Over the last few weeks I have taken part in a few wedding fayres in and around Glasgow. Ordinarily these sort of things are my idea of hell. I lack confidence when talking to people, (especially about my own work), I don’t like approaching people and trying to sell, sell, sell (something I used to get in trouble for when working in retail), so I’m sure you’re wondering by now, why bother?
The truth is, starting out as a small business is very difficult. Trying to gain exposure and build my portfolio has been very difficult. Working on projects for free in the hopes and getting business afterwards hasn’t worked for me just now, so I have to try another approach. To get right in front of my target market at wedding shows and events.
Sounds easy enough right? With lack of experience in this type of thing, I decided to look online to see how other people approach these events. I struggled to find any advice or tips on how to set-up your display or what to bring, so I have decided to share my experience and what I have learned so far to hopefully help others who are also starting out and haven’t got a clue where to begin.
Despite having a Visual Merchandising background, it seems that 10 years away for the industry has impacted my design ability and general common sense. Here are a few things I have learned along the way to help others who may not have a scooby what to do.
How to set up a table
Table Cloth
My first table I created really lacked finesse. Perhaps this is because I never brought a table cloth to cover it with. Now I always make sure I have something packed. Seeing as my business is Velvet Rose Designs, I decided to play on this and cover my table in a beautiful velvet fabric. This small change made me stand out from the other tables and added a touch of class (and texture) to my table.
Height
Adding different heights to your display table also seems like common sense, but I had to learn this the hard way. Products can often get lost if they are all displayed on the one level. By adding boxes, this allows items to be elevated, making them more visible to customers. I decided to use crates as you can use them to carry your products in, and you can also hide lots of important bits and bobs behind them.
Labels
Adding labels to the table was an absolute game changer for me when displaying my products. Some people (myself included), just like to browse sometimes and would rather not chat. I added little tags with key words on my displays to entice and attract customers. For example, my products are all handmade and people may not know this just by looking at the products. I added this little label to my table to ensure people knew this very key detail. People also often walk past my stall as they think my flowers are real and hence they are not interested. Once they found out that my flowers were made from paper (due to my little ‘made from high quality paper’ label), it changed their interest completely.
Utilise the space around the table
As I am a cheap skate, I can often only afford the smallest space, therefore I have to utilise space around the table for my displays. I bought a little fold down ladder shelf from B&M that has worked wonders for me so far. I've also stacked my crates around the table to display items on.
Things I have seen from other people which I would like to include:
I have seen a few photographers include a picture book of their work. This is something I have been meaning to do for a long time as I cannot fit all of my displays into the small space provided, so I am often trying to explain my other products to customers. If I had a beautiful flip book, then the photos would speak for themselves.
Live session
I have also considered a live action display where I make flowers on site. It’s great for people to see the process live and I have seen live artists take this approach. My only concern would be, that I’d miss opportunities to speak to people, so I may have to tentatively try this one.
*a tip for make-up artists and hair-dressers, I’ve also felt that this approach may be good for them as I always love watching those processes live. It may be a way to attract people to your stand or table.
Another way to approach the live lesson would be to share my behind the scenes via a video. I have so many edits that I use for my social pages, that I could utilise to make an extended video.
Freebies and offers
As my flowers are all handmade, I often run out of time to create a batch of free ones that people can take away with them. I know I am missing a trick here as just giving out my business card does not have the same affect as being given a handmade paper flower. With that being said ,I have included some sweets on my table to entice people in. Who can say no to chocolate?
I hope some of these tips will help others who are just starting out. If you are reading this and would like to share your ideas then please do. Let's help each other out.
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