soapsydaisy
Well-Known Member
Hello Everyone,
I just wanted to share a little of my market knowledge with you all, I sold produce at various farmer's markets in Los Angeles and Orange County for 7 years. I also served as a market manager for two years.
*Be prepared for all types of weather:
- have weights for your EZ Ups in case of wind. Taking 5 to 10 minutes to tie everything down can save you the cost of buying a new tent and the liability of your tent hitting a car, person, other booth, etc.
- Have tarps ready to cover your tables in case of a sudden rain storm.
*Have change ready, many shoppers come to shop with large bills.
*Have bags for your product.
*Learn the names of your regular customers and ask them how their day is going. Consumers like to shop at farmer's market because they want to know where their products come from. If you seem friendly and approachable, people will stop to ask questions about your products.
*Be friendly and attentive, saying good morning to every person that walks by is a good way to get people to notice you. Do not sit in your booth texting on your cell phone and expect people to come to you. If you want to give samples of your soap, this is a good lure to get people in.
*Try to stay busy in your booth, rearrange your product, tidy up, label your product, etc. People are more likely to come into your booth if you look busy.
*Take the time to brand your product and business. Invest in vinyl banners listing your business name, location, and what products you sell. Have a nicely printed sign (or several) with your logo listing all of your prices, people hate asking what things cost.
*Make your booth look inviting, use clean tableclothes, baskets, have pamphlets or business cards visible, your customers want to know about you and what you are all about.
*Keep in mind, many shoppers at farmer's markets are not shopping for crafts, so don't be offended if people are not interested. Do take the time to acknowledge these people, if they see you enough times they will eventually decide to buy something if you are always friendly.
*Price according to the area. Know your customers. In many areas of Los Angeles, I would price my items higher because I knew that no matter the price, my customers would haggle to get it lower, being aware of that I was able to price accordingly. Don't be offended by hagglers, it is a cultural difference in many cases. Instead of lowering the price of a bag of $3.50 avocados, I would haggle them down to buying 3 bags for $9. I sold more product for a small loss, however my goal was always to sell all of my produce because it is perishable, how you want to handle this issue is a personal choice.
*Keep lots of product out, customers like to see a large selection. My old saying, "pile it high, kiss it goodbye."
*Keep a professional presence - Do not talk badly about other vendors and be polite to everyone.
* Make a point to arrive on time or even early, managers hate dealing with late vendors after the market has started. Trust me, the market world is small and managers do talk to each other. Don't get a bad reputation because you will not be invited to participate in other markets even if your product is wonderful.
*If you are able, give your fellow vendors a discount. Vendors will recommend your products to others and are likely to be consistent customers because you will see them on a regular basis.
Sorry for the long post and I'm sure there are things I didn't cover. I can't stress it enough, have a good attitude and put on your friendliest smile.
I just wanted to share a little of my market knowledge with you all, I sold produce at various farmer's markets in Los Angeles and Orange County for 7 years. I also served as a market manager for two years.
*Be prepared for all types of weather:
- have weights for your EZ Ups in case of wind. Taking 5 to 10 minutes to tie everything down can save you the cost of buying a new tent and the liability of your tent hitting a car, person, other booth, etc.
- Have tarps ready to cover your tables in case of a sudden rain storm.
*Have change ready, many shoppers come to shop with large bills.
*Have bags for your product.
*Learn the names of your regular customers and ask them how their day is going. Consumers like to shop at farmer's market because they want to know where their products come from. If you seem friendly and approachable, people will stop to ask questions about your products.
*Be friendly and attentive, saying good morning to every person that walks by is a good way to get people to notice you. Do not sit in your booth texting on your cell phone and expect people to come to you. If you want to give samples of your soap, this is a good lure to get people in.
*Try to stay busy in your booth, rearrange your product, tidy up, label your product, etc. People are more likely to come into your booth if you look busy.
*Take the time to brand your product and business. Invest in vinyl banners listing your business name, location, and what products you sell. Have a nicely printed sign (or several) with your logo listing all of your prices, people hate asking what things cost.
*Make your booth look inviting, use clean tableclothes, baskets, have pamphlets or business cards visible, your customers want to know about you and what you are all about.
*Keep in mind, many shoppers at farmer's markets are not shopping for crafts, so don't be offended if people are not interested. Do take the time to acknowledge these people, if they see you enough times they will eventually decide to buy something if you are always friendly.
*Price according to the area. Know your customers. In many areas of Los Angeles, I would price my items higher because I knew that no matter the price, my customers would haggle to get it lower, being aware of that I was able to price accordingly. Don't be offended by hagglers, it is a cultural difference in many cases. Instead of lowering the price of a bag of $3.50 avocados, I would haggle them down to buying 3 bags for $9. I sold more product for a small loss, however my goal was always to sell all of my produce because it is perishable, how you want to handle this issue is a personal choice.
*Keep lots of product out, customers like to see a large selection. My old saying, "pile it high, kiss it goodbye."
*Keep a professional presence - Do not talk badly about other vendors and be polite to everyone.
* Make a point to arrive on time or even early, managers hate dealing with late vendors after the market has started. Trust me, the market world is small and managers do talk to each other. Don't get a bad reputation because you will not be invited to participate in other markets even if your product is wonderful.
*If you are able, give your fellow vendors a discount. Vendors will recommend your products to others and are likely to be consistent customers because you will see them on a regular basis.
Sorry for the long post and I'm sure there are things I didn't cover. I can't stress it enough, have a good attitude and put on your friendliest smile.
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