The Business Chat - Mental preparation

Yikes! it’s been 6 months since I did a craft show and I’m having a hard time switching my brain into show mode, I’m sure you know how it feels. I’ve been so busy focusing on other stuff, like applying to shows, making cool fun new work, blogging, facebooking my little heart out and planning future endeavours. Basically I’ve been working ON the business and now I need to switch gears and start working IN the business again. To do this I sat down today and had a staff meeting.

“Gee, self, planning the new website is really awesome but wouldn’t it be great to pay the rent?”“Uh, yes. And I’d to order more glass. And I need to print new posters.”“So I need to get my butt in gear and sell at the show this weekend.”“Right, let’s focus on selling.”

And then the meeting broke up for a cookie break.

Time to break out my 7 steps to getting into Let’s Have a Successful Show mood.

1 Calculate how much the show is costing by the hour.

Take the cost of the show and divide that number by the number of hours the show is open. For example, if the show cost $300 and is open from 10 – 6 for 2 days (16 hours), then you are paying $18.75/hr. If there’s a slow period in the day, don’t pick up that book or your phone. Really, did you pay $18.75 to read a book or talk to your friend? Do something productive.

2 Set your show goals.

You can’t know if you’ve had a successful show if you haven’t defined what is success. If you are exhibiting at the show to make money, how much money? Name a number, be exact. If you want to increase your mailing list, by how many people? Are you testing a new product, what would make you think it worked out? List your show goals on a piece of paper.

Now decide what you will reward yourself with when you make those goals. The carrot and stick method can work wonders.

3 Assuming there is a monetary goal involved, break that goal down into a per hour goal. If you want to make $1000 and the show is 16 hours, then you must sell $62.50 per hour. $1000 is a big chunk of change, $62.50 is not. When you get tired and think, “gee maybe I’ll just sit down for a bit” think of that $62.50 and see if you can’t make one more sale.

4 Go over your booth display checklist twice to make sure you have all the bits and pieces you need. Knowing that all display items are in the car means that you can focus on actually selling.

5 Go over your story in your head, or discuss it with your cat. What makes you so special? What makes your work different than your competitors? Why should a customer care enough to buy your work? Don’t think it’s going to sell itself, help it out.

6 Take 10 minutes to mentally walk yourself through the whole show. Picture yourself arriving and setting up the booth. Imagine your first customer, greeting them, chatting about the weather. Now imagine your first sale! And the next one! Imagine a whole flood of sales. Picture yourself finishing off the day, how tired you are, but how happy that you made your goals!

7 And lastly, imagine yourself with your reward. Go ahead, you deserve it! You worked hard at that show and you totally rocked!