Market Stalls & Events - Part 4

It has been a VERY long time inbetween posts regarding markets and events, however life does not always go to plan and there are many things that pop up and get in the way of what we would like to be doing.

Today's post is all about "After Market Follow Up". It will not be a long post but there are some important tips.

Home again... now what?

So you have completed a market or an event and you think your job is now done... right? Wrong!
Your job does not finish when you enter the house or at the conclusion of a market.
To effectively grow your business you need to do much more than simply attend an event.

Here are some things that I think are essential to do after a market:

Social Media Gratitude:

 

If you posted on your facebook page (or other social media) in the lead up to the event, or even if you forgot to, please remember to post a thank you the same day as the event. You may even wish to post a thank you in a facebook group ( if the market/event has one dedicated to its stallholders).

The Do's

• Acknowledge the customers who came and saw you. Whether or not they purchased is inconsequential, they came and experienced your products.
• Thank those that helped make your day special, whether it be the market coordinators, other stallholders or simply someone who told you something lovely about your range.
• Post a relevant image with your thank you, whether it be an image of a bunch of flowers or a picture of a special piece that went to it's new forever home that day. Images get better 'reach' on facebook than text alone generally does.
• You may like to remind them of the next event they can find you at.
• Remove images or change the comments on images to "sold" on those products that sold that day.

The Do not's

• DO NOT talk online about how much money you made that day, most people find talking money amounts to be crass and really it is not something people need to know. You can say thank you for a very successful day though, or say it was my best market ever. Talking monetary amounts may also alienate you from other stallholders that did not do so well that day.
•  DO NOT fill people's newsfeeds with EVERY single item you sold that day a) it gets VERY annoying b) it makes it look as though you are bragging about how much you sold c) I know some people have had issues with people copying their work as their competitors can see exactly how much they sold and what products are popular. d) did I mention it's ANNOYING! Instead post one or two that highlight your work and then edit or delete the remaining images of items that sold.
• DO NOT criticise the market, other stallholders or customers on your business page!!! It makes you look unprofessional, catty and no-one wants to be thinking that you are a negative person. If you feel the need to let loose a verbal barrage about the day, do so to your dog or cat who won't judge you for it.

Following up on custom order requests:

Invariably you will get a customer requesting a special order at markets and hopefully you would have written down their details to contact them, do not expect them to remember to contact you as that is one way to lose the sale!
Turning a custom order request into an actual sale is important, sometimes people at the market will say they want something but when they get home they might have thought more about it and are less likely to be as passionate about it anymore. To reduce the risks of losing this potential sale, make some sort of follow up contact the SAME day as the event. Even if it is just an email to say "Thank you so much for visiting me at the market today, I look forward to working with you over the next few days to create a piece especially for you." it shows them that you have taken their request seriously and that they matter to you.
Prompt follow up also allows you to clear up any odd requests or miscommunications that leave you thinking "What on earth are they wanting?!?"

Newsletter signups:

This is an area where I will admit to being SUPER slack but am looking to implement at my markets rather than just through my online signup options.
Digital newsletters are a great way to keep your customers in the loop and inform them of new products and venues that they can purchase your products at. Having a sign up sheet at your stall is a great way to convert potential customers to becoming part of your loyal fan base.
HOWEVER those names are no good on a sheet, you must enter them into your database before you forget about it or lose the piece of paper.
If you have not looked into it mailchimp is a very user friendly way to get your news out there and it is very simple to add new sign ups to.

DO NOT DELAY!

The main rule of after market follow up is to not delay it!
You will at times get customers email you with enquiries that very day, they may not have felt they could ask you at the event or they may not have fully looked at your stall but instead looked up your products when they got home (due to you leaving business cards in easily accessible locations on your stall).
Show your customers that their questions or queries are important to you and give them the best and timely customer service you can imagine.
"Part of maximizing your conversion rate involves responding to each sales lead as quickly as possible. According to the Harvard Business Review, businesses that respond to inquiries within an hour are seven times more likely to qualify a lead than businesses that wait longer than an hour. After 24 hours have passed, the likelihood of making a conversion drops drastically." (obtained from businessbee)



See past "market stall & events" posts for more information on attending events.

Market Stalls & Events - Part 2

A big thankyou to all those that gave me lovely feedback about my last post. I am so happy that some of you found it a good read and hopefully there was some tips in there that were useful for you.

