Business review

As a long time crafter, I am seeing a definite change in the way that people are buying today. People are more conservative in what they buy. They are not buying on impulse like they use to. They are looking hard at what they need verses what they want.

All types of vendors at the craft shows are seeing this whether they make their own items or they buy/sell items. The vendors are not making the profit margin that they once did. This has a lot of vendors deciding whether they want to continue in the business or find some other means of income.

As independents they have always needed to watch the bottom line carefully but with the down turn in the economy, they have to reassess what they want to do.

Those of us that have been in the business a long time know that the economy will turn around and the sales will pick up again but how many will be able to ride out this time is the big question.

What do we need to do to ride this out? We have to make sure that what we are selling is fresh and up to date for today’s buyers. Buyers are looking for some thing new all the time and if we continue to make the same old thing year after year, the buyer just walks by and says “I’ve seen that before”.

We also have to talk to that potential customer and see what they are looking for because this will help us change our product enough to sell to a wider customer base. If we don’t talk to the person, they may have been the biggest sale of the day or they may be that person who will come back to see you the next time with a sale.

Every person who walks into your booth needs a personal touch, even if it is just to say Hello to them. How else are they to know about you and what you do. You are out there to sell your products and with each sale there is a little piece of you with it because you made the product. The customer needs to know you and sometimes this is the turn around that you need to make that sale instead of the customer just taking a quick look and leaving.

Some of the biggest turn offs for the customer, is to see the vendor talking on the phone, texting or reading and not acknowledging the customer. You would not be doing this if you worked in a retail store, would you? Each vendor booth is a retail store and if a member doesn‘t keep this in mind, their sales will be low.

I know from experience that shows have their slow times and boredom does set in and I have been known to read. But when a customer is walking by or stops and looks, it is time to put down whatever you have and talk to the customer. No one likes to be ignored. It makes them feel like you are not interested in them or a sale.

In conclusion I will be riding out this slow time just like I have over the years because I know that things always get better and the crafter will be able to sell their products again as long as they remember to update what they have.

Eva Summers has been making and selling teddy bears for 30 years. She loves to share the joy that these little bears have brought her.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Today’s Crafter and the Economy