I’ve heard that if I price my work higher, buyers will think it is worth more and are more likely to buy it. Is this true in the world of crafts? On the one hand, I don’t want to lose buyers because they think my work is overpriced. But on the other hand, I don’t want to lose out on profit because I priced my work too low. How does this concept work in this industry?
-Jillian Disa, Portland, Maine
There certainly is something to be said about perceived value. Let’s understand perceived value to mean value not related to the cost of materials and production. Why would anyone pay $500 for a pair of jeans when perfectly serviceable ones are available for less than $100?
Perhaps it has to do with words like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Dolce&Gabbana, all well-known brand names. People know that they are paying more for the jeans because they have designer labels that relate to a brand that is known for quality and good design, not because the cost of time and materials justifies the price. The perceived value here will be enhanced by the satisfaction the purchaser will get when people notice and recognize the choices that have been made.
So now for your work. You don’t say what you make or anything about the position of your brand in the marketplace. Both of these factors influence what the consumer is willing to pay for an object. For instance, the typical customer will pay more for a goblet blown by a well-known glass artist than they will for one from an unknown maker. Please read the third question for my ideas about getting the price right in terms of profitability. In addition, consider the fame factor—if you are well-known and sell your work easily, then you are probably in a position to increase your prices (gradually would be best) and not lose sales.
I’ve heard that if I price my work higher, buyers will think it is worth more and are more likely to buy it. Is this true in the world of crafts? On the one hand, I don’t want to lose buyers because they think my work is overpriced. But on the other hand, I don’t want to lose out on profit because I priced my work too low. How does this concept work in this industry?
Twenty-five years ago, craft buyers attending the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®) would have found a new, modestly sized product division, American and International Craft. Small companies offered mainly American-made, contemporary craft, largely focused on home décor. Today, Handmade® has evolved into a destination market with a renewed focus on superior design and craftsmanship, and two new sections classifying artisans by process and provenance. This extensive, juried selection of cross-category handcrafted items runs August 14-18, with a notable increase in the quality and quantity of participating artisans.
One of the most significant changes ever made in Handmade will be unveiled during its 25th anniversary this summer, with the creation of two separate collections, Handmade Designer Maker, showcasing 360 limited-production makers—across all categories and media—from around the world, and Handmade Global Design, featuring 150 international resources which combine sophisticated design with traditional artisanal techniques.
“It now will be much simpler for buyers to find the kind of craft they’re looking for,” said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president. “There is a clearer distinction between categories, and exhibitors are presented in two easy-to-shop venues.”
Handmade Designer Maker
What hasn’t changed over the past quarter century is that craft remains the arena within which individual artisans express personal statements, rather than follow trends. Craftspeople follow their own design direction, creating products defined by their own hand. The new Handmade Designer Maker section will showcase artists from around the world, including Robert Held Art Glass, Rustico, Swallow and Flying Anvil Designs. Groups of international designer makers will be showcased within the German Pavilion and the British Crafts Council.
Handmade Designer Maker will make its debut in the new, 40,000-square foot Javits Center North. The buyer-friendly facility features natural light, longer, more spacious aisles and a column-free layout.
Companies offering “Made in the USA” products, such as Christmas Cove Designs Inc., Aster & Sage and Scott Potter Designs, will be located throughout this section, identified by a new “Made in the USA” logo. “Recently, we’ve noticed many buyers demanding domestic products,” notes Jefferson Cotton of Christmas Cove Designs. “They’re actually pinning us down as to the origin of production.”
This August, two Designer Maker exhibitors, Barrick Design Inc. and Fire & Light Glass, are collaborating to introduce a collection of candles with glass candleholders. “Over time, Handmade has become more diverse, introducing products from all over the globe,” notes Rick Faulkner of Barrick Design, one of Handmade’s charter exhibitors. “Dividing imported craft from American or designer-produced objects will allow buyers to focus on what’s important to them.”
Handmade Global Design
The focus of Handmade Global Design is not only import resources, but also those exemplifying good design, traditional craftsmanship and community building through global artisan workshops.
Located in the Javits Center’s Hall 1D, Global Design will include individual companies such as Aid to Artisans, Creative Women, TribalLinks and WeaveTree, as well as international design groups like ProMexico, the Israel Export Institute and Amcham from Peru.