Today I am going to get to the next scary topic... market day itself!

"To market, to market, to buy a fat pig..."

So market day has finally arrived! You have spent all week packing, pricing and sorting through all the things you are going to take. If it is an outdoor event you have probably checked the weather forecast about 50 times by now, and more likely than not you spent a very restless night going over all the things in your head that you need to do and take.

So what do you need for market day?

Market Must Have List:

Here is a list of things that may be useful to bring with you on market day:

• Packaging and lots of it! Let's be optimistic here and think that we are going to sell LOTS of goodies.
• BUSINESS CARDS! We spoke about branding and name recognition in the last part, this is vital. Not everyone will have money on the day BUT everyone is capable of taking a business card.
• Tables and chairs (if not supplied)
• Tent Marquee (if outdoors and not supplied)
• Full length tablecloths. The full length allows you to place excess stock or empty boxes beneath your tables and out of sight.
• Calculator. Please remember this, in the excitement of a large sale I myself have miscounted and found afterwards that I gave a rather large dicount to the now ecstatic customer.
• Pens and Notepad. Chances are your pen will decide that today is the day that it will run out of ink so ensure you bring a spare. A notepad is a great way to take custom orders or jot down ideas on the day.
• Display items or racks, height is a great way to draw attention to your stall and items.
  
• Spare products. Bring a variety of products to suit a variety of budgets, spare stock can be left under the tables or in the car.
• Rubbish Bag. Markets are run in many cases by volunteers, please make their job easier by taking your rubbish with you at the end of the day or disposing of it thoughtfully.
• Water bottles and food. Some markets or events you may not get time to leave your stall to go buy food or there may be limited food options. Bringing your own ensures that you get much needed nutrition and hydration throughout the day.
• Panadol. Better safe than sorry, sometimes the bright sunlight or loud noises of a crowd can get too much.
• Scissors, blutack, cable ties and sticky tape for unexpected adjustments or repairs.
• Price tags or labels. There will always be one or two products that you may have overlooked when pricing.
• Adequate Cash Float. This can vary depending on your price range of products, how many people are at the event etc. For myself I usually have a float of $100-$200 depending on the event.
• Basic Tool Kit. For myself as a jewellery stall I always to try to bring some basic tools and supplies. Not everyone has the same sized wrist or neck and the ability to make on the spot adjustments can mean the difference between a sale and no sale.
• Sunscreen and sunglasses. If it is an outdoor event PLEASE remember sunscreen! I have come home looking like a lobster WAY too often because I thought I would be fine under my market tent.
• Tissues and Lip Balm. On a cold, dry, winters day, you will thank me for this addition.
• A cash tin or apron. I LOOOOOVE my market apron!!! You will not catch me wearing a bum bag! My market apron was made by the lovely Little Pink Carnation and was worth every cent! It has lots of pockets to stash various items in and a few zippered pockets to keep my cash secure. I have a lockable cash tin for when my apron gets a bit too full of coins and the like.

Buddy Up.

This is one of the BIG things that I think is really important for you. If you have not already done so, find out if any other stallholders that you may know will be attending that you can setup near. If  you don't know of any, and the sites are not allocated, look for the stallholder that seems the most relaxed and prepared on the day and setup near them. This is valuable for a few reasons.

Number one - inevitably you are going to require a toilet break at some stage through the day and unless you are lucky enough to have a friend or family member in attendance with you, you will need someone to keep an eye on things while you are attending the call of duty. This also applies if you need to get some lunch or stretch your legs.

Number two - if the person beside you is a seasoned stallholder you have a wealth of information right beside you, ready to access! They will be able to tell you all about the market you are attending and can hopefully give you some valuable tips specific to that market. This is the MOST important reason for buddying up and can start to build a network of knowledgeable contacts that you can ask questions of when they arise. They may even have suggestions of other events you could attend.

Setting up.

One of the biggest tips I can give you, is to arrive early. Do not turn up half an hour before the market starts and think you will be able to get everything done that you need to do. If they allow 2 hours prior to market start for setup, then use that time to it's full extent. It is your first market and you may need to fiddle with things a bit to get everything setup the way you want.
If you want some tips on how to create a great display, this link by Gazebos Asutralia has some great tips.

