Being True To Yourself When Selling Your Wares

Being True To Yourself When Selling Your Wares I do not normally sell books at events like Christmas sales at the recreation center or autumn craft festivals. I learned a long time ago that unless you simply enjoy socializing with other vendors, you rarely justify the time invested. But last week I accepted one . . . and realized why I quit doing them. Im a member of several chambers of commerce, which are great networking, advertising, and sales opportunities, Hmmm, I thought. Its twelve miles from me, costs nothing to appear and sell, and the captured audience was educators. Shouldnt they read more than the average person? So, I signed up and hauled eight boxes of books. And I sold three books in four hours. As I packed up, kicking myself for not following my own rule about being selective about appearances, I talked to a few vendors. None of us sold much (there were 25 vendors), which surprised us all (few of us will be back next year). A jewelry vendor spoke about coming to work everyday. Even working for herself out of her home, she toils for eight hours. She complained that newer sales people in her line of work wanted to work part-time to make a full-time wage. She never failed to fall back on her old skills of making eye-contact with potential buyers and working a room. She made a full-time living at her craft. A soap vendor and I spoke about natural products, organic food, and farming. She rued appearing at the event but had pretty much made her decision like I had it was too local to pass up. Shed ignored her own advice like I had. She likewise strategically selected venues, and she defined the sizes, compositions, and types of events where shed appear, because like me, she could make more sales online at her computer than at a table in an auditorium. You dont sell anywhere and everywhere. Your time is precious. You could be selling online, blogging, working social media, or writing your next story. When selecting where to set up shop, analyze the market, the time, the commute, and the work progress you give up. The cost of meals, and the time expended