Gloria Delaney of Dwelling LLC, another charter exhibitor, is now located in Global Design, providing her the opportunity to meet savvy craft buyers who appreciate artisanal talent. “The common denominator between the two new categories remains high-quality products exhibiting true design characteristics,” observes Delaney. “Product quality in Handmade has improved ten-fold over the years.”
This summer, Dwelling plans to re-introduce Einstein Bowls from Haiti. Production began before the devastating earthquake hit the island. The workshop narrowly escaped damage, and now houses workers who lost their homes.
Expect quality and quantity
Recognition of Handmade’s prominence among craft markets, coupled with an economic upswing, resulted in a marked increase in exhibitor applications for summer 2010. A surging design trend is simple, clean lines, and an absence of fuss. Buyers will find more glass and ceramics resources, and fewer jewelry suppliers. Craft artists recognize the advantage of meeting buyers from other categories by being part of a large gift market. Quality is ensured because each section has its own jury of experts who can identify the “best” within each category. TCR
Twenty-five years ago, craft buyers attending the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®) would have found a new, modestly sized product division, American and International Craft. Small companies offered mainly American-made, contemporary craft, largely focused on home décor.
I’ve had my wood-carving business for a number of years, and now I am ready to get my work into more galleries and shops. However, I’m not sure that I have the time and experience necessary to do this. Should I hire an artist’s broker/representative? I’ve heard varying opinions (some strong) about this. Would it be beneficial to hire one? Or should I just press on and try to do my own representation?
Whether you get e-mail addresses from people in personat a trade show, froma sign-up book or through collecting Whether you get e-mail addresses from people in personat a trade show, froma sign-up book or through collecting their business cards, always remember the following
rules of e-mail marketing sign-ups.When people sign
up for e-mail marketing communications from you,
follow these three simple rules:
1. Tell prospects what they’ll get in return for giving
you their e-mail address. Consider giving them a special
discount or offer just for providing their e-mail.
2. Tell them how often they can expect your emails,
and if they’ll be informational or offer-driven.
3. Once they sign up, send them a welcome e-mail.
Use this opportunity to once again illustrate the
value you’ll be providing them with your e-mail
marketing updates.
There are many creative ways to grow your e-mail lists
that will help you better market and sell your work. If
you remember to provide value through your e-mails
and only e-mail people who have agreed to receive
communications from your business, you will continue
to maintain a set of happy and engaged customers.TCR
About the author: Janine Popick is the CEO and founder of VerticalResponse, a leading provider of self-service e-mail marketing, online surveys and direct mail services em powering small businesses to create, manage and analyze their own direct marketing campaigns. Popick is a columnist for Inc.’sWomen in Business blog. In her spare time, she is VerticalResponse’s Chief Executive Blogger for the VerticalResponse Marketing Blog for small businesses. Follow her on Twitter @janinepopick. This is an excerpt from 7 Ways to Grow Your E-mail List in the June 2010 issue of The Crafts Report.
Whether you get e-mail addresses from people in person at a trade show, from a sign-up book or through collecting their business cards, always remember the following rules of e-mail marketing sign-ups.
When packaging up a purchase, I use cheap plastic bags. However, I’ve noticed other artists using the more expensive craft paper bags, bags with their brand name embossed on the front or even cloth bags with their names printed on them.Is expensive packaging really necessary?
I’ve created my own website, but I don’t sell off of it. How often should I update it: every week, every month, or quarterly? I’m not sure what buyers expect, or what the industry is dictating right now. I usually change it when the changes needed are worth the time it will take from my schedule.
To be a successful marketing tool a website needs the same attention as any bricks and mortar business. You don’t say why you have a site if you don’t sell from it. However, if you mean customers have to call you to make a purchase, you are truly selling from your site. I also don’t know if you are a production artist or one-of-a-kind maker. These are factors that would influence the frequency of updates. A craftsperson producing a line that changes once or twice a year may not have much to add in between. On the other hand, a one-of-a-kind maker would want to get each new body of work online as quickly as possible. Either use makes sense under the right circumstances. But neither use will achieve the full selling potential unless you keep them current. Each time you make changes to your site, you will want to send an e-blast about it to your mailing list.
