How to (Easily) Start a Conversation with Craft Show Shoppers

Although I don’t love selling, I picked up a few tips while working for major retailers that are easy and effective.

I’m not one for pushy sales tactics but you also don’t want to hear crickets when people are at your booth. Craft show shoppers want the experience of chatting with the maker; there’s a personal connection you just can’t beat.

Before you can sell to someone, you must start a conversation. You can’t just jump into a sales pitch or you run the risk of driving craft show shoppers away.

If you weren’t born with the gift of the gab, here’s one easy tip that will get any convo started to open the doors to sell.

Ask an open-ended question

Asking open-ended questions was a technique every salesperson was taught when I worked in retail.

>> A close-ended question is one a shopper can answer “yes” or “no” to.

>> An open-ended question is one the shopper can’t answer “yes” or “no” to.

When a customer is asked a closed-ended question, they can shut down/end the conversation with one word.

For example:

Salesperson: Are you shopping for anything special today?

Shopper: Nope!

Where does the salesperson go from there? They didn’t uncover valuable information to help the shopper shop, and it’s hard to keep the conversation going.

On the other hand:

Salesperson: What brings you to the craft show today? 

Shopper: I’m getting an early start on some Christmas shopping.

Now the salesperson has information that will help them sell and they can easily keep the conversation going. 

They might follow up with: “Great! Who are you shopping for?” or “This is my bestseller at Christmas time” or “I have a bunch of stocking stuffers at the end of the table”.

If the open-ended question didn’t act as a segue to a sales pitch or it felt too early in the conversation to sell, they could ask another question or find a way to relate to them and build more of a connection (e.g. “I love getting Christmas shopping done early. I started last week and plan to buy more gifts on my lunch break”).

A conversation about gift-giving traditions, types of gifts they buy, etc. can build a connection before selling.

Making a connection with shoppers (even a small one) is such an important part of selling.

How to ask an open-ended question

You can ask open-ended questions that are related to your business or ones that are more personal. 

The idea is to chat with shoppers. It will make you and them feel more comfortable. 

Start with who, what, where, when, why, and how and explore the different questions you can come up with, as they might relate to shopping for your products. 

For example:

• What’s the occasion you’re shopping for?
• What type of face wash do you currently use?
• Where do you typically buy your skincare from?
• How many products are in your current skincare routine?

Then keep a few more general questions in your back pocket, such as:

• How are the roads? It started snowing pretty heavily as I got here this morning.
• Who made your scarf? I love it.
• What did you buy from _____ (fellow craft show vendor whose shopping bag they’re holding)?

Be sure you’re not firing question after question at them, this isn’t an interview 😉

If the shopper doesn’t seem interested in chatting then just allow them to shop and be around to answer any questions they may have.

There are a few close-ended questions that can still work to start a conversation. As long as you have follow-up points that lead into more conversation, regardless of what their answer is.

For example: “Have you heard of us before?”

>> If they answer “no”, you can share a few important points about your handmade products or business.

>> If they answer “yes” you can ask how they found you or which products they’ve tried.

Once you get a conversation going, it’s so much easier to sell. 

Finally understand why your hard work isn't resulting in more sales

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Erin (Creator of Made Urban)

Hey, I’m Erin 🙂 I write about small business and craft show techniques I’ve learned from being a small business owner for almost 2 decades, selling at dozens of craft shows, and earning a diploma in Visual Communication Design. I hope you find my advice helpful!