1 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:04,890 Hi there. 2 00:00:05,310 --> 00:00:07,710 I see that you made it over to the new tips 3 00:00:07,710 --> 00:00:09,660 and talk portion of the podcast. 4 00:00:10,260 --> 00:00:14,850 These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions and 5 00:00:14,850 --> 00:00:18,990 things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small business. 6 00:00:19,710 --> 00:00:22,410 I know it felt like it might never happen, 7 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:24,270 but shows are back. 8 00:00:24,660 --> 00:00:25,680 Now I get that. 9 00:00:25,770 --> 00:00:27,540 Not everybody can do that yet, 10 00:00:27,570 --> 00:00:28,590 but it's happening. 11 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:29,400 I think of it. 12 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:31,710 Like we've all been stuck in a bird cage and now 13 00:00:31,740 --> 00:00:35,850 finally the door has been opened and we can fly out 14 00:00:35,850 --> 00:00:36,690 to freedom. 15 00:00:37,050 --> 00:00:38,820 This is actually going to be a two part series. 16 00:00:38,820 --> 00:00:41,760 So the first one right now is going to be how 17 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:43,770 to select the shows that you should be in. 18 00:00:44,190 --> 00:00:47,280 And then how do you determine whether they were successful or 19 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:48,720 not next week? 20 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:52,080 We're going to be talking about the struggles and then how 21 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:52,860 do you resolve them? 22 00:00:52,860 --> 00:00:55,890 What are the solutions today we're diving into? 23 00:00:55,890 --> 00:00:58,740 How do you select a show and how do you know 24 00:00:58,740 --> 00:01:00,810 if the results were right, 25 00:01:00,810 --> 00:01:02,730 so that you should do the show again, 26 00:01:02,790 --> 00:01:05,790 all of that I'm hearing from so many of you that 27 00:01:05,790 --> 00:01:07,860 your out at shows, 28 00:01:07,860 --> 00:01:12,600 and even if you were marginally doing shows up until this 29 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,000 point, because we were social distancing, 30 00:01:15,420 --> 00:01:15,600 you know, 31 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,240 kind of limited with what we can do with shows. 32 00:01:18,750 --> 00:01:20,250 Things are opening up again. 33 00:01:20,250 --> 00:01:21,540 And, Oh my gosh, 34 00:01:21,570 --> 00:01:23,760 what a breath of fresh air. 35 00:01:24,420 --> 00:01:26,550 We're talking about this a lot over in the breeze, 36 00:01:26,550 --> 00:01:29,730 my Facebook group and people have been asking, 37 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:33,000 well, what type of shows should I attend? 38 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,330 How do I know which show to select all of that? 39 00:01:37,020 --> 00:01:38,670 I have five different ways. 40 00:01:38,670 --> 00:01:42,420 You can decide whether a show could be right for you. 41 00:01:43,050 --> 00:01:44,670 Let me clarify this by saying, 42 00:01:44,670 --> 00:01:47,850 I'm not talking about wholesale shows to where you're wanting to 43 00:01:47,850 --> 00:01:49,860 get placement in retail shops, 44 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,400 talking specifically about you direct to the consumer shows, 45 00:01:53,430 --> 00:01:56,220 okay, we can be talking about craft shows. 46 00:01:56,250 --> 00:01:58,590 They can also be called church bazaars, 47 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:00,420 farmer's market, 48 00:02:00,540 --> 00:02:01,290 all of that. 49 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,860 How do you determine which ones to go to where you 50 00:02:04,860 --> 00:02:07,560 shouldn't invest your time and your money, 51 00:02:08,070 --> 00:02:10,920 and then how do you make sure that you're getting results 52 00:02:10,920 --> 00:02:11,460 or you judge, 53 00:02:11,460 --> 00:02:13,620 whether you should go back and try that show again. 54 00:02:13,950 --> 00:02:16,470 The very first thing to look at is who's going to 55 00:02:16,470 --> 00:02:19,650 be walking the show and are they your customer? 56 00:02:20,340 --> 00:02:23,880 So many of you sell to a local audience. 57 00:02:24,250 --> 00:02:26,970 These craft shows are right up your alley because you're selling 58 00:02:26,970 --> 00:02:28,080 to a community. 59 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,360 Who's going to be buying from you on a regular basis. 