1 00:00:04,530 --> 00:00:05,080 Hi there, 2 00:00:05,350 --> 00:00:08,400 it's Sue and thanks for joining me for Tips and Talk 3 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:12,880 Day. These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions 4 00:00:13,060 --> 00:00:16,200 and things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small 5 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:18,600 business. If you'd like to submit a topic, 6 00:00:19,290 --> 00:00:22,800 DM e over on Instagram at Gift Biz Unwrapped. 7 00:00:23,230 --> 00:00:24,960 Before I get into the show today, 8 00:00:25,310 --> 00:00:26,720 I have a message for you. 9 00:00:26,970 --> 00:00:30,560 If you're just now starting to think of starting a handmade 10 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:31,400 product business, 11 00:00:32,210 --> 00:00:33,000 at this point, 12 00:00:33,020 --> 00:00:35,480 you may be thinking about your business name and logo. 13 00:00:36,110 --> 00:00:39,000 That's what would be natural and what most people would do, 14 00:00:39,420 --> 00:00:40,800 but hold on a second. 15 00:00:41,230 --> 00:00:43,560 It's not the best initial step. 16 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,560 There are other important things to do first to make sure 17 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:51,560 you're set up for success and ensure your product easily attracts 18 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,680 buyers. Sometimes it's just a little tweak. 19 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,800 That's the difference between a thriving and failing business. 20 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:00,930 Before you spend a lot of time and money, 21 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,490 make sure to validate your product and ensure it's positioned and 22 00:01:04,490 --> 00:01:07,330 priced so you'll see results right from the beginning. 23 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:10,970 That way you can start your business with confidence. 24 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:13,090 I can help you with that. 25 00:01:13,500 --> 00:01:17,210 Go to gift biz unwrap.com/start 26 00:01:17,270 --> 00:01:18,570 for all the details. 27 00:01:20,700 --> 00:01:24,770 We are so lucky in our industry of handmade to have 28 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:30,010 what feels like endless options for face-to-face selling options that come 29 00:01:30,010 --> 00:01:32,050 in all styles and formats too. 30 00:01:32,610 --> 00:01:33,570 Craft shows, 31 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:34,770 county fairs, 32 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:36,210 church bazaars, 33 00:01:36,410 --> 00:01:38,490 local handmade creator markets, 34 00:01:39,140 --> 00:01:40,450 artisan exhibitions, 35 00:01:41,260 --> 00:01:43,010 upscale jury shows, 36 00:01:43,300 --> 00:01:44,930 special themed events, 37 00:01:45,630 --> 00:01:49,210 all different versions offering you so many choices. 38 00:01:49,650 --> 00:01:54,450 Coast to coast when considering which shows to do some decisions 39 00:01:54,450 --> 00:01:55,930 are easy because of your product, 40 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:59,650 your snack mix is a natural fit for a farmer's market, 41 00:02:00,220 --> 00:02:01,650 or if you're a fine artist, 42 00:02:02,470 --> 00:02:06,610 our juried art show makes perfect sense and will attract the 43 00:02:06,610 --> 00:02:07,410 right customers. 44 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,090 Even going outside of your obvious fit can prove fruitful. 45 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:16,130 Many of my handmade coaching students have gone to shows that 46 00:02:16,130 --> 00:02:19,730 seem to have been a mismatch but have been highly successful 47 00:02:20,380 --> 00:02:25,370 perhaps because it seems so random and therefore attracts attention free 48 00:02:25,370 --> 00:02:26,130 of competitors. 49 00:02:26,740 --> 00:02:29,450 Testing is always the only way to know if a show 50 00:02:29,450 --> 00:02:30,250 will work for you, 51 00:02:30,590 --> 00:02:33,730 but there are things to consider to slant the odds in 52 00:02:33,730 --> 00:02:34,170 your favor. 