I’ve created my own website, but I don’t sell off of it. How often should I update it: every week, every month or quarterly? I’m not sure what buyers expect, or what the industry is dictating right now. I usually change it when the changes needed are worth the time it will take from my schedule.
Whether you have just started using e-mail marketing for your crafts business or are well-versed in the tool, it’s still helpful to know how to grow your e-mail marketing lists. A larger list means more potential customers at trade shows and events, and more opportunities to promote offers, coupons and new products to increase sales.
1 Got an offline business? Ask for e-mail addresses! Do you have a physical location where customers can buy your products? There are a number of ways to capture e-mail addresses—you could even display a glass bowl to collect business cards or offer something of value for free.
2 Do you sell online? After your customers have purchased from you, why not direct them to a page that hosts your sign-up form? They’ve just had a great experience ordering from you, so surely they’ll want to hear from you via e-mail with special offers.
3 Use trade shows to get e-mail addresses. When you meet potential customers at trade shows, ask for their e-mail addresses. If you have a booth where you are displaying your arts and crafts, offer a sign-up book for people to sign up for special offers. Then you can enter them into your contact list after the show.
4 Grow your list with Twitter. Think of Twitter as a boost for your e-mail marketing program. When you create your newsletter or e-mail, “tweet” a link to your latest e-mail campaign. Then you can let everyone on Twitter know you’ve published your latest e-mail and remind them to sign up for your e-mail list if they haven’t already.
5 Use what you’ve got. Export your list of personal friends and business colleagues who know you from your Outlook, Gmail, AOL and Yahoo accounts. Then send everyone an e-mail, personally asking them to join your list. Link off to a hosted version of an opt-in form so you can track them separately. Don’t forget to include the value they’ll be getting from you, like discounts, coupons or information exclusive to them. And since you know these people, chances are they’ll join pretty quickly.
6 Leverage other websites. Contact other sites where your craft audience may be visiting and ask to partner with them to include your e-mail marketing newsletter sign-up in their communications, and you will do the same in yours. Both of you can grow your newsletters together!
7 Include a registration form on your site. With a free VerticalResponse e-mail opt-in form, you can gather addresses on your website, blog and social networking sites (such as Facebook). You may want to have multiple forms on your site to track where people are signing up. Try not to ask too much of your recipients—only ask for what you need. Then once you establish more of a relationship with them, you can ask for more information.
Whether you have just started using e-mail marketing for your crafts business or are well-versed in the tool, it’s still helpful to know how to grow your e-mail marketing lists. A larger list means more potential customers at trade shows and events, and more opportunities to promote offers, coupons and new products to increase sales.
Q: I attend a lot of shows each year, and it never fails—I always have at least one person visit my booth who is there to simply visit. Meanwhile, I have many buyers coming in and out that I’m unable to talk to effectively, because the “talker” continues on...and on...and on! What are polite ways of breaking the conversation and concentrating on people who are there to do business?
There are always chatty people who seem to enjoy being with artists. Often they have no sense of the inappropriateness of engaging you in long conversations. I believe they haven’t made the connection that although you are in a public place in a social situation, you are indeed working. I think the “talker” is hard to offend and urge you to excuse yourself to talk to other customers. Alternately you could pick up your duster and excuse yourself saying, “I can’t believe how dusty it gets in here” and go to work. Or get the glass cleaner or reorganize your merchandise...you get the picture. Soon the “talker” will be off to another booth, pleased with themselves for having talked to an artist. TCR
I attend a lot of shows each year, and it never fails—I always have at least one person visit my booth who is there to simply visit. Meanwhile, I have many buyers coming in and out that I’m unable to talk to effectively, because the “talker” continues on...and on...and on! What are polite ways of breaking the conversation and concentrating on people who are there to do business?
Ah, the great outdoors. Sunshine, fresh air, the birds singing. What could be better than this? If you’re an artist selling at a crafts fair, lots.
The great outdoors can also mean hot sun, destructive wind, pouring rain, and anything else the Weather Channel can serve up. If you are a vendor at an outdoor craft show, it pays to be prepared.
This isn’t to suggest outdoor shows are inherently worse than indoor ones. Far from it. If the weather cooperates, there are few things more enjoyable than vending at a lively sun-kissed event.
Be prepared
The biggest difference in preparing for indoor vs. outdoor events is obvious: the weather.