60 00:02:30,390 --> 00:02:34,770 Anyway, maybe predominantly women with children, 61 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:36,750 all of that is that the audience that's going to be 62 00:02:36,750 --> 00:02:38,160 walking the show. 63 00:02:38,790 --> 00:02:41,220 And I say that because sometimes let's say you go to 64 00:02:41,220 --> 00:02:42,180 a County fair. 65 00:02:42,180 --> 00:02:44,790 You're thinking of analyzing and doing a show with a County 66 00:02:44,790 --> 00:02:45,780 fair. Well, 67 00:02:45,780 --> 00:02:48,330 who's going to that show. 68 00:02:48,750 --> 00:02:50,550 That's probably more families. 69 00:02:50,790 --> 00:02:53,070 Women are bringing their husbands and their kids, 70 00:02:53,070 --> 00:02:56,160 and it's a whole day out Saturday afternoon type thing, 71 00:02:56,640 --> 00:03:00,160 possibly a more of a local arc show might be more 72 00:03:00,190 --> 00:03:01,750 girlfriends going together. 73 00:03:02,290 --> 00:03:04,900 If there's an element to any of these shows that is 74 00:03:04,900 --> 00:03:05,980 involving music, 75 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:07,060 a band stand, 76 00:03:07,300 --> 00:03:10,300 then maybe it's more couples who are dating. 77 00:03:10,450 --> 00:03:13,030 So try and see if you can figure out who the 78 00:03:13,030 --> 00:03:13,840 people are going to be, 79 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:16,600 who are going to be walking that show. 80 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:19,960 And if they are your potential customer, 81 00:03:19,990 --> 00:03:22,690 then that is a check Mark in the right box that 82 00:03:22,690 --> 00:03:24,760 this is a show you should be considering. 83 00:03:25,210 --> 00:03:25,480 All right. 84 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,120 So first thing are the people who are attending the show, 85 00:03:28,150 --> 00:03:29,710 your potential customer. 86 00:03:30,550 --> 00:03:33,400 Second thing I would look at is who is the one 87 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:34,600 who's putting on the show, 88 00:03:34,780 --> 00:03:36,550 who is the organizer. 89 00:03:37,150 --> 00:03:39,580 If they've been doing these shows for a long time, 90 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,810 then that also slants everything in the favor of that. 91 00:03:43,810 --> 00:03:46,390 This should be a show that you should be considering. 92 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,360 Not that you're going to discount any shows that are from 93 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,190 brand new organizers, 94 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:55,090 but the thing to consider is the experience that they have 95 00:03:55,090 --> 00:03:56,350 in putting on these shows. 96 00:03:56,650 --> 00:03:58,090 And then also, 97 00:03:58,180 --> 00:04:00,250 how are they going to be promoting the show? 98 00:04:01,300 --> 00:04:03,970 Do they just put it up and hope that people come 99 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:06,340 in the case of a farmer's market? 100 00:04:06,340 --> 00:04:09,160 Many times this is a weekly show that's going to run 101 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,230 for months or possibly a monthly show, 102 00:04:11,230 --> 00:04:12,250 weekly or monthly. 103 00:04:12,550 --> 00:04:15,820 That's going to run all the way from whatever your season 104 00:04:15,820 --> 00:04:17,740 is. So here in Chicago, 105 00:04:17,770 --> 00:04:20,230 usually our farmer's markets run from, 106 00:04:20,590 --> 00:04:23,260 I'm going to say the middle of may until the end 107 00:04:23,260 --> 00:04:24,790 of September or something like that. 108 00:04:25,270 --> 00:04:28,570 So if it's a regular consistent show and they're promoting that 109 00:04:28,570 --> 00:04:29,890 show regularly, 110 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:32,290 then you're going to get the advantage of that. 111 00:04:32,410 --> 00:04:35,200 And it integrates into their schedule because if, 112 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:36,790 especially if it's weekly, 113 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:37,810 then they're going to think, 114 00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:39,550 Oh, every Wednesday morning, 115 00:04:39,550 --> 00:04:41,890 I'm going to go and get my fresh produce and my 116 00:04:41,890 --> 00:04:45,790 fresh flowers and some candles or whatever else at the farmer's 117 00:04:45,790 --> 00:04:46,600 market. Okay. 118 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:50,620 So that's another way to think about and analyze whether this 119 00:04:50,620 --> 00:04:53,920 is a show you would want to go to another great 120 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,610 way to find out how shows are being put on how 121 00:04:57,610 --> 00:05:02,020 well they're being promoted organization of a show is by talking 122 00:05:02,020 --> 00:05:04,780 to other vendors who are there either at the show with 123 00:05:04,780 --> 00:05:05,680 you at the time, 124 00:05:05,830 --> 00:05:08,440 or have already done the show in prior years. 