You’ve done the work and now you are putting yourself out there for your first boutique event. You have put in so many hours and arranged so many details to lead you to this moment. You should be proud of yourself. It is also perfectly acceptable to feel nervous. Below are a few ideas to help you make sure your big day goes off without a hitch.

Practice Your Pitch

During the event, you should plan on sharing a short speech with those in attendance. Emphasis on short, this pitch should be about 30-seconds long. If you are drawing a blank on things you can say, you may want to consider welcoming and thanking your guests for being there. You can also share your excitement about the products and offer to answer any questions they may have.

Ultimately, you want to come off as being personable and enthusiastic. Help your guests feel comfortable and valued. Your energy will flow to those around you and create a positive atmosphere they will want to return to. For the best delivery, practice your speech multiple times in the mirror and film yourself so you can take an outside perspective on your delivery.

Prepare Business Cards

Another way to drive customers to your boutique is to make personalized Business cards. Business cards serve many purposes like making yourself available to contact and spreading the word about your services. Personalized business cards say a lot about your personality, your business, and the type of customer you are marketing for.

On opening day, you should have some readily available business cards. Hand them out to the individuals that stop by to personally connect with your customer. Connecting will help them remember you and will make them more likely to stop by in the future.

Dress Up for Confidence

Day of your event, you should dress like you are applying for a job with your customers. You want to dress up in a way that is casual and doesn’t overwhelm your customer while giving you the confidence you need to apply for their business. Consider dressing in a way that matches your boutique’s aesthetic. For example, a denim skirt can give you confidence while retaining a casual look.

This is a big event, and you want to be successful. Whichever outfit you choose, make sure it makes you feel confident. There is truth in the idea that when you look good, you feel good.

Create Your Display

Now that you have decided how you want to present yourself, it is time to figure out how you want to present your business. The products you have spent long and hard developing deserve to be presented in a likewise creative space. Consider creating a unique display for your products that will help draw the attention of your customers. People are much more likely to purchase a product when their eye is naturally drawn to it. Ultimately, make sure your display reflects who you are. The space you create will say a lot about your style and form of business.

 Offer Day of Incentives

Another way to drive traffic to your event is by offering a day of incentives. You can boost sales by handing out discounts for those in attendance. Create a customer loyalty rewards program to promote future business. Additionally, you can provide light refreshments. Work with a local catering company to offer a discount or donate their services. They will likely appreciate the opportunity to advertise their business while supporting your own. Your customers will feel more loyal towards you when they feel like you have made the effort to reward their attendance.

Spread the Word

It is difficult to host a successful event if no one knows about it. Take the time to advertise and market your business. Increase awareness and interest in what you’re selling. This can be as simple as running a social media campaign to alert your followers about opening day details, promotions you will be running, and products you will have available. The more you broadcast your message, the more likely people are going to be excited and show up to support you and your event.

Take Pictures

Hosting your first boutique event is a big deal, it is a day you will always want to remember. Take pictures! Because you will likely be too busy to remember, designate or hire a photographer to take pictures throughout the day. These pictures will certainly be used for memories down the road.

Pictures can also serve as advertising opportunities and social media posts which will help drive traffic to your business. Posting live updates and pictures throughout the day will also help remind people of your event and bring in even more visitors.

Send a Follow Up Thank You

Following your event, you should follow up with a thank you. Thank the people that helped you organize and carry out your vision. Thank the vendors that provided the supplies. Thank the customers who came to support you on your big day. Gratitude always travels far.

Personalization of your expression of gratitude will depend on the size of your event. Perhaps you just send a general email to those who came, or you send out hand-written cards. Either way, conveying your appreciation to those who helped make your event a success will build loyalty to your brand. Everyone wants to feel appreciated. You will create a devoted following by expressing a simple thank you to anyone who helped you along the way.

In addition to friends and family at your event, you will have an entire support system that wants you to succeed. Remember to practice your pitch, prepare your business cards, dress for confidence, tastefully display your boutique, spread the word, and make room to create memories. The most important thing you can do is to be yourself, completely authentic. If you present yourself and your boutique in a professional yet personable way, you will have every opportunity for success.  

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