How To Be a Great Vendor

*NOTE: this post has been sitting in my drafts folder for like....forever.  Meaning I've really been thinking about it. Enjoy!*
I considered titling this blog "How Not To Be a Giant Flake"  But then I was worried that some people might not appreciate my humour.  And then I thought, well if you are offended by that, we probably can't be friends.  I'm just kidding...my point is...none of us WANT to be a flake... but...
...most of us can remember a time when we were total flakes.  Bailing on a friend's request for coffee.  Not picking up a phone call  (GUILTY!!!!)  Spacing on an important date. We all know it's not cool,  but when it comes to the handmade world, your word is a bond, especially when you're applying for markets.
By no means am I the definitive authority on Do & Do Not's when applying for markets, but I think we can all use a little reminder to make sure we're working together for a respectful, inclusive handmade community. So I wanted to share some of my tips to be an awesome vendor (who gets great reviews and gets invited back!)

1).  Don't Apply If You Can't Committ to the Show Maybe you're clean out of stock.  Maybe you're going on holiday the weekend before the market.  Don't bow to the pressure of applying for that market.  I know it's hard - I also want to do all the things all the time.  

But if you're not ready, be real about. It's not gonna be good for you, and you know it...deep down, you know it's not going to be fun.  You're gonna be stressed and end up resenting the market.  And you're going to be in a bad mood the day of the market, and that affects the vendors around you AND the shoppers.   Keep the love alive for your business and don't put so much on your plate.
2).  Don't Apply and then Recind your Application prior to the application closing date

See #1.  But really.  Let the application close.  If you get selected for the market, graciously bow out and let the next person on the waitlist take your place.  Applying and pulling out before the close of the applications just looks bad. It also makes you look unorganized; like you don't have your poop in a group.  (PS How much do I LOVE the phrase "get your poop in a group"? ROFL) Maybe you don't think this is a big deal, so let me put it another way.  Imagine you applied for a job on Monday, and the posting was accepting applications until Friday.  Now imagine you calling the store/office on Wednesday to tell them you DON'T want to apply for the job.  Think about how that manager would interpret the situation.  Then imagine in 6 months you applied for that job again....?!?!?

To me, this is what it looks like when you apply for a market and then cancel before the applications close. It's weird. It's unprofessional. It's unorganized. Mostly, it's confusing. And it telegraphs to me as a market organizer that you didn't really think about what applying to the market meant and entailed.  This also might affect you if you want to apply for that same market in the future!  Remember, it's a small community - you always want to put your best foot forward.  Honesty is the best policy (see #5).
3). Actually read the Terms & Conditions
Hands up, we're all guilty. But only frustration comes from NOT really  reading the terms and conditions.  
"No, you can't have a refund. " "Yes, you have to donate 30 Swag Bag items. " "No, you won't have room to bring your farmhouse kitchen sink in addition to the 8ft table that's being provided."


Markets have terms and conditions for a reason, usually because they had that EXACT thing happen to them in the past! So terms & conditions come from learning experiences-not evil vengeance.  As a vendor I get A LOT of emails in a short period of time because I only sell from September to December.  These emails are long, detailed, and from multiple events.  YOU MUST READ EVERY SINGLE ONE! Maybe a few times - I have done this more than I'd like to admit.  I think I read the email, when in reality I scrolled through it while I was watching TV....and then I have to go back because I can't remember what time set up started ;)   

Here's what I do - make a folder in your inbox where you put all your contracts and info emails from each market, each season.  That way if you do forget something like where you're supposed to park on the day of the market, you know where to go and find the information instead of bothering the organizer, who already sent you the information you needed. And yes, I know, of course it's much easier to fire off an email to the organizer who no doubt knows exactly the answer to your question.  But they're busy. And they already sent you that information.

4). Don't Be Late                               This should seem obvious. It's not.  

Don't be late with anything.  If you have to pay by next Friday, make sure you pay by Thursday.  If you have to be at the venue by 9:15am be there by 9am, even if you have to wait in your car until the doors are actually open (I do this ALL THE TIME). EVERYONE'S time is valuable, not just yours! Be respectful.  If you're running late because of a traffic accident, deathly ill child, or your car broke down, phone the organizer.  Being late because you didn't get up early enough to grab a coffee is NOT OK!  Not having enough time to set up is a detriment to you and the market.  Think about when you're running late for work, how stressed you get, and how that affects your WHOLE DAY! Think your sales are gonna be good in that emotional state? Nope. Every market is like your first day of work for a new employer.  You want to show up on time, look the part, be ready to work, and generally be awesome. 
5). Be Honest Easier said than done, I know.  Especially when you think you might hurt someone's feelings.  Maybe you applied for two markets, got in to both, and now you have to back out of one? Or maybe finances are tight and you need some extra time to pay?  Don't fib your way through an email to try to save my feelings.  You know how you can usually tell when your kid/friend is lying...yeah, same here.  Just be honest in your email.  In MOST cases (actually I would like to say ALL cases, because I have YET to meet a market organizer who is 100% heartless) the market organizers are here to help you have a successful event.  If that means you need a payment plan, need a couple extra days, just be honest with us because we want to help you! Seriously.  I believe that most markets truly want their vendors to succeed and have fun. I know that Jill & I have an "intense" application and a stricter payment deadline than other markets, but that doesn't mean we're ogres! 

