"Good" Customers Who Don't Buy
Sunday November 18, 2007
What do you do when someone absolutely gushes over your products at a show and then doesn't buy anything? It's aggravating, but it does happen quite often. Someone will enter your booth and talk about how beautiful your crafts are, how reasonably priced they are and talk about how much they love the product, and then leave without buying anything. I think it all depends on the time of the year and how good or bad the economy is at the time of the show. Sometimes you can persuade people to buy, but most of the time, it's best to just take the talk as a compliment and move on....
Comments
I have this happen quite a bit. My items are unique and who knows maybe too unique. Generally people (customers) will ask plenty of questions about maintaining my products or other uses for them. This shows they are interested and trying to talk themselves into actually making the purchase, trying to justify spending money. The more anyone can keep the conversation going, such as “I see you have been admiring “xyz”, are you looking for a gift someone or for yourself?” Questions that don’t result with a simple yes/no is best. Because in the case above if you ask if it is for themselves chances are they will go into a spiel of not knowing which room in their house they could put the object. If it is for a gift they could be trying to second guess the persons taste in color, style, etc. Showing that you care about the customer and not the sale, usually results in the sale.
However I have done a lot of asking and answering where customers and they still walk away. “Accepting” defeat I usually give them a postcard with my contact info and upcoming shows to show them I want your business but accept that it may not be right now. These people could very well place Christmas orders, need b-day gifts, etc. down the line and will think of you when they see your card, etc. remembering their experience at the show you attended.
I just know I can’t please everyone, but I darn well try
Interesting topic!
I’d use that as an opportunity to give them a business card and invite them to visit my website (I use a free My Space account for my crafts!)
Leave them with a line like “Please, take my card and if you’d like to see anything else please let me know”
ALSO use this as an opportunity to open the door to business not on the table. “I see you like Item X. I want you to know that I can custom make this in another color/shape if this one doesn’t fit your wardrobe/house”.
Build a relationship. And if you have other shows coming up, hand a sheet - always print on a bright color - with infomration of up coming shows.
Offer to do a home show party ala Tupperware.
Come on, folks. I’d never let them just walk away.
That is a wonderful suggestion about the business card. I had this happen to me over and over last weekend at my craft show. People would stop and read my signs, laugh, show their family, comment on how great it all was, and then leave. But now, I will use that as a opportunity to push my site, which will launch 01/01/2008. Maybe they ran out of money or they were shopping for others that day. Who knows but at least we received positive comments and not the old sneer and jeer as they walked by in a hurry!!
Of course this happens. I do it to others as well. I’ve found that the more people who wander into my shop, the more complements I’ll recieve; and the more complements I recieve, the more sales I’ll make. I may need to get several complements for every purchase, but the numbers generally stay proportional.
(At bad shows, I get very little attention and make few sales.)
I think it’s a mistake to expect every admirer to be a purchaser, but of course I try to be gracious and interact with people. Once, noticing a customer’s smile as she looked around my booth, I spontaneously said “I love to see people smile when they look at my work” and I’ve found myself using it often to make low-pressure contact.
Of course this happens. I do it to others as well. I’ve found that the more people who wander into my booth, the more complements I’ll recieve; and the more complements I recieve, the more sales I’ll make. I may need to get several complements for every purchase, but the numbers generally stay proportional.
(At bad shows, I get very little attention and make few sales.)
I think it’s a mistake to expect every admirer to be a purchaser, but of course I try to be gracious and interact with people. Once, noticing a customer’s smile as she looked around my booth, I spontaneously said “I love to see people smile when they look at my work” and I’ve found myself using it often to make low-pressure contact.
This happens to me all the time. I design and make dolls and stuff animals and almost everyone who comes to my booth loves my work and has to handle the products. Only a small percentage of these people will buy but I always smile and talk to everyone. These people will remember you the next time and usually look for you and buy.
I have been using this as a way to give out cards as well. My line is “here is my card for when you do need something from me.” I don’t do this until I know they will not buy today. I have worried about giving a card too soon and it making them decide not to buy now and we all know if they don’t buy now the chances of them buying later are slim. I give out thousands of cards a year. If they all called later- I would be an extremely busy girl.
Amy
I have this happen to me all the time as well. I try to see if they want to be on my mailing list so I can send them a post card about the next shows I will be attending. This works sometimes. Most of the time I give out my business card. I get a few custom orders from these customers who see me at a show and call later to place an order. I love when that happens!
We dont beleive in putting pressure on our potential buyers, we simplily offer them our card and allow them to look over our booth. We are very friendly, and we have found that putting pressure on buyers is not a good way to go.