Do You And Your Customer See Eye To Eye?

As I'm on the verge of my first festival of the season I thought I would share what I consider to be one of the biggest tips I know for those vending at a craft or art show.

Success tip of the day: Give your prospective customers the courtesy of standing to greet them.

The other day I was viewing photos of a craft show I had not attended and noticed that more sellers than not were conversing with their customers from a seated position.  This made me uncomfortable.  First of all it's bad for your neck to be sitting in a chair and talking up to standing people all day long.  Second, it seems kind of rude to not give your customers the respect of standing up and talking to them at eye level.

I know how long the days can be under that white canopy and of course you need to sit down once in a while.  Previously Husby and I have had two low chairs in the back corners of our canopy where we hid behind the merchandise when snacking or tallying up recent sales.  When traffic was slow of course we would sit down and rest for a moment.  But when a customer entered the tent, I was on my feet again. 

This year I invested in something I think will be very useful.  A tall directors chair.  This way if I need to sit down for any reason I'll still be at eye level with the customers when they come to check out my wares.  I won't startle them by jumping up from a hidden chair behind the display and I'll also be available for questions and comments.

My chair arrived yesterday and I just love it.  It's bar height and will fit perfectly behind my tables.  Of course I'll still stand to converse with the customers because, well, that's just polite.  But with this tall chair I'll be visible whether I'm standing or sitting, available and engaged. 

These chairs fold up easily and are under 15 pounds, making transporting a breeze and they don't take up valuable cargo space, leaving more room for your wonderful products.  They can cost anywhere from $45 to $150.  I purchased one in the mid-range. 

I'm so excited to start the season with my new chair.  It's comfortable and seems quite sturdy.  It's sleek enough that it doesn't create a distraction from my display.  Sitting periodically throughout the day won't be a shameful indulgence anymore ~ even if I need to rest my old bones I'll still be able to give shoppers the respect of talking face-to-face with them at their standing level.