Know when to fold them

The most difficult thing I have to do when I am at a craft show is to figure out how to give my time to my customers. I wish it were really as simple as saying "treat everyone equally" but that just isn't realistic at all.

I try to do just that, but there is always the time that you get the difficult customer. The one that asks you the in depth questions, sometimes the same questions in different ways. I had one last year that went a little like this:

Q: are these good for sensitive skin
A: yes, they are all considered hypoallergenic, but you need to use caution. If you break out harvesting lavender from your garden, I would avoid my lavender soap, because it has real lavender in it. Hypoallergenic is not a 100% promise, it means most chemicals that bother the most people the most often are not present in my products.

Q: But these are for a gift, how will I know what bothers them
A: I would try something like the Oatmeal, Milk, & Honey. But all my products have their ingredients either listed on their packaging or on my web site, so the person who you are giving them to can look them up and decide for themselves if they want to use it or not.

Q: But I don't want to get them something they can't use.
A: I am sorry ma'am but I don't know the intended recipient. I can only tell you that I have been making products for 14 years now and haven't had a complaint about the soaps I am suggesting to you.

Q: you've made Oatmeal soap for 14 years
A: Actually more, but it was more of a hobby before 2000.

As this goes on and on, at least 12 more customers come and go. Some stop and tell her they have been using my products for years. Some get upset that she is obviously monopolizing my time. In the end she decides again buying anything and leaves. Should I have given her so much time? I think so...the questions she was asking aloud are often things people think to themselves. I had no problem with answering all of the questions in the most honest way I knew how.

Another example:

Q: what makes these washcloths better than store bought?
A: they are 100% cotton, all hand knit, and have two different textures for both your body and face

Q: but how did you make this one yellow?
A: I don't know much about the dye process. I buy the yarn already in colors and just knit the washcloths, sorry.
Response: But I thought you said they were hand made

OK, I have to tell the truth. I know quite a lot about dying techniques. I like the chemistry behind it. I love to knit. I like to learn all I can about the things I like to do. But in this instance I chose to not get into the intricacies of  dying yarn. I am a soapmaker, not a yarn dyer. The washcloths are made as an adjunct product, they are not what I make a living at. This customer had never even picked up or smelled one soap. Giving an in depth answer would not have helped me in any way. It probably wasn't a sale, or if it was it was for something I consider secondary. What I would be saying wouldn't be teaching anyone else in my booth anything relevant to my products, and the time I would take to explain could have taken away from real potential sales or relevant questions.

So I one thing I have learned over the years is to know when to fold them and walk away. Not every question has to be answered, not every customer deserves your undying attention, and not everyone who walks into the booth is going to be a sale, no matter how much time and energy you give them. It is all OK.  Just try to be fair with your time, try and make everyone feel welcome, and if someone out stays their welcome, know when to give up and tactfully move on to the next customer.