Art show and market etiquette

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi

very good point this

I don't even sit down. I am at the counter ready and waiting and
approachable.

This is not good for your body for long periods. Getting up out of a
chair is very tiring.

So I have a stool that takes very little effort to stand up from. I
can easily chat to the customers from the stool and tell them to pick
it up if you want to have a look. When they do pick up a piece I
stand up and talk to them about the piece.

Doing shows requires patience. Today did a big one, Woolgoolga Curry
Festival. Don’t get the Bollywood music but wow did it get the crowds
going some crazy mosh pit or what. Any way point being sales were
very slow till the tourists got up and came to the festival. Made it
a good day.

now experience has taught me not to stress slow sales as the
customers pick up on this.

The best attitude is not to act like you need the sales. I write
down times next to my sales by 10.30 only sold $20.

By 11.30 did hundreds.

Do not go around boasting how much you have sold. There will always
be those who sold little. And do not appreciate hearing how much you
made. Don’t make their bad day worse by rubbing their nose in it.

Tell them you did OK if you did well. OK is better than I sold $1200
when they sold less than it cost to do the market.

Shows and markets are a hard life, but can be a lot of fun and can
make some serious $. As Joy points out you need to know what the
customers like. The magic price points for me are $25 and $50, these
are bread and butter sales. Yes I sell higher priced items but most
sales are $50 or less. I make very good profit on them and everyone
can afford them.

all the best
Richard

2

Richard,

I could not agree more with every single thing you said.

I will add that one must keep a positive attitude. Lookers will
become buyers if you are smiling, warm and upbeat (but genuinely not
false).

I look at shows as a way to connect with people and share my art
whether just by words exchanged between people or by sending a small
piece of my heart (my art) home with them.

Sitting alone in my studio everyday makes me look forward to the
interaction with others. Shows are a great way to keep the balance.

Laney

3

For artists who are fairly new with selling at shows or not
comfortable with the process there is a good resource available to
help. Bruce Baker, brucebakerinc, has a CD, Dynamic Sales and
Customer Service Techniques. He talks about the customer thought
process, how to talk to them, what to do while customers are
looking, closing the sale. I’ve recommended his work when teaching
crafters how to do shows. He also has Booth Design and Merchandising
and Your Slides and the Jury, also good resources.

Pat Gebes