Selling goat milk soap at craft shows

beaglady, that is a beautiful stand! I too sell 6 months at farmers markets and am doing craft shows right now. I NEVER sit down even if it's an all day show. #1 because I have fibromyalgia, and If I sat down, I would have to literaly Haul, myself back up and Limp over, where if I stay up I stay limber. Who's Not going to RUN at the site of that : ) I've got just a few seconds to grab peoples attention, with "Try goat milk soap, the best thing in the world for winter dry skin." I have free samples as always with Business card and where they can find me if they love the product. I can't keep up with the demand for my product as of yet. Doesn't hurt any that my all natural Herbal soaps, are from my Naturally Certified Grown Herb Farm!
My set up is still very basic, table cloth on a 6' table with everything in natural colored wicker baskets. I also sell fresh picked herbs I pick into the same basket I sell out of. Now at the craft shows no herbs, but I do add gift Baskets, with a variety of bars and a scrubby with a ribbon. Grab and Give. I made $152 sat. At Least 5 people, said "There's Our goat soap Lady" "Or Herb Lady, or Soap lady"

However I also do quite well at the Bed and breakfast. and there it's Not your stuff on a table it's the whole B&B decorated for x-mas people come in and are handed a basket. A few vendors are always present to watch the rooms and rearrange things. You place what you want in the basket and pay up front on the way out.

__________________
BryrPatch Quality Handmade Goat milk Soap, Lotions; ADGA Dairy Goats, DHIR, LA, Shows, Current whole herd CAE neg tests. We R Kidding now! www.BryrPatch.com

Don't back off the goats milk soap.

I've been making soap since '78 and goats milk is wonderful. You have to educate some folks though. Making a flyer with the benefits is a wonderful thing... Samples are good too... Good luck.

I agree the venue may be your problem. Or your presentation. Do you have any pics?

Please visit HERE for more advice/pics/idea/etc.

great site...

http://www.soapdishforum.com/forum/index.php?

Soapdish Forum...

__________________
Radically conservatively un-biased liberal.

http://whitepinesoapworks.com/

Have few small cubes of soap out and a basin with water and a few towels...let folks wash their hands with it and feel/smell the difference.
And lose the picture
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Perhaps because it's made with goat milk, not sheep milk?

Interestingly enough, I've had a few clients who've stated the same thing; they've had a tough time marketing their goat milk soap. Seems odd to me, because in this area people flock to milk soaps, and even the big commercial boys have begun using milk in their soaps and lotions.

I guess you've got to sit down and determine if you're in the right market, if the packaging is up to snuff and your display is attractive, and work on educating your public.

__________________
Mustang Diaries

"It's called a lance...hellooo!"

Thank you to everyone that responded. What great ideas and pix. for my display, I take a 6' table, with a table cloth, place an old cd rack, hoisted up with tiny milk crates, and have all my soaps in baskets. I have had a few of my crafter friends compliment me on my display. I think that I am going to keep the goat on the label, just because it is what I do. I depicts our farm.
I did make up some flyers, and I do have a few signs to put on the table for people to read. I may try the basin idea. I had thought about giving samples and letting people try it in the bathroom, but I think that the basin would work better. All of my shows are here in Central Michigan. Most people that shop these shows look quite upscaley. My next show is this Saturday, which is pretty big. I may have to try the farmer's market idea this summer, as most have closed for the winter... Thank you all again.
Renee

Mess up your display a little... take a few soaps out as if they've been purchased. The empty spaces catch the eye more than the full boxes.

__________________
Icelandic Sheep and German Angora Rabbits

I agree about the picture of the goat being perceived by some as undesirable. I have sold goats milk soap, all unwrapped bars arranged side-by-side, at several different shows. Some of the bars were plain rectangles, others were made in horse molds, and others were from (what I think is) a really cool Nubian mold. The horses and the plain bars always outsell the Nubian mold! Go figure... People apparently like the *idea* of goats milk but they don't want too graphic of a reminder of where it comes from!

I agree with the number of folks here who have said the goat image is what may be detracting from your sales. Marketing IS everything, whether it should be or not. As my sister is fond of saying, "it is what it is".

For several years before I had Lupus and RA, I sold handpainted glassware at festivals. I made good money at it too, including expanding to the wholesale market, web sales and commissioned work.

Some tips for marketing your product...

-lose the goat, seriously. It may be what you do, but it may not be what people buy. Include pics of your goats, as clean and cute as possible, in a photo brochure, but be prepared to ditch it if it is losing you sales.

-As previously suggested, put pics of sunshine, soft things, clean things...on your label. Include "goat's milk" in the text description and ingredient part of your label only.

-vary the levels of your display. Items displayed at different heights are more appealing than those all on one plane.

String white or colored christmas lights around your tent (if you have a power source). It is eyecatching even in daylight.

-See if you can find a cheap old fashioned washstand with a bowl and pitcher tax deductible if you file a business return). Let customers wash with sliver samples of your product. Supply paper towels for drying after washing.

-Decorate your tables with items associated with your product. For me with the glasses, I used bottles of wine, corkscrews, cheese and crackers, baskets of fake bread, lemons etc. For soap, I would have some pretty hand towels, soap dishes, a plush bather in a tub (I have seen thesein stores) , things like that. Durable items like these are also tax deductible if you file a business return.

Anyway, I got a little long winded there, but the main thing to remember is to MARKET MARKET MARKET to your target clientele.

Take care and great success with your soaps!!

~berta

Hi Renee!

How are our girls Nannette, Lucia and Elvira doing?

Best regards,

Judy

__________________
"I love all of this mud," said no one, ever.

I have to agree with the many others who suggested removing the goat. Even if it's what you do, your trying to sell soap not goats. As an experiment, make up labels without the goat and place them on your table to the other side, opposite the soaps with the goat on the label and see if that generates any sales (you'll have your answer to the label question).

Marketing is the answer for any business, seeing a goat on the label may have people thinking it's soap for goats (dumb I know, but hey, not ALL consumers are smart). Try a label with a small child in an old wash tub (soap bubbles all over), with text reading something like "For baby soft skin" or on that order.

Also, your own attitude has a lot to do with selling your products, trust me, a smile and a hello goes a long way. In addition, it opens the converstion to explain your products and thier benefits. If I'm shopping a craft show/fair and the seller has her nose buried in the latest Fabio romance novel and can't even acknowledge my presence, I have no desire to buy anything even if I see something that interests me. Not to say your not greeting the customers, just a hint for those reading this and plan to do shows.



.

__________________
Marriage is like a hot bath, after you've been in it awhile, It's not so Hot.

Can you be making up a batch or at least have some in a cooling pan during the show?