A roof over your head—a sunshade of some sort—is the most apparent necessity. Depending on the requirements of the event, your roof can be canvas, plastic or wood. This will provide protection from the sun and precipitation.
However, don’t forget to consider side panels as well. Side panels can cut wind, protect you from side-blowing rain, and keep low-angled sunlight from blasting you. (Or they can lift your booth off the ground and send it sailing, so stake your booth securely.)
If you have a choice—and you may not—try to angle your booth away from the west. As the sun begins to get low in the afternoon, it may smother you in heat and blind you with light to the point where customers avoid you.
Be aware that any weather-related woes you experience may add insult to injury by affecting how many people attend the event. If the heat is oppressive or the rain is daunting, then no one will come. (Hard to blame them, really.)
Foiling theft
It’s not just the weather you need to prepare for at an outdoor venue; you also need to think about theft.
With few exceptions, you are far more vulnerable to having your stock ripped off during the wee hours at an outdoor event than an indoor event. The more brazen thieves won’t even bother waiting until 2 a.m.—some of them may slip a hand (or whole body) into the back of your booth during the day while you’re occupied at the front.
If your booth has floor-to-ceiling side panels, make sure they are clipped together at the corners so someone can’t just lift the flap and slip into your booth. Since the back of your booth is the most likely place you will keep cash, spare stock, your wallet or purse, and other valuables, it behooves you to keep it as safe as possible.
Unless the event can guarantee an amazing degree of security during the night, you may wish to completely remove all stock at the end of the day and either lock it in your car or otherwise secure it. Once a year we do an enormous beer festival in downtown Portland, Oregon. Every night we are the last vendor to leave because we’re busy breaking down our stock and stowing our product in the back of the car for safe-keeping.
It’s a hassle, but it’s worth it: we’ve never lost one of our pieces to middle-of-the-night theft.
Learn the limitations
As a general rule, most outdoor events do not provide electricity. The exception is when the event supplies the booth, in which case they usually supply a single 60-watt overhead lightbulb. However, if you use your own booth and the function continues after dark, you’ll be...well, in the dark.
If your booth requires electricity to highlight your products (such as stained glass or jewelry), you’ll have to provide your own lamps and make arrangements ahead of time with the event coordinators to have electricity supplied.
Whatever décor or displays you use outdoors must be tough enough to handle breezy or even windy conditions, dust kicked up by the crowds, warm temperatures, rain, and other adversities.
Ah, the great outdoors. Sunshine, fresh air, the birds singing. What could be better than this? If you’re an artist selling at a crafts fair, lots.
The great outdoors can also mean hot sun, destructive wind, pouring rain, and anything else the Weather Channel can serve up. If you are a vendor at an outdoor craft show, it pays to be prepared.
This isn’t to suggest outdoor shows are inherently worse than indoor ones. Far from it. If the weather cooperates, there are few things more enjoyable than vending at a lively sun-kissed event.
Be prepared
The biggest difference in preparing for indoor vs. outdoor events is obvious: the weather.
A roof over your head—a sunshade of some sort—is the most apparent necessity. Depending on the requirements of the event, your roof can be canvas, plastic or wood. This will provide protection from the sun and precipitation.
However, don’t forget to consider side panels as well. Side panels can cut wind, protect you from side-blowing rain, and keep low-angled sunlight from blasting you. (Or they can lift your booth off the ground and send it sailing, so stake your booth securely.)
Make sure your shelving units or other displays are steady. What might work well on a linoleum floor indoors may not translate onto rough ground in windy weather. If you work on the old principle that if anything can go wrong, it will...then you can prepare appropriately.
Another consideration for doing outdoor shows is the need to match your product to the conditions.
For most people, this is not a big deal. After all, hand-knitted sweaters and scarves can handle hot sun as well as chilly temperatures.
But if your product can be damaged by moisture, you must either protect your stock from all possible forms of wetness (including fog, rain, humidity, condensation, etc.), or you’ll have to limit yourself to indoor events.
We did one event in which the temperature grew very hot—in the low 100s. Our beer steins sold briskly—people wanted something to drink from—but unfortunately for the vendor next to us, handmade candles weren’t surviving the warm weather.
