Continuing on with the idea of my struggle with thinking I’m in sales (and having to admit it), a second thought that has really helped me is having the mindset of a problem solver. That is, I’m in business to help people solve problems.

Now, I don’t mean that I can or am going to try to solve every problem a customer has. This is important to know since some people really get side tracked with trying to be all things to all people. Rather, I know that my products can help them solve a specific problem. My activities involve talking with people and helping to understand the right solution for them. Even if that solution doesn’t involve my products.

As I take that approach again I find that the idea of being in sales not so bad after all. I’m actually helping people here. And, I get paid for it besides. Doesn’t that take the sting out of the old perceptions of being in sales? It does for me. I like the idea of helping people coming up with a solution for their problem.

For example, lets suppose you sell items for home decor. Someone comes to you trying to decide how to decorate a living room. They want a certain look but can’t quite put their finger on what it should look like. You take the time to help them figure it out. You get the opportunity to help them along until the come to some sort of a solution. Then, you can decide of some of your products will fit their needs. If they do, and they like them, then poof, you’ve got a match and a sale is made. In fact, by that point, they will probably be asking to buy from you. Isn’t that better than having to persuade people or talking them into buying things from you?

It’s so much more enjoyable when you have that sense that you are helping people. When you know that you have just helped them figure out something that has been perplexing them, and they go away happy, then you know you can go away satisfied too. And that’s a far cry from feeling like you’ve left someone feeling like they just got mugged by a salesman.

Has anyone else besides me had a hard time admitting they’re in sales? For the longest time I’ve had a hard time coming to grips with it. I have struggled with the idea that people will see me like the proverbial car salesman. The one that, as my Dad used to say, you like to see have both hands on the table. I just can’t stand the idea that someone would think me to be some sort of shyster just out to get their money.

After struggling with this for a long time, I’ve finally admitted that I’m in sales. In fact, I have to admit to what I heard Brian Tracy say recently and that is, everyone is in sales. It’s just a matter of some people getting paid for it.

That being said, I still don’t want to be thought of as a pick pocket. So I started doing a little searching around with regard to ethical selling. I was pleased to come across some individuals to whom this is of great concern. In fact, some people I’ve found even make it their business to weed out the riffraff.

There have been some very helpful things that I’ve gleaned from some of these men that I thought I’d share in the event that you’ve felt the same way.

Creating Relationships

The first thing I think you will appreciate is the idea of creating relationships. As someone who wishes to be ethical in their business, and doesn’t want to be thought ill of, you need to remind yourself that you’re in the business of is creating relationships.

It was really helpful for me to think of it this way because it’s exactly what I want. I don’t just want to be coming in contact with people for a short length of time. I want to get to know them. I want to find out who they are and what they’re about. That’s part of the fun of this business. You get to meet new and interesting people. Some very much like yourself, and some very different.

If you know anything about business, you know it’s these long term relationships that are the most productive. It’s the people that you establish good relationships with that will buy from you over and over again. They get to know you and your products, and want to know when your next creation comes out. They like to follow your business and see how you’re doing.

Pursuing long-term relationships and really getting to know people causes the idea of being in sales to take on a whole new light. You know you aren’t out there to rip people off. What you’re trying to do is add value to the lives of others. As you get to know your customers better and better, they will realize that more and more about you.

As that happens, you will find that you have reached one of your goals. Not to come across as a money-grabber, but to have the opportunity to share and enjoy your creations with others.

How can you be unique in your business when everyone else is selling the same thing?

As you look around at other vendors at craft shows, maybe you feel like your products aren’t that much different than what everyone else is selling.

Maybe you’ve heard of having a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) so that you differentiate yourself and your products from everyone else. But, you’re struggling with how to do that.

For sure you want to strive to have a USP as much as you can. It will set you apart from your competitors. However, if you’re still in the process of putting together your USP, or are in a business where there isn’t much difference in products, there is something to keep in mind.

While doing some sanctioned eaves dropping on a talk between Ari Galper and Brian Tracy, the following statement was emphasized that really struck me, “Sometimes your uniqueness in the product you sell is you”.

It was like someone hit me with one of those big soft slugger bats you see kids with. It didn’t hurt, but it definitely woke me up.

