How to Increase Sales at Your Next Event

Some of what I’m about to share with you goes against our human nature, but I promise that I’ve tried these tactics time and time again and have seen continued results over the years. So, let’s dive in!

Make Less

You heard me! So often, I see vendors trying to sell everything AND the kitchen sink. Try to have fewer options of product types for your customers to choose from. Ditch your bottom-performing items and make more of your top sellers. I promise it’s really that simple, even though I know it feels so backward for many of us creatives.

Customers want to know that you are the expert in what you make. That becomes extremely hard to portray when you’re making this, that, and everything else.

Be Confident

As an introvert, this has taken me years to dial in, and it’s still a work in progress. You need to be confident in your skill or craft, products, and yourself. You don’t need to become an expert salesperson, but a little confidence goes a long way.

Here are some tips:

• Say hello to your customers.
• Engage in small talk.
• Point out the problem your product solves.
• Point out your top seller if a potential buyer is facing decision paralysis.
• Be proud of the hard work you’ve put into your products and setup. If you’re not happy with it, put in the work to improve it to a place where you are proud.
• Give customers compliments.

Spend Time on Your Displays

I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve seen this become an afterthought, and it shows. It truly is a tragedy because I know how much effort, time, and money you put into creating your products.

Honesty time: The amount of time you put into dreaming up and designing (not physically creating) your products should be matched by the amount of time you spend looking for booth inspiration (you can follow me on Pinterest and check out my Pinterest boards here for a start), dreaming up displays that will best showcase your products, sourcing booth items or creating and putting the final touches on.

I was sooo guilty of thinking that my products would sell themselves with an “okay” vendor booth design. But the truth is that I lost out on literally thousands of dollars of sales until I stepped up my vendor booth design. I don’t want you to miss out on that revenue, either.

Whether you need to pare down your product line, gain a little confidence, or put a little more time and energy into your vendor booth setup, I know that you can make these small improvements to increase your show sales and be on your journey to achieving great things in the maker world and I’m so excited for you.

If you’re looking for more in-depth tips to increase your sales at shows, I’ve put together this completely free training for you, which you can check out!