(Image of my necklace at markets courtesy of Scarlett Studio)

YOU!!!

Did you know that you are the most important part of your stall? And I know you think that, "of course I am part of my stall". But are you really? Many stallholders can make the mistake of thinking that just being there and having a great stall is enough. This is not the case. YOU are the most powerful advocate for your products. If you sell jewellery, are you wearing any of it? If you sell clothing are you modelling any of it? If you are not going to wear your products why should other people?
Plus there is the fact that no-one else knows your products as intimately as you do. You know how many hours went into creating that particular item, what supplies you used, how many hours of research you did. If you see a customer looking at your products, tell them about it. Show how passionate you are and why it is such a great item. If you are not excited about your goods, they will not be either.
One of the biggest things that turns off a customer is seeing a stallholder sitting down and not being involved in their stall. I know it is not possible to stand all day, but if you are sitting down are you still engaging with your customers?  Are you greeting each one with a smile or a "hello"? 
Make every customer that steps inside your stall feel important... because they are! Without them your day is just a day out, lugging heavy boxes of stock around.

Children.

At most markets there will be children and I have a few things that I do with my stall that may not be something you wish to do, but I am mentioning it anyway as it brings me something much better than money... happiness!

As part of my stall I always place some cheaper items towards the front of my stall in little baskets or chests. Why do I do this? I remember going to markets as a child with my hard earned pocket money and searching out that beautiful item that I could bring home and treasure. You may not make much money from this but trust me when I say that having those little treasures will make a child's day!

 (image of my products courtsey of Just for Mum's of the South Burnett)

I have always had the policy with my stall that I give out a few free things to children - always asking the parents permission first though! If I see a child in or near my stall that is upset, giving them a little gift to take their mind off it, costs me almost nothing but is invaluable to that parent who can now browse your stall in peace. They may not buy anything but you have gained two things: a warm fuzzy feeling seeing that child's smile and a parent who is grateful.
The same applies to those children that seem to 'touch' everything. You know the ones, they are followed by a stressed out parent who is constantly saying "put it down" or "stop touching!". These kids love to touch sparkly things and your $200 necklace may have caught their eye! By giving them a stamp or a little hairclip you have probably saved yourself hours of trying to reconstruct a necklace that has been smashed to pieces on the ground or drooled on. Again, seeing a child's smile is worth any minor cost you outlay to achieve such a result.

Have some fun!

Remember that market day is not just about sales! You are meeting potential repeat customers, you are networking with other businesses, you are advertising your product and you are seeing firsthand the joy that your product can bring people.
Don't spend your whole day worrying about how much money you have made (in most cases I don't count my money til I get home) but allow yourself to enjoy the day and simply smile!

"... home again, home again, jiggety jig!"

You have spent a BIG day at your first ever event!
You have now deserved a well earned break. Go home, put your feet up and have a nice soothing cup of tea and if you have made enough money... spoil yourself by ordering some take away for dinner.

STAY TUNED....

I hope this information has been helpful, stay tuned for the next installment which will be all about 'What to do when things go wrong!'

Market Stalls & Events - Part 1

Getting Started:

I have been attending markets and events for over 3 years now. By no means am I an expert, but I have gleaned some valuable information along the way. I am also privileged to be part of a local network of handmade small business owners that have enabled me to further add to my knowledge in this area.

Quite often I get asked by businesses, new to the market scene, for tips and advice on how to get started or how to overcome difficulties with markets. So I have decided to blog about it... so that it may be of use to others out there that are in a similar situation. And partly because I am lazy and it will save me re-telling things lol.

Please note that most of the tips are given from the perspective of a handmade products business but many of the tips can be applied to other businesses also.

Let's start at the beginning!

Ok... now I have my sister to blame for this, as she loved this movie and I had to endure many viewings of this as a child! So now everytime I think of the phrase "let's start at the beginning"  I always get this Sound of Music song in my head!!!




The most important thing to start with, is to find and locate the events and markets in your area.  In many cases your local visitor information centre will have a list of them. However, when in doubt, my old friend "Mr Google" is invaluable at searching them out!