125 00:05:08,770 --> 00:05:11,860 So reaching out to other people who have participated and getting 126 00:05:11,860 --> 00:05:14,710 some feedback from them is always helpful. 127 00:05:14,950 --> 00:05:17,320 Another thing to consider is the time of year, 128 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:21,040 if you are a knitter and all you sell are wool, 129 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:27,460 hats and scarves and mittens spring show may not be appropriate 130 00:05:27,460 --> 00:05:27,880 for you, 131 00:05:28,210 --> 00:05:31,750 but end of the summer early fall show and obviously into 132 00:05:31,750 --> 00:05:34,180 the holidays would be perfect. 133 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:35,890 Absolutely perfect for you. 134 00:05:36,370 --> 00:05:37,210 Of course, 135 00:05:37,570 --> 00:05:39,790 given that example that I just gave, 136 00:05:39,790 --> 00:05:42,430 if you only sell things that are for winter, 137 00:05:42,430 --> 00:05:43,210 is there some, 138 00:05:43,210 --> 00:05:46,060 a spinoff of a product that would be good for the 139 00:05:46,060 --> 00:05:48,850 spring because you're losing out on a whole half a year. 140 00:05:49,150 --> 00:05:51,970 If you only have products that are good for winter time, 141 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:56,500 right? So is the time of year appropriate and the location. 142 00:05:57,170 --> 00:06:00,830 And the reason I say location is specifically how difficult is 143 00:06:00,830 --> 00:06:03,860 it for people to get there if people are spending a 144 00:06:03,860 --> 00:06:04,970 Saturday afternoon, 145 00:06:04,970 --> 00:06:08,450 but they have to park three miles away from where a 146 00:06:08,450 --> 00:06:10,880 show is because there simply isn't any parking. 147 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:13,520 Yes, that speaks to the popularity of the show. 148 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:14,750 And that could be good, 149 00:06:15,290 --> 00:06:16,040 but if it's not, 150 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:17,840 because there are so many people coming to the show, 151 00:06:17,840 --> 00:06:19,700 they're just as inadequate parking, 152 00:06:19,820 --> 00:06:20,960 then people might not come. 153 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:25,700 So how accessible is the show based on parking, 154 00:06:26,180 --> 00:06:28,010 whether it's right downtown community, 155 00:06:28,010 --> 00:06:29,270 where people can see it, 156 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:33,080 the ease of accessibility is also going to relate to how 157 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,180 many people are actually going to attend the show. 158 00:06:35,510 --> 00:06:38,600 And then the final thing of course is price. 159 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:44,720 And I really want you to be careful in terms of 160 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:45,980 rejecting a show, 161 00:06:46,010 --> 00:06:47,630 just because it's really expensive, 162 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:49,130 because think about it. 163 00:06:49,130 --> 00:06:53,210 If it costs you let's say $400 to be at a 164 00:06:53,210 --> 00:06:56,360 show, but you're going to make $2,000 165 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:59,030 then potentially the show was worth it. 166 00:06:59,300 --> 00:07:01,610 And what if you make $5,000 167 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,280 that might be better than a show that only costs you 168 00:07:04,280 --> 00:07:06,560 a hundred dollars to attend and you didn't make a single 169 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:11,960 sale. So don't automatically discount the initial price of a show, 170 00:07:12,290 --> 00:07:14,480 go through and look at these other things that I was 171 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:15,980 just talking about first, 172 00:07:16,220 --> 00:07:19,220 before you decide yes or no to a show. 173 00:07:19,490 --> 00:07:22,640 So let me summarize the overall areas that you should be 174 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:27,740 looking at when you're considering a face-to-face craft show to decide 175 00:07:27,830 --> 00:07:29,030 whether you want to participate, 176 00:07:29,540 --> 00:07:32,390 who is attending the show and are they your audience? 