How to Be a Convention Seller
If you are a vendor who sells unique or very specific types of products, then a convention or flea market is the ideal place where you can reach out to customers. However, being a successful convention seller differs from being a regular store owner. This is because conventions are different from traditional shopping malls and complexes, and different rules apply.
Being a convention seller can be hard if you do not know the tricks needed to survive in the market. However, we have curated a list of some of the tips that veteran convention sellers have found extremely helpful over the years. We believe that acting on these can give you an edge over your competitors and help you thrive in a field that is considered difficult by many people!
Develop good relations with the curators and management
A little networking goes a long way in making you a successful convention seller—the management and coordinators of a convention deal with many things. If a vendor has a lighting, space, or customer-related issue, the coordinators are the first people they run to.
This is why the management is always extremely busy and tense while the convention operates. This is why you must develop good relations with them. If you talk angrily or irritation at the management, you may find it difficult to get a space in the next market!
Moreover, developing good relations can help you resolve any issues you are facing much quicker. After all, if you are on friendly terms with the coordinators, they are more likely to address your problems swiftly and ensure that you are not facing any discomfort.
You can also get a lot of favors from the coordinators, such as preferred stall locations, friendly neighbors, and lower fees if you have cordial relationships with the management. If you want to be a convention seller in the long-term as well, then developing a strong network with convention management can help you get favors and the latest news as it comes.
Using the Internet for marketing
Another aspect of becoming a successful convention seller is using the Internet for marketing. Let’s say you sell special, handmade toys. If a person is looking to buy something like this, the Internet is the first place they will search for the vendors who sell this.
Many people think that vendors who sell in conventions do not need to advertise since no one looks up conventions and flea markets online. However, nothing can be further from the truth. As a convention seller, using the internet for marketing is the first thing you should think about. You can attract many customers if you do this since buyers for specialty products use the internet more to source what they seek.
Almost everyone has access to the internet today, and creating an online advertisement is a cheap investment if you consider the return that it can get you. The Internet is also the quickest way to reach out to thousands of people at once, and it can help potential customers know where you are setting up your stall next time.
Understand the competition around you
A key aspect of becoming a successful convention seller understands the competition around you. In any convention or flea market, you will have to compete against many other vendors who may be selling merchandise similar to yours.
To ensure that customers buy something from you rather than the stall next to you, it is important to understand your competition.
Firstly, develop good relations and a strong network with vendors selling similar products. This will allow you to know what your competition is doing, and you may even pick up a few tips on how you could improve yourself.
Secondly, when you know what your competition is doing, try to set yourself apart from them. This could be by lowering your prices since lower prices seem to attract more customers. Or you could try and improve the quality of your product, since if you and your competition’s merchandise costs the same.
Still, your quality is superior. Then customers will automatically flock towards you. Lastly, the simplest thing you could do to gain an edge is trying more effective marketing strategies. Don’t change your pricing or product, but use more attractive marketing to get buyers to visit your stall more than your competition’s.
Know the terms of your contract
One of the things that many convention sellers miss out on is reading the terms of their contract in detail. When you agree to set up a stall in a convention, you will be handed some sort of agreement or contract that you must sign.
Now for the management of these conventions, these agreements all contain the same rules and regulations for everyone. However, if you are a convention merchant and sell your products in multiple conventions across the state, it is worth reading every convention agreement in detail. This is because no two conventions are the same, and they all have different rules and regulations.
For instance, if you sell framed pictures, some markets may impose a condition that you must have a license to use those pictures. If you intend on sharing a stall with some other vendor, you must read the rules in the contract to see if it is allowed by the convention curator. This is because stall-sharing is not allowed in all markets, and even if it is, there are some rules on what you can and cannot do.
While all of these rules may sound a bit complicated, you can understand these easily if you just read your contract in detail. All of them are mentioned clearly in the agreement (while some may be hidden in the fine print as well).
Failure to follow a convention’s rules can have a number of consequences. A fine may be imposed on you, or you may be barred from ever setting up your stall in a particular market. All of these things sound a bit scary, but they can easily be avoided if you simply take out a few minutes to read the agreement before you sign it!
Know what is popular right now
While all convention sellers and convention merchants have a product that they specialize in, it is important to know what is popular in the market as well. So if you sell printed T-Shirts, then knowing what TV shows and music bands are popular these days could help you sell more shirts if you are able to customize them accordingly. People will buy almost anything that is trendy, so it will help your businesses exponentially if you keep up with the times and know what’s in vogue today.
We hope that our tips on being a successful convention seller helped you out. Being a convention merchant or a seller in a flea market is no mean feat. Our tips are easy to act on and can help you realize your potential.