We are really excited to announce that we will be holding our first ever market stall this Saturday!
The Market is a new design and craft market with a whole host of amazing artists attending. We are pretty nervous but really looking forward to seeing what people really think of what we make and do! We will be selling our geek stationery, illustrated prints, incredible tote bags and amazing new biscuit ornaments… Our table will be jam packed full of goodness!
So, if you are about between 11am and 5pm on the 28th of April, be sure to come up to the castle and say hi 🙂 We would love to meet you in person!
If you have any advice or words of wisdom for us first time stall holders, we would love to hear it!
Hope to meet you then…
xox
Don’t stay sat down, but don’t stay stood up. This advice could go either way. I’ve been told that if you “rearrange” items on your stall from time to time it can draw people across – just pick a product up and put it back down, if that helps 😛 But on the other hand, when I see people do this, I don’t go over because I feel either I’ll be in their way, or they’ll think they’re in mine.
I’ve been told sitting down the whole time also puts people off, but if people are stood up all the time, I always feel like they’re going to start asking if I have questions, need help, or start showing me things – like in Lush, I love the place, but whenever I go in they want to demonstrate facemasks and bath bombs!
I’ve also been told that you should smile at customers and be attentive, but whenever people do that to me, I’m less inclined to stick around. Though, this might all be down to me being an introvert and certainly not a people person. I don’t know.
Having business cards easily takeable is good, too. That way if someone likes something but doesn’t buy it, they get a second chance online. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve come away from places and regretted not getting something. Also the occasional freebie, but only if you can afford it. I never could.
I don’t have much advice, as you can see, and each piece I did give I contradicted, but nevermind! I can argue with myself so well sometimes. Hope I helped a little – or at the very least, I hope I didn’t confuse you too much.
♥
Thanks for the advice Kim!
You’ve made some cracking points here… I’ll be there with David to help which is a big relief as I doubt I could handle it on my own! Like you, I’m a little shy and fear being trapped by getting caught in someone’s web of bad chat and long demonstrations – I will be sure to avoid it unless encouraged!
As for the sitting and standing, I will be trying to mix it up a bit and let you know what I thought worked best 🙂 I think the one thing that really puts me off stalls is drained and miserable looking sellers so it will be smiles and sugar hits all the way!
As for mixing about the layout, that’s really fantastic advice 😀 We have quite a variety of things out so we will be (hopefully) replenishing sold items – that will make it easy to rearrange it if we find we have a slump… fingers crossed there will be none of that action!
Yeah, we just got an order in of more business cards for the event. We take a LOT when we go to shows, it’s like a dirty habit! We figured we should prepare as if we were going to be attending 🙂 As for freebies, perhaps one day. I’ve read that putting sweeties out is always a winner, but I’m not sure how I feel about doing that yet. I feel quite naughty if I take one and don’t buy anything… plus I’m not sure I could sit with a bowl of treats on the table without eating them all myself! Hahaha!
Thanks again for all your suggestions, you are a total star for taking the time out to share them… We really enjoyed the contradictions too as they are ones we we’re battling with as we are trying to decide ourselves! Good to know we’re not the only ones 🙂 xox
I think sitting down is fine as long as you don’t look desperate or uninterested. It’s really good if there are two of you because then you can always have a chat amont yourselves. And then just make sure you say hi to whoever approaches, but don’t necessarily volunteer gazillions of information as they might run away 😉 – these are my own experences from being the stalee as well as stall visitor. Also it is annoying when the person at the stall just does something (most commonly they will knit or do something that is their craft) and completely ignore you. I wanted to buy something once but the woman wouldn’t even look at me! Also commenting on people as they walk away from your stall is not very nice because they (I) can hear it. And strangely enough, they will not then come and buy something from you on that market or ANY OTHER MARKET EVER.
Sorry, I like being dramatic 😀
It’s good idea to have some display stands that will lift the items from the table, so that it’s not just lots of items lied flat on the table.
This is it. FOR NOW. Good luck! I will try to come to your market but no guarantees as my jobby is not very close and I’d need to get away on my lunch break…
Hiya Zuzanna!
Thanks so much for your advice 😀 I love the added drama – It really made me pay attention 😉
We have a few display stands ready for our table so it will be staggered – unfortunately we wont have wall space which is a shame… Mind, I have found a way to hang our tote bags off the table too so perhaps wall stuff as well would have been a little hardcore! Haha
It sounds like you have had some really interesting stall experiences :S I don’t think I would ever comment on someone still at the event, even if they had left my table – that is sheer madness! Sounds like you are dealing with it well though 😉 I wouldn’t want anything to do with them either. Or as you may say, RUDE PEOPLE SUCK!
I will bear in mind not to ramble but to say hello when people approach – David will be with me (go team!) so I will have a good distraction and a useful pair of hands 😀
Thanks so much for your support – so lovely that you were even thinking about coming to check it out 😀 If you do manage to escape work defo say hi! x
Oh, also, saw your stuff at OOTB at the weekend – your brooches look super beautiful! Good luck with selling them, we are sure they will go like hot cakes!