Sippin’ Sunday: Not Every Win Is in the Sales Total

Grab your coffee, because yesterday’s market gave me a little reminder I probably needed. ☕️

It wasn’t my biggest sales day.

And if you’ve ever done markets, you know how easy it is to pack everything back into the car at the end of the day and immediately start doing the math.

Was it worth it?

We look at the booth fee. The sales. The hours we spent there. The time it took to pack, load, unload, set up, break down and load everything again.

And listen—sales matter.

We’re running businesses. I’m not going to pretend they don’t. 😂

But yesterday reminded me that sales aren’t always the only way to measure whether a market was successful.

Sometimes the Win Is the Conversation

Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time actually talking with customers.

Not just: Hi! Let me know if you have any questions!

I mean real conversations.

We talked about people they were shopping for. I shared some of the custom gifts I can create. We talked about different ideas, price points and ways I could put something together specifically for someone they love.

Some of those conversations resulted in purchases.

Some didn’t.

But they created something else:

A connection.

And the longer I do this, the more I realize how important that is.

Someone may not need what I’m selling today.

But Christmas is coming. Birthdays are coming.

Teacher gifts, thank-you gifts, celebrations and those random “I need something for someone who is impossible to shop for” moments are coming. 😂

And when that happens, I want them to remember the woman they met at the market who said:

Tell me a little about them. I bet we can come up with something.

That’s a different kind of sale.

It just hasn’t happened yet.

Building a Business Beyond the Booth

I’m heading into the final two months of markets for the year, and they’ll probably be my busiest.

Of course I want strong sales days.

But I also want something bigger than one transaction.

I want people to come back.

I want someone who bought a Blind Date with a Book to remember me when they need a gift.

I want customers to know they can message me and say, “I have $40 and I need something for my sister who loves books and coffee. Help!” 😂

I want someone who met me at a market months ago to see Rise Up Designs online and think: Oh! I remember her.

That’s longevity.

And you don’t build that by only focusing on the person standing in front of you with their wallet out.

You build it by talking to people.

Listening.

Remembering what they need.

Sharing what you can do.

And sometimes just having a really good conversation.

☕ Sippin’ Sunday Takeaway

Some market days will have you driving home thinking, YESSSS! 😂

Others will keep you humble.

Both can teach you something.

Look at your sales numbers. Pay attention to what sold. Learn from what didn’t.

But don’t forget to notice the things that aren’t on your sales report.

The person who took your card.

The customer who asked about a future custom order.

The conversation that turned into a follow on social media.

The person who said, “I’m going to come back and find you.”

Because you’re not just trying to make a sale today.

You’re trying to build a business people remember tomorrow.

And sometimes, that’s the biggest win you bring home from a market. ☕️