WAHM Forums

what has your experience been with vendor/expo shows. I know they are probably not the best venues for selling items, but what about for getting people interested in your company and generating leads.

I really don't think my friends and family are going to be interested in doing parties for me to get me started, they have pretty much already said just that....so I would prefer to do some vendors shows where I could meet and talk to new people and maybe make contacts for parties that way

thanks

I love these. I'm actually highly addicted! You are right, they are wonderful for the leads. I do sell a lot at them, but it's built up and I have customers follow me around now. :-)

Have you had your own party?

Good luck!

Debbie

I personally have not had a lot of success with these... :( But I know others that have had great luck!

I've had markets where I've sold nothing and markets where I've sold hundreds and so it is hit or miss from a sales perspective. I had just about written them off but then decided to keep doing them as long as the fee was no more than $50. They are a great way to get your name out there and I have booked parties from them and even met a consultant lead. I generally do about 6 per year, which is the right number for me. They are good to have in a slow month to help get a few sales but the home party is definitely where it's at in this biz. If you have not had a launch then I would for sure do that at your house and invite tons of people. Even if your close friends and family won't host a party there will surely be others who will gladly do so to help get your started.

I haven't had much luck with selling products at these but I love vendor shows for bookings and recruits. It's a great way to get new bookings when you have run out of the family and friends.

Good luck! If the price is right, it's certainly worth a try.

~Amy

I have done 2 craft shows and while I didn't get a lot of orders, I booked 3 parties and signed 2 women onto my team. I say that was a success!! They really help with getting the word out about your business especially if it's new to the area.
The only negative is that you put a lot of effort into packing up, setting up, being there all day and then tearing down and unpacking. If it's not a good turn out then it can be discouraging. Just know that with this business comes the ups and downs.

I would do a business launch party to help get you going. Also lay out your brochures at local salons and such.

Good Luck and work hard!
Rachel

Depends on so much, Jenn.
The cost being a HUGE factor and then really sit down and think "what do I want most from this table" and work it to that end.

I typically want bookings so I gear my table and what I do/say to that goal. I've done fabulous public venues and equal amounts of stinkers but overall it's not been so bad that I wouldn't do them again. I'm just more choosey now.

Good luck to you!

I have done 2 craft shows and while I didn't get a lot of orders, I booked 3 parties and signed 2 women onto my team. I say that was a success!! They really help with getting the word out about your business especially if it's new to the area.
The only negative is that you put a lot of effort into packing up, setting up, being there all day and then tearing down and unpacking. If it's not a good turn out then it can be discouraging. Just know that with this business comes the ups and downs.

I would do a business launch party to help get you going. Also lay out your brochures at local salons and such.

Good Luck and work hard!
Rachel

And for me, the packing and unpacking isn't a big deal. I've had no luck getting sales, parties, or recruits... lol... but I am working on rethinking how I do events.

As for costs, I can find all day events for 20 or 30 bucks, which are the ones I typically do. Traffic varies depending on how much the advertiser does.

could you share how or where to find the vendor events? thank you!

Your local paper in the community calendar. It's also smart to get in networking groups with other direct sellers. I'm in two and we do "event shares" at every meeting so we can heop each other get into different venues.

skcandles - I WISH we had venues for $20-$30 bucks, you're so lucky. If you pay $50 that's the lowest you'll find around here for anything decent. Most of my best venues are between $100 and $200 per table and many are well over that. Considering I live in the highest unemployment rate you would think all things would come down a bit but that's not really been the case.

Good luck finding some new venues, Olive.

Your local paper in the community calendar. It's also smart to get in networking groups with other direct sellers. I'm in two and we do "event shares" at every meeting so we can heop each other get into different venues.

skcandles - I WISH we had venues for $20-$30 bucks, you're so lucky. If you pay $50 that's the lowest you'll find around here for anything decent. Most of my best venues are between $100 and $200 per table and many are well over that. Considering I live in the highest unemployment rate you would think all things would come down a bit but that's not really been the case.

Good luck finding some new venues, Olive.

Yah, I have heard that the rates are good. We do have other ones that are many hundreds. there is a big one here in October that is 500 for a weekend, and other trade shows that are per head, so they are at least 300 for an afternoon. But both of those events are highly promoted and have huge turnout

well I'm looking into the shows i can find and most of them are either only handmade crafts or really really pricey, so this idea might be not as good as I hoped.

Where do you find direct sales networking groups???? I feel like direct sales among the crafting world gets a bit of a snub?

Direct Selling Women's Alliance (DSWA) (http://www.dswa.org)
and I belong to just a local networking group, Jenn.

There are some craft shows that will not let direct-selling companies into their show. We have a huge show in Ohio called the Backwoods Fest that our team is dying to get into because 1,000's of people are there but they only want handcrafted items. I told them that our product is specially handcrafted and they still won't take us.
I've been to other craft shows that welcome us and need more vendors so they let us sign us. Just depends on the show.

I actually just signed up for my first one, to be held 3/20. It is a local spring fair. The booth cost me $40 for 11am-6pm. I am going to have a raffle to draw attention to my booth, and then prizes for people who book parties from me. I have heard good things about fairs and expos. I do Tupperware, and have a leader willing to sell me some "prizes" for a really good price. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

I've had experience with both awesome events sales-wise and recruiting and booking parties and then I've had some that were busts. I've spent $100's of dollars on events and then as little as $25...What I've found is that the larger events are great for me and my team...whereby we can share everything equally...the end result usually ends up being what I would have done on a less expensive event all by myself.

So for me, it depends on what the objective is...my personal business and/or helping my team members get going!

Terri

I do as many of these as I can get into. My business depends on constantly broadening my customer base and I find that these allow me the opportunity to meet with people I would not have had the opportunity to meet on my own. I don't go into them thinking I am going to sell a fortune, but rather looking for show and recruit leads. If I sell something, great, but that's not my total focus.

There is a site, I don't know if it's just Michigan based or not, but EventLister.com. They are a good source of shows. In addition to that, I would strongly recommend networking with other DS people. They are one of my best sources for events. Someone also recommended the DSWA, which not only is a great resource for information, but events, and friends.

Another thing, I belong to a Networking group which has worked great for me. I know, some others say it's a waste of time, but my group is highly functional and in fact, I just got a call from one of my members with a phone number and contact name for a gentleman at a community kitchen who is interested in a fund raiser. I would never have met him with out Dr Bob and my networking group.

All the negatives that others posted are reasons I too decided to use other ways to retail products, I have found that Home parties are the most profitable. Catalog parties are a good venue as well.

Debbie

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Now that's very cool!

Cute shelf! Is it metal?

It is actually made of a material called Corflute (chosen for its light weight and rigidity) and weighs only 5 lbs! Designed with the Home Sales Consultant in mind ;)

Check out my signature for more details!


Here are a few more pictures:

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And look at all that Tupperware!!



http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/9118/lookatallthattupperware.jpg

Ive learned so much from this post that I can take and use right here right now.
First of all-
6 shows a year sounds about right for me. I'm going to look into local events and just go for it.

Second, I hadn't even considered booking parties right on the spot- but why not?
I'd simply thought of lead generation - fish bowl raffle stuff.
But we have an excellent hostess reward - why not advertise it right there and book out the month?!

Thanks for your insight!