Bead Patterns Boutique Just for the beads & the people that love them

Tips for Selling at Home Shows

by Candy Williams of ZaZa’s Inspirations

www.zazasinspirations.com

This should be called “Things I Have Learned the Hard Way”!

When you are involved in a home show, be sure to get there in plenty of time to set up, review it and RELAX a bit before everyone arrives! (That means cool off. Here in the South, it is said that Southern ladies do not sweat, we glisten. Well, whatever, make sure you are not glistening when other Southern ladies arrive!) In my real life, I’m a church Music Director and organist. This meant that getting to the Sunday afternoon Jewelry Show about an hour away was going to be sort of a crunch. Fortunately, I had my DH to get everything loaded and unloaded for me, do the driving, give me a sandwich, etc.

It helps to know where you are setting up ahead of time. Know how much space you will have. It helps to take a friend who will critique your lay-out and help adjust before potential customers (pc’s) arrive.  But have some confidence in your own artistic eye, especially if your friend comes along and rearranges things in a more “conforming” order.

When you get to the set-up, arrange your items so that focus goes right to the best pieces you have to offer. Never never never never put your trinkets and cutesy low-end products as the first items that are seen! My mistake. I knew better but wasn’t thinking when I decided last minute to lay out those doo-dahs (key chains, zipper pulls, etc.) for some loose change. Just plunked them out in the first empty space I saw.

Stay on hand to talk about your work and answer questions. Be sociable even if your hostess has kindly set your “check-out” in a quiet room two floors below. If by chance, you have given in to that nice quiet room with the swinging hammock and overhead fan, don’t forget that your hostess is likely to summon you to the top floor for questions. When that summons comes, and you run up (or sort of crawl as I do with my arthritis and cane) try not to begin talking to everyone before you have caught your breath. Have something intelligent prepared to say beforehand. When pc’s ask about you and your work, don’t waste your moment in the living room light to tell everyone how you have moved all around the country following your gypsy husband! Figure out who you are and share it with pride!

I thought I had a good handle on the pc’s profile. According to my hostess, these would be the beach ladies that attend all the hoity-toity balls in full dress regalia and sponsor all the best fund-raising events. I think her underlying message was that she had attended and supported all their fundraisers. Now it was pay-back time and they were expected to support her chosen artist of the day. With that in the back of my mind, I spent my limited time in preparing new items that were extra special – that translates to a bit more expensive. The jewelry that I make is one of a kind. I hardly ever make a duplicate or make “multiples”. I normally make up a lot of Swarovski earrings and small pieces in the $10-$25 range for a showing. I had pretty much sold out of those items in the previous show. I had hoped to have time to make up a bunch of those to take, but just got too involved in working up something new and artsy. I just knew that these pc’s would go for the necklaces and bracelets instead of the earrings. So what did I end up selling? Sold out of my stock of earrings again – and those doo dah key chains! My best pieces were bought by “patrons” that have bought before and kind of follow my work. So although, I did alright in the end, I didn’t make much in sales to the hostess’s friends.

I probably should share with you that my hostess is a “renowned” cook and hostess in the area. She’s writing a cookbook and the buffet she prepared would make Paula Deen drool! Maybe her friends came to sample her newest treats and visit about their upcoming fundraisers more than they came to support a new jewelry artist. My hostess was most unhappy with bottom line, saying her friends really should have done better than they did. I say, “whatever”. I had a nice Sunday afternoon at the beach. I had a delicious buffet treat and I went home with some sales. Moreover, I learned some things about these home showings that I hope will be of benefit in the future! I was a little disappointed. I had hoped that the sales from this show might pay for the new ac/heat pump that had to be replaced that week. But I guess that’s just another lesson in life!

Whatever, I’m back at creating my unique jewelry!