03/23/2026
All jokes aside, my husband is a successful small business owner himself, so I do listen to his advice (most times, lol). This show in Detroit had record-breaking turn out for so I think part of my success was just great customers looking to shop, but it was also because I was better about implementing a few tips Ryan gave me:
1. 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕠𝕗𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕡𝕙𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕒𝕤 𝕞𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕒𝕤 𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖.
Making eye contact and being present makes your booth feel welcoming and safe to approach. I definitely struggle with this when I come up with ideas and want to google, or it’s the end of the day and I’m mentally checking out, but I’m getting better at it!
2. ℍ𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕒 𝕘𝕠-𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕔𝕦𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣.
My go-to this weekend was, “All my pieces are sewn by me using vintage fabrics. Towels, bed sheets, blankets…whatever I can get my hands on!” Most people feel slightly awkward walking into a booth. A simple, friendly opener reduces that friction immediately. It also gives them context on what they’re looking at. I used to assume that people knew my pieces were handmade, but alot of people are actually surprised (especially at vintage shows).
3. ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕕𝕦𝕔𝕥 𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤.
People don’t browse randomly—they follow visual cues. I added risers to my table to make product easier to browse. I switched up my displays to use more vertical space in the booth, and reduce some of the clutter. And I started moving my best-sellers to the front of the booth to draw people in.
I made 3X more than any show I’ve ever done! Like I said, some of this was definitely the awesome Detroit customers already ready to shop. Through working my shows and Ryan’s, I’ve definitely noticed different regions are heavier buyers than others. But even without the turnout, I think trying to be better on my “showmanship” definitely helped. Obviously, being pushy and fake turns customers off, but genuine enthusiasm about your product makes customers excited in return.
What other advice have you been given that turned your sales around?
