Does this happen to you on the farm?
- You find random “customers” in your house looking for milk, meat or products you sell.
- You find people going beyond fenced areas on your property.
- Customers think your farm store is open 24/7.
- Theft.
- You find cars and trucks on open pastures that don’t belong there.
- Customers haggle you on price like a used car salesman.
- You’re constantly explaining the ordering process to customers.
If any of this sounds familiar, this blog post is for you.
Farmers from all over the country are experiencing similar challenges and it’s actually very common, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with an open door policy.
In fact, just the opposite is true.
Most farmers think that if they “accommodate” their customer’s needs, they’ll be loyal, repeat customers for life.
Yet, what I find to be true is the total opposite.
When I limit store hours and man the store (no self-serve options!), I make more sales.
The invasion of your privacy isn’t “just the way it goes” when you own an on-site farm store.
This happened to me ONE time and immediately I had to take action and set boundaries with customers.
As a result, I was taken more seriously, not one person complained about my prices, and customers respected me and my property more.
If you’re not doing these 3 things that I outline below, you’re potentially leaving a lot of money on the table with your farm store.
Like a lot of money…
If you enjoy watching video tap, the image below to tour my on-site farm store.
And if you prefer reading, here’s what I talk about in the video:
1. Take Credit Cards
I hear farmers all the time say things like, “I don’t want to pay the credit card fees that come along with using Square. What are my options?”
Let me tell you when you take credit cards, people spend more money. Not that many people carry cash these days and it’s just not convenient.
If you’re worried about accommodating customers THIS is the way you do it. Not with 24/7 hours and a self-serve business model.
Honestly, take credit cards. The fees are minimal and you’ll have happier customers that spend more money as a result.
2. Get Glass Front Freezers
Customers like to see what they’re buying. It’s why grocery stores have glass front freezers and beautiful produce displays.
The buying psychology behind “seeing is believing” is true.
Customers like to choose from a selection that they can see.
It’s worth the investment to buy glass front freezers and label products clearly so they can find exactly what they are looking for.
3. Limit Store Hours & Man It
I know this sounds counterintuitive, but I promise that when you have designed store hours it pays off.
Sure, self-serve stands will make you a little extra money, but if you’re serious about becoming a profitable farm, man your stand and have set hours.
Now it’s your turn!
Are you making one of these mistakes on your farm?
What’s one step you can take today to change it based on what you learned above?
Thanks for being here,
Charlotte
