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! 😎