We spent much of the weekend shuffling her candles in and out of our ice chest in an effort to keep her products from melting. Our efforts were not entirely successful because our fairly small ice chest couldn’t handle her entire stock, so a lot of her pieces became misshapen due to the heat.
It was not a financially successful show for her, since no one could see all of her products (they were all in our ice chest, after all).
The sturdiness factor
The more delicate your product, the more difficulty you’ll have doing outdoor shows (remember the candles).
Once we did a show at which the vendor next to us sold beautiful and fragile glass items. The weather was perfect...until the very end. When the show ended a microburst hit us out of the blue. It literally destroyed our booth, though we had packed away our stock so the tankards were safe. The woman next to us lost not only her booth, but most of her glass pieces as well.
Of course, outdoor shows occur during the most favorable time of year for good weather, but you always take your chances. Try to be prepared as much as possible—and hope for the best.
It should be noted that the show coordinators are not responsible for lost stock or sales due to weather, so don’t hassle them about it. We remember an event in which the weather got very foggy overnight. A vendor’s tent—a rental tent owned by the event—leaked moisture onto her product, ruining some of it. She tried to make the event promoters pay for lost sales and stock by constant pestering. She didn’t succeed.
The benefits of four walls and a roof
For obvious reasons, indoor shows have their advantages.
Weather is not a factor, unless it is so bad that it keeps customers from coming in the first place.
You don’t need a “booth” per se. As long as you designate your ten-by-ten space as yours by using appropriate shelving units, tables, or other displays, you can get by with less infrastructure.
Sometimes, though not always, electrical floor or wall sockets may be available. Again, however, don’t assume this. If your booth requires electricity, make those requirements clear on your vendor application.
Security is more easily achieved at an indoor event. After the event, the room is cleared out and locked. Voila. However, if your stock is extremely valuable and/or easily hidden and transportable (such as jewelry), it wouldn’t hurt to pack it away for the night. It goes without saying that all cash should be removed from the premise as well.
The bling factor
Indoor events are—or can be—more “glitzy.”
Would your products be better displayed with fancy lighting, elegant signage, or other eye-catching accents? You have a far better chance of dressing up your booth indoors than you do outdoors. Outdoors, one gust of wind would rip away most light decor. Indoors, you can expand.
In fact, it is best to dress up your indoor booth as much as possible (without irritating your fellow vendors, of course). Tasteful use of lighting and accents will bring you notice by passersby, after which your beautifully displayed products will draw them into your booth.
At the first large indoor show we did (a holiday gift show held in a convention center in a major city), we approached our booth display with pathetic naiveté. We were fairly new in business and had only done outdoor events. Our products are sturdy, earthy items that normally don’t lend themselves to glitz and glitter. And therein lay our mistake.
We had our product displayed on wooden shelving units, as we always did at outdoor events. That was it.
For three days we were lost in a sea of 450 other vendors, most of whom had the good sense to use every eye-catching tactic in the book to draw in customers. The event was a financial disaster...as well as a lesson learned.
Eenie meenie minie moe
So what should you do—indoor or outdoor events?
Why, both of course. Both types of venues can reap financial awards and be a lot of fun. With some sensible preparations and an awareness of external conditions, your booth can be attractive, appealing, and a serious money-maker. TCR
Ah, the great outdoors. Sunshine, fresh air, the birds singing. What could be better than this? If you’re an artist selling at a crafts fair, lots.
The great outdoors can also mean hot sun, destructive wind, pouring rain and anything else the Weather Channel can serve up. If you are a vendor at an outdoor craft show, it pays to be prepared.
This isn’t to suggest outdoor shows are inherently worse than indoor ones. Far from it. If the weather cooperates, there are few things more enjoyable than vending at a lively sun-kissed event.
As craftspeople, we put a tremendous amount of effort into developing our manufacturing skills and business smarts.We’ve thought of it all: taxes, booth design and setup, merchant services accounts, product guarantees, wholesale distributors … the list goes on and on. Gosh we’re just brilliant, aren’t we?
But there’s one teensy weensy little detail craftspeople often forget: insurance.
Q: Is there any advantage to selling wholesale over retail and vice-versa?
There are clear advantages as well as disadvantages to both. I think this decision is really about lifestyle choices and your income target. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of each.
