Staging Sells - Holiday Craft Mart 12/8/11

Staging Sells - Holiday Craft Mart

Dolores and I enjoyed the Holiday Craft Mart at the First Baptist Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The display by Something Earthy Pottery Studio, in Laytonsville, MD was outstanding and Dolores selected two items to purchase and we decided to visit the studio.

Which of the items did Dolores select? What influences your purchases during this holiday season?

Normally, I would have expected Dolores to be attracted by the hand crafted jewelry which was made by the lady in the photograph, Teresa Kimery. The young man in the picture is Tony Phillips, the son of Linda Phillips, the potter and the owner of Something Earthy Pottery Studio.

The two items that were staged or marketed by suggestion were the crab dip baker and the yarn bowl and these are the items that Dolores purchased.

The crab dip baker would have just been a bowl if it did not include a crab dip recipe and a dipper that demonstrated the intended use and stimulated the thought process of the purchaser. The yarn bowl was staged with yarn and knitting needles to clearly demonstrate the intended use by the purchaser or as a gift. The yarn bowl included a printed slip explaining that the yarn bowl will keep those balls from rolling all over the place. The bowl also has a curved cutout, where you insert the yarn for your current project.

When we visited the studio the next day, Linda Phillips, was all smiles to hear that her marketing skills lead to successful sales and referrals. Real estate professionals need to give as much attention to the marketing of their listings as the potter gives in the marketing of her products. Even beautiful things can be made more desirable.

You want the Baked Crab Dip recipe? Okay, here it is:

Baked Crab Dip Recipe

12 oz. lump crab

1/2 cup sour cream

1 T. lemon juice

1/2 t. dry mustard

8 oz. cream cheese

4 T. mayo

1 1/4 t. Worchestershire Sauce

1 T. milk

1/2 t. Old Bay

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix together with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.

Spread in Crab Baker with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese on the top.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!

Photographs by Roy Kelley using a Canon PowerShot G11 camera.

Roy and Dolores Kelley Photographs