53 00:02:34,890 --> 00:02:37,890 Today, I wanna talk about the size of a show and 54 00:02:37,890 --> 00:02:39,730 how that can affect your success. 55 00:02:40,350 --> 00:02:44,490 You may initially think that larger shows will bring greater results, 56 00:02:44,830 --> 00:02:46,970 but that's not always the case. 57 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:50,650 Both large and small shows are worth considering. 58 00:02:51,420 --> 00:02:54,390 I recently got back from a show that over the years 59 00:02:54,390 --> 00:02:56,550 has dramatically shrunken size, 60 00:02:56,890 --> 00:03:00,880 but my sales were just as good if not better than 61 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,120 some of the shows that were four times the size in 62 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:04,560 the past. 63 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,240 Let's talk about each of these types of shows to help 64 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:11,520 you analyze and plan your show participation moving forward. 65 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:13,440 Small shows first, 66 00:03:14,170 --> 00:03:16,760 if you're doing your very first show, 67 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:19,400 small is definitely the way to go. 68 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:23,760 It'll be less overwhelming and costly and will allow you to 69 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:27,160 find and perfect your show style. 70 00:03:28,070 --> 00:03:31,680 A starter booth display will work just fine as you test 71 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,080 and plan and then upgrade from there. 72 00:03:34,980 --> 00:03:38,500 Small shows also give you time to learn your most comfortable 73 00:03:38,900 --> 00:03:40,220 customer interaction style. 74 00:03:40,810 --> 00:03:43,900 I've done quite a few episodes now on how to manage 75 00:03:43,900 --> 00:03:45,300 communication at your booth, 76 00:03:45,300 --> 00:03:47,820 and I'll add those to the show notes page here for 77 00:03:47,820 --> 00:03:48,380 this episode. 78 00:03:49,130 --> 00:03:51,790 But smaller shows aren't just for newbies. 79 00:03:52,030 --> 00:03:55,270 There are lots of advantages that bode well for businesses of 80 00:03:55,270 --> 00:03:55,910 all sizes. 81 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:58,630 If this show is in your local community, 82 00:03:59,130 --> 00:04:02,270 you don't have any travel time and can sleep in your 83 00:04:02,270 --> 00:04:03,270 own bed at night, 84 00:04:03,270 --> 00:04:06,870 which is a huge plus at local shows, 85 00:04:06,870 --> 00:04:10,350 you'll also most likely know a lot of the browsers, 86 00:04:10,590 --> 00:04:15,310 which brings ease to conversations and potentially new awareness of your 87 00:04:15,510 --> 00:04:18,550 business to some of your friends or distant acquaintances. 88 00:04:19,170 --> 00:04:22,550 The sense of community and supporting local will play in your 89 00:04:22,550 --> 00:04:25,470 favor too with sales and email signups. 90 00:04:26,380 --> 00:04:31,370 Smaller shows like farmer's markets usually have a regular schedule the 91 00:04:31,370 --> 00:04:32,770 first Saturday of each month, 92 00:04:32,770 --> 00:04:33,410 for example, 93 00:04:33,780 --> 00:04:35,770 or even weekly during the season. 94 00:04:36,530 --> 00:04:40,290 Being seen regularly at a setup like this builds trust, 95 00:04:40,490 --> 00:04:43,610 and of course the opportunity for repeat purchases, 96 00:04:44,020 --> 00:04:47,210 so even though it's smaller in terms of attendance and draw 97 00:04:47,390 --> 00:04:50,930 the quality of customers and weekly sales from the same people 98 00:04:51,100 --> 00:04:53,210 is high product dependent. 99 00:04:53,210 --> 00:04:53,610 Of course, 100 00:04:54,450 --> 00:04:57,200 another advantage is easy in and out parking, 101 00:04:57,850 --> 00:05:01,600 no long walks to the venue or dealing with parking garages. 102 00:05:02,070 --> 00:05:06,920 This accessibility prompts more last minute decisions on behalf of attendees 103 00:05:07,340 --> 00:05:08,800 who can pop in and out quickly. 