I started as a live painter in 2012 and recently became a vendor. As a live painter, my responsibility is to entertain the guests with fantastic art. As a vendor, I create products that I have a passion for and a strong understanding of, and I share the benefits of my product with my community. I’m having a steady rise in sales as I learn the ins and outs of vending and which of my products people find valuable.
Here are some quick tips:
Post on social media before the event. If you want to post the same flier twice in one week, go for it. Just get it out there.
Remember your business cards!
They say it takes seven interactions for an onlooker to become a buyer. This might be a hear-say statistic, but it’s a good message. Don’t be discouraged.
Practice pitching to your friends. The fairs may be intimidating if you’re not ready to pitch your product to your immediate community.
Testers make sales.
The booth has to be open and inviting for people to stop, and the person manning the booth needs to engage with the customer. Music is a plus.
Proper weather guards like side panels, sandbags and solar-powered lighting are necessary.
Table clothes and displays are a must. Boxes to make multi-level presentations for your booth, a fence to hang items from, and S hooks (to replace zip ties.)
Small and large recycled paper bags are recommended.
Bring your square or online payment option!
Remember to write a receipt.
Bring two chairs.
Stay from open to close. I have learned it is bad etiquette to leave early. I recommend not packing up until at least thirty minutes before the show has come to an end. If this is a new event, drivers might stop after passing it more than once. If the vendors leave because of a low turnout, it is harder for the promoters to continue to promote their event. If it’s raining, it’s up to you if you want to stay if it’s okay with the promoter. Some events are rain-or-shine, while others are flexible about the weather.
Half of what I do at my booth is promotion, and the other half is sales. Drawing people into my booth allows me to share my business motto, values, and ethics. Building a relationship with the client can ensures future sales.
Things I would want to do in the future.
Make sales goals. This will help me determine if the audience at an event is drawn to my product. To make this an accurate depiction, I have to take away the booth costs (and if an additional license or insurance was purchased) to compare different productions properly.
Don’t give up! After one year of being a vendor, is this worth my time? has come across my mind, and I hear it whispered among other vendors. By seeing other successful vendors, I know that the profit is all you put into it. Even if one show doesn’t go well, if you have a great product, you are bound to continue to sell.
When I asked a peer of mine what they thought about selling less variety and choosing products to showcase at events that fall into one category she recommended displaying everything I had, you never know what people are looking for.
Cheers!
Find my Vendors Checklist on my Etsy store! Some links are affiliate links.
Little Lost Forest 