My mind started churning this idea. How it is that you can really be what sets apart your business from everyone else. The way you treat people and interact with them. How responsive you are to their questions and concerns. How you respond when they have a complaint.

Which one of us hasn’t had some sort of experience that underscores this. No doubt you’ve gone into a store at some point needing help. You start looking around to find someone, and start wondering if all those movies about aliens grabbing people might be true. There’s nobody around. How is it that some places seem to have almost no one working there?

When you do find someone, you feel like you’re bothering them. They almost act as if they wish you hadn’t come in. You feel like asking them if they’re really trying to sell their stuff, or if they’re just doing all this for fun.

Now, put yourself on the other side of the counter. You know how you feel as a customer, use that as the owner of your business to provide fantastic service that will bring customers back again and again.

Even if you do have a killer USP with respect to your product, you are still part of what makes your business unique and special.

As many of you know, I’ve been working on a new tool for doing craft show searches. As I have been adding sites to the search engine, I am coming across some real gems that I want to make sure that you see.

While looking around for information on how to set up displays, I started searching with the term visual merchandising. I came across the following link:

http://www.giftandhomechannel.com/channel/vod/list/visualtips/?gclid=CLPXr4z7spMCFSUqagodDDn9nw

This is a must see. There are all kinds of videos here to help you set up displays. It is well worth your time. And, they are all free. Hard to beat that price. Check it out and let me know what you think.

One subject that always seems to be popular is that of Copyrights. Where do we cross the line from inspiration to violating the hard work of someone else? While in many cases it’s clear, sometimes it can be a difficult question to answer.

Sometimes you may not even be aware that you are violating someone else’s work. For example, if someone brings you a picture they want to have printed on a mug or a sweatshirt. Maybe they found a saying on the web they really like and what it engraved. What should you do? Do you go ahead and print or engrave it? Do you simply ask them where they got it and as long as it sounds good, go ahead? What is your level of responsibility to verify it?

Even if you aren’t in direct violation of a law, what is your ethical responsibility? I would really like to know what your thoughts are on this subject rather than just go on about it. Drop a comment and share your thoughts with the group. It’s always helpful to hear what others have on their mind.

As you probably know I’m taking a poll on the site right now asking the question of profitability. In other words, are you making a profit with your craft business. At this point, most people are answering no. One email sent to me about this poll caught my eye and I wanted to comment on it. One gal said that she sells jewelry, and the reason she can’t make a profit is because there are so many people doing the same thing. Is there something you can do about this, or should you just close up shop?

The answer isn’t to close up shop, it’s to get creative with your selling. You need to differentiate yourself from the other vendors in such a way that will get people’s attention. You need to find creative ways to market your products so that they will be seen in their proper context and show people just how great they are.

Let’s consider the area of jewelry. What could you do in the midst of all the vendors selling jewelry that might make a difference?

There is one place that my wife shops that she talks about more than any other - Costco. Why? Their return policy. No one’s return policy is as good as theirs. Maybe on paper, but when she goes to return something, she doesn’t get hassled or feel like they’re trying to talk her into keeping it. They just take it back. No problem.

Why did I tell you that story? To demonstrate for you what people will think of you for treating them the way Costco treats my wife. With courtesy and respect. If for some reason they don’t like their purchase, no don’t give them trouble about it. You just graciously refund their money.

What it’s really about is giving people the confidence they need in order to part with their money. They need to know that if for some reason they aren’t happy with their purchase, then you’re going to be there to take care of them. They don’t have to worry about getting the third degree, or being shamed into keeping it. They can trust you. And, if they can trust you, they are more likely to buy from you.

A second idea to consider is partnering. If all you sell is jewelry, then consider partnering with another booth that might benefit from having your products in their display, and would demonstrate your products. For example, let’s say someone a few booths down sells clothing. They have them nicely displayed on, but would even look nicer with some jewelry added in to the display. So, you go down and ask if they would like to add in your jewelry for a complimentary look. In exchange you’ll give them a small commission on anything they sell. Working together like this can be a powerful tool.

There are more ideas that I will share in days to come in the blog and in articles. Please always feel free to post a comment or question. The interaction is really helpful to others and can stir up some great conversation.

