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Hiya
As an aromatherapist, I've been supplying products to my clients for a number of years and have had great feedback. I've felt very comfortable with this and have recently moved on to doing shows and selling soaps.
However, it's been tough. I do know it takes time. I've done shows before selling crystals and it can be very unpredictable. I know I need to be patient. I've refreshed my skills with courses, read countless blogs, courses, tutorials, experimented with different methods of labelling, signage, layout on my stalls.
The problems I have are this.
I'm taking soaps and products to different shows. I've been to Farmers Markets (no footfall at all), Fun days, school fetes, carnivals (either no footfall or noone wanting soaps / gifts, MBS shows (60 stalls and a footfall of a couple hundred people), huge events for the general public (one said to have attracted 40,000 people last year), pamper events (no footfall or many other soapers), craft shows (again no footfall).
So far I've only made more than my stall fee once.. and that didn't cover the costs of petrol / costs of production, let alone time or equipment to run the stand.
I'm even on my fourth gazebo. It's getting kind of costly and I'm quite disheartened.
I do ask people about expected footfall / previous shows / advertising, but I seem to consistently choose the wrong shows. I know it's not just me, as other stallholders at a number of events have said that they go year on year and they usually do very well but this year nothing. Many don't make their stall fee either.
So I guess my first question is this.. Where do you take your soaps? My gut feeling is that Farmers Markets would be the ideal place. However, many of the local ones wont allow non-food items to be sold, for those who do, I've asked to be put on waiting lists as they are full.
My second dilemma is this. How to make people come to your stall? I've tried many different layouts, labelling and signage. Baskets, boxes, bowls, steps, random layouts, uniform layouts. I've done some shows with stock piled high and the stand full, others with a stand consisting of just a few items. Taken inspiration from photos on websites, tutorials, blogs, forums. I just can't seem to invite people into the stand. I've sat and stoof behind the stand, in front, stood away from it, said hi to everyone, let everyone be, acted distracted, attentive. One thing I've not really been able to find is etiquette for these events, how to behave in front of the client. Youtube videos have mentioned a few tips. Still not catching peoples eyes, so my instinct says the layouts wrong. No eyecatching.
I'm no salesperson, but I do know that on the rare occasion someone steps into my stand I need to make the effort, but it all feels very false. I also know if I was selling these soaps for someone else as a favour I'd feel much more comfortable making conversation with people about it.
So I think that's three questions..
1) Am I going to the wrong places
2) Is there a trick to getting people to look at your stand (noticed at events with other soap people they aren't attracting interest either)
3) Is there a trick to the actual selling bit?
Sorry to ask so many questions, but very disheartened right now and unsure quite how to turn this around.
My little trick for tomorrow is to put a bowl of water out and inviting people to try the taster soaps to wash their hands. Hopefully it will raise a little interest. Fingers crossed.
By the way, thanks to those who have posted tips on here, it's been so useful in planning and getting things going!!
As an aromatherapist, I've been supplying products to my clients for a number of years and have had great feedback. I've felt very comfortable with this and have recently moved on to doing shows and selling soaps.
However, it's been tough. I do know it takes time. I've done shows before selling crystals and it can be very unpredictable. I know I need to be patient. I've refreshed my skills with courses, read countless blogs, courses, tutorials, experimented with different methods of labelling, signage, layout on my stalls.
The problems I have are this.
I'm taking soaps and products to different shows. I've been to Farmers Markets (no footfall at all), Fun days, school fetes, carnivals (either no footfall or noone wanting soaps / gifts, MBS shows (60 stalls and a footfall of a couple hundred people), huge events for the general public (one said to have attracted 40,000 people last year), pamper events (no footfall or many other soapers), craft shows (again no footfall).
So far I've only made more than my stall fee once.. and that didn't cover the costs of petrol / costs of production, let alone time or equipment to run the stand.
I'm even on my fourth gazebo. It's getting kind of costly and I'm quite disheartened.
I do ask people about expected footfall / previous shows / advertising, but I seem to consistently choose the wrong shows. I know it's not just me, as other stallholders at a number of events have said that they go year on year and they usually do very well but this year nothing. Many don't make their stall fee either.
So I guess my first question is this.. Where do you take your soaps? My gut feeling is that Farmers Markets would be the ideal place. However, many of the local ones wont allow non-food items to be sold, for those who do, I've asked to be put on waiting lists as they are full.
My second dilemma is this. How to make people come to your stall? I've tried many different layouts, labelling and signage. Baskets, boxes, bowls, steps, random layouts, uniform layouts. I've done some shows with stock piled high and the stand full, others with a stand consisting of just a few items. Taken inspiration from photos on websites, tutorials, blogs, forums. I just can't seem to invite people into the stand. I've sat and stoof behind the stand, in front, stood away from it, said hi to everyone, let everyone be, acted distracted, attentive. One thing I've not really been able to find is etiquette for these events, how to behave in front of the client. Youtube videos have mentioned a few tips. Still not catching peoples eyes, so my instinct says the layouts wrong. No eyecatching.
I'm no salesperson, but I do know that on the rare occasion someone steps into my stand I need to make the effort, but it all feels very false. I also know if I was selling these soaps for someone else as a favour I'd feel much more comfortable making conversation with people about it.
So I think that's three questions..
1) Am I going to the wrong places
2) Is there a trick to getting people to look at your stand (noticed at events with other soap people they aren't attracting interest either)
3) Is there a trick to the actual selling bit?
Sorry to ask so many questions, but very disheartened right now and unsure quite how to turn this around.
My little trick for tomorrow is to put a bowl of water out and inviting people to try the taster soaps to wash their hands. Hopefully it will raise a little interest. Fingers crossed.
By the way, thanks to those who have posted tips on here, it's been so useful in planning and getting things going!!
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