A great way to sell your art and products is by getting a booth at an art fair. There are multiple benefits you could get from such an event, but as always there's work that you need to put into the whole thing. Keep reading to learn how to boost your sales and experience at your next art fair!
Some of the main benefits you get from an art fair are:
You would make a lot more sales over one weekend than you would usually do online for the same period of time
You will reach a large audience and new people who would learn about your work
You would meet new artists you could learn from
You will definitely get some exposure and new social media following
All good and dandy, but there are some common mistakes I often see, that even experienced sellers do and harm their sales without even realizing it. Art Fairs are a place where you can have a great time, but your main reason to be there is to work and make your time worth it.
A few of them are:
Standing expressionless, arms crossed, being on your phone constantly, overall not paying attention to any visitors
Not pricing your products correctly
Not offering any packaging or carry-out bags
Being unfriendly and uninterested when talking with customers
Not promoting the event beforehand
Not putting effort into setting up your booth properly and making it look beautiful and eye-catching
Great presentation and acting professional could take you a long way and help you stand out.
Let's go through the do's and dont's together so you could understand the basics of selling art at local art fairs even better.
Before you start planning your first art fair participation, make sure that you are not only mentally, but also physically and emotionally prepared for the long hours and the crowds. If you are outdoors, the conditions might not be ideal- it could be too hot, or cold, or wet. Make sure your products are also protected.
Let's begin with communication
Communication encompasses everything from the way you carry yourself, your stance, and the actual words that come out of your mouth. Being inviting and friendly always positively affects potential customers and helps leave a positive impression of you on visitors who meet with you.
When a customer is giving you an opportunity for conversation remember to say more than just "thank you". Just saying Thanks leads to an end of the discussion while you could segue the conversation to a direction where you could share something more about your art or ask them if they're artists themselves. This would build an emotional connection that a person would appreciate and remember. Then again, if you feel like they do not feel like talking, don't insist on it either - let them browse your art in piece, just showing that you are available for a chat without overcrowding them.
After all that, I believe it's not needed to say why looking uninterested and not talking to your customers would lose you a potential sale. Don't avoid eye contact, be respectful to your visitors and show sincere gratitude.
In short:
Say more than just thank you
Show your visitors you are open for a chat
Be respectful and sincere
Don't overcrowd your customers
Show them your gratitude
If you don't feel like the social aspect of the art fair world is for you at all, don't give up yet- you could ask your charismatic or chatty friend to be the front-of-house for the day.
My boyfriend is kind enough to help me out and always comes with me at fairs. It is a great plus to have someone with you so you can go have a bite or just rest for a little bit in peace.
Let's talk about pricing
Money is often a touchy or uncomfortable topic for creative people, and I've noticed a tendency of artists to have a hard time pricing their work or products. Selecting a price that seems fair to both you, the creator, and the customers could seem like a hard task.
To price an item you need to keep in mind:
the material expenses you had
the time you put into it
and then add a reasonable amount of profit on top of it.
Having a very small profit marge makes it kind of pointless for the artist to sell the items because you had already invested time and effort into creating it, and not getting much in return. On the flip side, having heavily inflated prices might lead to a low number of sales. Try to find something in the middle, consult with other artists and look at the market for that sort of product at the moment.
Having business cards is a must!
Business cards are an easy way for new visitors to get to your website or social media.
I've seen really great artists at fairs who do not offer any business cards, and even if I ask them what their insta is, I would forget it in the next 5 seconds. Professional and creative business cards are a wonderful way to form a connection for future art sales. Also, putting artwork or an illustrative element on your card makes people feel like they've gotten something cool for free!
Don't hand art to buyers without packaging
You've already taken the time to create something, transport it, put it on your booth and offer it to customers - be prepared that they would be expecting you to handle packaging if they're buying it. You should have paper bags or sleeves ready, any tissue paper if you're selling something fragile, envelopes if you're selling art prints, etc. If you don’t, they may say it’s not worth the trouble, and you could lose your sale. Instead, give your buyers great customer service so they spread the good word about your art business.
*Little tip - you can get a stamp with your brand logo or name on it, and stamp it on your paper bags. That would make you look even more professional and give some extra visibility to your brand when other people carry bags with your stamp on or take photos of it.
Don't clutter your booth
While this is something I've definitely been guilty of, I am trying to avoid it and organize my table in a manner that wouldn't be overwhelming for my customers.
Don't bring every single piece of art or products that you have ever made - make a selection that would be most suitable for the event. Think of the season and coming up Holidays as a factor, of the area you are in, and what kind of audience you are expecting at this exact market.
Using "white space" could help you drive visitors' eyes to your best-selling products and help your work stand out. Having way too many items in a small space would just confuse them, and not accentuate anything, just give an impression of artsy chaos.
As I've mentioned in one of my previous posts - How to Prepare For an Art Fair putting effort into making your table beautiful and inviting could have a huge impact on your experience. It is one of the main ways you could stand out from the competition and drive new people towards your booth. It is indeed worth thinking of a nice table cloth, and things such as easels, metal grids, clothing rails, cork boards... whatever suits your brand and presentation!
Conclusion
Participation in Artist Markets is a great way to earn some cash and meet new people as freelance artists. Make sure you follow this guide to help you through the journey and remember that each event would help you learn something new about making your small business more successful. Following the Do's and Don'ts from this article would help you navigate the encounter with your customers from the moment they lay eyes on your table to the last thank you in the best way possible.
Happy crafting!
-Clementine
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