104 00:05:09,370 --> 00:05:13,000 An ease of access can also prompt repeat visits on both 105 00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:16,720 Saturday and Sunday because it's a social setting to hang out 106 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:17,400 in as well. 107 00:05:18,030 --> 00:05:21,320 I talk about this more in next week's tips and talk 108 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:26,180 show. Smaller shows can attract large or small crowds. 109 00:05:26,370 --> 00:05:27,700 Relatively speaking. 110 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:32,380 You can have a huge convention hall and no traffic as 111 00:05:32,380 --> 00:05:33,260 easily as you can. 112 00:05:33,260 --> 00:05:36,300 Have a craft show that's a couple of blocks long that's 113 00:05:36,460 --> 00:05:38,740 packed with people doesn't correlate. 114 00:05:39,190 --> 00:05:39,900 In other words, 115 00:05:39,900 --> 00:05:43,180 a small show can bring in a large crowd and vice 116 00:05:43,180 --> 00:05:47,390 versa. It depends on a lot of things including weather, 117 00:05:47,970 --> 00:05:51,230 but don't be dismayed if the number of people walking a 118 00:05:51,230 --> 00:05:53,790 show is low when there are fewer people. 119 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,950 It gives you and your booth visitors more time to talk. 120 00:05:57,670 --> 00:06:00,840 It's less rushed and does have the potential to bring in 121 00:06:00,910 --> 00:06:04,400 just as many dollars as a busy show because you have 122 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:08,600 more time to interact and that leads to bigger ticket orders. 123 00:06:09,950 --> 00:06:12,960 A smaller show may also mean you're the only one there 124 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,440 selling the product in your particular category. 125 00:06:15,950 --> 00:06:20,040 Less lesser note competition can be a big plus for obvious 126 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:24,080 reasons. Let's move on to the larger shows now. 127 00:06:24,650 --> 00:06:27,960 They're typically put on in a city or a county and 128 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:30,440 have more structure to them by necessity. 129 00:06:31,130 --> 00:06:31,960 In my area, 130 00:06:32,010 --> 00:06:34,560 we have the one of a kind show in the Chicago 131 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,560 Merchandise Mart that occurs twice a year, 132 00:06:38,060 --> 00:06:39,200 and by contrast, 133 00:06:39,340 --> 00:06:41,080 the Cain County Flea Market, 134 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:43,800 which is a monthly event from March through December. 135 00:06:44,540 --> 00:06:47,640 One is more formal and the other is super casual. 136 00:06:48,660 --> 00:06:52,670 Both attract large crowds and need an organized parking system. 137 00:06:53,290 --> 00:06:56,780 It's definitely an investment of time and energy to attend one 138 00:06:57,140 --> 00:06:57,740 of these shows, 139 00:06:58,260 --> 00:07:00,100 which is part of the appeal. 140 00:07:00,650 --> 00:07:04,900 It's pretty much a full day of activity and entertainment at 141 00:07:04,900 --> 00:07:05,460 these shows. 142 00:07:05,460 --> 00:07:09,300 There's a lot of opportunity to get visibility you wouldn't have 143 00:07:09,300 --> 00:07:13,900 otherwise. People drive from all around pulling from as far as 144 00:07:13,900 --> 00:07:15,660 50 miles in any direction. 145 00:07:16,210 --> 00:07:20,420 Having new people find you and learn about your company is 146 00:07:20,420 --> 00:07:24,380 huge. Many times you're able to keep your booth location from 147 00:07:24,380 --> 00:07:27,820 show to show so people who wanna purchase again can easily 148 00:07:27,820 --> 00:07:28,500 find you. 149 00:07:28,890 --> 00:07:30,340 Even with so many vendors, 150 00:07:31,410 --> 00:07:34,160 there's also more competition at large shows, 151 00:07:34,580 --> 00:07:36,320 but this can be a good thing. 