177 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,810 What's the reputation of the organizer? 178 00:07:35,900 --> 00:07:38,540 Have they been in business for a while or do they 179 00:07:38,540 --> 00:07:43,970 have a good reputation in terms of being organized and promoting 180 00:07:43,970 --> 00:07:44,720 the show, 181 00:07:45,230 --> 00:07:48,290 talk to some other vendors to see what their experience has 182 00:07:48,290 --> 00:07:49,160 been at the show? 183 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:52,670 Is it the right time of year for you with the 184 00:07:52,670 --> 00:07:54,110 product that you sell? 185 00:07:54,770 --> 00:07:55,940 How about the location? 186 00:07:55,940 --> 00:07:59,960 Is it easily accessible and in a traffic pattern where people 187 00:07:59,960 --> 00:08:04,370 will naturally walk through because sometimes you attract people just organically 188 00:08:04,370 --> 00:08:06,800 and some people will just happen upon the show because they're 189 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:07,730 in the area. 190 00:08:08,210 --> 00:08:11,570 And then finally the price type with the price at the 191 00:08:11,570 --> 00:08:13,040 very end specifically, 192 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,800 because I don't want that to be the first thing where 193 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:16,910 you totally decide, 194 00:08:17,090 --> 00:08:17,780 Nope, this. 195 00:08:17,790 --> 00:08:18,650 So isn't for me, 196 00:08:18,650 --> 00:08:19,700 it's too expensive. 197 00:08:20,300 --> 00:08:24,830 Okay. Now I want to get into the Results of the 198 00:08:24,830 --> 00:08:28,460 show and how you determine whether the show was successful or 199 00:08:28,460 --> 00:08:31,010 not. And teaser, 200 00:08:31,100 --> 00:08:33,890 it's not all about just how many sales you made at 201 00:08:33,890 --> 00:08:34,400 the show. 202 00:08:35,180 --> 00:08:38,510 How do you judge then whether the show is a success 203 00:08:38,510 --> 00:08:39,110 or not. 204 00:08:39,830 --> 00:08:41,780 And I have to tell you, 205 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:47,390 after you've analyzed and gone through my checklist and actually entered 206 00:08:47,390 --> 00:08:48,140 a show, 207 00:08:48,590 --> 00:08:51,740 you've set yourself up in the best light that you possibly 208 00:08:51,740 --> 00:08:52,700 can for our show. 209 00:08:53,570 --> 00:08:55,250 Now, at the end, 210 00:08:55,290 --> 00:08:56,700 was it a success? 211 00:08:58,230 --> 00:09:02,130 You always Have to test shows. 212 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,460 Okay. And I say that because I've heard some people saying, 213 00:09:05,460 --> 00:09:05,940 you know what? 214 00:09:06,180 --> 00:09:07,320 Someone called me up. 215 00:09:07,350 --> 00:09:09,420 They told me I should do this show just because there's 216 00:09:09,420 --> 00:09:10,380 a lot of traffic. 217 00:09:10,680 --> 00:09:12,240 They thought it would be really interesting. 218 00:09:12,270 --> 00:09:16,200 And there wasn't anybody in my category at the show. 219 00:09:16,830 --> 00:09:17,220 And they said, 220 00:09:17,220 --> 00:09:18,120 it's really not. 221 00:09:18,300 --> 00:09:20,730 What I would think would be a great show for me, 222 00:09:20,820 --> 00:09:23,760 but then they go and it's fabulous. 223 00:09:24,300 --> 00:09:28,200 So that's where I say the Results you have to test 224 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:28,650 a show. 225 00:09:29,070 --> 00:09:32,700 The other thing is be careful when you're analyzing your results. 226 00:09:32,730 --> 00:09:36,900 If all of a sudden the sky opened up and you 227 00:09:36,900 --> 00:09:41,340 had thunder enlightening for four hours of a five-hour show, 228 00:09:42,150 --> 00:09:45,870 gosh, that wasn't something that you could do anything about, 229 00:09:45,900 --> 00:09:48,780 but it clearly would affect the traffic going through the show. 230 00:09:49,230 --> 00:09:52,290 So you can't automatically then say that the show didn't work 231 00:09:52,530 --> 00:09:55,950 because you didn't really get a chance to give the show 232 00:09:56,190 --> 00:09:58,110 the best test that it possibly could. 233 00:09:58,500 --> 00:10:02,040 So the first thing is be careful when you are testing 234 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:06,120 that you take into account any parameters that didn't allow it 235 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:07,350 to be a fair test. 236 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,520 The second thing when you're judging success of the show is 237 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:14,640 not just to do each show once. 238 00:10:15,270 --> 00:10:18,720 If you do your local craft show and there may be 239 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,870 doing three or four shows over the course of the year, 240 00:10:22,530 --> 00:10:24,930 you were seeing the traffic in the show, 241 00:10:25,530 --> 00:10:27,240 they look to be your customer. 