Exude Success After putting some finishing touches on a art/craft business presentation I realized an overall theme occurring - exude success. Since the economic down turn (and even before that) I have seen countless craft artists get caught up in lively discussions in aisles at shows about the economy and how shows aren't what they used to be. I have noticed more and more craft artists are neglecting how important it is to obtain a "professional" appearance of their booth to attract customers - from new people just getting their feet wet to the seasoned vet who does the same display year after year selling the same thing year after year to boot. Tell me, have you seen those who just look like they threw in the towel before the doors open to the event? Maybe these people fall into a habit of doing Sudoku puzzles, or better yet ready to pounce on the next unsuspecting customer praying this is the person who will buy something expensive. I don't want to burst anyones bubble, but we are in control of our own success when it comes to our own art/craft business. If people are experiencing lulls in sales - of course it could be the economy and many other reasons, however if you are not putting your best foot forward then you are not exuding success. Why Exude Success? When it comes down to it people will buy from those who are successful or appear to be successful. It is almost like a popularity contest without the drama. When you see people in ones booth it is usually because there is something going on there that no one else is offering. Next time you go to a show observe the dynamics of what is going on in each and every booth around you. Notice who has something unique, what makes some displays attract a lot of people while others don't, and what are each booth owners attitude like. It shouldn't take long before you see it - the dividing line - booths with energy and booths without energy. Creating a happy vibe will in fact attract people who then pick up on that positivity which builds and builds where before long one person starts to buy something and the more follow. So, in a sense, if each craft artist would take the time to exude success using their time wisely at shows they too will find sales and others wondering what does he/she have that I don't. How to exude success:1. Be positive. If your day starts off bad, let it go, take a deep breath, move on. You don't need to be super perky as if you had 5 cups of coffee, but doing something like smiling, WELCOMING people into your booth, offering suggestions or help, all goes a long way in winning a customers confidence and trust. 2. Dress for success. First impressions means the world of difference when it comes to customer shopping. The way you dress directly affects the way people perceive your work. The little things like trimming beards or shave, putting on a bit of make-up can go a long way especially with a great shade of lipstick, and of course dress casually and for comfort all goes a long way. It scares me when I have see some sweaty men putting up a booth and then start selling with major b.o. and sweat stains. I have observed women with the most messiest of hair dos and no make-up complaining about how their sales are so poor OR question "why are so many people trying to barter with me?". 3. Make your booth pop! Are you selling at an art fair or at a flea market? Think of all the things that makes one show more elite than the other and you'll see it is all about the way the art work and craft is displayed and merchandised. Find a happy medium where you don't get people commenting more on how beautiful your booth is than your work. And on the other side of the spectrum that if the booth is too plain where items are just sitting on one table with no style or class you also will loose customers attention. Just think - your booth is much like a mini boutique and when people shop at boutiques and nice retail shops - they want that experience. When store names like a Godiva Chocolates, Crate and Barrel, or The Gap you automatically think about what they sell and how it is presented - the same should go for your work/business. Using good lighting, a styled theme, organized merchandising where your products are on different eye levels and more should be everyone's goal. The one thing that can make or break ones booth is to have it look like all the rest at the show - think about ways to make it memorable and you will surely find buyers verses passersby. 4. Use positive language. I usually get customers and other craft artists, when I do shows, ask, so how are sales today? I usually say "its too early to tell" or "I have made some sales, but I won't know until the end of the day". Whenever someone asks a question they are testing you to see if you are more successful than the others they have encountered that day. If the weather is at least nice (and sales aren't) mention how you can't remember such a good day as today and to thank customers for coming out in such nice or bad weather too - changing a situation to a positive one. If someone shrieks about something they think is over priced, calm the situation and explain what makes the piece unique and why people buy it, never giving into their opinions. Just as there are many situations that could result in negative responses, figure out ways to make a negative situation good. 5. Have realistic expectations. I am referring to setting the the bar too high regarding expectations that could result in loosing focus on the prize. Set simple and realistic goals when doing shows or in handling business decisions. The more you are able to complete simple goals the better you will feel when it comes to your overall businesses success. You can't expect every customer who enters your booth to buy, every show can't be successful (even if past shows were always good), and every show can't always be just right for your product. The sooner people realize nothing in life is guaranteed and each person holds the key to their own success, the more likely you are achieve any goal you have your mind set on. I am a big advocate of good customer service because you want people to have a good time, have a memorable experience to want to come back, don't you? There are so many times I see a snowball effect when one upset customer or artist rants to another thus creating and uninviting aura, an almost a dead zone where no customer would venture into. The sad thing is many don't even notice it happening and blame it on other factors when the most obvious answer is right in front of them - how their inability to exude success hinders their own success. As we move forward in our art/craft show seasons, don't let the economy or other factors greatly affect how your shows will go as you can exude a positive successful business in times of uncertainty. Please think about some of these ideas and try to apply just one to your own craft business. You may be surprised to see that if you do exude success you will find success. Check out more topics like this on my own blog - www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com ! Thanks - Michelle
