don't expect buyers to buy things you haven't displayed - they come to the shows to see the real thing, not pictures)
3. Buyers don't just want to hear how great your whoseewhatsee is - they want to hear how well it sells.
Wholesale requires a different pitch. This time I focused on my proven selling track record first before I talked about how cool and amazing my makings are. Buyers and store owners have almost certainly made buying mistakes with new sellers in the past and can be gun shy about placing first orders - you want to make things easy for them.
4. Brick and Mortars have different needs than our own retail websites.
I sell picture jewelry. Online I can have hundreds of images - stores can't carry that kind of variety. They need just the right customer to come into their store to purchase my whoseewhatsee - things have to be a little more wide-appealing for them (they may not get a customer who just has to have an orange octopus on a cork walk into their store). You may need to think about this.
5. Your show neighbors are not your competition - play nice.
I have done shows where it is obvious that everyone feels in competition with everyone else - this was not one of those shows. I do not feel the need to compete with anyone (maybe because I am old and tired - ack!) - I believe in setting up my business to draw my right customers to me and I do. I make jewelry. So do alot of other people. There is no store that is selling my jewelry that is not selling alot of other people's jewelry, too - we are not in competition with each other.
6. Get credit card numbers.
Buyers do not want to pay until their items ship, which is usually weeks and sometimes even months after they order. I get it. I am OK with that for the most part. I still need to be more proactive with credit card numbers so I am not playing phone tag for weeks.
7. Follow up. Alot of this show is about connections - make the most of them. I believe in multiple contacts with the same store (rather then contacting a bunch of stores then moving on to a new bunch of stores).
(I know from my banking days we had much greater success with traditional advertising campaigns when we targeted the same customers again and again - maybe they got familiar with our name and felt more comfortable, maybe we just wore them down - I'm not sure, but I know it works)
At previous shows I got overwhelmed with my contact list and didn't follow-up like I should. This time I have and can already see results.
8. Be yourself. This is what branding is all about. I have been told my display is too busy (could be), that my banner makes people at a distance think I sell dog products (could be), that my display is too eco (as in eco-friendly) but since I am a busy, dog-loving, eco-friendly maker I stick with being myself.
9. Lighting. You need great lighting. Next time I'll have great lighting.
10. Never take antibiotics on an empty stomach - I was on antibiotics during this show and knew this warning - always thought it had something to do with the medicine digesting probably - but running late one morning without breakfast I took one and found myself running to the restroom 15 minutes later and continuing to be very nauseous for about an hour - of course when you think about what antibiotics actually are this makes perfect sense. When I am old and gray (or maybe I should say older and grayer) this is the lesson that will stick with me best from this show ...