242 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:30,240 You felt like it was organized. 243 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:32,040 Well, they promoted well, 244 00:10:32,100 --> 00:10:32,970 and you got, 245 00:10:33,030 --> 00:10:33,870 let's say you broke. 246 00:10:33,900 --> 00:10:36,810 Even. I would do that show again. 247 00:10:38,100 --> 00:10:40,530 When people start seeing you over and over again, 248 00:10:40,530 --> 00:10:42,390 show after show after show, 249 00:10:42,420 --> 00:10:44,160 they become more comfortable with you. 250 00:10:44,190 --> 00:10:47,070 You start developing relationships with people who are coming to the 251 00:10:47,070 --> 00:10:49,980 booth and your sales will start growing over time. 252 00:10:50,100 --> 00:10:51,450 If it's the right show for you. 253 00:10:51,870 --> 00:10:54,480 So don't test a show one time and decide, 254 00:10:54,510 --> 00:10:56,910 Nope, this show doesn't work for me. 255 00:10:57,480 --> 00:10:59,100 Also along those same lines, 256 00:10:59,370 --> 00:11:01,410 don't just do one craft show. 257 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:03,450 Let's say you have miserable Results. 258 00:11:03,660 --> 00:11:04,260 And then say, 259 00:11:04,260 --> 00:11:07,250 craft shows overall as an entire category, 260 00:11:07,290 --> 00:11:08,310 don't work for you. 261 00:11:09,180 --> 00:11:12,990 Maybe you misread the audience and it wasn't the appropriate audience. 262 00:11:13,380 --> 00:11:15,180 Or maybe as I was just talking about, 263 00:11:15,180 --> 00:11:16,710 there was a weather situation. 264 00:11:17,550 --> 00:11:21,870 You need to do several shows before you can decide whether 265 00:11:21,870 --> 00:11:25,320 they are the right thing to be putting into your product 266 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:26,520 mix or not. 267 00:11:26,610 --> 00:11:29,700 And I would suggest to everybody, 268 00:11:29,700 --> 00:11:32,130 if you have a handmade product and you're just starting, 269 00:11:32,490 --> 00:11:37,770 they are absolutely the best place to start when you're trying 270 00:11:37,770 --> 00:11:38,580 out your product. 271 00:11:38,610 --> 00:11:40,350 And you're seeing if there's a market. 272 00:11:40,650 --> 00:11:41,940 And why do I say that? 273 00:11:42,270 --> 00:11:46,020 It leads to my next point here about whether the show 274 00:11:46,020 --> 00:11:47,550 was successful or not. 275 00:11:48,210 --> 00:11:50,520 What do you learn from people who are coming up to 276 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:51,330 your table? 277 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:55,240 What if they're looking at products and they just can't make 278 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:55,780 a decision, 279 00:11:55,780 --> 00:11:57,010 so they walk away, 280 00:11:57,580 --> 00:12:00,280 huh? Maybe I have too many options. 281 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:01,690 I'm confusing people. 282 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:05,350 And I need to limit my options next time and see 283 00:12:05,350 --> 00:12:06,370 if that works better. 284 00:12:06,670 --> 00:12:09,370 You've gotten great market information for yourself. 285 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:14,980 What if people come and they are asking for something different 286 00:12:14,980 --> 00:12:15,850 than you had, 287 00:12:16,090 --> 00:12:16,780 like they're saying, 288 00:12:16,810 --> 00:12:18,640 well, do you have this in a different size? 289 00:12:18,670 --> 00:12:20,800 Or do they have this in different colors? 290 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:24,490 You're getting new research in about your product. 291 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:28,870 So this is a huge opportunity for you to learn more 292 00:12:28,870 --> 00:12:31,150 about the receptiveness of your product. 293 00:12:31,540 --> 00:12:36,160 So just those learnings alone are so valuable and worth. 294 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:37,660 Some of the entrance costs. 295 00:12:38,500 --> 00:12:40,480 Let's say you just broke even on a show. 296 00:12:40,510 --> 00:12:45,130 If you captured so much more information from the show about 297 00:12:45,130 --> 00:12:47,590 your product and things that you can adjust to make it 298 00:12:47,590 --> 00:12:48,760 better for next time, 299 00:12:49,420 --> 00:12:52,780 that's in the plus column of a successful show as well. 300 00:12:53,620 --> 00:12:56,560 Another thing is leads. 