Through my "Crafty Tip of the Day" daily column here on HandmadeNews.org, I have sporadically posted several tips in regards to successful craft show vending. Based on a suggestion from one of my faithful readers, I'm compiling all of my craft show tips into one resourceful article, a sort of go-to guide for all of you craft show newbies out there. My tips and advice here are based on my personal experience after nearly 5 years on the midwest craft show circuit, and I hope you find them as helpful and rewarding as I have through the years. They are in no particular order below, but believe me, each one is as important as the one before it or the one after it. You may even want to print this out and keep it as a sort of check-list for yourself, to refer to prior to every craft show you attend!

Set-up on time, and do not tear down early.
If the event doors open up at 8:00am, then you want to be completely set-up by 7:45am or even earlier. This will allow you plenty of time to make last-minute perfections to your display, and will ensure that you are entirely ready when those very first potential customers walk through that door. The same goes for tearing your booth down early. If the event doesn't end until 5:00pm but you are tearing your booth down at 4:15pm, you could very easily lose some great last-minute sales. Most people will not even glance at the goods in a booth that is already being torn down, and many craft show promoters will not invite vendors who tear-down early back to their events!

Communicate with fellow crafters when given the chance.
Conversing with the other crafters at events you attend can be one of your most important craft show resources, especially locally. You can gain some fantastic advice and take notice of tricks and trends that work to grab sales for others. Exchange biz info with others, and create a network where you all can keep each other informed of upcoming events, news and info. Be sure when conversing with fellow crafters though, that you are not interrupting sales at their booth or at yours!

Offer free samples or hold a free drawing of some sort.
This tip is great for attracting customers to your booth; I mean, who doesn't love getting something for free? Anything! Offer small free samples of one or several of your best-selling item(s), or simply have free candy in a dish at your booth. You can also offer a free drawing that is a "No need to be present to win" drawing, using simple forms requiring the entrant's name & address. This will attract people to your booth, and as a bonus you get new names for your mailing list.

Play music.
Music is a great way to set a mood for your display. If your items & goods are intended to energize people, try playing some very energetic, upbeat music. If your items are meant to relax it's users, try playing some very soft, easy-listening music. If your items are all-natural or organic, try playing music with sounds of nature included in it. I think you get the idea here, but the most important rule is that your music does not disturb others. Be sure it is just loud enough to hear, but not loud enough to aggravate the crafters around you, or the customers for that matter.

Have business cards or brochures ready at all times.
This is your business's identification after all, you want to make sure you give these out wherever the opportunity presents itself. Also, make sure you include a couple of extra biz cards with every purchase so the buyer can remember where they got it, and can share your information with other potential customers. You will also want to make sure that a biz card goes with every sample you hand out.

Take along a back-up buddy.
This tip is crucial, because you don't want to find yourself sitting all alone at a show with no opportunity to take a break, grab a bite to eat, or go to the bathroom. If you leave your booth unattended you certainly risk losing valuable sales, as well as vandalism/property loss. You may think your fellow crafters around you wouldn't let this happen to your display but remember, they are busy, too, and it only takes a moment for something bad to happen. A buddy/partner to attend the show with you is strongly suggested, so that you may avoid any sort of incidents that may happen if your booth is left unattended.

Keep your area/booth neat and tidy.
Your booth is your store-front when you are vending at an event, and you want to impress your customers and potential customers with your tidiness, organization and attention to detail. A sloppy-looking booth makes you as a crafter look sloppy. Try to keep your empty boxes and trash out of site at all times, and keep unnecessary crafting supplies to a minimum; only get out what you need to use. Your booth's physical appearance will reflect on your business in general!

Keep custom order forms on hand and ready.
Obviously, you probably will not have something for everyone at an event, but with custom-ordering you may be able to cater to almost everyone!  Make sure you take any forms or information you need to be prepared for taking custom orders, as this could mean big business for you even after the event is over.

Have a craft-show-tool-kit ready to go.
Create a carry-along kit that contains most of your crafting tool necessecities for making repairs, adjustments, sizing, etc. Set this kit aside for craft show purposes only, so you aren't digging for your tools at the last minute before a show.

Make sure you take plenty of cash/change.
At these type of events, the majority of the attendees are going to pay with cash. If you don't have plenty of change on hand for cash sales, you could really miss out on some big purchases! I recommend keeping a cash box handy at all times only for craft show vending, so it's always ready with plenty of money. Your most important bills will probably be $1's and $5's; where silver change is applicable, quarters will usually be what you want to make sure you have the most of.

Consider accepting credit cards to compete with larger craft businesses.
In this day and age, obtaining a merchant account to accept credit cards is as easy as 1-2-3. However there are fees and interest involved, so before making the decision to dive-in to credit card sales, take a good look at your business to make sure this is a profittable decision for you.

Offer discounts for multiple purchases.
For instance, try offering a 25% discount on your more expensive items for each one the buyer purchases at regular price. This can really encourage a larger sale, and the buyer still feels like he/she is getting a great deal. Or try offering a free gift with purchases totalling over $100, or something to that effect. Either way, you'll encourage bigger sales and attract more potential customers to your booth when you offer discounts.

Be aggressive, don't be bashful.
Don't sit complacently behind your table and watch your potential customers pass by, speak up! Stand at your booth with composure, and give a friendly "Hello!" or "How do you do?" to every passer-by, whether you think they look like a potential customer or not. You will find yourself surprised at how many people will turn around and come over to your booth JUST because you gave them a friendly hello. Again, this can result in a sale that may not have otherwise happened!

Let the show promoter know if you can't attend an event that you committed to.
If you committed to an event and for some unforseen reason you can't attend, be sure you contact the show promoter prior to the start of the event to let them know of your absence. More than likely you still will not get a refund of your money, as most events state clearly upon sign-up that there will be no refunds for vendor fees. However, you will save your reputation with the promoter. Most event promoters will not invite or accept a vendor back who has previously "no-showed" at one of their events.

Finally, but most importantly, S M I L E .
There is nothing more inviting to a customer than a friendly face. A smile on your face at all times helps to reflect what your business is all about; exceptional customer service, products that you stand behind and are proud to sell, honesty, integrity. When you smile you look confident, when you're confident you're ready to sell! A customer will almost always avoid a booth whose staff looks grumpy, tired, and unhappy about being there. Keep on smiling and your customers will always smile, too!

I hope this little bit of advice can help make your first (or second, or third) craft show experience a very positive one. Positivity within yourself will be the key to your success, and following these few simple guidelines can help get you there!

Image courtesy tigerlillyshop