NEW TO SHOWS NEED ADVICE PLEASE!

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65GTMustang

Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2010
Messages
547
Location
Taylors, South Carolina
HELLO ALL,:biggrin:
I could really use some good advice.
I have only been able to break into the ebay market for selling my items.
Suddenly I find myself ready to attend three different art events in my local area
The first event is a second annual festival in Seneca SC (about one hour from my home)
Last years event was very large – They have doubled the amount and type of fun to take part in this year's event and expect a huge response.
It is a three day event with tons of activities during the day into the night, one of which is an Artisphere. They asked if I would be able to demo during the time. I will have two 10X10 tents with tables and power side by side. I will be making pens and other small items during the event under one tent and displaying my items in the other
The other two are local annual one day craft fairs.
It would be great to get some advice from the small things you have found to the helpful to the large things that I being a first timer may not know anything about.
The only thing I have in my possession to display pens are the simply clear acrylic stands - enough for about 70-75 pens, so I obviously need to do something about my display. As for the artistic turnings such as bowls, vases, and finial lidded bowls/boxes I will display those in the background and be there to help people view these items.
Thanks for your time reading this and especially your helpful advice.
Kevin:confused:
 
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#1... Do you have a helper? Demo and sales go well together, but only if you have another person to help.

Demos will draw people in - you need to be selling to them while you have their attention.
 
Your first visitor will have a cousin that makes pens.
your second visitor has a brother makes pens
your third visitor makes pens too
your fourth visitor, his son make em
your fifth visitor, his uncle makes pens
your sixth visitor has a neighbor that makes pens
your seventh visitor has a guy at work makes pens
your eighth visitor, she has a friend who knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy
....yea, be prepared for all that! lol , sounds funny and it's not.
 
When someone mentions other pen turners at my stall ,I simply ask how much they sell them for ,usual responce is something like "oh he gives them away" . I simply smile and say when they get good at it ,then they will be able to sell them . I must admit I have sold pens off my stand to other pen turners at times ,simply because I specialise in kit variety and materials , the more variety the better in my book . Just keep getting the message across that your work is hand crafted and unique , some folk just won't believe you do make them :) Cheers ~ John
 
JOHN,
Do you really just come out and say that to each person that responds that way? My guess is that you have done many shows and feel very comfortalble saying what you want rather than just thinking it...LOL It is a great response!
 
65GTMustang said:
JOHN,
Do you really just come out and say that to each person that responds that way? My guess is that you have done many shows and feel very comfortalble saying what you want rather than just thinking it...LOL It is a great response!
Click to expand...

I do a craft market every Sunday, fairly small by US standards but have been doing them for a few years, my work will stand up in any company so I am not phased when people say someone they know does pens ,you have to be a little cheeky at times ,and engage with the viewers of your wares, most sales are spontaneous ,they like something and will buy then and there ,the ones who ask are you here all the time ,may just be thinking of future presents ,so not to be dismissed out of hand , if you do become a regular at some place,that works for you ,as then things like guarantee and quality start to have reality and meaning (eg. not a fly by night operater ) :) So really belief in yourself and confidence in what you do is all it takes ,and if you can demo as well you are well on the way to success .
 
My response to the 'my <whatever> makes pens' comment is typically 'Does he make one like this?' as I hand the person a really nice, really unique pen. If the person is in any way a buyer, that will spark a conversation that could lead to a sale. Otherwise, they typically disingage pretty quickly and let you spend more of your time with actual customers.
 
Four things that will help you most.

#1 - Do NOT demonstrate what you are selling! If you make a pen in 5 minutes, folks will think there is no art involved and this will kill your sales.

#2 - Since the two tents adjoin, take a sheet of plastic to hang between the lathe area and your finished products. The fine dust from the lathe will end up on
all of your stuff but the plastic helps.

#3 - Have all turning blanks, etc glued, barrels trimmed, etc. prepared in advance. Forget about doing CA finish at a show. It's hard to do outside, and you could make a neighbor or visitor really sick.