Selling your work only at retail shows means more travel and many more shows. Work sold at retail immediately returns the entire retail sale price to the maker. While it is possible to develop repeat customers, the retail customer at shows most often will only buy from you once. Retail selling returns immediate rewards, there is little follow-up office work and shipping is usually not a requirement.
Those selling their work at wholesale shows will typically do two or three shows a year. While work sold at your wholesale price returns only half of your retail price, wholesale selling is about taking many orders, and making money from volume. Often orders are dated months in advance and require cash flow to buy materials and pay both personal and professional expenses until payments begin to arrive. The hope is the wholesale buyer will reorder again and again thus spreading the cost of making the initial sale over many orders. Wholesale selling success requires more office work, printing, accounting work and shipping.
What about making a list of the things about the two selling approaches you like and those you dislike, and then similar lists for tasks you are good at and those you prefer are done by others? This exercise will give you a picture of your work/lifestyle and may guide you to the right choice. Don’t be surprised if you conclude a mix of wholesale and retail shows will best help you meet your goals.
Is there any advantage to selling wholesale over retail and vice-versa?
Selling at shows or in galleries revolves around three things:
• Impeccably crafted, creative and innovative products designed to be “on trend” and developed to fill customers’ needs sell well. Products have to be the right look, scale, color, weight and an entire list of other criteria to make them desirable.
In this current business climate, functionality, be it real or implied, is a big factor in what people are buying. You are more likely to sell a customer something in this era if it has a use. If that use is only to make the customer feel good, it must be made obvious to them.
• You must be a good salesperson to make the most out of any sales venue. So many sales are blown in the greeting stage because artists don’t know how to sell their work. Sales are a language-based skill—when you learn to use effective language when selling, your sales volume will increase.
• The third element in the trinity of a sale is visual merchandising. Creating displays that capture the customer’s attention, draw them into your space and sell your work is the objective! This third element is the focus here. How does one create compelling displays without spending a lot of money? When it comes to displays, it isn’t about how much money you spend, but rather about how creatively you showcase your work.
I always find it so interesting that as creative as artists are with regard to designing their work, when it comes to displaying it, they often take the easy-street approach. Many say, “I am just not good at display,” and give up. If you use shows to market your work, display is a part of your job. Currently, I am seeing a movement where artists are buying commercially available display systems that can be quick and easy, but the net result is that too many booths look exactly alike. This makes it hard for the customer to distinguish what is compelling about your product line, and makes it hard for you to build a recognizable brand.
When customers see you at a show, the visual of your booth should be the projection of a recognizable look—a brand identity. When customers see you at the next show, there should be a connection and memory of your display, your work and your image. I am not criticizing commercial displays or the use of them, this approach is right for some. However, the displays that I see grabbing the attention of customers are almost always custom-made.
Displays that employ conscious design decisions that work with the product line go a long way to create that special look—one that will resonate with customers. Effective custom-built displays not only create a mood and look that is unique to your line, but they also clearly distinguish you from your competition. Good design in your display will result in a sales tool that works for you, your customers and your product line better than any commercially available display.
By using careful and creative display solutions, you can save a lot of money compared to commercially available displays. Do not be afraid to use the same creativity in designing your booth as you use to create your work. If you are daunted by how you will build it, get someone to build it for you.
The first rule is that the display must work with the merchandise and vise versa. Plus, the display must speak to your ultimate customer who will buy the product. Sales will suffer if the demographic you are trying to sell to cannot relate to your colors or even the look of your booth. Keep in mind, your display should stimulate the senses.
The visual sense of your display needs to be one that will draw customers in to your space. Meaning, they will cross that imaginary line between the aisle and the front of your booth. The second sense that needs to be tweaked is the sense of touch. When your displays prompt your customers to touch something, you will see a spike in your sales.
An effective booth must get the customers to stop, take notice and be drawn into your space. When they do come in, something has to hold their attention and get them to touch the products. Your well-honed sales skills should take over at this point and, if you are effective, you will close a sale.
Too many booths send the message “look but do not touch.” Or sometimes things are displayed in such a way that the message is sent that you shouldn’t touch—key among these are shelves that are too deep, tables that are too wide and if the product line is out of easy reach. In most cases with commercial systems, you cannot determine the depth of a shelf (they mostly come as one size fits all).
