First Show Jitters

[lpstephy85]

Thanks! I do have a beer soap but only one couple that came by picked it up and smelled it but didn't buy. Everyone said it all smelled good and a lot said they were too pretty to use.

 

[PinkCupcake]

I like the way you used the baskets that you bought. Sorry you didn't make back your booth fee, but keep at it. If you learned things that will help in the future, you got something valuable from the show.

 

[Jeanea]

Not sure if it could work for your next show, but I always have a sign in sheet of those who stop by my table. Just a way to get leads for later. When they dont buy today, offer them a coupon via email or text for later. That way you may have another chance to present on a different platform.

 

[lpstephy85]

Not sure if it could work for your next show, but I always have a sign in sheet of those who stop by my table. Just a way to get leads for later. When they dont buy today, offer them a coupon via email or text for later. That way you may have another chance to present on a different platform.

Thanks! I was thinking if that same thing halfway through the show

 

[cmzaha]

I don't sell but to me your table looks nice. I would buy and every home made soap I've bought has been unwrapped. So a mixture of wrapped and unwrapped such as you have should work. Do you have a beer soap? Is it selling?

I have been selling for 5yrs at open air markets and I will stick to the wrapped is better. I have new and current customers that tell me they will never buy an un-wrapped soap. There is another seller (for the last year) in one of my markets that does not wrap or label. I get a lot of comments about it. It is just my opinion. I also do not find beer soap selling any better than any other soap. I carry several beer soaps.
I give out a discount /business card to steer customers to our website which makes up for our outdoor market versus web price difference. The percentage makes up the difference

 

[Belinda02]

Cmzaha, I didn't make my point very well. I think it is a good idea to offer mixed wrapped and wrapped to meet the wants of all potential buyers which is what she did.

 

[shunt2011]

Your table looked really nice. I'm another of the opinion to wrap and label your soaps. I was at a show where there was another soaper who had their soaps out unwrapped/unlabeled and I out sold her 10:1. Customers made comments to me regarding it too. That's just my experience from a couple times this has happend.

 

[cmzaha]

Your table looked really nice. I'm another of the opinion to wrap and label your soaps. I was at a show where there was another soaper who had their soaps out unwrapped/unlabeled and I out sold her 10:1. Customers made comments to me regarding it too. That's just my experience from a couple times this has happend.

This has also been my experience. I shrink wrap so they can still see the colors around the label and my 2 end slices are left out for smelly samples. Actually the end slices are in a shrink wrap bag with one end open. I find soap sitting out and being constantly handles also affects the fragrance of many soap. If worse comes to worse I will cut up one bar into chunks for smell samples, if a particular soap has been around so long the slice loses fragrance. No smelly no sale!!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

One point to think on is - many people seem to be put off by unwrapped soap, but I don't think that a wrapped soap is a deal breaker for many people, especially with smell-testers like Carolyn mentioned available........................

 

[navigator9]

Your first craft fair is as much a learning experience as a selling experience. You've got the first one under your belt, I'm sure you learned things you can put into practice next time, and you'll be more relaxed, too. Some fairs that I do allow you to set up the night before, which takes a lot of pressure off, but if not, try to get your vehicle completely loaded the night before, so when you wake up the next morning, all you have to do is shower, dress, grab your coffee and go. You now know how much work it is to get to the venue, unload your car and set up, so anything you can do to make that easier, like loading your car the night before, really helps, at least I find it does for me.

As you do more craft fairs, you'll discover ones that are really good, and ones that are not. It's a lot of trial and error in the beginning, but you'll meet a lot of great people along the way. When I started out, my biggest fear was that as a newbie to craft fairs, I'd be an outsider and the old timers would be unfriendly. I couldn't have been more wrong. I've made so many good friends over the years, because who knows better than a fellow vendor all of the hard work and effort that goes into doing a craft fair? It's like a big, extended family. Good luck to you in your future fairs!!!