So how can you start getting traffic today to your craft site? What’s something that you can start doing right now to get people headed your way? The easiest way to get started is to actively participate in forums. You probably already do this in one way or another, so it isn’t much of a stretch.

But just participating isn’t enough. You need to participate in a certain way, and make sure you’re including certain critical information in your posts.

I’m going to use examples of products from someone I’m working with right now to help illustrate. She has started participating with articles and information on this site, so you may have already seen her name. Her name is Yael Bolender.

Yael makes items of her own design which fall under the categories of womens accessories and home decor. How can she (and you) make use of the forums to start bringing traffic into her site? Let’s consider four things she needs to think about in order to leverage the forums for traffic.

• Pick Relevant Topics - When considering a forum and topic, look for ones that match your products as close as possible. For example, if you sell home decor crafts, I wouldn’t go to the gardening forum as my first choice for commenting on my products. If someone started a topic there about home decor, it wouldn’t hurt you to comment, but when you’re looking for advice on grass seed, you aren’t necessarily in the mindset for home decor. However, if you go to a forum where people are asking how to redo their home with an Oriental look, and you sell Oriental style decor, that’s a fit. People are in the mindset of home decor, and for Oriental home decor. The closer the fit the better.
• Leverage Many Forums For Each Product Type - It’s likely that you can take a single product and look at it from several perspectives. In one situation it may be functional. However, aside from being functional, maybe it can also be decorative. One of Yael’s products on her site is an Oriental dressing screen. This might be functional, but certainly can be decorative as well. Look for a forum that addresses each aspect of your product. The more the better.
• Leave Links In Your Posts - Make sure that you leave links in your posts back to your website. When you’re commenting on something that’s related to a category of products on your site, link to that category if possible. For example, Yael also sells purses. If she was commenting on the subject of purses, she should leave a link to the page in her site that lists purses. And, if she’s commenting on a very specific purse, she should link to that specific product page.
• Use Relevant Text In Your Links - When you make a link from your post, if at all possible, use text in your link that describes your product or product category you’re linking to. Let’s use the purse example again. It’d be best for Yael if the text of her link was purse, or purses. It would also be best if this was in the middle of a sentence somewhere. Google and other search engines see this as favorable since it seems like you are giving additional information related to a topic. And, you are. So, it’s seen as more valuable. In some forums you can’t specify the text of the link. You just have to put the url (like http://www.somelink.com). But, if you can, you’re better off.

One question you might have out of all this is “Are there some text for my links that will be better than others”? The answer to that is “Yes”. You want to be using words and phrases that people are searching with when they go to Google, and that are related to your products. I can help you with figuring out what those are. Take a look at my page on finding search terms for your links.

Using forums in the way described above is a quick and easy way to start bring traffic to your site. There’s very little if any investment on your part other than time. The more links start showing up to your site, the more chance people will go to your site. The more people going to your site, the more likely you ‘ll start showing up in Google under search terms related to your subject.

As you look around at the different craft shows today, it’s sad to see how many people are selling “crafts” that they put little or no effort into. It brings up the question of what has happened to the true craft show. Having done craft shows for almost 30 years, I’m not sure I can answer the question.

To me a true crafter is one who makes everything from scratch that they sell. I don’t believe you can call yourself a crafter if you simply buy pieces of precut wood, and only paint them. There’s no real crafting being done. The same is true for those who sell preassemble jewelry, or buy stuffed dolls and bears and only dress them. I have seen this happen for as long as I have been doing craft shows.

When I was first doing the shows, the true crafter would call these crafts, Granny Crafts. The people would buy a kit, make it up and sell it as their own. This has always irritated the true crafter.

Today more and more of the things sold at craft shows are kits or down right commercial products. Who is the blame for this? Is it the crafter who isn’t making the money they use too or is it the promoter who will take anyone who has the money for the show? Or maybe the potential customer? In reality, all are contributing to the problem.

Some promoters are good people with good intentions and some are just out for the money. When shows were few and far between, promoters would take the time to ask what the people made. They would ask for pictures, or check you out at another show. After a while, people just decided that being a promoter could make them some good money by getting a show together and they got greedy.