301 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,380 Maybe you had a number of people coming up and taking 302 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:01,360 interest in your product. 303 00:13:01,420 --> 00:13:02,110 And you had, 304 00:13:02,140 --> 00:13:05,620 if you follow what I suggest some way to capture their 305 00:13:05,620 --> 00:13:06,580 email addresses, 306 00:13:06,580 --> 00:13:08,920 maybe you did a sweepstakes or some type of a giveaway 307 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:11,980 so that they put their email into a bucket. 308 00:13:12,250 --> 00:13:15,040 Still. It shows a lot of times we're doing this physical. 309 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:16,600 It might be a QR code. 310 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:18,100 You're now with the pandemic. 311 00:13:18,100 --> 00:13:21,010 A lot of people are doing more touchless still at the 312 00:13:21,010 --> 00:13:24,430 shows. So maybe you do a QR code scan to enter 313 00:13:24,430 --> 00:13:25,750 into a raffle, 314 00:13:26,020 --> 00:13:29,170 but you've collected some type of an email address or something 315 00:13:29,470 --> 00:13:32,230 where they are now a prospect of yours that you can 316 00:13:32,230 --> 00:13:33,220 talk to later. 317 00:13:33,850 --> 00:13:37,510 You can suggest that they follow you on social media so 318 00:13:37,510 --> 00:13:39,040 that when you're doing your next show, 319 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:40,210 they know you're going to be there. 320 00:13:40,210 --> 00:13:43,060 They can come find you relationship building. 321 00:13:43,630 --> 00:13:47,050 So what type of leads are you getting from these shows? 322 00:13:47,050 --> 00:13:51,100 If you're getting a lot of really good qualified leads and 323 00:13:51,100 --> 00:13:55,210 not so many sales that still in the plus category, 324 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:58,330 the other thing I would look at is how much traffic 325 00:13:58,330 --> 00:14:00,100 is actually walking the show. 326 00:14:00,310 --> 00:14:02,590 Are you seeing that there are a lot of people coming 327 00:14:02,590 --> 00:14:07,390 by or are they just dribbling and traveling in that also 328 00:14:07,390 --> 00:14:09,730 speaks to how well the show was promoted. 329 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:11,770 If it was a good time of year, 330 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:13,570 if it's a good location, 331 00:14:13,570 --> 00:14:16,060 it's kind of validation of what you were thinking about when 332 00:14:16,060 --> 00:14:18,310 you were analyzing the show before you came in. 333 00:14:19,090 --> 00:14:21,280 And finally the most obvious. 334 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:21,760 And again, 335 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:23,230 I put this down at the bottom. 336 00:14:23,260 --> 00:14:24,850 Not because it's not important, 337 00:14:24,850 --> 00:14:27,370 but because I don't want it to be the very first 338 00:14:27,370 --> 00:14:28,480 thing that you look at, 339 00:14:29,530 --> 00:14:30,940 of course it always is, 340 00:14:30,940 --> 00:14:32,560 but I want you to consider other things. 341 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:34,390 And that is overall sales. 342 00:14:35,260 --> 00:14:39,340 I would say that a show where you don't even break, 343 00:14:39,370 --> 00:14:43,480 even, especially if you're just starting out or you just break, 344 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:46,420 even still could be a successful show. 345 00:14:46,420 --> 00:14:48,850 If you have made contact with people, 346 00:14:49,270 --> 00:14:52,370 learn some other things about your products and maybe it's the 347 00:14:52,370 --> 00:14:53,780 way you were displaying things. 348 00:14:54,170 --> 00:14:55,490 Maybe people were confused. 349 00:14:55,490 --> 00:14:57,710 They kept asking you the price of things. 350 00:14:57,980 --> 00:14:58,610 So, you know, 351 00:14:58,610 --> 00:14:59,420 now, Oh, 352 00:14:59,450 --> 00:15:02,150 I either need to put prices on all my products or 353 00:15:02,150 --> 00:15:05,660 I need to have some type of banner or a sign 354 00:15:05,660 --> 00:15:07,490 that says what my products cost, 355 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:10,520 where there a lot of people who were interested in buying, 356 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:14,030 but your checkout process was just so long that people started 357 00:15:14,030 --> 00:15:16,040 walking away because they didn't have time to wait. 358 00:15:16,250 --> 00:15:19,370 Or they got pulled away because their child got into something 359 00:15:19,580 --> 00:15:21,920 that was running off to another booth or something. 