Choosing your market or event:

Then comes the hard part! You need to look at the market, maybe even go along as a customer once or twice, and determine whether the market is suitable for your products. For example does it get the type of customer you are searching for? If it is a cheaper flea market style event then I can guarantee you, you will not get people wanting to pay for high end items! They are there for a bargain and nothing more. These markets can be a great stepping stone in the beginning when you are trying to find your feet as the site fees are usually much cheaper... however in the long run I do not think it does your handmade products justice by selling there and competing with the made in china products that are mass produced at a price you simply cannot compete with!

So sit down and ask yourself some questions, when choosing the event:
1. Who is my product for?
2. What is my price range? (I will get to pricing your products at a later date)
3. Is this market specifically catering for business like my own? (there are many markets out there that are only for handmade businesses)

What makes you unique?

Another important question to ask when looking for a new market to attend is: how many other similar sellers are there at the event with products like my own? If there is an oversaturation of a particular product, as a new seller (who has not established a regular market clientele yet), you can easily get lost among the other established businesses. In the case of handmade jewellery this is usually quite hard to avoid as there are many of us.

Some market organisers are great at their job and they will try to restrict the amount of sellers of a certain product.  This does not always happen though, so before you take the step out to setup a stall, ask yourself... what is it about you or your products that is unique? Do you have a story to tell? When the customer comes and looks at your stall is there something that will set you apart from the others? Are your items packaged beautifully? What will your display look like?

Branding, branding, branding!!!

If you don't already have a name for your business NOW is the time to do so, before you even setup a stall you need a name! You need business cards, labels with your business name on your product and you need signage! Why? Because to establish a regular and repeat clientele, people need to associate your products with a name and a face or logo. If it is a large market, when they get home they will go through their purchases and if you have clearly put your brand on a product they will remember that name again and will start to associate your name with that product.  This means that at the next market if they see your business name again they can easily remember it and return. Signage and labels and cards don't need to cost the earth, Vistaprint is a great place to get them cheaply (especially if you are on their mailing list you can take advantage of their free offers).

Part of this whole branding thing is having an online presence. This is vital! Some customers may not have cash on them that day, but if they have an avenue by which they can contact you inbetween markets to purchase or enquire it WILL make your business much more successful.
There are a few options for this when starting out. Facebook is one of the easiest and most cost effective... why? Because it is FREE!! Set up a business page on facebook with all your vital details.
Another option is online stores like Madeit, this is a great way to have an online shop without the overheads of your own website fees. You pay a listing fee for each item you list and can setup your own storefront complete with individual banner. Think of it as an online handmade marketplace, so that when you are not at market you can still sell your products... and not just to your nanna and her friends. ETSY is another online selling avenue and if you don't have an account with them yet you can use this link to get you started with 40 FREE listings, which is a great way to test the online waters!

It's those little touches that make all the difference!

Think now, about how you are going to display and package your products. Simply throwing a few items on a table will not get you many sales. There are lots of great ways to package your products, again tools like google and pinterest are great ways to look up ideas. It does not need to cost much, but make sure that your packaging ties in with your products. For example, why package your items in bright girly pink bags if you are selling mens products? Sure the bags may have been cheap and on sale, but if they don't match your products it can be somewhat off putting.

In terms of your actual market display, when first starting out ensure you practise your setup at home. Set everything up on a table at home. Now take 5 steps back and REALLY look at your display. Does it have height or levels? Does it stand out? Do you have too much or too little on the table? Ask a friend or partner to have a look at it and critique it for you also. PLEASE bear in mind that if you are attending an outdoor event you check that everything will be secure and sturdy and that the wind cannot knock things over. From someone that had the fun of picking through the grass to locate 144 pairs of earrings that had been knocked over, please listen to my advice to avoid a similar situation. I got my Dad to reinforce the base of the earring stand with a big block of timber after that event!

Booking in.

Now to get those contact details for the market or event that you have chosen and book your site! Some markets will have special requirements in regards to what you need to bring, others will provide some things for you. Ensure you read ALL market information thoroughly!!! You have only yourself to blame if you do not ask the questions you need beforehand.  If there is a contact number for the market organiser, save it into your phone or write it down. You never know when you may need it or what may come up. Familiarise yourself with the stall layout if you have been given a map of your location.

Most of all: Good Luck with your decision to take this big step into an unknown new world!

STAY TUNED....

I hope this information has been helpful, stay tuned for the next installment which will be all about market day itself!