Vendor Blog: Gentle Ascension Art
Sales Engagement for the Neurodivergent Artist (and attendees)
Knowing how to engage with potential customers at a market takes practice. Especially for those of us who are neurodivergent. I learned how to communicate with customers over several years of working in customer service/retail and 14 years vending at farmers markets. There are methods and guidelines for good customer service in retail/commercial business situations. However, I have found that those types of skills do not translate well when selling our own handmade art and crafts. In the former, using structured communication is helpful to solve a problem or sell a commercial good. But, when it comes to something that is intimate and personal, you must allow yourself to be intimate and personal with the customer. What I mean by that is, being authentic. Communicate the way you would with your family, friends or therapist. Be honest about yourself and your art. It can be scary to do this, but it gets easier with practice and Haus of Codec market attendees are the kindest I’ve encountered.
How should I present myself while at my booth?
Be sure that you are visible to the customers. Keeping occupied with making art is a good way to stay active during down times but be sure it’s something that doesn’t require your full focus and can easily pause to engage when needed. Depending on your ability, standing or sitting on a high stool helps the customer to see that you are ready to engage. If sitting in a regular chair is more comfortable for you, make sure your display is not blocking the customer from being able to see you. It is also important to stay off your phone! Many of us use it for payment processing and social media, but it’s important to only use it for market purposes. If you are distracted by your phone, customers will be less likely to stick around and truly look at your art. It’s also helpful to have a market helper. Most of us need to take some breaks from engaging with customers. Having someone with you who knows about your art and is friendly is a great way to take breaks and not miss out on potential sales.
For a lot of us, having a method to follow can be helpful to get the connection started. Sometimes we don’t know if a person wants us to chat with them or if they’d rather be left alone to browse. This is going to look different for everyone. Here’s a basic method I have found to help me give the customer an opportunity to engage, if they want to.
Greeting - when a customer walks by or may be approaching your booth, give them a smile, a wave, or any kind of non-verbal acknowledgement. Something that feels natural to you.
When the customer is in your booth, give them an opening to chat. For example, “Thanks for checking out my stuff, let me know if you have any questions”, “Hello, how’s it going?”. Again, something that is natural to you. Give them space to chat if they want to, but don’t push them to do it. Some people are overwhelmed by feeling like they need to engage with every artist.
If a customer is looking at an item for a long time and they haven’t engaged with you, tell them a quick and simple fact about the item. “I had a lot of fun making that”, “That’s made with X materials”. Something that is true and relevant. If they seem interested and engaged, continue to tell them about how that item makes you feel, how or why you made it, etc. Be honest and open. You can also ask them how it makes them feel!
At this point the customer will either continue chatting, purchase something or they will leave. Make sure to thank the customer for purchasing something or for any nice comments they made. Being friendly can help create repeat customers.
What does it look like when a customer wants to engage?
The most obvious is if the customer tries to make eye contact or talks to you. Making eye contact can be challenging for a lot of us. You do not have to make eye contact! However, doing something to show you are glad they are there is important. Even just looking in their direction or a smile will show you are engaged. If they talk to you, do your best to answer questions or ask them questions. Another cue that they may want to engage is if they keep looking in your direction. When a customer does this, it may mean that they want to engage, but don’t know what to say. This is a good time to ask them a question that is easy to answer, like “Have you been to Haus of Codec markets before?”, “Are you enjoying the market?”. Many of our attendees are also neurodivergent. This can make it more challenging to know if they want to engage. In situations when I am unsure, I make sure that my energy remains open and accessible, without being intrusive. This can mean focusing on being present. Feel your body in the space and breathe. If someone does not want to engage, that is ok and doesn’t mean they won’t buy something, or they don’t like you or your art. Picking up on these cues takes practice and you won’t always get it right and that’s OK! As long as you are not rude or harmful to a customer, take it as a learning experience.
The easiest way to practice is with other vendors. Many of us take the time to look around at other vendors' art. When a fellow vendor visits you, use the opportunity to practice these skills. Visit the booths of artists that you see selling well, notice their display and how they engage with potential customers.
This can be challenging for those of us who have masked for most of our lives. What is authentic? How do I express that? If you have little or no practice with unmasking, try practicing with only one of the above tips for now. The more you practice, the easier it gets! Also, it is OK to mask when you need to! Feeling safe and secure is important to being able to tolerate a market for a long period of time. Finding a balance of feeling secure and being authentic (especially around your art) is the key to making sales at markets.
