Let's talk farmers markets...

[LaurenClev]

Raise your hand if you regularly sell your products at a local's farmers market ✋

Let's talk about building relationships with customers at farmers markets. Having that consistent relationship with your local community is so important. How do you engage with shoppers, cultivate repeat business, and encourage customer loyalty at these events? 

I'd love to hear any memorable interactions or customer service practices that have contributed to your success. Maybe we can pick up a few tips and tricks from each other 💜

[maxpete]

Congrats on retirement!! 

Hope you're able to get in the Holiday market too! You'll have to keep us posted 🙌 

[alexandriak]

Not really a farmers market or flea market but every year I host Mother's Day Outdoor Market in my local downtown. It happens on Mother's Day each year, and I close down an entire city block and fill the street with local businesses. It brings hundreds of people to my downtown area every year. 

Some tips from an event organizer:

-Make sure you have clear signage with your business name. Purchase a banner from visaprint, or somewhere local. The banner signs tend to look the nicest, they're easier to travel with, and because they're lightweight easy to hang from your tent. 

-Make sure you have business cards and ways for your customers to easily connect with you on social media. Branded packaging goes a long way in making your area feel more professional, but it's another way for your customers to take your brand home and be reminded of you. 

-Keep the clutter away. Seriously. Put your things under your table (that is covered with a tablecloth completely) or take it back to your car if you won't need it until after the event. 

-Talk to people! My vendors that engage easily with people are the ones who do the best.

[maxpete]

These are amazing tips, especially around removing clutter and most of all, talking to people! Sounds so simple, but a lot don't do it!

[alexandriak]

It does sound simple and there are those vendors who don't. I watched a vendor at my show this past weekend sit on their phone. Almost every time I walked by they were buried in it. I have a feeling they didn't do well which I hate, but I wonder what they were doing when I couldn't see them. 

[maxpete]

very true!

[JJE1]

We sell Freeze Dried candy. We started at a Farmers Market in WA but their restrictions got annoying - among other things so we moved to ID. We started out in a small town and have been slowly building customers. This year we signed up with a Market about an hour away but MUCH more traffic and our first day 3/4 through we beat our best day of the season at the other one. Still going to do the small one (supporting local and all) but even with 3 other vendors, that was a good day indeed for the first day. When summer hits, we're looking forward to having some of the stories we've seen from others that sell out in a day. Interaction, as has been said, is key. Sitting and barely looking up means missed opportunities, plus you can get that level of apathy at a grocery store. People come to a Market to meet the people making the product, ask questions and try. We're researching taking pre-orders and special orders along with give aways and loyalty rewards. The sky's the limit!

[maxpete]

Glad that you have been able to pivot and find better suited markets! Awesome to hear all of the different initiatives to make it a success too!

[ryanwanner]

When my brick and mortar closed up last fall, I pivoted my business to selling almost exclusively at farmers markets.

I agree with everyone's ideas here: stay standing, have great signage, be friendly, put the darned phone away, and decorate your space in an eye catching way.

Sampling is always helpful for the food and bev sellers of course. I'd also add figure a way to collaborate with some of the other vendors. I sell roasted coffee, one of the other regular vendors makes candles. I gave him an expired bag of coffee and he used it to create a coffee-scented candle. There's another regular goat milk vendor and I purchased a batch of goat milk caramel I use in one of my popup coffee bars.

And the biggest advice: blow up social media. Share your market's SM posts, create your own posts, tag the market's SM pages in your posts, and overall promote everything you and your market is doing. The more eyes that see the social media posts, the more feet will walk by your tent.

[AdamB]

One bonus you also have is the wonderful smell of coffee! 😎

[scaryann]

We vend at a farmers market in a town that has two colleges. One is an agricultural/business college (Alfred State) the other is an art college (Alfred University). It's the perfect venue for our handwoven chains. This market alone pays our rent at the storefront. Many of our customers are weekly visitors to the market, but we also see many new faces each year as students graduate and new ones take their place. It's a high quality farmer/artisan market. All produce must be sourced from your own farm, and all products must be made by you the vendor. You really have a chance to get to know the locals, and they get to know you. 

I really do wish though that people would understand that not everyone can stand up for hours at these things. Not all vendors are able bodied, please stop discouraging those who cannot stand up or go hours without eating. I sit at my table and weave, it's a GREAT conversation starter! My crutches are often propped up on my canopy wall near me as a reminded that not everyone is able bodied, but that shouldn't stop us from doing what we love. 

[ryanwanner]

Hey @scaryann !

In response to your comment about not being able to stand up, I fully get it!

Where I'm at with it is more of a comment about some of the vendors around me who sit down in their chair, head down buried in their phone, for the entire market. Zero acknowledgement of anyone who stops at their table, not to mention the ones who take a hard look at the product as they walk by. Inevitably these are the vendors who end up complaining that they didn't make a lot of money.

If you're doing something like weaving while seated and still interact with your customers, I believe you're doing it all correctly! I know I'd stop at your booth to watch what you're doing, it's a great attention-grabber!

I think the bigger thing is that you're welcoming every potential customer who stops or slows down to see what you're doing: to me that's more important than anything.

[scaryann]

I get what you're saying about those who don't even attempt to engage with customers. My comment was really to open people's eyes to the fact that vendors are human too. I can't even count how many times I've heard someone say "I'd never shop with someone who is snacking or sitting at their booth." I just get really annoyed when I hear or see those comments. My other half is diabetic, he has to snack or even eat a meal when we are at a market. I have a connective tissue disorder, I can dislocate a hip while sitting in a chair. It just gets really, really frustrating. 🙂

[whysprs]

Neither me or my wife are able to stand long anymore, so usually we are sitting but we engage with people constantly. Yea it brings those sells in just by simply saying hello or howdy or even hows it going today? People that are locked in to try not to even look your way will generally at least glance over to respond at least. About 45% of our sells is just from us greeting people as they walk by and wouldnt have even looked had we not gotten thier attention. Ive noticed most people at markets will kinda walk in a general direction and scan the area before walking through and then those who arnt engaging usually dont even have the person stop unless that is specifically what someone is looking for. 

Also, new items every week seems to bring in return customers as well. Doesnt have to be a bunch of new things just say 1 new item or so. With me most the times its rings, other times its a necklace. Or with my wife it a new series of hand bags or something else crocheted. That gets put out front so it draws attention. She also will crochet items while we are there and often times im either mingling with the crowd picking up produce in on of our bags or making something behind our counter. As for being on the phone, usually im only removing something from inventory. It has to be something real important to use the phone for otherwise. 

[bonny]

I totally agree.  I had my knee replaced four months ago.  There is no way I can stand on my feet all day right now and before surgery, I couldn't either so it's been years of adapting around my physical limitations.  I think it's totally ok to do what you can do and accommodate what you can't do.