Local Show

[Gus]

I have been offered a free pitch at a local show and wondered if anyone has gone down this route and can offer any tips etc?

I was going to offer some small ready mades (from off cuts etc) for sale and display some of my bespoke stuff for potential clients. I also was toying with demo'ing some hand finishes, possibly a 'while u wait' if it's not too busy.

Didn't want to do this all the time, but to get a bit of free advertising and being able to show what I offer to some of the local community was, I thought, too good an opportunity to pass up.

If anyone has any experience of how to make it more successful - would be gratefully received.

[GeoSpectrum]

I did some of this sort of thing. A couple of small shows in my local area. No direct sales but lots of 'im glad ive seen you, now we know we have a framer nearby'.

Don't expect much but I think your idea of demostrations is a good idea, it shows you are a craftsman and offer something a little diffrent.
Make sure you have plenty of cards to hand out. I got several orders after the shows and some a good four months later.

[Jonny2morsos]

What's to lose apart from a day of your time.

We worked from home and before we made the move into commercial premises we did the local market once a week to test the water. Made up a limited range of ready mades which moved as impulse buys but had a fair number of framed examples and a board of moulding chevrons in our most popular patterns. This brought in enough bespoke jobs to encourage us to get premises. We still get customers coming in and asking if we still do the market.

If it were me today I would go along with a variety of examples and lots of flyers and make sure everyone who passed was given one and include a special offer e.g. 10% off on presentation of this leaflet. This will also allow you to see hoow effective it is. Doing some hand finishes will encourage people to stop a while giving you a cahnce to engage with them.

[Steve N]

What's to lose apart from a day of your time.

If it were me today I would go along with a variety of examples and lots of flyers and make sure everyone who passed was given one and include a special offer e.g. 10% off on presentation of this leaflet. This will also allow you to see hoow effective it is. Doing some hand finishes will encourage people to stop a while giving you a cahnce to engage with them.

Also take along a price list, with some example starting prices for different sizes of say photos, posters, needlework, sports shirt framing etc, don't list every size, but just enough wet their appetites, it will be the one of the first question you will be asked.

[Gus]

Thanks fellas, good advice as always.

Good idea about the price list, I hadn't thought of that.