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If you are planning on being a vendor at an art fair or convention, here are some ideas to consider for a more worthwhile experience. Especially when sales are slow and your expectations have dropped to just wanting to break even,  consider that time is not wasted if you are actively engaged in marketing your brand. Considering the amount of time and money you spend preparing for the event, making products, buying supplies, displays and promo materials, setting up and tearing down, it is important to get the most out of your time. You are not always going to hit your sales goals. But you can always make contacts, build relationships and gain more subscribers to your mailing list.

Engage in Conversation.  When people come to your booth, say “hello, how are you doing” and try to engage in a conversation. People will be more likely to buy something from you if you are friendly and can chat them up. You can ask people questions about themselves, where they are from or what they like. You never know who you will meet or what you might learn and often times more talk will lead you to figure out what that person likes and you will have a better idea of what you can offer them for sale. I have made more sales this way.

Personally hand them your business card/promo card. If they seem interested in your work, hand them a business card. I have found people are more responsive when you personally hand them something rather than them having to pick it up themselves. When you hand it to them, mention a deal you are having in your booth or online store.

Get people to sign up for your mailing list. You should always ask people to sign up for your mailing list when they buy something from you. Even if someone doesn’t buy anything but shows a genuine interest in your work, let them know you have a mailing list sign-up and explain to them the benefits of being on your mailing list. Ex “You will get updates on my latest work” or “I frequently host giveaways and you have a chance to win free art”. The more people on your mailing list, the more people you can promote to on a regular basis.

Network with other vendors. I’m surprised more vendors don’t do this. Make sure to bring someone with you to the event so that you have a chance to leave your booth every once in while. Most likely, during the curse of the day, there will be down time–a time when sales are slow to non-existent. During that time is the perfect opportunity to leave your booth and socialize with other vendors. You never know who you will meet or what you will learn. I’ve made great friends and learned of new opportunities this way. Some of those vendors can also end up being your best customers and fans.

Connect with people after the event. If you followed my advice above, you probably met quite a few new creative people and taken their business cards. When you get home, follow them on twitter, friend them on Facebook or like their Facebook pages. If I especially made a connection with someone, I will send them a quick email letting them know how nice it was to meet them and give them link to my social networks so they can connect with me. Building relationships is key and will eventually lead to more opportunities and sales.

There is more to do at a convention or art show besides making sales. If you consider sales to be the only important and valid payoff to get out of a show, you will be missing out on the greatest opportunity for building a fan base and creating lasting benefits for your business. Your time is important so make it count.

The post 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Art Vending Experience appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

Miss Moo Cow from the sketch a few posts back.
Polychromos on board, what else?
I gave her a milking stool to sit on.
She's not for sale or anything yet.

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Today I went to a local art fair. Its a big one, with lots and lots and lots of exhibitors. I went thinking I'd check out the competition; thinking "I should do this too, seems like everyone else is, let's see what this is all about."

Its been a while since I've been to an art fair. This one was jam packed. Booths right up next to each other, lots and lots of lots of all the usual stuff: art prints, jewelry, wooden carved stuff, stained glass, more prints, paintings, on and on and on and on.

And you know what? I was completely turned off. Not only did I think "Oh there is no way I'm ever doing this", I was also not into looking at other people's art. I was shocked at my distaste for the whole "scene". My own art is no better or worse than anything I saw there. It wasn't a "these people are such amateurs" kind of thing, or at the opposite extreme "gosh, these people are so good, I'd never be able to compete."

It just felt ... icky. I can't imagine myself sitting there passively while someone rifles through my art prints, or stands and looks and ponders, or worse, just walks on by. I also cannot fathom having to chit chat and talk-up potential customers all day long ~ having the same friendly conversation with person after person after person. And then just being glued to that spot for 6 or 8 hours. For 2 or 3 days in a row. I think my head would explode. It almost did today after about 30 seconds of elbowing my way down the sidewalk through booths and people standing and lolling about.

So I decided right then and there to delete that "maybe I should do an art fair" program off my hard drive, so to speak. I've had websites for Harvest Festivals and Holiday Crafts Fairs and the like bookmarked, and have been thinking about signing up for a couple, but today effectively quelled that idea once and for all.

My hat is off to all of you who do this. Really. HOW do you do it? How do you sit there in the roasting sun for hours hoping someone will buy something? It takes a special something that I clearly don't have. The "Art Fair Gene". (I'm also lacking the "sports gene" and the "polka dot gene", many others as well I'm sure.)

I have another whole little speech forming in my head about "how I want to present myself ~ or as importantly, NOT", which will have to wait for another post. I'm pondering all the myriad of 'selling art' options and realizing I find some of them distasteful. Its just that in this economy you sometimes have to explore options that you may not have given the time of day too in fatter times. I remember in art school we all thought we'd be raking it in doing movie posters and big advertising jobs, all from the comfort and luxury of our posh studios, while our staff was tending to the other mundane chores and aspects of our lives. HA!

I'm starting to ramble. I'll pick up this thread later, I'm sure.

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Last night I watched "Rosemary's Baby". I hadn't seen it for a long time. I vividly remember seeing it when it first came out (I was in the womb ~ well, no, but I was young.) My Mom spent half the movie with her hand covering my eyes! And she was so mad at my Dad, because he'd read the book so "should have known how awful it was!". Back then there was no movie rating system, so little kids could see movies like that, no one cared.

All day today I've had that creepy "la la la laaaaa" song in my head (which I figured out was Mia Farrow singing, its her voice, listen).