152 00:07:36,810 --> 00:07:41,600 Someone who's looking for new earrings won't necessarily buy just one 153 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:45,760 pair. Having your products stand side by side with others can 154 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:50,360 actually bring you in more sales with the superior product quality 155 00:07:50,590 --> 00:07:54,360 I know you have and a unique design style and display, 156 00:07:54,740 --> 00:07:58,880 you have the opportunity to stand out and since you've listened 157 00:07:58,880 --> 00:07:59,440 to this podcast, 158 00:08:00,020 --> 00:08:03,080 you know how to interact with people to make them feel 159 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:05,320 special and enjoy their time with you. 160 00:08:05,790 --> 00:08:09,440 That all leads to sales with or without competition. 161 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,290 People also spend more time at large shows. 162 00:08:13,340 --> 00:08:14,570 There's entertainment, 163 00:08:14,740 --> 00:08:16,010 sitting areas, 164 00:08:17,270 --> 00:08:20,790 bathrooms, because there's always that need when you spend a lot 165 00:08:20,790 --> 00:08:21,710 of time at a show, 166 00:08:22,170 --> 00:08:23,990 and this offers a couple of things. 167 00:08:24,470 --> 00:08:29,270 First, someone who's already visited your booth may pass by several 168 00:08:29,270 --> 00:08:31,070 times over the course of the day. 169 00:08:31,510 --> 00:08:34,750 While they may have liked but not purchased from you the 170 00:08:34,750 --> 00:08:35,190 first time, 171 00:08:35,540 --> 00:08:37,470 they might a second or the third. 172 00:08:38,500 --> 00:08:41,650 It also gives someone time to think about your products for 173 00:08:41,650 --> 00:08:44,850 a bit and still take action while they're at the show. 174 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:47,370 They fell in love with your leather bags, 175 00:08:47,390 --> 00:08:49,570 but it's more than they wanted to spend, 176 00:08:49,660 --> 00:08:52,690 so they walked away and decided they were gonna think about 177 00:08:52,690 --> 00:08:55,360 it, but they can't get it out of their their mind 178 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:58,120 and eventually decide it's now or never, 179 00:08:58,120 --> 00:08:59,800 and they return to purchase. 180 00:09:00,620 --> 00:09:04,320 The chances of them seeking you out after they leave a 181 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:07,920 show are dramatically reduced even if they have a card with 182 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:08,840 your website on it. 183 00:09:09,230 --> 00:09:13,120 Larger shows where people spend a lot more time allows this 184 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:13,840 to happen. 185 00:09:15,110 --> 00:09:19,630 There are definite advantages and disadvantages to both large and small 186 00:09:19,630 --> 00:09:23,550 shows. How much publicity does a show get to attract people 187 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,070 or even let them know it's happening? 188 00:09:26,860 --> 00:09:28,390 What is your cost to attend? 189 00:09:29,210 --> 00:09:32,510 How does it attract customers who would normally buy your items? 190 00:09:32,990 --> 00:09:36,510 These are all things to consider when making a show plan. 191 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:39,510 Ideally, as I mentioned earlier, 192 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:43,230 if you're starting out a small local show is the way 193 00:09:43,230 --> 00:09:43,590 to go. 194 00:09:44,100 --> 00:09:46,350 Once you have a couple of shows under your belt, 195 00:09:46,900 --> 00:09:48,710 expand out and try others. 196 00:09:49,140 --> 00:09:51,070 You'll find some smaller shows, 197 00:09:51,070 --> 00:09:52,710 produce better results than others, 198 00:09:53,010 --> 00:09:58,350 and the same with comparing one larger show against another experiment. 199 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:02,630 Analyze afterwards and you're sure to land on the right mix 200 00:10:02,630 --> 00:10:03,190 for you. 201 00:10:05,620 --> 00:10:06,550 That's a wrap. 202 00:10:06,890 --> 00:10:08,710 I'm a get to the point kind of girl, 203 00:10:08,810 --> 00:10:11,750 and this is what you can expect from these quick midweek 204 00:10:11,750 --> 00:10:14,350 sessions. Now it's your turn. 205 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,510 Go out and fulfill that dream of yours. 206 00:10:17,830 --> 00:10:19,910 Share your handmade products with us. 207 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:24,230 We want them and they bring us both so much happiness.