> Generally speaking, do shows scale? I mean, if 250 people came
> through one of our shows last year and we sold $40 worth of stuff,
> is it reasonable to expect $400 from a show with an attendance of
> 2500 people?
Generally, yes, but not always. With photography, it takes a lot of
traffic to generate a sale. As a rule of thumb, it may take 1000
people to generate one sale. If that sale is a $40 print, and your
costs are $100, then 2500 people should allow you to break even in
that show. But if your costs are $400, then you need to increase your
average transaction by a factor of 10. With small prints, this is
going to be harder. With a mix of more expensive, good looking framed
work and smaller impulse items, it's easier to upsell.
This is why it really helps to look at your overall product mix, as
well as your retail price points when you are trying to do your
forecasts. If that same sale was $100 instead of $40, your chances of
making a profit will go up. If you have a broader range of price
points, your chances of increasing your average transaction will be
better than if your bin prints get most of the attention. There are
always bargain shoppers at the shows, but you want to attract buyers
who are looking for larger pieces as well.
Many other variables effect your overall sales: geography, time of
year, weather, audience preferences vis a vis your style of work...
It's almost impossible to know for sure how your particular situation
will scale up in the shows you're doing. Your pricing is based on
selling more prints for less, so you should focus on ways to cycle
people through your booth more quickly, as well as increasing your
average transaction.
Look at your retail traffic flow carefully. Do you have a couple of
big pieces that will draw in people? What will they look at once
they're inside? Are the print bins a road block contemplating the
higher priced framed work on the walls? How many people will fit
comfortably in your booth at a time? Is there more than one entry and
exit point? The more people you can cycle through your booth, the
better your chances of making those sales.
This article by Eric Rhoads points out some of the key concepts in
selling. I enjoyed it; perhaps you will, too.
http://ericrhoads.blogs.com/artist_marketing/
Jim Parker
parkerparker :: design | photography
http://www.parkerparker.info
@dakkid / twitter
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