Dealing with Arts and Crafts Profit Cutters
It’s acceptable and expected in some cultures to haggle. However, when I’m pricing my handcrafted items, I’m already giving them a reasonable price the market will bear. After all this isn’t a discount department store where items are tagged as being ‘on sale’ prior to hitting the floor. Most of the intrinsic value and cost of our products is not the materials used in their production but the time and associated skill needed to make them – which we all value quite highly.
Coping With Arts and Crafts Hagglers
Here are some suggestions on how you can handle arts or crafts customers who haggle:
Have a few similar last season items for which you are willing to reduce the price: With some arts and crafts customers the particular item is not as important as the feeling that they ‘saved’ money. Look at it this way – how many items of clothing do you have hanging in your closet that you hardly wear but purchased because they were on sale?
Offer a volume discount: If selling wholesale, you’d be willing to give a volume discount to your merchandiser. Well, look at the haggler customer as a mini-merchandiser and give them what you consider a reasonable discount if they purchase more than one items from your shop.
Considering your inventory and storage: Is the item they’re haggling over an item that you want to cart back to storage from the craft show? Maybe not, which makes this your customer’s lucky day. If it’s more of a pain to keep it in inventory than discount it then come to terms on a reasonable discount.
More Information on the Subject of Difficult Craft Show Attendees
A reader of the Crafts Report asked columnist Donald Clark how to deal with 'talker' potential customers at crafts shows. The answer is available online at the Crafts Report website. If you're in the business of selling crafts and you're not a subscriber of the Crafts Report - the business resource for artists and retailers, you should definitely check out their website to view their free sample issue. You just may want to change your mind about being a subscriber.
Also, check out this article by Northern Cheapskate, which outlines ways craft show attendees can save money when attending craft shows.
How do you deal with difficult craft show customers? Read some fellow crafter suggestions and add your own!
