From the Mailbag - Ending the Conversation With a Craft Show Talker

From the mailbag: Regarding my article about difficult craft show shoppers, a reader writes in:

Sometimes a polite "Excuse me" while moving onto another task doesn't always send the message to the lingerer that it's time to move on and let me help other customers or attend to other shop/booth business. What then?

Ironically, the day I received this email, I saw this problem in action at my local Barnes and Noble. A customer had cornered the B&N employee manning the NOOK display and was regaling the employee with a lesson on the history of the internet, followed up with several questions designed to show how smart the customer was, with a follow up discussion on Proust (Proust!!!).

Clueless or indifferent to the fact that it was time to move along the potential NOOK buyer tied the employee up for at least the ten minutes I was waiting at the front of the store for the rest of my party. Obviously well-trained, the employee was polite and courteous to the end with this looker shopper.

Engaging Your Other Craft Show Shoppers

So what to do if you have the equivalent of NOOK-Shopper at your craft shop/booth? I've noticed that if you engage the assistance of the neglected shopper who is trying to get your attention it's an easier task to move the loiterer along. Many 'talkers' who will bore you indefinitely will relinquish the stage to another shopper. I accomplish this by making undivided eye contact with the other shopper, speaking directly and only to them. Many times the other shopper will give you an assist by passively nudging the 'talker' out of the way so they are directly in your eyesight.

Ending the Conversation With a Craft Show Talker

Another of my stock phrases is "I enjoyed speaking with you. Have a great day." with a sincere smile. I'm not lying. I do enjoy every conversation I have - up to a certain point. Often the booth loiterer will get the hint. This is especially useful if no one else is presently at your booth that you can use as a diversion.

Ok - but what if they don't? Try the fake phone call. Pretend you heard your cell phone vibrate. Pick it up and start talking. If the loiterer still doesn't leave, give them the "I enjoyed speaking with you" speech again and totally ignore them while holding your pretend phone call.

Boring the Craft Show Talker to Move Them Away From Your Booth

If this fails to work - bring in the big guns by dominating the conversation. Loiterers will lose interest rapidly if you dominate the conversation. This can be a two-prong effort. First, think about the most obnoxiously, aggressive seller you've ever encountered and actively try to sell the loiterer your most expensive art or craft using the same tactics. You can also direct the conversation to a totally off-the-wall subject and just keep cutting off any attempt the loiterer makes to try to contribute to or change the direction of the conversation.

In Defense of Being Firm With Craft Show Talkers

None of these tactics are rude. In addition, you're certainly being no more rude than the loiterer who is keeping you from doing your job and accomplish your primary objective - which is to make money selling your original works of arts or crafts to actual interested potential customers.

How do you deal with difficult craft show customers? Read some fellow crafter suggestions and add your own!