You’ve booked a stall, made heaps of great product, sent out multiple posts on social media — and yet sales didn’t turn out as well as you had hoped. What went wrong? Was it bad feng shui, too many competitors, low foot traffic?
In this 3-part series, we will share what you can do before, during and after a bazaar; to make it count for your business. Follow these tips to improve your performance and minimise that sinking feeling of having wasted time, money and your precious weekend.
Before the bazaar
Define your objective
Think about why you’re putting yourself out there. Is it to meet your online buyers in person? Or are you promoting a new variant in your product lineup? Do you see it as an opportunity to identify potential business partners? Once you’re clear, you will be able to focus your efforts at the bazaar to meet your end goal.
Action tip
List down your objectives and prioritise them. Get your business partners or a trusted friend to evaluate your list if needed.
Choose your bazaar wisely
Setting up a stall is a little bit like setting up camp, and every camper knows how crucial it is to pick the right spot (Hint: AWAY from the bear’s cave). Rule of thumb is, the more you know about the bazaar, the better. Is the location accessible? How is the event space allocated?
You’d also need to know who is likely to frequent the bazaar. If you’re trying to sell babycare products at a bazaar that is frequented predominantly by parents with older children then you might end up with disappointing numbers. Do your homework and you will be rewarded. (That’s what my teacher used to say anyway.)
Action tip
Visit the bazaar a few times as a buyer. Observe the crowd and location before signing up as a vendor.
Know what’s included in the deal
Some organisers go the extra mile for their vendors with little extras. For example, featuring your brand on their social media page days before the bazaar, having a professional event photographer capture you in action, throwing in news coverage after the event etc… It’s fine if all they offer is a table and two chairs but it never hurts to ask what other services are available to you.
Action tip
Meet the organisers over coffee and ask them about their advertising policies, social media calendar etc. It is also a good opportunity ask whether they need help to make the bazaar better. Who knows you might walk away with a mutually beneficial deal?
Take stock of your stock
Go through your inventory and identify what’s running out and what’s suitable to be used as a clearance item to draw customers. If you’re still tracking your inventory manually, try using an app like Pocketbook to speed up the process. It will also help you track what’s been sold at the bazaar so you don’t miss out on a sale!
Action tip
Download Pocketbook (it’s FREE!) and streamline your inventory for both online and offline sales on your mobile phone.
Get your marketing materials ready
Photo credit: B’Nottee
Ensure that you have enough printed posters, display cards, name cards, and flyers for the day. Plan ahead so you’ll have time to print them professionally. Pack some basic stationery supplies like paper clips, felt-tip marker, sticky tape, scissors, empty price tags etc because you never know when you might need them.
Action tip
Pack your marketing materials and stationery kit in a wheelie luggage bag that can be easily identified from the rest of your stock. No more rummaging through bags of stock to find what you need!
Of course there is much more that you could do to prep for a bazaar but these 5 strategies should be enough to get you started. Sign up for our newsletter or follow us on social media so you don’t miss part 2 of this series!
