As a retailer, you know the importance of connecting with your customers. Every conversation you have with a customer is the chance to establish your store’s reputation, promote products and service and generally find out what your customer really wants.
On Demonstrating
You probably also know that an in-store demonstration is a great way to connect with customers. It’s easy, it’s inexpensive and it gives you the chance to educate customers without the hassle of setting up a class.
Never done a demo? Neither had I: Although I had always known that demonstrating sold product—being a consumer myself—in all my years of working a booth at scrapbook conventions, I had never done any demonstrating!
Well, here was my chance: The Oregon Scrapbook Convention was the first stop on our country-wide tour of scrapbook conventions, and I had two full days on the show floor to become an expert (or at least, proficient) at demonstrating.
What I Learned
It didn’t take me two days to discover that being an effective demonstrator takes much more than just enthusiasm and knowledge of the technique. It takes planning, organization and most of all, stamina!
Demo Tip #1: Organize your day. Between Ephemera, sarabooks™, Treasures and Templates, I had plenty to demonstrate. The tricky part was deciding when to demonstrate which type of product. To help, we posted “Now Demonstrating” signs that listed which type of product was being shown, and to promote the demo to passers-by. (A side benefit for me: the variety in themes and products meant I didn’t have to repeat the same exact spiel for two straight days!)
Demo Tip #2: Organize your workspace. At first, my 4’ table was crammed with samples, products, books and flyers. Within a few minutes, I could tell I needed to pare things down! Plate easels were the perfect choice for displaying album page examples. A papier mache toolbox, decorated with Paper Pizazz® Ephemera pieces, held all my pens, scissors, and inkpads while acting as a conversation piece and selling product. And I found I didn’t need to have all my paper on the table—a few sheets were plenty!
Demo Tip #3: Have plenty of stock on hand—and merchandise it next to the demonstrator. My demo table stood directly in front of the Hot Off The Press product selection, making it easy to say, “Yes, and all the items I’m showing you are right behind me!” Another tip: Keep a close eye on the product that sells; when it sells out, put it away and take out a different color, product or technique.
Demo Tip #4: Capitalize on an occasion. The Oregon Scrapbook Convention was in March, making it easy and effective to promote a sarabook™ as a wonderful Mother’s Day gift.
Demo Tip #5: Promote promotions. The distributor offered a “Buy 4, get the 5th item free” promotion—while this was displayed on signs next to the product, customers appreciated being told about the sale as well. If your store offers a promotion, be sure to talk about it.
Demo Tip #6: Focus on the customer. Remember that your customers will stand across the table from you—which means you’ll work partially upside down, with the project facing the customers across the table. I also had to remember to watch my body language: It’s easy to get focused on the project, yet it’s vital to maintain eye contact and a relaxed, friendly posture.
Demo Tip #7: Prepare your projects—and be FIRM. Some demos are designed to stop passers-by, either at a convention or a store. Others are held at a specific time and place. Before you decide what to demo, figure out how much time you have to do it—and what type of setting the demo will take place in. If it’s throughout an entire day, the demo can be much less formal than a two-hour themed demo. And be sure that what you’re demo’ing relates to the product you’re selling: customers asked if I could demonstrate everything from an oval cutter to a template from another company!
Demo Tip #8: Know your power. At one point during the day, I demonstrated altering slide mounts with ink, chalk and paper. Our Slide Mount Treasures were flying from the shelf—then I realized I was focusing the customers’ attention to a $1.99 item! I quickly switched to a demo on altering our Botanical Ephemera and watched as sales of this $9.99 collection rose.
Demo Tip #9: Cross-merchandise your product. Be sure to use products available at the store—that goes for scissors, X-acto knives, cutting tools and pens. Since the booth I was demonstrating in also stocked Fiskars tools, guess what paper cutter I used? Not only did I use Fiskars paper trimmer, I used the very newest one, prompting customers to ask me how I liked the tool and encouraging cross-merchandised sales.
Demo Tip #10: Focus on customer service. There’s a balance between selling and providing a service to customers—both of which are important in demonstrating. I found my balance by focusing on the product the customer was interested in and offering an on-the-spot demo. For example, when customers were shopping the Ephemera, I said, “Don’t you love those? You know, you can also alter them with chalk and ink. I have some at the demo table if you’d like to see.” This made the demo table more of a sales accessory and customers loved the attention. Of course, having a couple of people at the table makes it more approachable for people passing by.
Bonus Demo Tip #11: Make Yourself Comfortable! Don’t forget to make yourself as comfortable as possible physically during the demo. It sounds like a small thing, but after talking non-stop for three hours, I would have paid dearly for a bottle of water. Be sure to take care of yourself physically—which will keep you cheerful and energetic for your customers.
The Facts on Demonstrating
Considering an in-store demo? Here are the facts: A recent HIA study revealed that 50% of the women polled prefer to learn crafts from in-store demonstrations. I bet if they prefer to learn from demos, the store who provides this service will capture their scrapbooking budgets, too. After all, a demo is a great sales opportunity: whether it’s an all-day event or lasts just a few hours, a demo will help establish your store as a key scrapbook supplier, increase store traffic and expose consumers to the newest products.
There are added benefits, too. I discovered that a demo is the perfect way to showcase new product without the investment of class space, time and expense, especially products that incorporate new techniques or materials.
And if you’re looking for a new instructor, a demo might just be the perfect place to audition a potential teacher or store employee; as a demonstrator, she’ll need to explain techniques clearly, provide good customer service and be knowledgeable about the store and products. She’ll also need to have sales skills, from promoting the primary product (the main item being demonstrated) to suggestion-selling additional product.
When to Demo
Store demonstrations can be a special event or a weekly activity. Many retailers tell us they hold regular demos (say every Saturday afternoon from 1-2). These demos highlight a new tool or product and become good sales builders. Caution: If your first demonstration isn’t successful in drawing a crowd, take a step back and review. Sometimes you simply need to repeat it until customers look forward to it and wouldn’t miss it!
A great way to get a demo schedule up and started is to hold them at crops—it’s a great way to treat customers, sell product and foster a retailer-customer relationship.
The Set-Up
How much room should you plan for this activity? My 4’-long table provided a nice amount of space, allowing for tabletop display and activity. Most retailers request the demonstrator stand rather than sit; I found that easier from a demonstrator’s position as well. It made me feel more approachable and made it easier for me to approach customers who were shopping. Table placement is also key: Set up the demonstration in an area of the store where customers will notice the activity, but not in a place that will become too crowded.
A Last Lesson
Demonstrating, I found, wasn’t about lecturing to customers. It’s about interacting with them, from showing the latest techniques to gathering information to be used for upcoming classes or products. Pay close attention to the questions your customers ask—a question that gets repeated might be the next tip in your store newsletter or the basis of a whole new class or demo!
Sidebar: Promoting the Event You’ve got your demo planned, now all you need to do is draw in the crowds. How do you promote the event?
• 2-3 weeks before the event, create signs announcing the demo. Post them in your store windows, alongside the register, and announce it in your store newsletter. • Formally invite customers to the demonstration. Copy an announcement onto a half-sheet of brightly-colored paper. Use these as bag stuffers, place a stack by the scrapbook aisle and keep some by the register. • Generate interest by displaying a sample album. Slip a few album pages into sheet protectors and put them into a 3-ring binder. Display the binder on a table next to scrapbook products, or on the counter next to the register with a large sign inviting customers to come learn. Or post the album page by the register or in a specially designated “Upcoming Demos” bulletin board.
