Phoenix traders - what is your most successful selling technique?

Wibblywobbly14

jo-chris wrote: »

hi do any of you do craft fairs if so do you find them profitable one youv paid out for the pitch fee etc??

Hi,
I have not done many craft fairs, but have had a few stalls at a range of different events. They are very hit and miss, in my experience, and I have found that by far the best way to sell is through the brochures and coffee mornings/parties at home, but that is just in my experience.

Events can be very good for making new contacts, customers and getting asked to go to other events, so if you do them, make sure you are advertising your brochures, the fact that more Traders are needed and the fact that you are available for other events both large and small.

Its been really quiet on here lately!
Good luck x

BUSYB_2

Hi All

Can I join in? I started Phoenix in April and was just going to sell from the brochure. But I think ( don't know if anyone agrees ) that the brochure doesn't do the products justice as they are so much nicer in the flesh! So I have just placed an order for some stock so I can have a party. I have ordered a card stand and have lots of baskets etc for the display. I just wanted some tips really. I will have the party on a Saturday and thought of saying people could call in anytime between maybe 2 and 6 so it is more like an open afternoon and it is more relaxed. Would this work? I am not one for standing up talking so if I greet guests with a drink and a flyer with info about ordering from the brochure if they want something I haven't got/having a party of their own /joining PT etc etc that would be ok. Is there anything I could do to make it more interesting like a raffle.
Sorry I have waffled on a lot here. This thread has gone very quiet so thanks in advance for any replies.

sunshine_girl_2

Hi Busyb and welcome.

Its definitely worth holding some stock so that you can sell at parties etc and and whilst the brochure looks great, I certainly agree that the products look even better "in the flesh"! I think your plan for your party is a good one - more people will come if they are not tied down to an exact time and it will be a lot more relaxed - for you and your customers - if they do not feel under pressure to purchase, although Im sure most of them will! I did a fundraiser a couple of weeks ago on this basis and it was very successful.

Good luck and let us all know how you get on.

mindermum

Hi Busyb,

Just wanted to say good luck for your party. I will be interested to know how it goes as I might do the same sort of thing for the Christmas launch. I have only held parties at my own house with friends and neighbours and did make it into a girly party night. Did ok with the sales but not a great turn out, I wonder if more would turn up for a casual drop in.

Just had someone order 10 pony cards to use as invitations to a horse riding party. An expensive way of doing things, but I'm not complaining!

BUSYB_2

Hi sunshine girl and mindermum

Thankyou for your replies. Party is planned for 20th June so I will report back. I have a delivery due today so excited about that.
Will have a practice with displays

allIcouldwishfor

Good luck with your event BusyB.

At the risk of stating the obvious, my tips would be:

• I put all the DC cards on my wirestand, give them a shake to get the card to the top of the cello so they can be clearly seen. Grouping all the dictionary cards in a vertical column looks good too. I also put my cello'd wrap and tag sets down the right hand side of my display. Research shows that people's eyes automatically go to the top right hand side of a display, so put something interesting there.
• My upline says you should allow at least 10% of your display area for recruiting. She uses a dvd with a pre-paid card in a cello.
• I group my baskets of stock cards in categories - "cards for men", "cards for women", "cards for children" and "other occasions, non birthday" to make it easier for people to find what they want.
• Pre-stuff your paper bags and carrier bags with a thank you for your purchase type note, letting people know how to re-order.
• Keep a note of the value of each sale from stock as you go along (I use the back of my DL order pad). You need this for your accounting and it's easy to lose track otherwise. It also helps you to see at a glance how much commission/discount to pay your hostess.
• Offer everyone a 10% discount off today's order when they book an event or bring a friend.
• Don't be precious about your brochures, give everybody one AS THEY ARRIVE - Make sure everyone leaves with a brochure in a carrier bag (I have these pre-prepared), you never know where it will lead. I often get big orders (£40-£60) after an event this way. Don't place your order until 1-2 days after the event to allow for any additional orders to come in.

Hope that helps!

BUSYB_2

Thankyou allIcouldwishfor,

Some great tips there. My order has arrived so very excited now. Bet it will take a while to cello everything.

claireylulu

Did my first craft fair today and it didn't go as well as I had hoped, only took £30. I was really disheartened when I left. But cheered up a bit now and putting it down as a learning curve. Quite a lot of people were interested but the sales just didn't come. Positive note 3 people asked for a brochure to order from.

On a more positive note did another brochure drop this week and got 3 really good orders one was for £25, my highest so far. So I did better on my brochure drop then at the fair, has anyone else found this with fairs?
Got another fair booked for 2 weeks time so fingers crossed. Has anyone got any tips?

jo-chris

hi has anyone got any tips on how to display baskets many thanks jo

BUSYB_2

Hi

I just wondered how much stock people hold at one time. It is very difficult to know how much stock to keep for parties/events etc. Does anyone find at a party that a few prefer to order from the brochure once they have seen the quality of stock?