Basic HTML Version
10
vendors in the farmers’ market. A 3
by 5 inch (75 mm x 125 mm) card is
sufficient in size. Light tan coloured
cards are less visible. Consumers
should be drawn to your stall by the
beautiful display and then clearly see
the product price.
Product Returns
Have a generous return policy.
Whenever you have an unsatisfied
customer, make it right. The best
policy is to replace the product with
an apology, regardless of whether the
product was faulty or the customer
didn’t handle it properly. The bottom
line is, you don’t want an unhappy
customer telling their friends that they
got a bad product and you wouldn’t
make it right.
Rule of thumb
Happy customers tell five of their
friends when they get something
they like, but unhappy customers
tell 10 of their friends how they
were “ripped off.”
Promoting
Your New
Farmers’ Market
Enterprise
The most important factor is what you
do in your stall at the farmers’ market.
The easiest customer you will ever
attract is the one walking by. Some
other great ways to get noticed were
touched on before: ambience, great
displays and cleanliness.
Have an attractive, professionally
made sign
hung in a prominent place
identifying your farm name.
Develop a weekly newsletter
. It can
include:
• what products are available this
week
• a couple of recipes preferably with
your farm name in the body of the
recipe (Smith Farms Strawberry
Glazed Tarts)
• a few “food facts” about one or two
of your products
• a picture of a member of the
family performing some production
activity
• a list of what products are coming
next week
Keep it simple. Develop the newsletter
template in the winter. Before the
first seasonal market simply insert
information for “what’s available this
week” and “what’s coming soon,”
then print 50 – 100 copies. Be sure to
put your farm name and logo on the
newsletter.
Have a sign-up sheet at the market
so you can collect names and email
addresses. Send customers the
newsletter each week before market
day, which would not only tell them
what to look for, but also remind them
to come to the farmers’ market. You
can also remind your customers when
the market is opening for the season.
Build a website
describing your
operation, products and where your
products are sold. Be sure to put your
website address on all your marketing
material.
Give customers the opportunity to
call in or e-mail
an order that will be
ready for pick up at the next farmers’
market. This will ensure customers
are getting some of your best quality
strawberries without getting up early