#4 - LIE to the organizers (tell 'em the lathe is broken) and leave the lathe at home. My experience with demos is just like Jeff's. Everybody's cousin does it! You only answer questions about lathes, tools, etc AND MAKE NO SALES.
 
Someone used that line on me about their 2nd cousins x husband makes pens and gives them away. And I had a comment that is not PG rated. . . 2 people heard me say that and ended up buying pens.
 
Everyone's experience is different--I demonstrated and did quite well at some shows.

Dawn sold the pens we had on display, while I demo'd and answered questions.

At one of our last shows, we had a friend who was demonstrating--allowing me to sell---we did pretty well at those, as well.

And yes, after the first demo there is "sawdust" on everything--a "bar cloth" will wipe it off the pens you are showing, before you hand them to the customer for their "inspection and approval".
 
If the show organizers require a "demo" and provide electrical power, why not have a TV/DVD player in the booth showing the different stages of pen making. (No dust that way!) Make your own DVD so that they can relate YOU and your skills with the pen making. You can then talk about it with the customers and SELL at the same time. By using a DVD you can break the video into the different stages of making the pen. That way the 5-10 min pen making (WOW!) starts to look like a longer process. The customer starts to see the skill and processes in your craft. Maybe have a display of the different stages with pen, both wood/acrylic and kit parts. From raw wood to finished pen. If you cast your own blanks, that is good video stuff too. If you make lazer inlay pens, have all the little parts on display. I have had folks think the pen was painted, rather than the effort putting some of our great inlays that are available from Constant and others.
Just my $.02 worth....
gordon
 
Thats a pretty good idea Gordon.

If you dont have a video/dvd, etc, I would think large pictures/posterboards of the many many many steps involved in getting the blank just to the lathe would help that out .... even showing that blowout or bad drilling. Visual aids help demonstrate the process.
 
:smile-big: :redface: Lee, actually, it was my wife's suggestion - she thinks more better than I do! Using picture boards, etc will work too. Just make sure you are in the picture so the customer can relate you to the creation of the product.
 
edicehouse said:
Someone used that line on me about their 2nd cousins x husband makes pens and gives them away. And I had a comment that is not PG rated. . . 2 people heard me say that and ended up buying pens.
Click to expand...

I usually reply that at least he must have an idea of what his work is worth, or it's nice to know what your work is worth, Like John said sometimes you just have to be (for lack of a better description) "a smart a$$" occasionally it will work in your favor.
 
PenMan1 said:
Four things that will help you most.

#1 - Do NOT demonstrate what you are selling! If you make a pen in 5 minutes, folks will think there is no art involved and this will kill your sales.

#2 - Since the two tents adjoin, take a sheet of plastic to hang between the lathe area and your finished products. The fine dust from the lathe will end up on
all of your stuff but the plastic helps.

#3 - Have all turning blanks, etc glued, barrels trimmed, etc. prepared in advance. Forget about doing CA finish at a show. It's hard to do outside, and you could make a neighbor or visitor really sick.

#4 - LIE to the organizers (tell 'em the lathe is broken) and leave the lathe at home. My experience with demos is just like Jeff's. Everybody's cousin does it! You only answer questions about lathes, tools, etc AND MAKE NO SALES.
Click to expand...

I don't know about the lying part, but definitely leave the lathe at home... it's not worth the hassle trying to move in, set up, keep from hitting somebody in the face with chips or a blow out, or blowing out a blank right in the middle of a demonstration, or any of the other scenarios that might occur.... besides my little lathe is bolted to a 2x4 stand with a box of rocks built into the stand .... the lathe and stand weight over 200 lbs and I'm just getting waaaaay too old to wrestle with it into and out the truck, having to lay it down since it won't stand under the truck cover.

Also if you are in an open air venue, or in a closed air venue, the neighbors around you are going to be p****** and upset about the dust and chips flying about.
 
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