The lazy days of summer aren’t so lazy for some industrious small business owners. Instead of spending their weekends lounging by the pool, they are setting up tents and selling their wares at one of the thousands of outdoor festivals being held around the country each weekend this summer.
Here are a few additional tips to consider:
- Estimate profitability. Calculate all the costs associated with event participation, including your time. Make sure you find out what will be supplied by coordinators such as tables, chairs, trash bins and tents. Once you’ve determined your costs, estimate the number of items you think you can realistically sell. Is it worth it?
- Exhibit Support. You should never leave your booth unattended. Therefore, because at some point you’ll need to take a break, make sure you have back-up support.
- Impulse Buys. Make sure you have something to sell at a low price point to attract impulse buys. Another good strategy is to offer packaged pricing. For example, if the customer chooses to purchases items A and B, they get a better deal than buying either product singularly.
- Become a Carnival Barker. Well, you really shouldn’t go that far, but don’t sit in your booth like a bump on a log. Be engaging. Smile and speak to people passing by. You never know who might be interested in your product once you get them looking and talking.
- Bring Materials. Be sure you have plenty of business cards and other sales materials on hand. People who don’t buy at this event may decide later they’re interested in your product so make it easy for them to find you. And be sure you have a web site with contact and product information.
- Create a follow-up strategy. What a huge waste to spend your time and money at one of these events and walk away with only a few contacts -- if any. And don’t expect browsers to hang on to your business card. So keep a sign-up sheet nearby and ask exhibit visitors to share their email addresses so you can keep them up-to-date on promotions, products and upcoming events. Use the emails you collect to create an email marketing strategy.
Good luck and good selling during the upcoming lazy days of summer.
Image credit: Jamie