The RemarkableMarket Stall

Jamey Coughlin Business Development & Economics coughljp@gov.ns.ca

What is remarkable?

If you saw a purple cow, what would YOU do?

• Stop• Take a second look• Come back again• Tell your friends• Talk about it

Remarkable

The Remarkable Market Stall

• Effective Display Techniques• The Right Signs• Tells a Great Story• Exceptional Customer Service

Ask yourself ONE question…

• How can I make things EASIER for my customers?

and remember ONE thing…

• The right mix of strategy, product, quality, display, merchandising techniques, pricing and customer service will make your market sales sizzle, and increase your profits and pleasure.

Today:• Display, Signage, Story & Service • Lots of information, ideas,

pictures and questions • References:

Farmers' Markets are: • Growing in popularity• Lots of buzz in the press• Locavore was word of the year• More customers each season• Offer a sense of community,

unique, fresh and quality products, connection with neighbours, shared civic values and lots of hugs...

Why bother with remarkable?

Isn't pretty nice, best stall in town, worked for 20 years OK?

Why is a constantly improvingdisplay important?

Competition is intense & evolving

• Consumers bombarded with priorities, messages, information and advertising

Customers are stressed out!• Time• Money• RRSPs• Job• Kids• Health• Planet• Future

• New markets and vendors • More people are NOT shopping at

markets than shopping at them • Profitability / balance challenges• Local Food Trend gets customers

to the market; but quality, experience and ease bring them back and coming to YOUR stall

Good News!

• Challenges common to all retail• Lots of simple tips and tricks• They work

Effective Display Techniques

BASICS

• Layout• Organization• Appearance• Cleanliness

Table Layout• Shallow is better than deep• Parallel to traffic flow is better than

aisles, alcoves or obstructions• Product should be accessible

Make it Easy!

Increase customer reach with layers

Angle product towards the customer

Layers give illusion of abundance

No bending! Knee to shoulder height

`

Display similar products together…

Produce different varieties of the same product

Offer a variety of sizes…

Is your stall clean?

• Garbage?• Unattractive containers?• Your own food and

purchases?• Are storage containers in

good shape?

CLEAN & Organized?

• Freshness is why people shop at farmers’ markets

• Product should be first quality, anything less should be marked

• Keep it cool enroute and at market• No amount of marketing or

merchandising will make up for poor quality

ONLY NUMBER ONE QUALITY

Make it easy

• Easy to see while passing by• Easy to see at the stall• Easy to find what they want• Easy to reach• Easy to purchase

NEVER lose a sale because...• A customer couldn't see what they were

seeking• You left a 1/2 eaten lunch on the table• You tried to sell product that you knew

you shouldn't bring to market• A customer saw you treat unsold

product like compost the week before

To really kick it up a notch...

Appeal to your customer’s SENSES!

Pile it high and watch it fly!

For eye appeal, mix up the color

Small details like tables cloths and baskets matter

Be creative if your product cannot be displayed

Use aroma to draw attention…

Smell Me!!!!

Smell Me!!!!

Activities & Demo's are awesome!

Sampling & freebees sell products

Don't forget the sense of humour

Additional Display Tips• Leverage all the senses• Change with the seasons • Balance abundance with clutter• Continuously restock displays • As you run out, reduce display size

The Right Signs

“A display without a sign is a sign of no display.”

• Placement• Message

Every product needs a price sign…

Visible, Legible and EASY

• The vast majority of customers will not ASK about prices

• If in doubt, they will keep walking...

Visible, Legible and EASY

Will customers block your signs?

Don’t forget to tell them who you are!

Sign construction• Avoid white background – it draws the

eye away from your products• Best coloring is black on yellow OR

green, red or black on off-white• Laminated signs!

• can be changed as needed• Keep lettering neat• NEVER be negative!

FONT SIZE

Make it Easy!

Beyond price...

• Using signs to communicate a meaningful message

What kind of information?

• Why are you special?• What's in it for the

customer?• Why should they

believe you?

Make it Easy!

Understand what you do great!• Emphasize one or two key ideas:• “The apple pie guy”• “The heirloom tomato people”• Any more and customers get confused

CONFUSION DOES NOT EQUAL EASY

What is in it for the customer?

Features are the• Facts• Figures • Practices• Details

“So What?”

Features BenefitsSlippery Peel “So What” Creates great laughsSoft & Mushy “So What” Easy for kids to eatPotassium “So What” Reduce cramping

Overt BenefitYou TRIPLE the effectiveness ofyour marketing efforts by OVERTLY

communicating your customer benefit

What they will

Receive, Enjoy, ExperienceIn exchange for their

Time, Trouble, Trust and Money

Be crystal clear:

NEVER let a customer say NO because they don’tunderstand what you’re offering

Reasons to Believe?• Farmers' Markets have a head start• Wavering confidence in the food system• Listeriosis, Melamine, E.Coli, Salmonella • Food Miles, Climate, Efficiency• Michael Pollan Factor• People don't know what to believe

What is a remarkable RTB for yourproduct, stall & business?

