Engagement Sells

I had a stint of selling children’s books and, when time allowed, I’d put up a booth at local events. One neighboring vendor demonstrated a valuable lesson in marketing that really stuck with me.

At one particular event in the spring, I was across from a woman selling self-crafted home decorations from what looked to be a mix of thrift store finds and faux floral arrangements. They were gorgeous and definitely looked elegant! Not only that, but her creativity for display put any other vendors to shame. She had purchased a select amount of space and doubled that by putting tables on top of other tables to create one more level of shelving. Then she decorated around the pieces she was selling. Her display towered above the rest of us and everyone walking by were curious about this wall of beauty.

I don’t think she sold a thing.

She hid behind her work, sitting slumped in a folding chair with her face in her phone and scrolling way too fast to actually be consuming anything on her screen. Honestly, I think she was quite anxious. Her husband had said this was her first vendor fair and she had the air of an introvert far outside of her element. She didn’t talk or hardly look at anyone besides her husband.

If you want people to believe in your product or service, you need to do more than believe in your product or service. Engage with people. Stand by your work. Completely ignoring potential buyers and the admirers of your product or service sets yourself up for failure. 

People aren’t going to talk to a wall of decorations, no matter how alluring they are. The fair visitors slowly walked by, eyeing up the artwork, and kept strolling because there was no one to engage with.

My heart goes out to her, really. She made the first steps! She bought a spot, likely knowing how uncomfortable socializing is for her, and she followed through with attending the event. That’s something, and I want to give that effort a proper nod. It’s damn scary putting yourself out there for the world to do who-knows-what! Good. Now, take the next step!

I didn’t completely sell out of my inventory or anything, but I was attentive and sold my own items plus talked up other vendors who I thought had great products. I measured up each person who paged through the books, deciding whether they were open to talking or would be scared off by human interaction. I was there to chat about the children in my visitors’ lives, their day and how I might help them find what they’re looking for.

The lesson was screaming to me throughout and since the event – engagement sells.

There, now I’ve put it out there. I hope this story encourages you to stand by your product or service and talk to people about your work. It’s not about constantly pushing it on people. It’s talking to people, relating to them, understanding their needs and wants and offering what you can to help.

Thanks for reading!

Best,
Amber