Introvert at a Craft Fair: How do I Cope?

As an introvert, craft fairs are a bit challenging for me. However, they are my business’s main income source, so I continue to participate in them. And they get me out of the house and force me to interact with people, which is never a bad thing.

Introverts are people who require fewer stimuli and prefer one on one interactions. Where extroverts thrive in the chaos of a lot of stimuli and noise. And naturally, craft fairs are loud, and busy, and ideally have a lot of people around.

So you’re probably wondering, “How does she get through a craft fair with some of her sanity intact? That’s gotta be a mess for her.” Well, here are four things that I do to maintain my inner peace, while still having a successful event.

1. All of my products are clearly labeled with a price. This just helps everyone. And some of my customers may also be introverts and not want to ask. This also helps me not have to tell every person who stops by what my prices are.
2. I bring work with me. I handwrite blog posts and product descriptions and think of other things that I need to do when I get home. I’m surprisingly productive when I’m not busy with customers, and when I force myself to try and stay off of my phone. I wish I could bring my greeting card supplies with me, but I tend to make a mess when I’m doing that.
3. I make sure that I’m awake by the time the event starts. I am not the friendliest person in the mornings, so I wake up way before I need to, so I can adjust to being awake. That way, by the time the event starts I can at least fake being a friendly helpful vendor. Caffeine helps.
4. I put on the biggest smile that I can muster. I hesitate to say that because I despise being told to smile, but sometimes a smile says more than a hello does. I also don’t want to look unapproachable, so at the very least, I try not to look angry or bored. Caffeine helps with this too.

Those are my four tips for keeping my sanity as an introvert at a craft fair. What about you guys? Are you an introvert, an extrovert, or somewhere in between? Do you have any tips for surviving craft fairs?