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  Joy Hafford August 29, 2011 at 7:25pm

  I feel everyone's pain and the joy of doing this work also. When I peruse the artist booths at our local arts and crafts festivals, approx. 75 - 80 booths, I admire and absolutely compliment the artists for the amazing and beautiful work and I ALWAYS WANT TO BUY more than what I am able to. Of course, like everyone else, I can't buy from everyone. I'm going to purchase that item that really touches my heart, that fits into my decor, that is the perfect gift for someone, or that is precisely what I am looking for. Fortunately there are as many different types of people with different artistic tastes as there are artists working in every medium so hopefully everyone has a shot at selling something to someone if they do good work. Often times I see something that I REALLY REALLY love and want, but I simply do not have the money. I always feel bad though walking away from someone's booth after so sincerely admiring their work but then not purchasing something. The failure to make the sale is not usually any reflection on the artist and the work, but simply on economic factors. Hopefully the economy will turn around and you all will find good shows to do to have the most succesful sales possible. Good Luck everyone!                                                   
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  John Beasley August 23, 2011 at 7:42am

  Wow, that's great. I could n't agree more on customer interaction.  This is our business and when we treat customers like they should be treated (golden rule) they generally respond well.  I have quite a few customers that have become friends and collectors, that wouldn't happen if I was griping or ignored them when they came in.  Way to go Ruth!
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  Ruth Finkenbiner August 23, 2011 at 12:47am

  No one, especialy potential customers, want to hear the bad stuff, especially if they are on vacation.  We just finished a mediocre show in a vacation town with a couple of memorable moments.  It's a small show, in a tourist location that seems to have lots of potential.  Show is still starting up (3rd year) and show directors are more than willing to listen to input.  Saturday afternoon, as the temps rose and our booth was in direct sunlight and we were considering closing the back of the booth to keep our feet from getting sunburned a customer walked in, we greeted her as normal,  she looked around, said we had amazing work and we were the first people in a booth who had spoken to her.  Wow, I know Sat. afternoon with high temps, direct sun, etc. are hard, but to know that she had probably seen at least 30 booths before us and we were the first artists who had greet her? That's just wrong.  You need to keep interacting with people, keep your complaints to yourself and keep trying to produce original, new, fun designs.    Our second memorable moment at this show came when a customer, who had been in earlier on Saturday morning came back and asked to see 2-3 different bracelets and then bought 6 as Christmas gifts for herself, daughters and nieces because they all knew they would be getting hand crafted, unique pieces from somewhere in her travels.  Evidently this is something she does every year, different artists, different locations, but all her daughters / nieces know they'll get something unique. She made the show for us, without her it would not have even hit the "mediocre" level and to be told she was buying from us because we were unique and different made us want to find yet more ways to be unique and different. 
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  John Beasley August 22, 2011 at 5:04pm

  I think we have probably all done shows where a neighboring artist is complaining about lousy sales or something and potential customers walk away rather than listen to the griping. I swore I would never be the complaining artist at a show. I admit it's difficult at times, but who wants to hear all the bad stuff we are going through?

   
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  Christine Green August 22, 2011 at 1:58pm

  My most memorable shows are with good neighbors, positive energy, everyone happy to have a chance to sell and make the weekend a fantastic experience for customers and artists alike.  After all it is our life happening whether we can fully understand that or not.  What do we know or realize about our  potential?  Can things really get better?  We we learn more?  Can we figure things out better? Having a positive mental attitude beats the pants off negativity.  Negativity creates a downward spiral that is all consuming and hard to get out of as it sucks the life out of you and those around you.  Can you imagine having money, thinking "I think I'll go to the art show.  I don't know if I will buy but I want to look."  Then going into booths where the energy is so bad you can cut it with a knife?  Where there is no welcoming smile? Where there is only complaining?  And here is a potential customer with money who might be your next sale.  Give him a chance to like you.  LIKE him!
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  Donna Sauers August 22, 2011 at 12:29pm