360 00:15:22,100 --> 00:15:24,050 Do you need to speed up your checkout process? 361 00:15:24,260 --> 00:15:24,380 You know, 362 00:15:24,380 --> 00:15:25,850 things like that you learn. 363 00:15:26,060 --> 00:15:29,480 So that could also have affected sales, 364 00:15:29,780 --> 00:15:31,570 even though people were interested in buying. 365 00:15:32,590 --> 00:15:33,000 They did. 366 00:15:33,910 --> 00:15:34,630 So when you, 367 00:15:34,630 --> 00:15:36,010 you think of your overall sales, 368 00:15:36,010 --> 00:15:39,490 I want you to think of the experience in total and 369 00:15:39,490 --> 00:15:40,960 analyze it in that manner. 370 00:15:41,500 --> 00:15:41,950 So again, 371 00:15:41,950 --> 00:15:44,350 the summary in terms of judging the success. 372 00:15:44,380 --> 00:15:46,690 So the show is as follows. 373 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:51,100 Make sure you just don't do one show and just say, 374 00:15:51,100 --> 00:15:52,990 okay, craft shows don't work for me. 375 00:15:53,950 --> 00:15:55,990 Make sure that you do several shows. 376 00:15:55,990 --> 00:15:58,180 And if a show looked like it was marginal, 377 00:15:58,180 --> 00:16:00,820 do it a second time because people get to know you 378 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:03,820 and will have seen you and you'll be building credibility. 379 00:16:04,090 --> 00:16:06,430 So don't just judge based on one show, 380 00:16:06,970 --> 00:16:08,890 how was the traffic in the show? 381 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:12,700 Were there a lot of people coming through plus traffic equals 382 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:16,210 opportunity if they weren't you're right audience. 383 00:16:16,210 --> 00:16:18,850 And there are a lot of people passing by then it's 384 00:16:18,850 --> 00:16:21,970 your responsibility to attract them into your booth, 385 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:24,310 by how you show up as a person, 386 00:16:24,340 --> 00:16:28,990 by how your booth is displayed by the experience people get 387 00:16:28,990 --> 00:16:29,770 at the booth, 388 00:16:29,830 --> 00:16:31,120 all of those things. 389 00:16:31,780 --> 00:16:35,170 What types of observations did you have from customers? 390 00:16:35,170 --> 00:16:37,420 Are there things that you should tweak so that the next 391 00:16:37,420 --> 00:16:40,990 show you can really land it because you've learned so much 392 00:16:40,990 --> 00:16:44,260 more. Have you gotten a lot of leads? 393 00:16:44,290 --> 00:16:44,770 Let's say you, 394 00:16:44,770 --> 00:16:45,880 the show broke even, 395 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:49,510 but you got 50 new leads of people who were really 396 00:16:49,510 --> 00:16:50,500 interested in your product. 397 00:16:50,500 --> 00:16:51,490 They just didn't buy it. 398 00:16:51,820 --> 00:16:54,370 Maybe they're going to buy for the holidays. 399 00:16:54,910 --> 00:16:57,250 Okay? These are all people then that you can be marketing 400 00:16:57,250 --> 00:16:58,270 to moving forward. 401 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:00,430 These are 50 more people who, 402 00:17:00,430 --> 00:17:02,020 if you wouldn't have done that show, 403 00:17:02,380 --> 00:17:05,080 you never would have been able to stay in communication with 404 00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:05,920 moving forward. 405 00:17:06,700 --> 00:17:08,200 And finally then of course, 406 00:17:08,230 --> 00:17:09,400 overall the sales. 407 00:17:09,850 --> 00:17:15,580 So how did your sales do the best shows obviously are, 408 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:16,960 I'm going to say, 409 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:20,800 I'd love to see you double at least your show investment. 410 00:17:20,830 --> 00:17:22,030 If you can do more, 411 00:17:22,090 --> 00:17:23,170 obviously better, 412 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:23,530 the more, 413 00:17:23,530 --> 00:17:24,160 the better, 414 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:24,940 and some people, 415 00:17:24,940 --> 00:17:26,290 10 times their shows. 416 00:17:26,770 --> 00:17:29,350 But a lot of these people who are doing that have 417 00:17:29,350 --> 00:17:30,670 done what I've just said, 418 00:17:30,730 --> 00:17:34,090 they've analyzed and they're going to the right shows first. 419 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:38,050 And then they're observing what's going on in the shows. 