Custom displays (ones designed by you) have so many advantages over commercially available systems. Realize that first of all, display isn’t “rocket science”—that is really all you need to know to empower yourself to be a display designer. If you go to a couple shows, stores or galleries and observe what creates visual magic, you will realize that you have what it takes to be a display designer. By analyzing your findings and asking a few questions, you will determine what works and what doesn’t. Then, reinterpret all your observations into a design that works for you, your product line and your customers—one that helps you build your brand.
Selling at shows or in galleries revolves around three things: • Impeccably crafted, creative and innovative products designed to be “on trend” and developed to fill customers’ needs sell well... • You must be a good salesperson to make the most out of any sales venue... • Creating displays that cap ture the customer’s attention, draw them into your space and sell your work is the objective...
Do you know why your customers are buying from you? Is it your products—the style and quality of your handmade work? Look deeper and you will find that there are many other factors in making a sale that you can use in building your sales volume.
Q: I’m a newbie to the world of shows, and I feel like I’m prepared as far as what to bring for supplies, but are there instances that come up unexpectedly that I may not be ready for?
I assume you have a comprehensive checklist of supplies to bring to a show. It can be helpful to organize this by their function; this will assure you have the tools you need. But alas, you know what they say about the best-made plans. Before you leave home, go online and Goggle hardware stores, copy centers and any other supplier you think you’ll need in the ZIP code or location of the show. You could also contact the presenters and ask for names and addresses of businesses—they should have this readily available and you won’t be the first to ask. Also remember your network: no doubt you will have friends at the show who may be able to assist with an unexpected need.
You will also want to talk to the promoter about the rules and regulations of the venue housing the show, and find out if it is in a union venue. Union policies, which will vary from venue to venue, may be more troublesome for you. These policies may prohibit you from painting your booth on site, draping a table, installing your own lights (seldom are you allowed to plug them in, if it is in a union hall) and moving your freight from the dock to your booth. There may be personnel from the venue to help move your freight, but be absolutely sure of the costs for these services before shipping to or arriving at the show. Some venues charge per box for delivering shipped-in freight, and you need to know these costs before you decide to ship with a commercial carrier. There are a number of art movers who will pick up your booth and materials at your studio and deliver them to your space at the venue; they deal with the unions and all that entails.
I feel like I'm prepared for shows as far as what to bring for supplies, but are there instances that come up unexpectedly?
Trish Hodgens of Poly Clay Play tried a number of crafts to make some money, but “most people look at crafts as something to keep women and children busy…not a legitimate way to make an income.” Of all the excuses people use about why their hobby could never be turned into a business, the most insidious and devastating are those inner voices—the creeping doubts from within—that tell you why you’ll never succeed.
Once a customer holds something in their hands, they are four times more likely to buy it.
Many times it is the sign that gets them to stop and take notice, and then to interact with the product. This is the key. To convince passersby to look more closely, or better yet to pick it up! When used in retailing, signs are often referred to as “silent salesmen.”
When a craftsperson is serious about his hobby, it’s common to speculate whether or not the hobby could become a business capable of supporting a family. This month, we’ll look at some tips to increase your chances of succeeding at that business.
Paradise City Arts Festival was founded in 1995 by a painter and a fiber artist with ambitious visions. Linda Horvitz Post (the painter) and her husband, Geoffrey Post (the fiber artist) wanted to create a show that incorporated the best of both worlds: the inspiring quality of the finest indoor craft shows with the excitement of an arts festival. Paradise City is unique among high-end indoor shows in that it includes a substantial percentage of gallery-quality paintings and sculpture in addition to fine crafts, and presents both in a well-designed exhibition setting. This combination has been exciting for collectors and stimulating for artists.
Some people just always knew they wanted to be an artist (I’m lumping craftspeople in here, too, because I refuse to discuss possible differences), but other people came to their talent late in life. They may have endured emotional hardship and isolation because their talents were misunderstood. Maybe this guide will help you recognize your own inner artist, or help you diagnose a loved one before it’s too late. You might be an artist if…
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Maybe it’s the spirit of Fannie Clary or it could be the picture-perfect setting, or the highly skilled faculty or the super-motivated students or most likely all of the above. Whatever the mix, Snow Farm’s magic is evident to even a casual campus visitor. Snow Farm, originally Horizons, The New England Craft Program, was founded in 1983 by potter Jane Sinauer. Originally located in Maine, the program’s original mission was and continues to be providing high school students with a quality crafts education in a summer-camp setting. The teaching staff, comprised of highly respected craftspeople, soon drew young, crafts-focused attendees from all over the country. The availability of 50 acres, including historic eighteenth-century farm buildings, led to a move to western Massachusetts in 1986.
