Friday, June 4, 2010

Get Arts and Crafts Sold: Merchandising 101

With summer in full swing it's the season for outdoor markets like the Jacksonville Farmers Market, the Riverside Arts Market (RAM) and my personal favorite Art Walk sponsored by the Downtown Jacksonville. There is so much great stuff out there being produced by homegrown talent. Sadly browsers aren't always being converted into buyers. So let go back to school for a second and learn Merchandising 101 for Arts and Crafts Vendors. Follow these inexpensive (some are free) and easy methods for closing the deal.


If you're hanging two dimensional artwork keep it organized and neat. Group items together of similar size and shape like in a grid pattern. People will see this as an organizing narrative that helps them understand your work.

  • (A) Arrange images by importance, priority or quality. Works at eye level are what will be easiest for people to see. Hold a painting's center at eye level. That's the height where you should hang it on the wall.
  • (B) Works that are not your best or less of a sales priority should progressively be moved to the bottom. Small paintings at ground level are practically invisible when viewers are up close to the wall or looking past a crowd. Alternatively painting exhibited very high are also difficult to see.
  • (C) Don't crowd your artwork. Giving them space to breathe is crucial. You want people to be able to appreciate the composition individually. Any work you can't fit comfortably on the wall can be stacked against the wall or in a box. Just remember these are works that wont get as much exposure, especially works in the back of the stack.
  • (D) If you're selling small things like jewelry, they don't read as well from a distance and can't catch the attention of passers by. Try putting accessories on a mannequin (you could even cut out a head and shoulders form out of thick cardboard and prop it up). And be prepared to sell things directly off the display. It will catch a lot of attention. Having this item will take up precious space on your table but you will reap the benefits of greater attention.
  • (E) When selling clothing and accessories people like to try them on and see how great they will look. Give them access to a mirror. It will reinforce their confidence to buy.
  • (F) The table and wall are organized into sales priority zones. Red zones are the areas that will generate the most sales. Make sure these areas are always full. Keep the product pulled forward and neatly spaced and you sales will boom.
  • (G) Elevate the rear part of the table top or use blocks to vary the heights of the display. Items toward the back are harder to see and reach so help the customers out. Keep in mind that the people who come to the display have differing abilities. People in wheelchairs, or who use crutches and canes may not be able to reach the back of your table or see paintings placed high. Bring items forward or down for them. Disabled people have money to spend too and they are happy to give you their business.

Salesmanship is also of critical importance. Selling yourself is just as important as selling your work.

  • (1) Have your elevator speech ready. As an artist people want to learn about you and your work but they don't have all day. Rehearse what you and your work are about and be able to recite it naturally in about the time it take to ride an elevator (about a minute or two). If the look bored scale it back. If they're still interested keep going, you've got a live one.
  • (2) Make eye contact, people want to meet you. So be open and ready to talk (and sell) to them.
  • (3) Don't be a carnival barker. If people are far away just keep smiling and be ready for them. The best way to call attention to yourself is to be active. Work on arts and crafts. Just remember to keep looking up periodically so that people can see your face.
  • (4) Don't stand behind your table. Stand next to your table (if you have space) or in front. Try not to sit the whole time. That way people can see and hear you when you speak. The table can become a literal barrier between you and the customer. Also don't spend all your time talking to your friends, sitting down, or turned away. You're at the market sell. You only have a few hours to make money, make the best of it. If your friends and family insist on being around, tell them you have sales priorities. You could even put them to work selling your merchandise.

2 comments:

  1. just stumbled on this - good advice! thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. just stumbled on this - good advice! thanks.

    ReplyDelete

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