Nobody likes to be harassed or hounded when they’re browsing at a craft show, and on the flip-side, no one likes to be ignored. What’s the perfect balance of interaction with a customer at a craft show that won’t leave you looking like a stereotypical used car salesman? I talked to two creative women who have mastered the art of Craft Show Engagement for their advice.

1. Talk TO customers, not AT them.

Shelley, Paula and Jeanine are three sisters who run the whimsical store Sweet William. They regularly participate in local craft shows and art markets selling their art, paper goods and dolls. Shelley brings up the point that it’s better to wait for the customer to initiate any conversation past a friendly hello, otherwise it will seem like you are talking AT the customer, rather than TO the customer. This way the customer has all the control and doesn’t feel smothered or intimidated.

2. Watch for Body Language.

Whitney West sells lovely bags and pillow covers, and explains that eye contact is a good indicator that the customer is open to conversation. She also says to take notice of the way their body is facing when you talk to them – if their body is turning away from you and your booth, it’s a clue that they’re ready to leave. Shelley agrees with this advice, and also adds that you should take notice of where they are looking. They could be nodding while you explain something to them, but their eyes could be darting all around for a nearby friend to get them out of there!

3. Tell Your Story.

Customers often like to hear the story behind the items they’re looking at. Shelley likes to tell customers about the character Camille featured in a lot of Sweet William’s art. She also shares with them a little about her family, especially since it’s a family-run business. Customers like getting that little bit of insight into the people behind the store.

4. Be Available.

While making sure not to bombard your customers, be careful not to ignore them either. Shelley says that she likes to “stand slightly off center and give people space to browse and chat amongst themselves - but they know we are ready when they are. If you have a partner that you’re selling with, its ok to chat quietly together - but don't overlook the customer while you have your heart to heart!”

Whitney notices that when she goes to craft shows, if a vendor just sits behind their booth looking bored or unhappy to be there, she doesn’t want to approach them because she feels like she would be bothering them to come and look at their craft. She reminds us that “just because a customer doesn't buy something at that moment doesn't mean they may not be a future customer.” So make sure to not only be available to talk, but also have business cards available to do the talking for you long after the craft show is over.

Thanks ladies for your great advice. If any of you readers have any advice or tips on ways to interact with craft show customers, please share!

Dionne Christiansen is a graphic designer based in Houston, TX. She blogs at City of Dionne.

The main image is courtesy of Sweet William and is available for sale on Etsy.

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Melissa Cardin of Mama Lunas is a master of Scrabble tiles! From pendants to earrings and even magnets, she really knows how to dress a Scrabble tile up with everything from Christmas themed tiles to Cherry Blossoms and even 80’s inspired tiles! She’s even open to doing custom orders if you reach out and contact her to work through the details. Melissa obviously keeps herself very busy - keeping up her Artfire and Etsy shops and blogging, while taking care of her family, doing freelance writing and working as a case manager in a homeless shelter a few days each week. She’s also easy to connect with on the web, through Ravelry, Linked in, as well as Twitter and Facebook. You should swing by one of her sites to say hello & maybe even talk tiles! Welcome to Meylah Melissa! We can’t wait to see all the great tiles you have in store for the future!

