Most crafts that are well made sell best in person. Many crafters sell at craft shows or fairs and others prefer to sell in a more personalized setting: the home party. How does a home party work? Well it can be done in several ways.
The first is to have the hostess of the party to invite all her friends and family over for a set time. You can then give them all a presentation about your work, play party games with some of your items as prizes and then let them mill around looking at your crafts and hopefully buying and setting up parties of their own. It is great if you're comfortable with public speaking and being the center of attention.
If however, you're like me and would rather not be put on the spot in front of a group of people, then the open house party may be more to your liking. Rather than have all the guests come for a set time, invite them for a range of time usually a 3 hour window is good. This is a more relaxed atmosphere and allows you to mingle with the guests and talk about your crafts one on one. This is a great way to let people see what you make without having them feel pressured to buy. No one like to have a sale's person follow them around there is no quicker way to turn them off to buying. You can have a guest book for your guests to sign which you can later use for a mailing list.
Which ever method you choose to use is up to you and they both work well. In both cases it is customary to give the hostess either a percentage of your sales and/or discounts on anything she buys from you.
When setting up your show remember that presentation is key. If your presentation does not look professional no one will take it seriously. Have a sign with you business name, have on hand plenty of business cards, and set up your displays in multiple levels rather than just flat on a table. Label all your items with prices people will often assume that if an item has not price tag then it must be out of their price range.
Most of all relax and have fun!
Great tips. I had a home party at a frieds house and didn't make a big presentation or anything. I just chated with the ladies. I also brought a friend to help with the check out. I have another open house style coming in Nov. where there will be a rep from tastefully simple. I do need to work on the set up though. ~thanks
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