OK, sometimes, on Monday morning before coffee, it's border line. But honestly, we're here for our vendors and we really value the relationship we build with them, because without vendors we're just two crazy ladies in an empty hall. 
Did I miss any key tips that you think new vendors should know before jumping in to the handmade world?  Disagree with me? LOL Or did I hit the nail on the head?  Let me know in the comments below!

Branding 101

Hey y'all, 

What a busy year! Phew!  Now that I've got a little more time on my hands, I wanted to share some tips and tricks for making you, your brand, and your booth stand out from the rest. For info about creating the perfect booth check out this previous post.

Today we're talking about BRANDING.  Ugh.  What a horrible word.  I know it scares me sometimes, and it can be super scary.  It's one of those things that creative types, me included, often leave until too late and then get stressed about.  I'm here to tell you there's nothing to stress about. Branding can be fun!

When I started my business in 2013, I chose my favourite colours, taupe, vintage white and coral, to represent my brand.

My sign and decor for my table had coral accents against burlap and white. But for last year, I was kind of over the coral.  Don't get me wrong, I still love the colour, but was it really working for my brand?  I liked the white and burlap-they're great neutrals that can work with ANY accent, AND didn't clash with my colourful scarves.  But the bigger question I was really asking was "what is my brand"?  And am I doing a good job of getting that across to my market/fans/clients etc?

So I looked around online and did some brainstorming.  That's tip #1-BRAINSTORM.  And I mean in the most literal way possible.  It's hard to think of flashy one liners that describe your brand straight off the bat.  One of the best techniques to find what your brand (and you) stands for is create a word cloud (or list). List EVERY SINGLE WORD that describes you, what you make, and what you believe in.  
See my word cloud (right).

Use these words (2-3 per sentence) to come up with a tag line, that best represents your brand.  From these words I have some great descriptive sentences I can use on market applications, Facebook posts, websites, twitter, etc without having to come up with something new every time.

West Coast Leslie features handmade & local products

Handmade, with colourful yarns, these products are truly inspired

This wearable art comes in various designs, colours, and sizes.

You'll also notice in my word cloud I have a few words that describe me and what I stand for in my business; like service, quality, & fun.  Once you've come up with maybe five lines, save them to a word document so you can grab them anytime.   Also take a couple of sentences and work them into a paragraph about you and your business.  Have a 5 sentence paragraph that can be used on applications etc.  

This is one of my business bios I use.  

It feels a bit like writing an essay for University, but you want to be clear.  Make sure you include what you make, how you make it, and why it's awesome!

Tip #2 You don't have to marry your brand.  What?!? I know, I said it.  Yes, it is important for you to have consistency with your brand, but let's say you've had your logo for 5 years and over those years your business has changed, morphed, grown.  Then shouldn't your brand also change to reflect your business?  Think about the clothes you loved in high school (for me it was surf/skate logo tees and flared jeans! YIKES), you would never wear those clothes now.  Likewise with your brand-it should reflect your business.  This isn't a license to change up your logo every year!!! That is confusing for your clients and does not encourage brand loyalty.  But if you feel that your brand/logo/colour scheme doesn't reflect your business anymore, it's OK to change it. There's nothing worse than having a name that doesn't tell people what you're about.  You'll spend all your time explaining it instead of talking about your products and selling them!

Tip #3 Consistency.  Right just after I finished telling you you can change your branding! Ha ha ha.  What I mean by consistency is look at how you are represented online and in person.  If you look at my Facebook page, my website, my online store-they look like they're part of the same family.  I've used the same header, in the same colours, with the same fonts and logo. No one is going to wonder if they're in the right place, especially when moving from one online entity to another.   And while for us creative types, it might be a bit boring to have the same colours, font, etc it's NOT boring for our customers.  It's reinforcing that they are in the right place, you are a trusted source, and yes they want to buy from this maker!  Consistency is also why I would recommend simple graphics and fonts, so that you're not going crazy with images on every online platform!  And don't forget to use these online images in print too.  Hang tags, pricing signs, postcards, business cards.  Everything that represents you and your brand should be thematic.  I changed my tags to better reflect my brand this year and I love it - plus it makes my life SO MUCH EASIER.  

By doing this you're again reinforcing in your customers mind that you've got it all together (even though sometimes we are running around like chickens with our heads cut off!)

