Need Help

[Cindys]

I did my first Spring Time in the country show. Thier was over 200 artisians who participated. The show was very professinally advertised.The attedance was amazing, its my sales that stunk!!Here is my saga. I sell hurricane shells( seashell, pictures and my local hockey team logo)Also I sell orbs ( dried floral decoupaged and local hockey team logo)I also offer melts votive tealites and various size cntainers. All 100% soy. Do I offer to many things that makes people confused to shop. My booth is nice but boring. I asked the man who ran the show to look and he said it is very uninviting.I need to lower things so they are at eye level. I use gridwall anh shelves to display my product. I busted my butt and Im so depressed. I dont know if I should make less things or totally give up. I dont want to because Im addicted. I am cjanging my booth, but please any veterans out there who could offer me advice. Sorry my saga is so long Thanks

[marika]

It's hard to comment because we can't see a pic of your booth..Don't get discouraged...just do more research before you set up for your next show

Mari

[Cindys]

I did not take any pictures at the Spring Show.I have posted pics of my xmas setup. Everything is the same except for the table in the middle that is gone. And my shelves were in the back this time. And of course, my Spring stuff was out. I have some pics posted on the gallery of my work. Any advice would be great. Thanks for your time..

[marika]

Ok...

The wire racks may be a necessity but you need to dress them somehow and not have them as the focal point.

You need a table or case to showcase your items...one or 2 of each item on different levels so the customer looks at them and talks to you

My suggestion would to be look at catlogs and websites and find displays you really love and then display your items to the full potential...Obviously you have worked diligently at perfecting your items;

Now learn how to market them and you'll do well

Hope this helps

Mari

http://everlastingimage.vstore.ca/

[KristineG]

WOW....looks like a lot of hard work went into that. I think it needs simplified. Keep your stock with you but don't display it. I would display one of two of each item. It looks a bit overwhelming to me. I know that when I go to craft fairs as a customer, I browse and buy what catches my eye. There's just too much there to catch my eye.

[LynnS]

Yes a bit overwhelming but I also make over 200 candles and do 2-4 of each scent. Make about 30 different scents of tarts. Do lotion,soap and fresheners. I try to put all in category and not bunched. If it looks to bad I take some off the table. You do want a variety but not so busy.

I have 1 table on each side and one in front and just leave space for me to walk through and enough for customers to walk in. In front I have 2 bookcases and they hold all the candles. They are at a angle. People stop right away and check out about all I have.

This year I am adding more things and not sure where to put them. I will just leave alot under the tables and if something sells will move more up. I do that for the candles when it starts looking bare. At times I wondered should I leave it bare and let people see I am selling or else let people know I have a large selection and worth stopping.

I used risers one year and nice but for some reason they did not last for me. I think my husband is hard on them and gets in a hurry and they break.

You make alot of different things and I am not sure what they are. I need to visualize. Honestly if I was to do those things I don't think I would sell. About 80% of sales for me are the 8 ounce candles. It just all depends on where you live. I wonder how other candlemakers did at this show. I remember I thought it was great about wickless. I thought they would sell. No one knew about them and did not care so all day I sold 2 wickless. I can make a candle, put a bow, package it and people go for 8 ounce and I wasted my time and money.

You sure did alot of work for not doing good. Good luck with future shows and maybe it isnt your booth but the show itself. I do a huge show and do better in sales at the smaller show.

LynnS

[Guest EMercier]

OK, I'm not the best at display and I work on mine often, BUT honestly, I don't think I would've stopped in your booth. When something is too busy it overloads my brain. I would organize it a little better. I know it might've taken time to put everything the way you did, but it looks too cluttered. I do like the tart section, but everything else would need to be organized a bit better. I use to do a ton of scents, but I noticed that a lot of those scents no one would order. I only do about 15 per season and I take 8 with me to a show. I have shelves (looking for better ones), but I put at least three of each item out unless it's soap and such. I wanted to achieve that "store" look. That might not be for you, but all I could say is that I would organize better. Also, search here and look at what others have done and get your wheels turning on what you could change around.

[Scented]

Just a thought, but while others mentioned to make it more inviting, how about checking out other booths and seeing what they do.

It's hard to face a disappointment and work so hard to get one, but you might change your approach to that as well ... such as thinking about what you can do to improve your booth. Take a look objectively at what you have and start altering if you can. It will take a few shows to get it closer to exactly what you want. In looking at other booths, you're looking at what makes it inviting to you and then see if it's something you can alter your display to convey or something you can add that would work into your scheme.

To me, there's no consistency between your displays. One thing I might tend to do is mesh the variety of products you have in a way that shows how they can be used together, set up something that attracts the eye.

Did you expect people to just walk in or did you invite them in?

[tangerine]

Adding on to what Marika mentioned about the wire racks -- I think the grid of the rack makes things look busier, more cluttered. Like some have suggested, it would be a good idea to have a few of each product on display (on a table maybe?).

[Cindys]

Wow so much great advice. Everyone is right, I need to simlify and un clutter. Im headed in the table direction. I did look at other candle vendores. They all used the tables and shelves. very warm all the same product in groups. My shelves break down, so i could put them on top of the tables. Also I was headed in the direction of changing my tartsand putting them in the soufle plastic cups.Then I thought that is not so appealing.Would I want to give some one something that looks like a plastic cup. Maybre Im thinking stupid there. (I sure hope so, because it would be a lot easier for packing them)I will cut down on the amount of scents I make. Does any one else think this sounds like Im headed in the right direction? By the way many vendors did not do that well,mostly lawn stuff sold. Imagine that at a Spring Show.

[so-soy]

By the way many vendors did not do that well,mostly lawn stuff sold. Imagine that at a Spring Show.

LOL..well then, I guess you could just sell the 'fresh cut grass' scented candles! As for the tarts being in the plastic cups, my opinion is don't do it! I feel the plastic cups look cheap and I myself wouldn't buy them. As for the set up, it is busy, seems to be to much going on in different areas. I would definitely choose some nice long tables to use, dress them up, use height on the tables for displaying items, keep things in groups, don't bring everything you offer...keep it simple! What ever items are your best sellers, that's what I would bring..whether that is your candles and tarts or whatever. I avoid booths that have umpteen different items for sale...I will look at a booth showing a few items that the artisan has perfected, I don't care to see 15 different items the artisan has whipped together to sell...KWIM? Anyway, good luck with your next show....way to keep your chin up and keep trying!