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Hi there,

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it's Sue and thanks for joining me for Tips and Talk

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Day. These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions

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and things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small

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business. If you'd like to submit a topic,

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DM e over on Instagram at Gift Biz Unwrapped.

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We've covered so many facets of a handmade product business over

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the course of the years and today is no exception.

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We've talked about how to start and grow your business stories

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from many of you who have done just that.

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How to choose and use social media sites,

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build your website.

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Oh my gosh,

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there is just so much information here for you,

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but not necessarily at your fingertips.

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So I've made a tool for you that categorizes by topic

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the episodes of this podcast,

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but only the ones that stay relevant over time because yes,

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let's face it,

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there are past shows that just don't work anymore for us

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today. The world is changing so fast,

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right? You can use this tool to zero in on whatever

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topic you need at the moment.

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Do you wanna hear from others in your specific industry?

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How about details on Pinterest or setting up an email strategy?

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You can now easily find the right episodes and create your

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priority listening roster.

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Consider this your Gift Biz resource center at a glance.

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It's a Google Sheet best viewable on your computer versus your

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phone. Make sure to look on the bottom where there are

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five separate sections for easy topic reference,

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kind of like chapters of a book.

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It makes finding the shows to help you with what you're

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working on right now.

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So much easier to access this free resource,

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go to gift biz unwrapped.com/topics

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Being likable.

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Sometimes that's all you need to make a sale,

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and if you describe yourself as an introvert,

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this is a reason to push past this self-limiting label because

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you have no chance of being likable if someone doesn't have

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the ability to get to know you.

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Being likable plays particularly well when you're out at in-person events.

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Who do you think gets more sales?

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The woman who sits in a chair staring at her phone

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while people are looking at her items,

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or the woman who's actively engaging in conversation,

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laughing, questioning,

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and sharing with booth guests.

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Do you know that 95% of buying decisions are made based

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on emotion?

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Neuroscience confirms it.

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Given this,

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why do we focus so much on talking about all the

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specifics of our products?

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If we haven't even been asked,

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why not just be friendly and welcoming when you meet someone

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in your booth for the first time?

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That takes a lot of the pressure off,

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doesn't it?

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Keep in mind that going to craft shows is a form

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of entertainment for those attending.

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Yes, they come to buy,

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but they also come to enjoy an afternoon with a friend

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or use an outside fair as a chance to get into

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the community and walk with their dog,

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meeting up with people along the way.

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It's an entire experience and looking at all the booths with

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all the interesting products is one part of it.

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Of course,

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as an exhibitor,

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you're single focused on what you're doing there,

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but it's not the same for those that you're hoping will

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be interested and want to buy your products.

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A while back,

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I was at a county holiday fair with my friend Barb.

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We were Searchie out gifts to complete our Christmas list,

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but also it was just a fun way to spend a

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Saturday together.

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We had lots of time to talk in our hour car

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ride each way.

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We enjoyed lunch at the fair,

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eating all sorts of yummy things,

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definitely outside the healthy list,

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and we enjoyed seeing all the crafts and making decisions together

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about what we'd buy even after the event.

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We'd referenced back to our time there and the products that

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we got because a lot of them for gifts for ourselves

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too. We often forget as vendors about the purpose of this

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show from our visitor's perspective,

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but here's where the likability factor can work in your favor.

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I'll use this show I just told you about as an

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example because it's at this show where I met Sheena,

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Barbara and I were walking up and down the aisles enjoying

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all that the show had to offer when we ran into

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a bright,

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colorful display with a vibrant,

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smiling, good natured woman right in front,

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energetically interacting with people as they walked by.

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Not too overwhelming,

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but just right.

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Of course,

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we had to stop.

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Sheena was a joy to talk to,

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which led to learning about her products and of course,

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buying many bath bombs and now my favorite of hers sugar

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scrubs. Mind you,

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I didn't come to the show with the idea of buying

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bath bombs even during the purchase.

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I wasn't exactly sure who they'd before I bought because of

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the emotion created at Sheena's booth.

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You guessed it.

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Sheena was likable and I was more than happy to support

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her. It was clear she had a loyal following too,

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as she said hi to current customers by name and welcomed

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them into her area,

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each one restocking their supply and enjoying their friendly banter back

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and forth.

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I can say I've joined the fan club.

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I love Sheena and speak of her regularly and about her

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products to others.

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If you were to peek under my sink right now,

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you'd find a stack of six or seven jars ready and

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waiting because I can never be out of her sugar scrubs

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ever. This doesn't mean that I don't use other's pampering products

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as well.

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I'm loyal to Cherita from DOA Naturals too.

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Her body sprays and sugar scrubs are completely different from Sheena's

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and they're a regular part of my lineup.

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Sharita's in business with her sisters.

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It's a family endeavor,

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and going into their booth is like one big party.

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I'm welcomed with smiles and hugs and gosh,

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I'd love to hang out there with them all day.

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Likability overload at its best.

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All they're doing is being natural and themselves.

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I told Cherita once that I'd like to get all of

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us together and just hang out at someone's house sometime.

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That's how fun they are.

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It's the vibe and spirit behind the business that is taking

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them far.

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Now, you don't need to be a vibrant personality like Sheena

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and Cherita are,

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but be yourself.

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Be likable,

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be friendly,

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be approachable,

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and just let people in to get to know you.

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The real you.

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No need for acting or facades,

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that's all it takes.

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I say all like it's easy.

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I know you know how much energy it takes to be

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on all day at shows.

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I personally love it.

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Shows are my very favorite part of my business.

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Being with you in person is the best way to bond

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and develop relationships and friendships,

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and that's how I feel about my clients and customers.

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I know best we're friends.

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Maybe that's a better way to put it,

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because to be friends,

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you have to like that person,

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so think of it that way.

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Interact with people,

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not as customers or potential buyers,

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but as someone you are developing a friendship with,

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let your personality shine through because that's what turns on the

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likability switch.

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That's a wrap.

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I'm a get to the point kind of girl,

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and this is what you can expect from these quick midweek

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sessions. Now it's your turn.

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Go out and fulfill that dream of yours.

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Share your handmade products with us.

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We want them and they bring us both.

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So much happiness.