Display and merchandising of your work influences your customer’s perceptions and drives your sales.
The display gets their initial interest (from a distance) but the customer must be drawn closer to the merchandise before a sale can be closed.
- You want people to remember your stall, but also your company name. So it’s important to have a banner or sign on your display.
- Tables should have skirts hanging to the ground so extra stock or other untidy items can be hidden away, not blatantly left in plain sight.
- A well-lit display will really help to show off your items, so ask about power points in advance. Think about the time of year, the event location and the finishing time too. If it’s a Christmas market, it will get dark early, so you’ll need more lighting than you would for a summer show, for example.
- Booth openings should be a minimum of six-feet wide. People should be able to pass in and out of the booth freely – essentially like a two-lane highway – without obstructions or barriers.
- Use furniture, props, boxes and shelving to create height and bring everything up to eye level. Adding height adds interest and gives you more space for your stock.
- The colors of your booth can invoke a season that can work for you or against you. If the colors of your booth or your products are earth tones, this display will work better from August to January than it will from February through July.
- Can people reach your items? Do you want them to? Picking an item up or being able to get really close to it can only help with a sale, but beware of children’s sticky fingers – place your valuable items in elevated and stable positions.
- Even if people don’t buy anything on the day, if they take a business card it could lead to a sale another day. So make sure your cards are placed where people can easily pick them up.
- Consider using props to cross-promote your work with other artists. If you are selling baskets, they can use a couple of your baskets in their booth, and you can fill one of your baskets with a few of their scarves. This is a common practice at gift shows between exhibitors who are friends.
For more ideas, check this video about how to display your work at a craft show from Candiware:
Do you want to sell your handmade products at a craft show? Download our Craft Show Checklist – Complete And Printable and Craft Show Inventory Sheet (Free Downloads) – get the insights you need to succeed!
I live in the one of the most beautiful places in the world on the Sunshine Coast in Australia with my wife and our 2 dogs, Poppy and Mia. Since 2009 I have helped over 15,000 handmade business owners to grow their business with our software and free tools designed for todays entrepreneurial artisan.
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