I want to talk business cards for a minute. But not your business card (you do have a business card, right?). Other peoples’ business cards.
I was fortunate enough to walk the Buyer’s Market with Tara Gentile, editor of Scoutie Girl. Throughout the day, I would watch as Tara would walk into a booth, introduce herself as press, and ask to take pictures. Then we might chat with the maker a little, and eventually leave the booth. After a while, I noticed a trend.
Almost no one asked Tara for her business card.
This is such a wasted opportunity, both at a show, and in life. At a trade show, it should be your goal to collect the business card of everyone who walks into your booth. Especially someone who shows an interest in you and your work. By not asking Tara for a card, these makers are missing an opportunity to add her to their press mailing list and to follow-up to see if she needs additional information or images. By not having the information to follow up, they might lose the opportunity to be featured on Tara’s blog. (And before you think that some of these makers are just planning to look Tara up online, don’t bet on it. Some didn’t even ask her where she was from or what she writes for!)
When we meet someone new, we are usually so focused on giving them our card that we forget about theirs. But when you do this, you are putting all the responsibility on the other party to follow-up with you. Which gives you no control. Instead, focusing on collecting others’ cards, and then make it a priority to follow-up. Add them to your mailing list. Send a personal email. Or a handwritten note. Send them something of value. (Like a link, book recommendation, or article.)
When someone gives you their card, it gives you an opportunity to build a relationship. And you never know where that might lead.
After our first trade show this past fall, this was something my partner and I really felt we need to improve on. In the beginning of the show, we were on top of the request, but as people began streaming steadily into the booth we lost sight of this very, very important thing. After the show we struggled with “who was that woman?” “what was the name of her shop?” “where was she from?”, etc. At the very least we could have amassed a great mailing list.
I might add, one of the most helpful things that we did when we actually took a card was made notes directly on that card. Don’t worry about messing it up- because those notes are more valuable than the look of it. We noted “very interested” “balked at price” “send swatches” “follow up with phone call” “came with her daughter, Mary”- anything that would help remind us after the fact what made that person stand out and our follow up with them more personalized.
megan–do you feel it’s appropriate to automatically add these people’s business cards to a mailing list? i know in some other situations this might bother people, but it may be completely different when it comes to press inquiries at trade shows. i’m just asking because i’m a complete trade show newbie & not sure how this works at all!
Krista,
You should add everyone’s card to your mailing list-especially the media! Befriending the media is essential to building your business. By building a relationship with the press you have the opportunity to put your work in front of favorable eyes and if they feature you in their publication, that’s FREE advertising!
i haven’t considered this before, but now i’ll be keeping my eye out for opportunities at the next show i do! i also need to be more diligent about making notes on the cards so i can remember details about them.
Michelle – I couldn’t agree more – note taking is essential. Every card I bring back from a show has similar notes on it. You’ll never remember otherwise!
Krista – Perhaps I should have been more clear on types of mailing list. If you have an email list that users sign-up for from your website (the kind that requires confirmation) I would not automatically add them to that list. What you should have is a list of press that you send regular updates too, either via email or snail mail. This is the list you want to add them to. (The same goes for buyers.) When I send emails to my press list, I don’t send a generic blast. While most of the content stays the same, I always personalize the email for the sender. This takes a little longer, but will give you much better results.
I started selling at craft and art shows last fall. Once a month I send out an email to addresses gathered from prior shows that has: 1) new designs 2) in person show listings 3) 20% discount for newsletter subscribers that come to show 4)highlight of another craft person/artist that I think is interesting.
I have noticed a few return customers to in person events and a few sales online from friends of theirs that they refered to my site.
At the valentine show I just did, I had a customer show up 30 minutes prior to the end panting saying she just raced 2 hours from a baby shower to get a necklace she saw online. She actually bought 2 necklaces totalling almost $200!
Gathering emails CAN be important for keeping in contact with people who like your stuff and fostering relationships with other artists. I keep emails and updates to a minimum though and always try to make it a bit more interesting than ‘here is my new stuff’.
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Thanks for the clarification and the info, ladies! You’re fab! (And thanks for the new post today on mailing lists, Megan!)
krista – you’re welcome! and thanks for asking the question! i love all the comments everyone leaves on the site – it makes my job easier because it gives me lots of post ideas!
Totally true. At a craft show, a woman came up to me and told me I was invited to a free-booth show she ran. She worked for the library, but I forgot her name. I had to google the library and all the events they had last year to find the one I was invited to. It was not easy because I was spelling it wrong!
What a great common sense thing to do…. And I haven’t really thought about it!!! My brother is a Marketing Manager for a Large international corporation, and this sounds exactly like something he would tell me to do. Always follow up & make contacts. People at Craft Shows usually don’t remember who they talked to cause there are so many vendors, and if you make the effort, they will remember!!
Hey on the subject of business cards – maybe you would be interested in this cool way to collate them all on your desktop and be able to find them at a click or two! Check out http://www.keyin.biz – it’s making your business information a virtual business card – your customers can put your keyin code in and find your current business details online…
I always ask to “trade” cards when someone asks for mine at a show. I tape the business cards into a notebook and write myself notes next to them so I’ll remember the exchange, and whether the contact seems like a good lead. I even write down which pieces they particularly responded to. I have found the information invaluable over time.
I wish I’ve seen this post when I was doing my research for my biz. I’d like to chime in anyway- we turn business cards into a spreadsheet format. You can then use it as your mailing list or import it to your e-mail marketing applications. If interested, please visit http://www.cardwix.com.