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I’ve heard that if I price my work higher, buyers will think it is worth more and are more likely to buy it. Is this true in the world of crafts? On the one hand, I don’t want to lose buyers because they think my work is overpriced. But on the other hand, I don’t want to lose out on profit because I priced my work too low. How does this concept work in this industry?
Twenty-five years ago, craft buyers attending the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®) would have found a new, modestly sized product division, American and International Craft. Small companies offered mainly American-made, contemporary craft, largely focused on home décor.
I’ve had my wood-carving business for a number of years, and now I am ready to get my work into more galleries and shops. However, I’m not sure that I have the time and experience necessary to do this. Should I hire an artist’s broker/representative? I’ve heard varying opinions (some strong) about this. Would it be beneficial to hire one? Or should I just press on and try to do my own representation?
Whether you get e-mail addresses from people in person at a trade show, from a sign-up book or through collecting their business cards, always remember the following rules of e-mail marketing sign-ups.
I’ve created my own website, but I don’t sell off of it. How often should I update it: every week, every month or quarterly? I’m not sure what buyers expect, or what the industry is dictating right now. I usually change it when the changes needed are worth the time it will take from my schedule.
Whether you have just started using e-mail marketing for your crafts business or are well-versed in the tool, it’s still helpful to know how to grow your e-mail marketing lists. A larger list means more potential customers at trade shows and events, and more opportunities to promote offers, coupons and new products to increase sales.
Ah, the great outdoors. Sunshine, fresh air, the birds singing. What could be better than this? If you’re an artist selling at a crafts fair, lots. 
As craftspeople, we put a tremendous amount of effort into developing our manufacturing skills and business smarts.We’ve thought of it all: taxes, booth design and setup, merchant services accounts, product guarantees, wholesale distributors … the list goes on and on. Gosh we’re just brilliant, aren’t we?
Is there any advantage to selling wholesale over retail and vice-versa?
Selling at shows or in galleries revolves around three things: 
ow why your customers are buying from you? Is it your products—the style and quality of your handmade work? Look deeper and you will find that there are many other factors in making a sale that you can use in building your sales volume.
When a craftsperson is serious about his hobby, it’s common to speculate whether or not the hobby could become a business capable of supporting a family. This month, we’ll look at some tips to increase your chances of succeeding at that business.
Paradise City Arts Festival was founded in 1995 by a painter and a fiber artist with ambitious visions. Linda Horvitz Post (the painter) and her husband, Geoffrey Post (the fiber artist) wanted to create a show that incorporated the best of both worlds: the inspiring quality of the finest indoor craft shows with the excitement of an arts festival. Paradise City is unique among high-end indoor shows in that it includes a substantial percentage of gallery-quality paintings and sculpture in addition to fine crafts, and presents both in a well-designed exhibition setting. This combination has been exciting for collectors and stimulating for artists.
Some people just always knew they wanted to be an artist (I’m lumping craftspeople in here, too, because I refuse to discuss possible differences), but other people came to their talent late in life. They may have endured emotional hardship and isolation because their talents were misunderstood. Maybe this guide will help you recognize your own inner artist, or help you diagnose a loved one before it’s too late. You might be an artist if…
Maybe it’s the spirit of Fannie Clary or it could be the picture-perfect setting, or the highly skilled faculty or the super-motivated students or most likely all of the above. Whatever the mix, Snow Farm’s magic is evident to even a casual campus visitor. Snow Farm, originally Horizons, The New England Craft Program, was founded in 1983 by potter Jane Sinauer. Originally located in Maine, the program’s original mission was and continues to be providing high school students with a quality crafts education in a summer-camp setting. The teaching staff, comprised of highly respected craftspeople, soon drew young, crafts-focused attendees from all over the country. The availability of 50 acres, including historic eighteenth-century farm buildings, led to a move to western Massachusetts in 1986.