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Online marketing and selling has gained significant momentum in the last 10 years. More and more people are willing to buy online and if you’re a seller, you benefit because your store is always open without the requirement of you being present! Now, more than 2 billion people have Internet access worldwide and can shop at your online store. And it’s become more and more of an expectation for you to have an online store to supplement the products you sell in person.So what type of online store do you need? A shop in an online marketplace, a standalone website, your own blog...maybe it's a combination? We want to help you evaluate the type of web presence that best suits your business so let’s outline the pros and cons of using each one.MarketplaceWe all have different experiences and challenges in front of us and as a result, we have different ideas about what is the most important to us. Joining a marketplace is fun and simple and here are some things to consider when thinking about setting up shop in a marketplace.The Pros:Instantly become part of a communityExisting traffic and customer visits increase the possibility of being found resulting in salesLow cost and a standard store template exists so you can be up and running very quicklyLots of other sellers doing the same thing as you so you can learn the tricks of the trade and best practices The Cons:Limited flexibility to have your store be unique Difficult to be found with so much competition and limited marketing toolsForced to follow the marketplace rules and policiesWebsiteWith a standalone website, the content is typically static and formal although you make up your own rules so design, style and "whatever and wherever" is the motto. Think about these things as you start creating your online store:The Pros: Typically, once you have your website up and running, you don't need to constantly update it (less upkeep)You have a completely unique place for people to find you onlineYou make up the rules, the look and feel and enable all your own tools from marketing to payment processingThe Cons:Websites don't have the same SEO capabilities as blogs so it maybe tough to be foundWebsites can be extremely costly to build and maintain If you don’t know HTML or have web development experience, you may find yourself tied pretty closely to your web developer Communication with your audience is typically one-way (from you to the outside world) so customer engagement may be slowBlogBlogs are essentially dynamic websites that can be constantly updated and allow two-way communication with your audience in the form of an online journal. Take a look at these areas as you begin to build your blog:The Pros: Blogs are easy and much less expensive to set up and run than traditional websites (they’re FREE in most cases)Blogs are dynamic, information and content on blogs can be frequently updated, which enables you to keep your audience engagedBlogs enable conversation and create a listening mechanism for you - with your audience commenting and you responding, you can create a personal dialogue and interact with your readers to build your communityBlogs make it is much easier to be found online, enabling better SEO which means the more you write and connect, the more you'll will be foundThe Cons:Blogs require regular content, which can be a lot of upkeep. If you do not update your blog fairly regularly, readers will generally stop visitingBlogging is personal so you need to be cautious with the information you shareSo what do you think? The truth is that one size doesn't fit all and you have to evaluate your personal needs and the time and money you're willing to contribute. And, maybe the day is coming when all three of these options are brought together under one roof and we won't have to choose (wink, wink).Share your thoughts of why you prefer blogs, marketplaces or individual websites. Also, here are some helpful resources to guide you along the way:Blog vs Website: What’s the Difference?SEO - Website vs. BlogSelecting an Online MarketplaceMain image courtesy of B Tal

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After reading through the fabulous perks we covered yesterday on why you should consider co-branding your work, we wanted to dive into the process to get you started. Here are 7 steps in the process behind co-branding:1. Start with a loosely developed idea When you are getting ready to approach a partner, you'll want to have a project in mind, otherwise the potential pairing could lose steam before it even gets started. You don't ever want to say "Hey work with me" and when asked the details you respond with an "ummm, I don't know" type email. Big waste of time. 2. Scout out potential partners privately first Depending on the type of idea you have, you'll need to start looking into potential partners. Once you have a small group, privately scout them out by viewing their blog, products, networking strategies and so on to get a good sense of which one would be the best fit. 3. Reach out to only one person, initially While you may have two or three people you'd like to approach, it's a terrible idea to email them all at once. What if they all said yes? Put the people you like in order of who you wish you could work with the most and wait to get a response before moving down the line. You can always approach the other people for another project once you've successfully completed your first. 4. Get an agreement in place It's a great idea to get an agreement in place to ensure everyone feels safe and comfortable with the joint venture before the project ever gets underway. Some things you may want to include would be who collects and divides up sales, how much time each person would allot per week to the project and so on. There are many things to consider but having the basics covered will simplify things tremendously. 5. Plan out your launch date and strategy Besides the nitty gritty details arranged in your agreement, you'll want to start planning your venture's launch date and the strategy behind it. How successful it is will be based on how well you plan it out and how well you execute the plan's details. 6. Use Basecamp to keep organized and in touch Try using a site like Basecamp to keep all your ideas, images, chats and details in one place. They have a great free plan that allows you to collaborate with unlimited users on a single project. 7. Use a third party for a final comb through Before you launch, hire or recruit a third party to go through your venture's final result with a fine tooth comb. This will allow someone with no emotional investment to take a deeper look and offer constructive feedback on your efforts and give you new insight that both you and your partner might have missed. For examples of great joint ventures, check out these Co-Branding Pairs We Love: Megan Auman & Tara Gentile: The Creative EmpireMichelle Ward & Jessica Swift: The Declaration of You eCourseNaomi Dunford & Dave Navarro: How to Launch the **** Outta Your EbookCat Ivans & Anne Cresci: Magnet Locket Sets Justine Smith is an Etsy success story who used her experience selling online and turned it into a full-time wholesale business. Her real passion is helping handmade sellers find success marketing their craft products. She offers tips on advertising, branding, social media and growth via email through her blog Handmade Marketer. Main image courtesy of Matt Smith.

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