420 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:41,050 How can they make it better and better and better and 421 00:17:41,050 --> 00:17:44,680 better. So these people who are getting these really great results 422 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:46,360 have been doing this for a while. 423 00:17:46,510 --> 00:17:48,910 They are craft show experts. 424 00:17:49,350 --> 00:17:50,310 If you will. 425 00:17:50,970 --> 00:17:56,150 I think there is nothing like in-person shows because of the 426 00:17:56,150 --> 00:17:57,410 feedback that you're getting, 427 00:17:57,410 --> 00:17:59,540 because you're right together with each other, 428 00:17:59,540 --> 00:18:04,340 because you can talk individually to people's interests and needs. 429 00:18:04,910 --> 00:18:06,650 You can direct them to the right product. 430 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:08,870 You start building a relationship with them. 431 00:18:08,870 --> 00:18:11,690 You can make sure that you get their email if they 432 00:18:11,690 --> 00:18:13,970 don't purchase right away so that you'll be able to communicate 433 00:18:13,970 --> 00:18:15,110 with them further. 434 00:18:15,470 --> 00:18:18,290 You can ask them to follow you on social. 435 00:18:18,290 --> 00:18:20,120 So they'll know the shows that you're going to be at 436 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:20,870 in the future. 437 00:18:21,140 --> 00:18:25,760 All of those things make for the best opportunity for you 438 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,160 to connect and grow your customer base. 439 00:18:28,190 --> 00:18:31,880 And of course get sales so exciting that we're back out, 440 00:18:31,970 --> 00:18:33,020 live again, 441 00:18:33,050 --> 00:18:35,660 being able to be around people again, 442 00:18:35,690 --> 00:18:39,440 and being able to capture all that face-to-face shows are able 443 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:40,580 to provide for us. 444 00:18:41,060 --> 00:18:41,810 Go out, 445 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,840 look and see what shows are available in your community. 446 00:18:45,110 --> 00:18:48,500 Run them through my little test list here of whether they're 447 00:18:48,500 --> 00:18:50,000 a good show for you or not. 448 00:18:50,450 --> 00:18:52,340 And if you do go to these shows, 449 00:18:52,370 --> 00:18:57,050 then circle back and analyze those results and do that actually 450 00:18:57,050 --> 00:18:58,370 right after you've done the show, 451 00:18:58,370 --> 00:19:00,830 because if you're doing a couple of shows, 452 00:19:01,130 --> 00:19:04,520 you might forget like our memories fade as time goes on. 453 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,250 So do it right after that show has taken place, 454 00:19:07,460 --> 00:19:10,280 make some notes for yourself of what was good about the 455 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:14,840 show. What was maybe not as good about the show that 456 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:18,200 you could control and that you couldn't control. 457 00:19:18,260 --> 00:19:20,420 I E whether right, 458 00:19:20,900 --> 00:19:22,430 so that you then can go back. 459 00:19:22,460 --> 00:19:25,760 If a show annualizes comes back the next year, 460 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:28,670 you can determine whether you should do it or not based 461 00:19:28,670 --> 00:19:31,640 on what you remember and learned when you access your notes 462 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:32,450 from the prior year. 463 00:19:33,020 --> 00:19:36,200 Next week is going to be part two of the craft 464 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:37,400 show convo. 465 00:19:37,700 --> 00:19:40,880 And we're going to talk about the struggles and then the 466 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:43,940 solutions to those struggles for craft shows. 467 00:19:44,210 --> 00:19:47,450 So you'll be able to take these two together and make 468 00:19:47,450 --> 00:19:50,600 the craft shows all that they can possibly be for you. 469 00:19:50,990 --> 00:19:53,900 I can't wait to hear that you're out there and all 470 00:19:53,900 --> 00:19:56,720 the success you have at your next craft show. 471 00:19:58,070 --> 00:20:01,310 That's a wrap going to get to the point kind of 472 00:20:01,310 --> 00:20:04,370 girl. And this is what you can expect from these quick 473 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:05,780 midweek sessions. 474 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:09,560 Now it's your turn go out and fulfill that dream of 475 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:13,010 yours. Share your handmade products with us. 476 00:20:13,370 --> 00:20:14,570 We want them, 477 00:20:14,690 --> 00:20:17,390 and they bring us both so much happiness..