Over time there was proliferation of shows, sometimes every weekend at the same site, and the true crafter all of a sudden wasn’t making any money. This resulted in them dropping out of some of the shows. This then made the promoter ask for more money to be in the show or take whoever would do the show. This let in a lot of the commercial products that we see today.

Even the types of shows being put together don’t really qualify as craft shows. Think of the big shows that are in every large city in the country, that are held in convention centers. Are these true craft
shows? I don’t think so. They promote the show as a handcrafted show but usually the people who are selling the products, don’t make the products themselves. They have other people make the products at home or in a factory. These shows are usually juried, which is an added expense, and the show itself is very expensive.

Promoters will probably be upset with me saying these things about them. And, I know that it costs more to advertise today and more to procure a site for a show. There is certainly a lot of work and expense
in setting up a show. But, I feel that the costs have got out of hand.

What about the crafter? How do they contribute to this problem? Many people may have started out making everything themselves. But, with the cost of supplies, travel and the cost of the show, they too started to add products that would sell but they didn’t make. This made them a profit alright, but is that what the customer wanted when they went to the show to buy handcrafted items? Is this comprise worth it? Now they are no longer a true crafter and I think the customer is really the one who loses.

The customer can also contribute to the problem. They can go to the discount retailer and buy, what they think is the same thing, for less money. They don’t seem to realize that the cost to make something by
hand is higher than the giant who buys their products overseas and in bulk. Also if something is made by hand, no two are ever alike, even when they are made from the same pattern. It is the uniqueness of the
handcrafted product that makes it special. There are times when I think only the true crafter understands this concept.

I am a true crafter and still like to get out to do some shows. I have gotten use to being beside commercial vendors, and it doesn’t bother me as much as it once did. Still, it is sad to me to see how it has changed and lost the essence of the “true” craft show.

Check out Eva’s teddy bear site.

The other day I was emailing one of the users of this site and we were talking about different ways to get traffic to your site. I’m working with her to help her get more people to see her products. I thought I should share some of those ideas since there may be others that would like to know the same thing.

While you can pay for ads and bring people in to your site that way, I’ll be focusing on things you can do to get noticed by search engines such as Google. I may address paid advertising in some future posts, but in this series, I’m going to stick with the search engines.

I’ll start by listing some of the things you can do to get traffic. Then, in future posts, give details as to how you can go about each item.

Here are some things to consider:

• Write articles and post them in article engines
• Answer questions on forums
• Start a blog
• Post regular content to your site related to your products
• Get other sites to link to you

These are just a few of the things that you can do in order to get yourself noticed by the search engines. I’ve been able to get my site listed on Google under a number of different search terms. When I say listed, I mean that I’m in the top ten results.

The first item on the list, and the last two are what I was using most when I really started to see results. I’m employing the other two items as I continue working on getting traffic.

Well, the doors are finally starting to open on this site. It will still take some time for me to get all of the old content moved over to this one. However, I’m also working on the new stuff at the same time. I hope in the next few weeks to have it all done.

My goal is to help you have…

• Increased Sales
• Lower Cost For Supplies
• More Traffic To Your Sites
• Opportunity To Share Your Thoughts And Ideas With Others

The increased sales will come through the information posted on the site. This may be in the form of articles, this blog, or what other crafters are saying.

For lower supply costs, I am starting an email notification service. It’s free. For those signed up, you can get notifications of big sales that are going on. I get emails quite regular about sales at different craft sites. For the really big sales, I would just send out an email to everyone letting them know about it. Participation is optional of course.

More traffic is one thing we all want for our sites. I want to get involved personally with you to help you with this. I’ve been able to get a number of my pages in the top ten (first page) of Google search results for terms that have to do with selling crafts. This is free. You just have to be willing to send me emails and allow me to share your successes.

Also, there is a new links directory where you can make a link back to your site. This is a free service to help you in promoting your site.

The last one is to give you opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas. This can be by you writing an article, commenting on the blog, or sending me a bio or yourself and business. I have a new section that I’m starting called Eye On You. It will be where the bios are posted so everyone can read them.

I trust you find this site useful in your endeavors. I wish you the very best of success.

-Shawn