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The air was thick with the smell of sunscreen and lemon shake-ups, and oh my goodness, the sun was beating down on our little 10x10 booth. I was mostly focused on not melting, but my nine-year-old daughter, Jae, was completely in her element.
This was her first-ever trade show. It all started two years ago when we visited the same children’s business fair in our local area. I remember her eyes sparkling as she saw other kids her age running their booths.
Now, here she was, standing proudly behind a table of pencils, play shovels, and crochet animals. Honestly, my goal for her was simple: have fun, learn a little, and earn some pocket money. But I had no idea what was about to happen.
By the end of the day, she had sold out her booth, made $350, and won one of three awards, hers for "Most Unique Business.”
I have a business of my own, but watching her was like a mini-masterclass. She wasn't using any complicated strategies or slick sales tactics. She was just using her own simple, yet brilliant instincts.
Now I know you’re not reading this just to hear me brag about my daughter. So here are the 7 biggest lessons I learned from my daughter about how to crush your next trade show.
Lesson #1 - A Checklist is Your Best Defense Against Chaos
In the days leading up to the fair, Jae was beyond organized. She had checklists for her inventory, lists for her supplies, another list for her booth setup… It was a whole thing.
She decided to offer on-site engraving as part of her booth, so she needed to pack all of the supplies (like our trusty xTool F1), a power source, and safety equipment.
Because of her excellent preparation, she didn’t have to think about what to bring on the day of the show. She had time to review her lists and make sure they were complete, and nothing was forgotten on the day of the fair.
What I Learned: It’s crucial to list up what you will bring, how you will set up, what you will sell, and more. You can also map out your booth layout so you know where everything will go. That way, you can show up, set up quickly, and be ready to greet customers with your full attention.
[product=xtool-f1-fastest-portable-laser-engraver-with-ir-diode-laser]xTool's ultra-fast and portable laser engraver that can handle tumblers and multiple materials with dual diode and infrared lasers.[/product]
Lesson #2 - The Ultimate Confidence Hack
My daughter was so confident at her booth. Even though we didn’t coach her on it, she greeted everyone who walked by and invited them to look at her booth.
When I asked her where that confidence came from, she gave this advice: “If you like your project, then you'll feel confident about it.”
That was the secret. She was genuinely, head-over-heels in love with her products. And she was so excited for new customers to find them.
Of course she was! She had practiced engraving until she was happy with her work. We’d chosen good blanks for her products, and she was ready to engrave them with pre-made templates and settings.
In fact, I feel the same way about my personalized gifts business. Because I choose professional-grade blanks (like those from MakerFlo), I’m confident that my customers will be happy when they open their gifts.
(I also love to nerd out on packaging, which helps! Check out my packaging secrets here.)
What I Learned: If you’re not feeling confident about your products, there’s a reason why. Are you not sure of your product quality? Not confident in your skills? Or worried that other businesses have a more interesting product? If so, you can choose premium blanks, practice your skills more, or brainstorm how you can set yourself apart from other businesses. Confidence will naturally follow.
Lesson #3 - You Can Win Your Day Before It Starts
You don’t want to show up to your trade show and just “wing it.”
After Jae made her lists, she took it a step further. She figured out her laser settings for on-site engraving, and she made a template for her products so she only had to delete and retype the names.
She practiced her entire setup at home, so when we got there, there was no fumbling around. Then, when customers came in to order personalized pencils and play shovels, she only needed to ask their name. That put her customers at ease and gave them a great experience at her booth.
What I Learned: Your success is determined before you leave the house. If you’re doing on-site customization, you want to do a full practice run to solve problems before they happen. It’s good to prepare everything possible in advance so your setup and operations are as simple as they can be.
Lesson #4 - Your Eyes Are Your Most Powerful Sales Tool
During the show, I was watching Jae from the side, and she was making eye contact and offering a warm "hi" to every person walking by. It was the smallest thing, but oh my gosh, it worked.
In a crowded place like a trade show, so many people walk by with their heads down. Jae's simple, friendly hello invited people to engage. She had a constant flow of people at her booth because of it.
At one point, my husband and I left Jae at the booth with my parents and went to grab food. There we saw a little boy and girl, playing with their new crochet animals.
When I complimented their new toys, their mom told me, “There’s this little girl, and she’s so personable and cute. I just wanted to buy all the animals. But I couldn’t do that! Her name is Jae. You should go see her.” I could barely hold it in, and I blurted out, “She’s my daughter!”
What I Learned: The best strategy for drawing traffic is making a personal connection. It’s important to stand (or sit) up straight, keep your eyes outward, smile, and greet the people who walk by your booth. There’s no better invitation than that.
Lesson #5 - Your Best Marketing Idea Might Be a Little Weird!
About a week before the event, Jae got this totally out-of-the-box idea. She painted a bunch of rocks, flipped them over, and wrote “Come to Booth 11 for $2 off.” On the day of the event, she hid them all over the neighboring park. How fun is that?!
On the day of the fair, people were coming up to her booth, rock in hand, saying, "We had to come see what this was all about!" It created this amazing buzz and pulled people in who weren’t even attending the business fair.
What I Learned: The best marketing ideas go beyond your booth. Ask yourself: What’s one fun, low-cost thing I can do to get people’s attention?
Lesson #6 - Simplify Your Offers to Make Selling Easier
Originally, Jae set up her sticker printer to make custom stickers. But she quickly realized it was too much for one person, especially with a line forming.
Instead of panicking, she made one executive decision. She put the sticker machine away and focused on engraving her items and selling crochet animals. It simplified everything and let her products shine.
What I Learned: It’s better to sell one thing with excellence than five things with chaos. It’s okay to simplify your offerings, even on the fly.
Lesson #7 - We All Need a Support System
Right after we set up our booth, we started to feel the hot sun. We desperately needed a tent, but we couldn't leave the booth.
So I called my mom and tasked her with buying a tent and bring it to us. She totally saved the day. Thank God for our little team.
We also felt support from the wider community. Both during and after the event, so many people showed up to encourage my daughter. And when I posted pictures in my Facebook Group, I saw comment after comment congratulating her on her success.
It meant so much to her, and to us. And I realized, we really don’t know the impact we have on people. When someone steps out of their comfort zone and tries something new, it’s up to us to cheer them on. Everyone starts somewhere.
What I Learned: We can’t do big things alone. We need our own support system, whether that’s a spouse, friends, or team members, to help us. And when we see others working hard and trying new things, that’s our chance to encourage them and give them our support. It goes both ways.
I learned so much from my daughter’s first show. She may only be nine, but she demonstrated so many best practices that work whether you’re at a children’s fair or a high-level professional event.
You have the creativity and passion. And these lessons can help you prepare and show up with excellence and confidence. So what are you waiting for? Go crush your next show—I’m rooting for you!
Want to connect further? I’d love for you to join my community of 16,000 members over in the Primary Market Laser Partners group on Facebook. We’re all learning and growing together. You can also find me on the Primary Market website and on Facebook.
If you’d like to see some of the beautiful, pre-packaged blanks I use to create my premium gifts, you can check out my curated collection of MakerFlo products.
Thank you, Kathryn, for sharing your insights with us! Connect with MakerFlo by joining our free MakerFlo Makers Community and following us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Next up, find more great resources for growing your maker business by visiting our MakerFlo Pro resource hub.