  Thanks Carla!  Yes, I am usually smiling, but believe me I have had my share of grumblings (never in front of customers or when I need to be "on") when things go wrong and could have been prevented by the promoter.  The times when the music next to me is so loud I have to shout at customers, been next to a "vendor" that disrupts people from buying or is giving away so much free stuff that you watch people stream by your booth not even looking (and then leave empty boxes from their free stuff in booths along the way!), a layout that is so confusing that you need to leave bread crumbs to find your booth and "be-backs" won't be back because they won't be able to find you unless they call you on your cell and you set off a flare, a show where I was near a parking lot used for biz on Friday and at lunch and quitting time I had a steam of cars go by my booth with some honking at customers shopping at my counter, and the dreaded location where there are 3 booths off the main drag and no one comes yor way and the discussion with your neighbors is "who knows how to juggle" to draw attention to us (and when we confronted the promoter on the slow show they reply "oh... but the rest of the area is hopping with buyers", just what I want to hear!).  And yes, expensive shows that seem to have filled the spaces with buy sell in order to have a full show.  But given all that... I learn, say "never again" to some shows, and move on.  I compare the shows to acting... once the show is up and running it is "show time!" and I'm "on" no matter how bad the show is, and sometimes I say "I'll never work in this town again". 

   

  But the important thing is to learn from things that are under our control.  Shows may be a profitable venue for some and others may need to find other channels for their work.  I don't like having all my eggs in one basket and look for other opportunities to suppliment the income.  Just like finding our own voice with our work, it is our job to know our customers and find the appropriate venue(s) to reach those customers.  And thanks to all the wonderful artists I have met at the shows that have kept me going and I have learned from!!  I couldn't do it without you!
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  Carla Bank August 22, 2011 at 3:31am

  PS, Donna, I Love your comments ;) And all of you guys here :) I had Donna as a neighbor and she is always smiling. Oh! And you forgot to add your usual "Tee-hee!!!" on your post
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  Carla Bank August 22, 2011 at 3:22am

  Geez, I thought I was the only one feeling anxious. Wendy, I feel I have panic attacks every show until I have my first sale, but after that happens my attitude changes, I can breathe!!! It has been a hard summer. I don't complain, just sit and analyze how to make things work better. What can I do to sell more, to get more clients, more jobs and I try to come up with themes for my work, styles, etc etc. I haven't figure it out, but I'm getting better. This season has been a learning experience. I love to talk to my artist neighbors and exchange ideas and things we know, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but one thing I know, I will request to be next to Jim Parker, hooray!! And you too Wendy :) I still have 3 shows to go, I got couple new thoughts from today's show. Let's see how it goes because I love to do shows, and I want to make a living doing what I love.
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  Betty Torma August 21, 2011 at 10:15pm

  I just read the last post about pretending your doing it for someone else.   Thanks very much.  I never thought that way before, but it's great advice.  I always look at what I think my customer will see, but now I'm going to try looking at my booth, etc. as thought it were someone else's.    I do try to stay away from others who are unhappy.  I know what I'm doing in sales, and how many people walk out of my booth saying it's lovely.....

  Thanks for this.  It's a great help.
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  Donna Sauers August 20, 2011 at 12:05pm

  Sometimes it also helps to step back and "pretend" you are creating strategies for someone else.  Isn't it always easier to critique and come up with what others should do?!  I find I have to take the "personal" out of it and remind myself that it isn't just my art but it is a business and my income.  I wouldn't let myself get away with some things if I was still in corp world.  We enjoy doing what we love, but if we only focus on creating or what's not working, we lose the opportunity to see what we can do better from a marketing perspective.  I too am guilty of this and need to find a balance.  Personally I don't let "it's the economy" become a crutch for me and an "excuse" for low sales (yes, easier said than done). But it is a fact we have to deal with and overcome to survive in these economic times.  I'm positive that we can do that!