Do have other branding tips?  

Share them with us in the comments below!

limited production run #1

It's time friends!  It's time to launch the FIRST limited production run for West Coast Leslie Designs! Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey, because we want to make what you want to wear!  And don't worry, if you're favourite item wasn't selected for the first run all is not lost.  We will be hosting limited production runs throughout the year, so stay up to date with us on Facebook and Instagram!

And now, what you've all been waiting for...... 

(insert drumroll here) SLOUCH TOQUES!

These bad boys will be available in TWO SIZES: Small/Medium (20"-21") and Medium/Large (22"+).  They are made from 100% acrylic yarn, which is hypo allergenic and machine washable.  Did we mention is super soft and comes in some gorgeous colours? Like Plum? Peacock Teal?  Yeah. We're pumped.

Remember they are available to purchase ONLY on Facebook!  They are up there NOW, so be sure to check them out.  There are limited quantities so if you want one, be sure to hurry!!!

What I've Learned Part 1

Every new opportunity lends itself to a learning curve.  Starting a new job.  A new piece of technology.  Trying to do your own taxes (don't).  And then magically, one day, we don't need to think about HOW to use these things, we just do.  I bet you can't remember a time you didn't know how to use a spoon?  So in this little series I'd like to share with you some of the tips and tricks I've figured out, the hard way, about handmade selling.

Today's Episode- How Putting the Price Out in the Open Stopped My Sales

Whoa!  I know right?  It seems counter intuitive.  And a lot of makers will tell you YOU NEED to put your prices right out in the open.  What if someone is shy and they don't want to talk to you? If your prices aren't visible, you'll loose that sale. And that's a fair assumption.  But let me tell you my story about how doing that TOTALLY backfired on me.

First full year of production - 2014.  Tyler and I were working every market together -it's always nice to have someone to bounce your ideas off of.  I had my boot cuffs displayed in baskets, all lined up, ready to go to home with fashionable ladies.  I had these great little chalkboard picks I'd got at Michaels and stuck them in the baskets with the words "boot cuffs" on them. Cute right?

Then I got an idea- let's use my super cute chalk board signs and put the price of the cuffs on the chalkboards.  I rewrote the signs with $49-the price of my cable cuffs.  This would allow me to interact with my customers without having to answer "How much are the boot cuffs?"  I thought I was a genius!  My brilliant idea was efficient and informative; who wouldn't love it?

The customers, that's who didn't love it.  By seeing that $49 in black and white kept people from even touching the cuffs.  People stopped talking about them ALTOGETHER!  No one picked them up.  And just like that my boot cuff sales stopped. DEAD.  I mentioned to Ty how bummed I was that people weren't interested in the cuffs.  He suggested that the price was scaring them off and that we erase the signs.  The price was on the tag anyway, it's not like we were hiding how much they were.  So we erased them.  Put them back just with the words "boot cuffs".  Lo and behold, sales started to pick up.  I couldn't believe it!  Every blog I'd ever read told me to make sure my prices were visible.  But when I tested that theory, it didn't work for me.  

So what's the moral of the story. Depending on what you make, most shoppers need to feel a connection to your product.  Especially if it's a bit of an investment.  Once people pick up my cuffs, feel how soft they are, see how well crafted they are, they've already started the process of imagining how those cuffs would fit in their life. They start thinking about what boots they have that would match. In their head, they already own the cuffs.  And that is EXACTLY what you want people to do with your products.  ENCOURAGE shoppers to pick up and try, feel, touch your products.  Putting your product in their hands already gives them a sense of ownership!  It brings them one step closer to making that purchase, WITHOUT YOU HAVING TO BE PUSHY! WOO!   Once someone has picked up something, it's in their hands, they are interacting with it, they're imagining how it will fit in their life, their wardrobe, their home.  Once they can see their life WITH your product, the price becomes LESS scary.  Why? Because they've already purchased it in their head.  They've already decided that they need this.  I can't tell you how many people have balked at the price of my products, UNTIL THE PICK IT UP or TRY IT ON!  Then they get it.  

I'm not saying hide your prices.  I'm not saying to be sleazy, or scamy (that's not how I roll).  But you don't need to have a big neon flashing sign (or chalkboard sign for that matter) outright flaunting your prices.  Next time you're shopping in a higher end clothing store, try to find a tag that's out in the open.  Bet you can't.  High end retailers do the same thing.  They want you to envision your life with that sweater, BEFORE you see the price.  Think about the prices at an art gallery.  Tiny. Almost hidden beside the painting. Available, but not flashy.   And from my experience, it works.

Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on how to be a better handmade seller.  Got a comment or question?  Leave it below.  I promise to get back to all of them.  Let's make 2016 your most successful handmade year yet!

Peace, Love & Handmade
*Leslie