1. Common Sense Argument2. Personal Experience3. Verification/Pedigree4. Customer Testimonials5. Guarantee

Ideas

• Empirical Data - 3 out of 4 think....• Contests – Winner of ______ Award• Stories – our baker trained in France at...• Wall of Testimonials • Cred by association – served at Bistro• Cred by association – studies and research• Demonstrations – cooked weight of meat

vs. frozen burgers

Message

• Why are you special?• What's in it for the customer?• Why should they believe you?

• Position yourself above the crowd, and be remarkable!

Tell a Great Story

Stories• Who we are, Who others are• We crave stories / oral tradition and

human connections• Plot, Characters & Emotions• Good stories are passed on• The material value will lessen, the story

value will increase

Tell YOUR story• Help customers

get to know you• Put a face on food• Pictures, family,

visits, videos, website

Make it Easy!

Storylines

• Adventures for Sale• Togetherness, Friendship & Love• The Market for Care• The Who-Am-I Market• The Market for Peace of Mind• The Market for Convictions

Market for Convictions

• Great stories and REAL meaning are the small, sustainable operation’s UNFAIR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES!

Can a locally grown, certified organic blueberry, home-baked pie…

be traded for 2 backstage passes to see the Rolling Stones?

Stories• Stories are the ultimate marketing

and authenticity tool• Humans are hard wired for stories• When we hear a great story, we

retell it• Stories connect your customers to

you and your products to your customers lives

Exceptional Customer Service

Top 5 FM customer annoyances:• Vendor can not make change• Vendor fails to acknowledge customers• Long, slow line forms at the stand• Vendor is chatting with friends, other

vendors or other customers, long wait• Vendor talks on cell phone while serving

customers!

Body Language is CRITICAL!

•57%of Communication is visual

• Smiling? Arms crossed? Sitting? Making Eye contact? Eating? Distracted?

Tips• Pay attention to your appearance• Engage customers ASAP• Give them 100% attention• Be reliable• Share your knowledge • Go the extra mile• EXPRESS GRATITUDE

Are you actively promoting?• What is coming in future weeks? (make

sure they come back!)• Provide or ask for meal ideas using

ingredients (participation)• Make suggestions and WANT the sale• Are you using your regulars to influence

new customers?

Seek and Measure Satisfaction• A satisfied customer tells fewer than 5 people• An unsatisfied customer tells more than 10• Ask questions, do surveys, do taste tests,

document results and make changes• Raise the bar• A sales drop shouldn't be the first sign of a

problem!

Understand and Anticipate Customer Demands

• How are they using your products?• When? Entertaining?• WANT or a NEED?• Are they eating right away?• Where are they shopping mid-week?• What are they doing after market?

Find Your NicheMostly Satisfied Somewhat

Unsatisfied

Mostly Satisfied Somewhat

Unsatisfied

The New Rules• The old rule was this: Create safe

products and combine them with great marketing.

• Average products for average people. Commodities...

• The new rule is: Create remarkable products that the right people seek out.

ParticipationPowerlessnessPriceQualitySafetySkills Social JusticeStatusTime

Dignity EnvironmentExperienceGuiltHealthHopeImportanceIncome Local Farm Viability

Affordable IndulgenceCalmCelebration ChildrenClimateCollaborationCommunity Complication

Important Questions

• What are their stresses?• What are their values?• What are they doing with your product?• How can you serve them better than their

current options?

How?

• Talk, Talk, Talk!!!!• Get contact info• Do a survey• Build a group of trusted advisors• Read magazines, go to restaurants

Make changes...

Selling Strategies for Local Producers : http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/hort/g06222.htm

Selling Strategies for Local Producers : http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/hort/g06222.htm

The Remarkable Market Stall

• Effective Display Techniques• The Right Signs• Tells a Great Story• Exceptional Customer Service

It goes back to ONE question

• How can I make things EASIER for my customers?

So Make it Easy!

and ONE thing…

• The right mix of strategy, product, quality, display, merchandising techniques, pricing and customer service will make your market sales sizzle, and increase your profits and pleasure.

Resources• NSDA Business Development & Economics• www.gov.ns.ca/agri/bde/ • Sales Strategies for Local Food Producers• http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/hort/g0

6222.htm• Growing for Market; F.M. Sample Issue• http://growingformarket.com/categories/20071227