Vendor Season is here again....

Hi everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful summer. For me, summer was busy! So much to do and so little time. I had to take a step back from What Wahms Like for a while and now that I'm back to a regular routine, you'll see posts on a more regular basis.

Since we are back to Vendor Fair season, my official start date to the holidays, I thought I'd do a quick post about events. I have received feedback that now that vendor events are more popular than craft fairs, there is more competition by fellow organizers to get the best vendors for their event.

So, this is not so much a post, so much as a request for information as I follow up on my next blog post on what I've learned here.

Tell us the top 5 things you are looking for when it comes to a good vendor event and you may see your name on the next post.

Stacy

Vendor Fairs.....

Spring has arrived and so has vendor fair season! I love a good vendor fair. It's a great opportunity to connect with like minded business owners and new customers. As both an event organizer and participant, I have learned quite a bit and have developed what I call, The 10 Commandments of Vendor Fair Etiquette.

The 10 Commandments of Vendor Fair Etiquette

1. Show up and give yourself enough time to put your display together. Don't show up 10 minutes before the event starts and just start to put up your display. It's disruptive for the other vendors. In addition to this, do not pack up before the end of the event. 
2. You, as the representative, should be dressed appropriately. That means wearing something with the company logo & a name tag so people can identify you as a vendor and not a random customer perusing a table. Wear nice pants (jeans or a nice pair of slacks) or a skirt and nice (yet comfortable shoes).
3. Your table should have appropriate signage so that people know who you represent or if you are an independent business owner. Including some literature for them to take with them - a catalog, business card, flier etc is an excellent way for the customer to take your info with them and page through at a later date. Just make sure it's cost effective for you.
4. Make sure your display is colorful, pleasant looking, neat and organized. Also, make sure you have enough product to fill your space or do not over-fill your space. 
5. SMILE - No one wants to buy from a sourpuss. If you don't look happy to be there, people are not going to want to do business with you & will swing a wide arc around your table.
6. Get off your duff - Stand up! Engage your potential customers and recruits. Say "Good Morning and ask how they are doing."
7. Don't verbally vomit on your customers - Don't dump your entire spiel on them the minute they approach your table. Let them take a look at the items on your table and engage them with "Good Morning! Have you ever heard of XYZ company?" Start it off as small talk. You will look like a confident business owner.
8. LISTEN to the people - Ask them questions. Generate conversation. Build relationships. You may not get a customer, you may get a recruit or just a new friend.
9. Network, network, network - You have a great opportunity to get to know other companies, their products and the folks that represent them. It's also a great opportunity to pick up ideas, techniques, learn about other events and make new connections. Pick up some business cards and make sure to reach out to them w/out a sales pitch. You will find some lifelong friends - and customers - this way.
10. Support your fellow business owners. My hubby kids me about spending all my profits at the event but by supporting your fellow business owners will bolster relationships where they may purchase from you in kind, refer you to others for sales and it will support the direct sales industry overall. That rep is supporting their family, not big business. 

These are some of my tips regarding vendor events. If you have some you would like to share or have comments, I'd love to hear them in the comments. 

I'm off to shop now! ~ Stacy

New What Wahms Like Advertising Program!

Hi there! As we are quickly coming up on our 3,000 fan celebration and one year anniversary in April, I decided it would be a good time to change up our advertising program.

Check out the details! If you are interested in participating, please send me an email to whatwahmslike@gmail.com.

New What Wahms Like Advertising Program!

·        Why are we changing up the Advertising Program?

o   It isn't to make more money, that I can say for sure. I've researched several other pages and their advertising rates and I am either in line or far less. I'm changing up the advertising program in order to keep the advertiser shout outs fresh. By featuring new advertisers every month, that will continue to keep people coming back to the page as I work to build the membership and share your pages with even more wahms. The cost will cover my time and allow me to have a budget to advertise with other pages and offer contests and items to give away as well as a small stipend for my time.

·        The program will feature 2 month packages rather than annual packages.

For example (February1 -March 31 / March 1 - April  30 / April 1 - May 31)

·        The program includes....

o   30 Shout Outs over the course of the two months on our main Facebook page

§  https://www.facebook.com/WhatWahmsLike?sk=wall

o   One Solo Shout Out featuring you as our sponsor of the day & details about your page with picture.

o   The Solo Shout Out of the day will also be that day's blog on

§  http://www.whatwahmslike.blogspot.com/

o   Addition to our Sponsors Album w/ picture.

o   Your page tweeted once per week.

o   One "Intro" post per month to other promotion pages.

§  EX: Hi What Wahms Like! Please join us at our page and check out some of our wonderful sponsors - @What Wahms Like - Events, What Wahms Like - UK, What Wahms Like - Canada, -etc...

·        COST - $20 for two months - Payment method via Paypal (Checks and Credit Cards can be accepted via Paypal as well).

So many fan celebrations, so little time.....

Good Morning! Wow! Today is a big day for several pages and they are all kicking off 2012 with a bang! There are so many who are getting ready for some fan celebrations too! I thought today would be a fun day to give the first five in my news feed a little shout out and see if we can't help get them to their goals.

Little Chiyo is almost at 1000 fans and needs a boost to get there.
https://www.facebook.com/littlechiyo

Help for Families is looking to reach the 1000 mark goal as well. They will be giving away a blanket when they hit their mark. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hope-For-Families/258871154149514

Forty Toes Photography is giving away cash on Jan 5th! There is still time to enter! https://www.facebook.com/fortytoesphotography?sk=wall

Mary's Sweet Bites is also looking for 1000 fans. Check out here page at: https://www.facebook.com/marybssweetbites

DeDa Studio is looking for more fans and is giving away a gift card to the winner. https://www.facebook.com/pages/DeDa-Studio/122599651123368?sk=wall

That's all for now. Please visit these pages, share some What Wahms Like love with them and then come back to comment that you helped them boost their numbers. :)

Have a wonderful day!