The Cabochon Market Pt.2

Trade Shows

Todays topic will talking about the avenues of the cabochon market and how to go about selling your cabochons. The first point that was noted in the post “Where is the cabochon market” talked about selling at a Trade show or venue in person. So this post will expand on this topic to include resources about selling cabochons.

The first part of selling at a trade show is how will you set up your table or booth. Since we are only talking cabochons I will only touch on display ideas for cabochons. But there are a few basics you will need period.

Your Booth

What will your booth look like or consist of and how will you draw people into look at your cabochons for sale. I start with this list below but your might be different. So what did you add or what are you will to share to help give people any idea on ways to set up your booth. There are a lot of different ways to set up a booth and display your wares. This post we will talk about displaying and selling cabochons first. But don’t hesitate to bring in a few displays pieces to get buyers to take a closer look at your booth and cabochons.

A checklist of supplies

• Table/s
• Popup tent (if outside venue)
• Organized Inventory
• Display or merchandizing vehicles
• Sign/Banner
• Credit card Processing equipment
• Sales receipts (for cash sales)
• Cash/change
• Bags (takeaway)
• Trash can
• Cleaning/wipes
• Display for reseller license/sales

Now this is a basic list, and some things could be omitted. But I would use it as a starting point. Or expand on the idea and see what you can come up with.

Displaying your Cabochons

For example, People who sell rough opal at shows use small water filled jars. These jars are displayed in a tilted shelf like system instead of sitting on a table. These shelfs sit up right by them selves. Would I do that with cabochon, no. But I would consider building a similar locked case to mount collector cabochons in. So they could be displayed at eye level to help draw walkers into my booth.

Height can be a good thing for getting lookylous to stop at your booth. People walking around a show may not be inclined to stop at your booth if its just flat. Make it with some depth and draw them in to look closer. As well, if its a busy show. Height and depth allow people to look at a distant and may wait to get closer to the table to look at the better sale items they can afford. This is linked to a company that makes displays and they note it as a lighted Cabochon Display. This would be a good idea to bring in height to a booth and set maybe collector Cabochons in.

Indoor/Outdoor

Popup tents are a must when selling outdoors and they make a good vehicle for displaying your sign or banner. Just make sure to properly weigh your tent down so no wind picks it up and throws it next door on another vendor.

Inventory Access

Make your inventory easy to access for display. Easy access to set out and put away is important. You may have limited space and only want to display a certain type of material at a given show. So if a customer asks to see more. You are not fighting to dig it out to show them. I like cases like these because you can size the compartments to fit cards I tack cabochons to for sorting and displaying easily.

Now, I wouldn’t worry about item# on cabs or sku number for vendor setups. But If you have an integrated cash/credit card system that can work with your website. It would be important to have a sku number for each cab. This would make updating your sold inventory much easier after a show is complete. We will talk later in another post about selling on a website.

Credit/Cash Processing and Closing the sale.

You really should have a credit card system to offer sales. Often impromptu sales can happen but the customer is out of cash, or just didn’t have enough. There are several options the one I use is actually a qiukbooks apps on my phone. I have to enter the card number but it can process it right off. It is then also generated into my reporting for self employed tax I manage for my hobby and handyman jobs.

Website integrated POS

If you run a website and manage your inventory to the fullest by using a e-commerce platform for customers can check out themselves online. Managing your inventory couldn’t be simpler when using integrated software with your website. If you are serious about making a go at this trade this process is a must in my opinion. On this website each cabochon has a sku# and If i run a POS system that can be integrated with this website. I can sell the same cabochons in person without having to re manage the inventory when they sell.

This is important when selling hundreds of products where each one is different like cabochons you personally cut. If you were selling only a few dozen sku# then recording them in written form on a sales receipt is easy. Then taking those receipts and updating your website inventory after the show is over. So you reflect the proper counts and over, cut, and get more inventory ready. If you use a integrated POS to your website, you record the sale electrically in your POS and it updates your website in realtime. Here is a list of a few options for doing just that. 5 POS Systems With Exceptional eCommerce Integrations For Online Sellers

Close the sale

When closing a sale make sure to have ready bags for take away when customers purchase something. If the cabs are not already in their own baggie, make sure to put them in one when closing the sale. Along with putting all sold items into a large bag for easy customer transport.

And lastly, having a complete booth makes you look professional in my opinion. A trash can for customers and yourself is a simple touch, a reseller frame for your liences or exempt status of you/your business. And in todays cilate offering wipes or some sort of cleaning solution for yourself and your customers will make them feel safe to touch your cabochons if need be.

And Of coarse make sure to have some business cards if even just to point them to your email and website. Maybe offer a email sign up list sheet where you draw a prize after every show and the winner comes off of the email list.

On the next page lets talk about the actual show, where to find them and how to work a show……